James Archibald "Snowy" Atkinson (4 April 1896 – 11 June 1956) was an Australian rules footballer and first class

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...

er.

Family

The son of Michael James Atkinson, and Margaret Atkinson, née Markland, James Archibald Atkinson was born in

Fitzroy North, Victoria Fitzroy North is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cites of Merri-bek and Yarra local government areas. Fitzroy North recorded a population of 12, ...

on 4 April 1896. He married Mary Agnes McLoughlin in 1919.

Football

Atkinson played his football with

Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to: People As a given name *Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name: **FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) ** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...

in the VFL from 1917 to 1925. He was a defender, and in 1922 was a member of Fitzroy's premiership side as well as winning their Club Champion award. Atkinson was club captain in 1924 and 1925. He moved to

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

in 1926 and finished his footballing career with Lefroy. He represented Tasmania at the interstate football carnival in Melbourne in 1927. He broke "virtually every bone in his body" during his career, and his injuries finally forced him out of the game in 1930.

Cricket

In cricket, Atkinson played 26 first-class games for

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

and

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

between 1921–22 and 1933–34. "Probably Tasmania's greatest cricket captain" in the years before it entered the

Sheffield Shield The Sheffield Shield (currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Marsh Sheffield Shield) is the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Sheffield Shi ...

, he led the team in 19 first-class matches from 1928–29 to 1932–33. An opening batsman, in 1927-28 he carried his bat for 144 not out against Victoria, and in 1929-30 he did it again, with 104 not out. Nevertheless, Tasmania lost each time. In the two matches against the touring MCC in 1928-29 he scored 17, 47, 20 and 30, the last three innings of which were Tasmania's top scores. Against the South Africans in 1931-32 he scored 90, 1, 48 and 55, again top-scoring three times. ''The Oxford Companion to Australian Cricket'' described him as an "uncompromising opening batsman, capable of thunderous hooks and drives, as well as delicate late cuts, and a fine close-to-the-wicket fieldsman". In Tasmania's victory over Victoria in Melbourne in 1928-29 he took seven catches – five in the first innings and two in the second – as well as scoring 54, the second-highest score in the match.

Tasmanian Cricket Association record

Playing with the South Hobart Cricket Club in the Tasmanian Cricket Association (TCA) competition he scored 1,000 runs in four seasons out of five, including 1,000 runs in three successive seasons.

Publican

After he retired from senior club cricket in 1935 he became a publican in Launceston.

Death

He died at Beaconsfield, Tasmania on 11 June 1956.Legal Notices, ''The Age'', (Monday, 27 May 1957), p. 9.
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Footnotes

References

O'Neill, Pat, "When 'Snowy' Atkinson Got Even With Douglas Jardine", ''The Sporting Globe'', (Saturday, 20 May 1939), p. 6.

External links

* *
Jim Atkinson, at ''Boyles Football Photos''.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, Jim 1896 births 1956 deaths Fitzroy Football Club players Fitzroy Football Club Premiership players Mitchell Medal winners Lefroy Football Club players Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame inductees People from Fitzroy, Victoria Cricketers from Melbourne Australian cricketers Victoria cricketers Tasmania cricketers Australian rules footballers from Melbourne One-time VFL/AFL Premiership players