Jimmy Nelson (footballer)

Last updated • 8 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Jimmy Nelson
Nelson, Jimmy.jpg
Nelson pictured on a postcard in 1923
Personal information
Full name James Nelson
Date of birth(1901-01-07)7 January 1901
Place of birth Greenock, Scotland
Date of death 8 October 1965(1965-10-08) (aged 64)
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) [1]
Position(s) Full back
Youth career
St Paul's
Glenarm
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1919–1921 Crusaders
1921–1930 Cardiff City 240 (2)
1930–1935 Newcastle United 146 (0)
1935–1939 Southend United 73 (0)
Total459(2)
International career
1925–1930 Scotland 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

James Nelson (7 January 1901 – 8 October 1965) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a full-back. He moved to Ireland as a child where he began his senior career with Irish Intermediate League side Crusaders. He spent two seasons with the team before joining Football League First Division side Cardiff City in 1921. After two seasons as a reserve, he became established in the first team and went on to make more than 250 appearances in all competitions. He helped the club reach two FA Cup finals, losing the first in 1925 before Cardiff became the first team from outside England to win the competition in 1927. He also won the 1927 FA Charity Shield and the Welsh Cup on four occasions with Cardiff.

Contents

Following Cardiff's relegation, Nelson was sold to Newcastle United in 1930. He went on to captain the side to victory in the 1932 FA Cup Final during his second year. He remained with Newcastle for five years, making more than 150 appearances in all competitions before finishing his professional career with Third Division South side Southend United. At international level, Nelson attained four caps for the Scotland national team between 1926 and 1930, including being part of the Wembley Wizards Scotland side of 1928.

Club career

Early years

Nelson was born in Greenock, Scotland, the sixth son of Alexander Nelson and his wife Jeanie. [2] [3] The family moved to Northern Ireland when Nelson was seven where his father was employed as a ship builder. [4] [5] He started his football career there with junior sides St Paul's and Glenarm, initially playing as a forward. [6] [7] At senior level, he joined Irish Intermediate League side Crusaders in 1919 where he was described as a "fullback with great promise". [8] [9] His spell with the team was disrupted by a broken leg during his second season, [9] however he was still chosen to represent an Irish League XI on several occasions and captained the side against their English counterparts. [7] [10] He was spotted by Fred Stewart, manager of Welsh side Cardiff City, who paid £500 to complete a transfer to Cardiff. Such was Nelson's success at Cardiff that the Welsh side sent a message to Crusaders asking "Have you any more players like Jimmy?". This correspondence ultimately led to Tom Sloan and Tom Watson also moving to Cardiff in the following years. [11]

Cardiff City

Nelson moved to Wales in 1921 when signed by Cardiff City, coinciding with the team being promoted to the First Division of the Football League. [12] He made his debut for the club two months into the 1921–22 season, replacing captain Charlie Brittain in a 2–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion on 29 October. He retained his place for Cardiff's following match, a 2–0 defeat to Manchester City on 5 November, but these proved to be the only senior appearances in his first season. [13] The following year, Nelson again started the campaign as a reserve, [5] [14] with Brittain and Jack Page being preferred in Nelson's favoured position. He made only one appearance during the first half of the season, but was recalled for a goalless draw with Bolton Wanderers on 30 December 1922. Nelson retained his place for the rest of the season, missing only 4 of the remaining 19 matches and finishing the campaign with 24 appearances in all competitions. This included helping the side to victory in the Welsh Cup by defeating Aberdare Athletic 3–2 in the final. [14]

With Brittain departing the club in 1924, Nelson retained his place in the first team the following season. He was ever present in the First Division, playing in all 42 matches, as the club finished second to Huddersfield Town on goal average. He also played in 11 cup ties during the campaign, making more appearances for the club than any other player. [15] In the 1925–26 season he remained prominent in the first team and scored his first goals for the club, converting penalties during victories over Burnley and Nottingham Forest in the second half of the campaign. The season culminated with Nelson and Cardiff both reaching their first FA Cup final, losing 1–0 to Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium. [16]

In the opening game of the 1925–26 season, a 3–2 defeat to Manchester City, Nelson became the first Cardiff player to be sent off in a Football League match. [17] With the match tied at 2–2, Nelson became involved in an altercation with an opposition player in his penalty area. He was subsequently dismissed after the referee witnessed him kick opposition forward Tommy Johnson, with Manchester City converting the resulting penalty to win the game. [18] [19] Nelson was later banned for a month following the clash and missed five league matches. [19] [20]

