Jimmy Jackson (footballer)
Encyclopedia
James "Jimmy" Jackson was a Scottish
-Australia
n football (soccer)
player.
Jackson was born in Cambuslang
, Lanarkshire
, Scotland
, but his family emigrated to Australia
when he was two. The young Jackson grew up in Australia and played football as a youth, before returning to Scotland in 1893. He first played for junior side Newton Thistle, and then signed for Rangers
in 1894, although he was only a fringe player at the club.
He was sold to Newcastle United
in August 1897, and played for the Magpies for two seasons, helping them to promotion to the First Division
in 1897-98
. In 1899 he joined Woolwich Arsenal
. He made his debut against Leicester Fosse
on 2 September 1899, and for the next six seasons he was a regular at the club, playing either at left back or wing half (i.e. on one side of midfield
). He was a virtual ever-present in the Gunners' 1903-04
promotion-winning season, and was captain of the club in its inaugural First Division season. In all he played 204 matches for Arsenal, scoring one goal.
Jackson left Arsenal in 1905 to become player-manager at Leyton
(who had just been promoted to the Southern League
), but his spell was short-lived and later that year he signed for West Ham United
, before rejoining his old club Rangers in 1906. He retired to become a blacksmith
, although he briefly came out of retirement to play for Morton
in 1911.
Jimmy Jackson was not the only sporting member of his family. Two of his sons were footballers; the elder, James
played over 200 games for Liverpool
, and later became an ordained priest
after retiring from football; the younger, Archie played for Sunderland
and Tranmere Rovers
. His nephew, also called Archie Jackson
, was an Australian test
cricket
er.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
-Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player.
Jackson was born in Cambuslang
Cambuslang
Cambuslang is a suburban town on the south-eastern outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland. It is within the local authority area of South Lanarkshire. Historically, it was a large rural Parish incorporating nearby hamlets of Newton, Flemington, and Halfway. It is known as "the largest village in...
, Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, but his family emigrated to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
when he was two. The young Jackson grew up in Australia and played football as a youth, before returning to Scotland in 1893. He first played for junior side Newton Thistle, and then signed for Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in 1894, although he was only a fringe player at the club.
He was sold to Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in August 1897, and played for the Magpies for two seasons, helping them to promotion to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in 1897-98
1897-98 in English football
The 1897–98 season was the 27th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
. In 1899 he joined Woolwich Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. He made his debut against Leicester Fosse
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
on 2 September 1899, and for the next six seasons he was a regular at the club, playing either at left back or wing half (i.e. on one side of midfield
Midfield
Midfield is the part of a sports pitch that lies approximately in the center. It is a term most commonly associated with football to refer to the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region, but it can be used in field hockey to describe the same area, or in...
). He was a virtual ever-present in the Gunners' 1903-04
1903-04 in English football
The 1903–04 season was the 33rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:For the first time ever, a London team, Woolwich Arsenal, is promoted to the First Division and makes the League's reach nationwide...
promotion-winning season, and was captain of the club in its inaugural First Division season. In all he played 204 matches for Arsenal, scoring one goal.
Jackson left Arsenal in 1905 to become player-manager at Leyton
Leyton F.C.
Leyton Football Club are an English association football club based in Leyton, in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. As of January 2011, they are not in a senior league, after withdrawing from the Isthmian League Division One North...
(who had just been promoted to the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
), but his spell was short-lived and later that year he signed for West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, before rejoining his old club Rangers in 1906. He retired to become a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, although he briefly came out of retirement to play for Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
in 1911.
Jimmy Jackson was not the only sporting member of his family. Two of his sons were footballers; the elder, James
James Jackson, Jr.
James Jackson Jr. was a footballer who played for Liverpool. Between 1925 and 1933, he made 224 appearances, scoring twice.-Life and playing career:...
played over 200 games for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, and later became an ordained priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
after retiring from football; the younger, Archie played for Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
and Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
. His nephew, also called Archie Jackson
Archie Jackson
Archibald "Archie" Jackson , occasionally known as Archibald Alexander Jackson, was an Australian cricketer who played eight Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1929 and 1931. A teenage prodigy, he played first grade cricket at only 15 years of age and was selected for New South Wales at 17...
, was an Australian test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er.