Stewart Imlach
Encyclopedia
James John Stewart Imlach (6 January 1932 – 7 October 2001) was a Scottish
professional footballer
who played as a left-winger for numerous clubs in England. He is best known today as the subject of a biography by his son Gary Imlach
named My Father and Other Working Class Football Heroes.
Imlach started his career with several local clubs in his hometown before moving south at the age of 20 when Bury
paid Lossiemouth
£150 for his services in 1952. Two years later he joined Derby County
in a player-exchange deal before joining Nottingham Forest
for £5,000 in 1955. He was part of the City Ground
club's 1959 FA Cup
winning team, providing the cross for the first goal in the final by Roy Dwight
, before a move to the vanquished opponents that day, Luton Town
, for £8,000 in 1960. He wound down his career with short spells at Coventry City
(1960–62), Crystal Palace
(1962–64), Dover
(1964–65), Chelmsford City
(1965–66) and Crystal Palace again (1966–67).
When Imlach stopped playing he became a trainer and spent the next 12 years coaching at Notts County
, Everton
, Blackpool
and Bury
. His time with Everton was the longest spell, Imlach acting as first assistant trainer then first team trainer for the Toffees between 1969 and 1976.
In 2009 a street of new houses in his home town of Lossiemouth - Imlach Way - was named in his honour.
in 1958, against Hungary
, Poland
, Yugoslavia
and France
, the latter two games taking place at the 1958 FIFA World Cup
finals in Sweden
. However, prior to the 1970s, caps were only issued to those who appeared in matches against the other home countries
, so Imlach never received a cap.
In 2005, Imlach's son Gary
was at the forefront of a popular campaign to have Imlach and others, such as Eddie Turnbull
, retrospectively awarded caps. After concerted public pressure, the Scottish Football Association
bowed to the popular will in 2006 and officially capped all players affected by the previous rule.
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...
professional footballer
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...
who played as a left-winger for numerous clubs in England. He is best known today as the subject of a biography by his son Gary Imlach
Gary Imlach
Gary Imlach is a British author, journalist and broadcaster, specialising in sport. Imlach is particularly associated with non-mainstream sports, working for many years as the face of Channel 4's coverage of American Football and the Tour de France, having transferred to ITV when the station...
named My Father and Other Working Class Football Heroes.
Imlach started his career with several local clubs in his hometown before moving south at the age of 20 when Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
paid Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth F.C.
Lossiemouth F.C. are a senior football club from Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland. They play in the Highland Football League.Founded in 1945, they were admitted to the Highland League in the following year and have played in that league ever since. The club play their football at Grant Park...
£150 for his services in 1952. Two years later he joined Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
in a player-exchange deal before joining Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
for £5,000 in 1955. He was part of the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
club's 1959 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winning team, providing the cross for the first goal in the final by Roy Dwight
Roy Dwight
Royston Edward Dwight was an English footballer.When he was eight, Roy’s mother died in childbirth, while giving birth to his sister Susan, and following his father’s death, he moved in with his grandparents....
, before a move to the vanquished opponents that day, Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, for £8,000 in 1960. He wound down his career with short spells at Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
(1960–62), Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
(1962–64), Dover
Dover F.C.
Dover F.C. was a football club based in Dover, Kent, England. The club joined the Kent League in 1894, but folded in 1901. Dover F.C. was revived a year later, this time as a purely amateur club, and rejoined the Kent League, but folded again in 1909...
(1964–65), Chelmsford City
Chelmsford City F.C.
Chelmsford City F.C. is an English semi-professional football club based in the town of Chelmsford, Essex. The club are currently members of the Conference South and play at the Melbourne Stadium.-Chelmsford:...
(1965–66) and Crystal Palace again (1966–67).
When Imlach stopped playing he became a trainer and spent the next 12 years coaching at Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
, Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, 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...
and Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
. His time with Everton was the longest spell, Imlach acting as first assistant trainer then first team trainer for the Toffees between 1969 and 1976.
In 2009 a street of new houses in his home town of Lossiemouth - Imlach Way - was named in his honour.
Cap controversy
The first Nottingham Forest player ever to be selected by Scotland, Imlach made four appearances for the Scottish national sideScotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
in 1958, against Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
, Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
and France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, the latter two games taking place at the 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
finals in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. However, prior to the 1970s, caps were only issued to those who appeared in matches against the other home countries
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
, so Imlach never received a cap.
In 2005, Imlach's son Gary
Gary Imlach
Gary Imlach is a British author, journalist and broadcaster, specialising in sport. Imlach is particularly associated with non-mainstream sports, working for many years as the face of Channel 4's coverage of American Football and the Tour de France, having transferred to ITV when the station...
was at the forefront of a popular campaign to have Imlach and others, such as Eddie Turnbull
Eddie Turnbull
Edward Hunter Turnbull was a Scottish professional football player and manager.During the late 1940s and 1950s he was one of the Famous Five, the noted Hibernian forward line, along with Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, and Willie Ormond...
, retrospectively awarded caps. After concerted public pressure, the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
bowed to the popular will in 2006 and officially capped all players affected by the previous rule.
External links
- Scotsman.com Caps Campaign Portal
- Parliamentary Motion by Angus RobertsonAngus RobertsonAngus Struan Carolus Robertson is the Scottish National Party Member of Parliament for Moray and is the SNP's Parliamentary Group Leader and spokesperson for foreign affairs and defence.Robertson was the Election Co-ordinator for the Scottish National party's successful 2007 and 2011 Scottish...
MP.