Nelson missed the opening four matches of the 1926–27 season before returning to the side and remaining ever present for the remainder of the campaign, appearing in 50 consecutive games as Cardiff finished 14th in the First Division. At the end of the season, he helped the side reach the 1927 FA Cup Final against Arsenal, [21] shortly before which the Daily Herald described him as "one of the best backs in the country". [5] Cardiff secured a 1–0 victory, becoming the only team from outside England to win the competition. [4] His success gained him the unusual moniker of the "Scotsman from Ireland who won the English Cup with a Welsh team". [22] He also claimed his second Welsh Cup title as Cardiff defeated Rhyl 2–0 in the final. [21]

Cardiff achieved a sixth-placed finish in the 1927–28 season with Nelson making more than 45 appearances in all competitions. [23] However, this proved to be Nelson's last prominent season with the club. After featuring in the opening nine games the following campaign, he succumbed to injury and appeared only two more times as Cardiff suffered relegation to the Second Division after finishing last. [24] Nelson did not return to the first team on a regular basis until midway through the 1929–30 season. He won a fourth Welsh Cup title during his final season, scoring his last goal for the club in a 4–0 victory over Swansea City, their local rivals, in the sixth round. [25]

Newcastle United

Nelson left Cardiff in July 1930, signing for Newcastle United for £7,000. [7] [26] He made his debut for the club on the opening day of the 1930–31 season in a 2–1 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday. After one further appearance, Nelson was absent from the first team for three months before returning in November. He finished his debut season having made 25 appearances in all competitions. [6]

His second season with Newcastle proved to be his most prominent as he made 49 appearances in all competitions. This included playing in all eight cup matches en route to reaching the 1932 FA Cup Final. [6] He captained the side to victory in the game, defeating Arsenal to win the competition for the second time in his career. [27] Nelson was still held in high esteem in South Wales from his spell with Cardiff and a benefit night was hosted in his honour in Ystrad Mynach shortly after the cup final. As well as raising money for the Caerphilly District Miners Hospital, Nelson was presented with a painting of himself and other items. [28] He remained a regular for two further seasons, making 40 league appearances in both. [6]

Newcastle were relegated to the Second Division in 1934 and Nelson fell out of favour during the 1934–35 season. He appeared in the opening three games of the campaign, all of which Newcastle lost as they conceded 14 goals in the process. The third match, a 5–2 defeat against Brentford on 1 September, proved to be his final appearance for the side. [6] Nelson was among ten players that were released by Newcastle at the end of the year. [29] A potential return to Cardiff was considered, with the side having fallen into the Third Division South, while Watford also showed interest in his signing. [30]

Southend United

Nelson joined Third Division South side Southend United in June 1935. [31] Within the first six months, he helped the side win the Southend Hospital Cup, a regional competition. Nelson attended the award ceremony with his teammates in January 1936, during which his car was stolen from outside the venue before being abandoned in Pitsea. [32] He remained with the club until 1939, making 81 appearances in all competitions. [33] The same year, he unsuccessfully applied for the managerial position at Chelsea, [34] losing out to Billy Birrell. [35]

International career

Nelson made his international debut for Scotland on 14 February 1925 in a 3–1 victory over Wales, a match in which he was the only Scottish player from outside his nation's league system to be selected. [36] [37] He retained his place for his side's 3–0 win over Ireland two weeks later. His next cap came more than three years later when he was recalled for a match against England in March 1928. [38] In the match, Scotland caused a major upset by winning 5–1, with the side becoming known as the Wembley Wizards. [39] His final cap came in May 1930 when he played in a 2–0 victory over France. [38] Nelson had previously been selected to play for Ireland but was withdrawn from the squad when he was found to be ineligible having been born in Scotland. [4]

Personal life

Nelson married Doris Noon in July 1936 at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Canton, Cardiff. [40] One of his brothers, Davey Nelson, [3] was also a footballer, following his brother by playing for both Crusaders and Cardiff City. [41] [42]

