John Fairbairn (3 March 1871 – 23 October 1966) was a Scottish footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Heart of Midlothian in the late 19th century. He won the Scottish Cup with the club in 1891 (their first major trophy and the first time the competition had been won by a team from the Scottish capital) and 1896 (an Edinburgh derby victory over Hibernian), and was a Scottish Football League title winner in 1896–97, playing in all 18 fixtures (he made only three appearances when they were champions two seasons earlier, William Cox taking over). His last game for Hearts was in 1898 but he is reported to have signed for Abercorn in 1903, though no appearances were recorded for him with the Paisley club so it is likely he was registered as an experienced backup player for a potential goalke