future club, and scored a goal in a 3–1 win against Burnley. Both teams had the assistance of players from outside their usual elevens on this day. Goodall scored many goals for the Leverites, and by the end of 1884 was being described as the best forward in Lancashire. He struck four goals against Walsall Swifts on 31 January 1885 in a 7–0 win at the Great Lever ground in Bolton. His last match for Great Lever took place on 16 May 1885 at home against Bolton Wanderers F.C. and ended in a 1–1 draw. It came just a few days after the same team had defeated the Leverites 5–1 in the final of the Bolton Charity Cup. Preston North End 1885–1888 It was only by the sheer determination of representatives from Preston North End, that John Goodall agreed to play for them. He had been persuaded to join Bolton Wanderers F.C. He was at the club's headquarters when Ramsay, one of his teammates from Great Lever, came into the room and said he wanted to speak to him. When he got outside, there were two people from Preston North End. They bundled John Goodall into a cab, sent him to the nearest station and went to Preston via Blackburn. The Bolton representatives worked out what had happened but ended up going to the wrong station. Goodall joined Preston North End in August 1885 at the beginning of the 1885–86 season. He claimed a goal in the first game of that season at Preston on 22 August 1885 in a 7–0 win over Wednesbury Old Athletic. On 17 August 1887, he scored nine goals in North End's 16–2 win in a friendly match away against Dundee Strathmore. When North End beat Hyde United 26–0 on 15 October 1887, John Goodall only claimed the last goal. This may in part be due to the fact that he was playing at half-back in the game. That season, 1887–88 Preston North end reached the 1888 FA Cup Final. It was played at Kennington Oval on 24 March 1888 against West Bromwich Albion, John Goodall played centre–forward. North End lost 2–1. Preston North End 1888–1889 John Goodall made his League debut on 8 September 1888 as a forward for Preston North End against Burnley at the Deepdale ground in Preston. Preston won 5–2. John Goodall played in 21 of Preston' 22 League Championship matches.