After retiring from playing, Nelson served as a policeman during wartime. [43] He became a publican after the war ended, initially in Southend where he worked for his former club in different capacities. [7] He later took over pubs in Penarth and Cardiff. His son Tony became an amateur international footballer for Wales then later turned professional with Newport County and AFC Bournemouth. [44] [45]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupOther [nb 1] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Cardiff City 1921–22 [13] First Division 20000020
1922–23 [14] First Division1703040240
1923–24 [15] First Division4206050530
1924–25 [16] First Division3728010462
1925–26 [20] First Division3403010380
1926–27 [21] First Division3807050500
1927–28 [23] First Division4103150491
1928–29 [24] First Division1100000110
1929–30 [25] Second Division 1800041261
Total24023012512954
Newcastle United 1930–31 [6] First Division2302000250
1931–32 [6] First Division4009000490
1932–33 [6] First Division4001010420
1933–34 [6] First Division4001000410
1934–35 [6] Second Division30000030
Total1460130101600
Southend United 1935–36 [33] Third Division South 3704010420
1936–37 [33] Third Division South2402000260
1937–38 [33] Third Division South900010100
1938–39 [33] Third Division South30000030
Total7306020810
Career total45924912815364
  1. Includes other competitive competitions, including the FA Charity Shield, Welsh Cup and Football League Third Division South Cup.

Honours

Cardiff City [7]

Newcastle United [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1927 FA Cup final</span> English football championship

The 1927 FA Cup final was an association football match between Cardiff City and Arsenal on 23 April 1927 at the Empire Stadium. The final was the showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, organised by the Football Association. Cardiff, one of the few Welsh teams taking part, won the match 1–0. Their victory remains the only occasion the trophy, which was previously widely referred to as the "English Cup", has been won by a team based outside England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hughie Ferguson</span> Scottish footballer (1895–1930)

Hugh Ferguson was a Scottish professional footballer. Born in Motherwell, he played for Parkhead at junior level as an amateur and was one of the most sought-after young players in Scotland before signing for his hometown club to begin his professional career. He established himself as a consistent scorer playing as a centre forward, finishing as the top goalscorer in the Scottish Football League on three occasions between 1918 and 1921. His 284 league goals remains a record at the club and, by 1925, he was the highest-scoring player in the history of the Scottish League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Len Davies</span> Welsh footballer

Leonard Stephen Davies was a Welsh professional footballer. Born in Cardiff, he trained as a marine engineer before becoming a footballer, making his senior debut for his hometown club Cardiff City in 1919 in the Southern Football League. Cardiff joined the Football League the following year but Davies remained a reserve until establishing himself in the first team in late 1922. He scored Cardiff's first hat-trick in the Football League in January 1922 and was the club's top scorer in all competitions during the campaign.

Ernest Robert Curtis was a Welsh professional footballer who played as an outside forward. Born in Cardiff, he joined hometown side Cardiff City in 1925, initially as an amateur before turning professional a year later. He made his senior debut in 1926 and helped the side win both the FA Cup and Welsh Cup in his first season. In the club's 1927 FA Cup victory, he became the youngest player to appear in a final in the competition's history as Cardiff defeated Arsenal, remaining the only team from outside England to win the trophy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Farquharson</span> Irish footballer (1899–1970)

Thomas Gerard Farquharson was an Irish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Born in Dublin, he played youth football for local sides. In his teens, he became a member of the Irish Republican Army and was arrested by the British Army for removing wanted posters and held in Mountjoy Prison. He was released on the basis that he would leave Ireland, which he did, choosing to settle in South Wales.

George Hardie McLachlan was a Scottish professional footballer and manager. He played for a number of amateur sides as a youth but began his professional career with Clyde in the Scottish Football League. He signed for Football League First Division side Cardiff City in 1925 for a fee of £2,000. He made more than 150 appearances for the side over four seasons in all competitions and was part of the team that won the 1927 FA Cup Final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1925 FA Cup final</span> Association football match between Sheffield United and Cardiff

The 1925 FA Cup final was an association football match contested by Sheffield United and Cardiff City on 25 April 1925 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The final was the showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, organised by the Football Association. Sheffield United won the game with a single goal.

Samuel Johnstone Irving was an Irish professional footballer and manager. Born In Ireland, he was raised in Scotland before playing football in the North of England. He turned professional in 1913 and played in the Football League for Bristol City before World War I. After the war he returned to non-league in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Hardy (footballer)</span> English footballer and manager

William Hardy was an English professional footballer who played as a half back. He began his career with his hometown side Bedlington United before moving to Scotland where he made his professional debut with Heart of Midlothian in 1910 at the age of 18. He remained with the side for a year, making sporadic appearances, before joining Football League Second Division side Stockport County. However, he made only one appearance for the first team.

