James Richard Rogers (31 December 1929 – December 1996) was an English
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who played as an outside right and centre forward. He made over 340
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
appearances in the years after the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Career
Jimmy Rogers was a livewire opportunist who delighted in telling the world that he was lethal in front of goal – from six inches!
Rogers was equally effective on the wing or at centre forward. In particular he had an instinct for rebounds that verged on the uncanny. The description "poacher" could have been coined for Rogers. Rogers had fine ball control and bags of determination, he was also firmly of the "if they kick me then I'll kick them back" persuasion and few defenders were able to intimidate him. In summary Jimmy Rogers was a humorous and intelligent person.
Jimmy Rogers played locally for Rubery Owen in the Midlands and represented the Combined Services. Rogers joined
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
from Rubery Owen in May 1948.
Bob Wright
Robert Charles Wright (born April 23, 1943) is an American lawyer, businessman, right-wing lobbyist, and author. He is a former NBC executive, having served as president and CEO from 1986 to 2001, and chairman and CEO from 2001 until he retire ...
signed Rogers on a free transfer in May 1950 from Wolverhampton Wanderers for
Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
.
Jimmy Rogers made his debut at centre forward for Bristol City in the Third Division South in a 1–4 defeat at Torquay United on 18 November 1950. Rogers made only 8 appearances scoring 2 goals as Bristol City finished 10th in 1950–51. In the following season 1951–52 Rogers first appeared on the right wing in October. He returned to the team at outside left on Christmas Day with Bristol City in 20th place and promptly scored in 3 of the next 4 matches. This gave him a fairly regular place in the team firstly on the left wing and then at inside right. Bristol City ended the season in 15th place with Rogers making 22 appearances scoring 10 goals. Jimmy Rogers played intermittently and made 18 appearances scoring 4 goals in 1952–53 as the "Robins" rose to 5th place in the table. Rogers had two spells in the team on the right wing in 1953–54 making 13 appearances scoring 3 goals with City rising again to 3rd place in the Third Division South. When Bristol City won the Third Division South championship by 9 clear points in 1954–55, Jimmy Rogers laid claim to a regular place at outside right until January and then at centre forward when
Arnold Rodgers suffered an achilles tendon injury. In season 1954–55 Rogers made 44 appearances scoring 25 goals including 15 goals in his 18 appearances at centre forward.
Jimmy Rogers was the regular centre forward for Bristol City in their first season back in the Second Division in 1955–56 making 34 appearances scoring 25 goals including a hat trick in the 6–0 win v Plymouth Argyle on 27 December 1955. Rogers scored 5goals from 16 appearances at centre forward in 1956–57 for Bristol City prior to his transfer to Coventry City.
Jimmy Rogers and
Jack Boxley moved on to
Coventry City
Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...
in December 1956.
Peter Doherty re-signed Rogers back from Coventry City for £3,000 in December 1958. Coventry City finished runners up in the newly created Fourth Division in season 1958–59. In 1958–59 Rogers made 9 appearances without scoring as he shared outside left duties with
Johnny Watkins.
Bristol City were relegated when finishing 22nd and bottom of the Second Division in 1959–60 when Jimmy Rogers made 31 appearances scoring 16 goals mainly from the right wing; Atyeo also scored 16 goals in this season but from 42 appearances.
Jimmy Rogers played regularly at outside right in 1960–61 making 37 appearances scoring 8 goals. Bristol City rose back to 6th place in 1961–62 with Jimmy Rogers making 38 appearances mainly at outside right scoring 4 goals in his final season with the "Robins".
Rogers moved on to become player manager at
Cinderford Town in July 1962.
On retiring from football Jimmy Rogers set up his own business First Bristol Finance. He suffered a heart attack in 1976 but went on to set up another business KGC Panels. He was chairman of trustees of Westbury on Trym Wildlife Park in Bristol at the time of his death in December 1996.
Honours
;with Bristol City
*
Football League Third Division South
The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to on ...
winner:
1954–55
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rogers, Jimmy
1929 births
1996 deaths
Sportspeople from Wednesbury
English footballers
Association football wingers
English Football League players
Western Football League players
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players
Bristol City F.C. players
Coventry City F.C. players
Cinderford Town A.F.C. players
English football managers
Cinderford Town A.F.C. managers