Barça Rewind: Barça's coach has to go in goal

Englishman, Jack Greenwell, made his debut for Barça in a 4-2 friendly win over FC Espanya de Barcelona in September 1912, and played 25 games in total in the 1912/13 season, most of which were friendlies. The pattern continued in 2013/14, with only two out of Greenwell's 31 appearances coming in competitive matches.

Seventeen appearances followed in 1914/15, but then he barely played for the next couple of seasons. He did, however, show an interest and an aptitude in the coaching side.

John Barrow had been acting as the club’s first-ever coach during the first few months of 1917, but he was soon relieved of his duties by Joan Gamper for an assortment of reasons.

Entertaining

Popular with the playing staff, Gamper approached Greenwell for the role, which he accepted. A 3-1 win over CE Europa in July 1917 was his first game in charge, and the team would eventually finish third that season. Another third-place finish in 2018 didn't delight the club's members, and they rounded on him to the extent where he felt that he needed to resign.

Gamper, recently re-elected, refused to accept it. Greenwell actually only played in one game that season, a friendly against Centre de Sports de Sants on May 26, 1918, when he went in goal after Barça’s usual keeper Lluis Bru, was injured.

The match ended in an entertaining 4-4 draw, though Greenwell looked awful throughout and never played for the club again. He would go on to coach Barça to their seventh Catalan Championship the following season, however.