John Hugh Evans was a Welsh professional footballer. He spent the majority of his career with Cardiff City, making over 350 appearances in all competitions and playing in the club's first seasons in the Football League. He also played for the Wales national football team, winning 8 caps.

Thomas Houston Watson was an Irish professional footballer. He began his career with Irish Intermediate League side Crusaders as a half back before joining Cardiff City in 1925 where he converted to defence. He became a regular first team player during his debut season in the Football League and later played in the 1927 FA Cup Final, helping the side become the only team from outside England to win the competition.

Thomas Milne Sloan was an Irish professional footballer who played as a half back. He began his career in Northern Ireland with Irish Intermediate League side Crusaders while also serving as a policeman. He joined Football League First Division side Cardiff City in 1924 where he spent five years and made more than 90 appearances in all competitions. His playing time with the club was often limited due to competition with club captain Fred Keenor, but he did play for the side in the 1927 FA Cup Final as they defeated Arsenal to become the only team from outside England to win the competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Stewart (football manager)</span> English football manager

Frederick Stewart was an English football manager. He took up his first managerial role in 1896 with Lancashire League side Stockport County and led them to their first title in 1900. Their success saw them elected to the Second Division of the Football League. The club struggled initially and, after being forced to seek re-election on several occasions, Stewart was replaced by Sam Ormerod. However, Ormerod also struggled and Stewart was reinstated a year later.

The 1926–27 season was the 26th season of competitive football played by Cardiff City F.C. and the team's sixth consecutive season in the First Division of the Football League. Having finished 16th the previous season, Fred Stewart made reshaped his squad but endured a slow start to the campaign. However, led by the goals of top scorer Hughie Ferguson, the club eased away from the relegation zone after the midway point of the campaign and finished in 14th position.

The 1923–24 season was the 23rd season of competitive football played by Cardiff City F.C. and the team's third consecutive season in the First Division of the Football League. Cardiff had been promoted to the First Division in the 1920–21 season after finishing as runners-up in the Second Division.

The 1920–21 season was the 20th year of competitive football played by Cardiff City F.C. and the team's first in the Football League. In a ballot by members of their new league, Cardiff were voted into the Second Division and won their first match 5–2 against Stockport County. Cardiff finished the season tied on points with first-placed Birmingham, with 58 of a possible 84 points. The winner was therefore decided via goal average, with Cardiff placing second by a margin of 0.235. The two sides were both promoted to the First Division.Cardiff also reached the semi-final of the FA Cup, becoming the first Welsh side to do so and keeping six consecutive clean sheets in the process. The team caused two upsets by defeating First Division sides Sunderland and Chelsea in the first and fourth rounds respectively. They were eliminated from the competition by fellow Second Division side Wolverhampton Wanderers, losing 3–1 in a replay at Old Trafford. In the Welsh Cup, Cardiff were the holders entering the competition but were eliminated in the third round by Pontypridd after a fixture clash with a league match against Bristol City forced them to field a reserve side.

The 1921–22 season was the 21st season of competitive football played by Cardiff City F.C. and the team's first in the First Division of The Football League. Cardiff had won promotion the previous season by finishing as runners-up in the Second Division, becoming the first Welsh team to reach the top tier of English football.

The 1924–25 season was the 24th season of competitive football played by Cardiff City F.C. and the team's fourth consecutive season in the First Division of the Football League. During the previous campaign the club had finished as runners up in the First Division, losing the title on the final day of the season via goal average. However, they were unable to repeat their form and endured a disappointing season, finishing in 11th place.

The 1925–26 season was the 25th year of competitive football played by Cardiff City F.C. and the team's fifth consecutive season in the First Division of the Football League. Having finished as runners-up in both the First Division and the FA Cup in the previous two seasons, the team's early optimism was misplaced as they finished in 16th position.

The 1930–31 season was the 30th season of competitive football played by Cardiff City F.C. It was the team's second season in the Second Division of the Football League since being relegated from the First Division during the 1928–29 season. They finished bottom of the Second Division after winning only 8 of their 42 league matches and scoring the fewest goals in the league and were relegated to the Third Division South.

