James Henry Nicholls was an English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 football goalkeeper.

Playing career

Nicholls played for Darlaston

Darlaston Town F.C.

Darlaston Town F.C. are a football club based in Darlaston, West Midlands, England. For the 2011-12 season, they are members of the West Midlands League Premier Division.-History:...

, Cradley Heath

Cradley Heath F.C.

Cradley Heath F.C. was an English association football club based in Cradley Heath in the Black Country. The club competed in the Birmingham & District League, one of the country's strongest semi-professional leagues, between 1922 and 1961 and won the league championship in the 1925–26,...

, Sunbeam Motor Works, Bloxwich Strollers, Bilston United, Blackpool

Blackpool F.C.

Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

, Manchester City

Manchester City F.C.

Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

 and Brentford

Brentford F.C.

Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....

 before joining Port Vale

Port Vale F.C.

Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

 to replace the outgoing Allan Todd

Allan Todd

Allan Todd is a former Scottish footballer.-Playing career:Todd played for Wellesley, Leith Athletic and Cowdenbeath before joining Port Vale in October 1932. He had long spells as the first choice 'keeper and made 83 appearances for the club...

 in June 1937. He made his debut in a 3-0 defeat at Oldham Athletic

Oldham Athletic A.F.C.

Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...

 on 28 August 1937 and played the first sixteen games of the season until he picked up a knee

Knee

The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...

 injury in December 1937. Nicholls recovered, but new man George Heppell

George Heppell

George Heppell was an English football goalkeeper who made over 200 appearances for Port Vale.-Playing career:...

 had managed to establish himself in this time and Nicholls was surplus to requirements, so was released at the end the season

1937–38 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1937–38 season was Port Vale's thirty-second season of football in the Football League, and their second successive season in the Third Division North. With thirty goals, Jack Roberts was the division's top scorer...

.