References

  1. "Nelson leaves Cardiff" . Dundee Courier. 30 July 1930. p. 7. Retrieved 9 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. "Nelson – Noon" . Western Mail. 12 July 1926. p. 8. Retrieved 9 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. 1 2 "Residents of a house 5 in Mineral Street (Duncairn Ward, Antrim) 1911 Census". National Archives of Ireland . Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 "Cup friends reunited". BBC Sport. 4 April 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 "James Nelson" . Daily Herald. 6 April 1927. p. 8. Retrieved 9 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "James "Jimmy" Nelson". toon1892.com. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hayes, Dean (2006). The Who's Who of Cardiff City. Breedon Books. pp. 140–141. ISBN   1-85983-462-0.
  8. "Sporting Items" . Derby Daily Telegraph. 17 August 1921. p. 2. Retrieved 9 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. 1 2 "Derry City's latest capture" . Londonderry Sentinel. 2 August 1930. p. 6. Retrieved 9 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. "Irish back for Cardiff City" . Western Mail. 17 August 1921. Retrieved 9 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. "Malcolm Brodie: When Irish boys were flying with Bluebirds". Belfast Telegraph. 8 July 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  12. "Cardiff City". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  13. 1 2 Shepherd 2002 , p. 23
  14. 1 2 3 Shepherd 2002 , p. 24
  15. 1 2 Shepherd 2002 , p. 25
  16. 1 2 Shepherd 2002 , p. 26
  17. "The roaring twenties". Cardiff City F.C. Archived from the original on 26 June 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  18. "Association Football" . The Times. 31 August 1925. p. 6. Retrieved 2 November 2020 via The Times Digital Archive.
  19. 1 2 "J. Nelson suspended" . Western Mail. 23 September 1925. p. 4. Retrieved 9 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  20. 1 2 Shepherd 2002 , p. 27
  21. 1 2 3 Shepherd 2002 , p. 28
  22. "Derek got his teenage kicks by booting Bayern". Glasgow Evening Times. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  23. 1 2 Shepherd 2002 , p. 29
  24. 1 2 Shepherd 2002 , p. 30
  25. 1 2 Shepherd 2002 , p. 31
  26. Saunders, Christian (2013). From the Ashes – The Real Story of Cardiff City Football Club. Llygad Gwalch Cyf. p. 79. ISBN   9781845242138.
  27. "Legends – George McLachlan". Queen of the South F.C. Retrieved 10 November 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  28. "Hero of Cup Final Tie" . Merthyr Express. 18 June 1932. p. 21. Retrieved 10 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  29. "Punts, points and passes" . Star Green 'Un. 20 April 1935. p. 1. Retrieved 10 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  30. "South" . Halifax Evening Courier. 20 April 1935. p. 9. Retrieved 10 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  31. "Nelson signs for Southend" . Belfast Telegraph. 25 June 1935. p. 8. Retrieved 9 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  32. "Jimmy Nelson's Lost Car" . Belfast Telegraph. 4 January 1936. p. 8. Retrieved 9 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  33. 1 2 3 4 5 "Player search: Nelson, J (Jimmy)" . English National Football Archive. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  34. "Gowdy an applicant" . Belfast Telegraph. 22 May 1939. p. 6. Retrieved 9 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  35. "Former managers". Chelsea F.C. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  36. "Sat 14 Feb 1925 Scotland 3 Wales 1". londonhearts.com. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  37. "No player" . Sunday Post. 15 February 1925. p. 15. Retrieved 9 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  38. 1 2 "James Nelson". londonhearts.com. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  39. Winton, Richard (2 June 2020). "England 1–5 Scotland: The day the Wembley Wizards were born". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  40. "Cardiff City player weds" . Western Mail. 13 July 1936. Retrieved 14 March 2019 via British Newspaper Archive.
  41. "Intermediate League" . Northern Whig. 2 December 1924. p. 2. Retrieved 9 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  42. "Nelson's brother for Cardiff" . Belfast Telegraph. 7 May 1925. p. 7. Retrieved 9 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  43. "P.C. Jimmy Nelson" . Newcastle Journal. 27 February 1940. p. 9. Retrieved 10 November 2020 via British Newspaper Archive.
  44. Wadley, Ian (17 April 2010). "Loyal Nelson: Howe and Cherries players 'defying gravity". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  45. Matthews, Tony (2005). Football Oddities: Curious Facts, Coincidences and Stranger-than-Fiction Stories From the World of Football. The History Press. p. 57. ISBN   9780752434018.
Bibliography