James Nelson (Scottish footballer)
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James Nelson (7 January 1901 – 8 October 1965) was a Scottish professional
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 ...
who played as a full-back. He moved to Ireland as a child where he began his senior career with
Irish Intermediate League The Irish Intermediate League was a Northern Irish football competition for teams of intermediate status, which also included reserve sides of senior teams. The league ran from 1915 until 1954. History It began in 1915 after the amalgamation of ...
side
Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
. He spent two seasons with the team before joining Football League First Division side Cardiff City in 1921. After two seasons as a reserve, he became established in the first team and went on to make more than 250 appearances in all competitions. He helped the club reach two
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
finals, losing the first in
1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Itali ...
before Cardiff became the first team from outside England to win the competition in
1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 ...
. He also won the 1927 FA Charity Shield and the
Welsh Cup The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mos ...
on four occasions with Cardiff. Following Cardiff's relegation, Nelson was sold to Newcastle United in 1930. He went on to captain the side to victory in the
1932 FA Cup Final The 1932 FA Cup Final was contested by Newcastle United and Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in what became known as the "Over The Line" final. Newcastle won 2–1, both of their goals scored by Jack Allen. Arsenal had led 1–0 with a Bob John goal, ...
during his second year. He remained with Newcastle for five years, making more than 150 appearances in all competitions before finishing his professional career with
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 ...
side
Southend United Southend United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of English football. Southend are known as ...
. At international level, Nelson attained four caps for the Scotland national team between 1926 and 1930, including being part of the
Wembley Wizards The Wembley Wizards is the nickname for the Scotland national football team that crushed England national football team, England 5–1 at Wembley Stadium (1923), Wembley in the 1928 British Home Championship. Background Scotland had failed to w ...
Scotland side of 1928.


Club career


Early years

Nelson was born in Greenock, Scotland, the sixth son of Alexander Nelson and his wife Jeanie. The family moved to Northern Ireland when Nelson was seven where his father was employed as a ship builder. He started his football career there with junior sides St Paul's and Glenarm, initially playing as a forward. At senior level, he joined
Irish Intermediate League The Irish Intermediate League was a Northern Irish football competition for teams of intermediate status, which also included reserve sides of senior teams. The league ran from 1915 until 1954. History It began in 1915 after the amalgamation of ...
side
Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
in 1919 where he was described as a "fullback with great promise". His spell with the team was disrupted by a broken leg during his second season, however he was still chosen to represent an Irish League XI on several occasions and captained the side against their English counterparts. He was spotted by Fred Stewart, manager of Welsh side Cardiff City, who paid £500 to complete a transfer to Cardiff. Such was Nelson's success at Cardiff that the Welsh side sent a message to Crusaders asking "Have you any more players like Jimmy?". This correspondence ultimately led to Tom Sloan and Tom Watson also moving to Cardiff in the following years.


Cardiff City

Nelson moved to Wales in 1921 when signed by Cardiff City, coinciding with the team being promoted to the First Division of the Football League. He made his debut for the club two months into the 1921–22 season, replacing captain Charlie Brittain in a 2–0 victory over
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
on 29 October. He retained his place for Cardiff's following match, a 2–0 defeat to Manchester City on 5 November, but these proved to be the only senior appearances in his first season. The following year, Nelson again started the campaign as a reserve, with Brittain and Jack Page being preferred in Nelson's favoured position. He made only one appearance during the first half of the season, but was recalled for a goalless draw with Bolton Wanderers on 30 December 1922. Nelson retained his place for the rest of the season, missing only 4 of the remaining 19 matches and finishing the campaign with 24 appearances in all competitions. This included helping the side to victory in the
Welsh Cup The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mos ...
by defeating Aberdare Athletic 3–2 in the final. With Brittain departing the club in 1924, Nelson retained his place in the first team the following season. He was ever present in the First Division, playing in all 42 matches, as the club finished second to
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. Th ...
on
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. He also played in 11 cup ties during the campaign, making more appearances for the club than any other player. In the 1925–26 season he remained prominent in the first team and scored his first goals for the club, converting penalties during victories over
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston, at the confluence of the River C ...
and
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
in the second half of the campaign. The season culminated with Nelson and Cardiff both reaching their first
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
final, losing 1–0 to
Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
at
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. In the opening game of the 1925–26 season, a 3–2 defeat to Manchester City, Nelson became the first Cardiff player to be sent off in a Football League match. With the match tied at 2–2, Nelson became involved in an altercation with an opposition player in his penalty area. He was subsequently dismissed after the referee witnessed him kick opposition forward Tommy Johnson, with Manchester City converting the resulting penalty to win the game. Nelson was later banned for a month following the clash and missed five league matches. Nelson missed the opening four matches of the 1926–27 season before returning to the side and remaining ever present for the remainder of the campaign, appearing in 50 consecutive games as Cardiff finished 14th in the First Division. At the end of the season, he helped the side reach the
1927 FA Cup Final Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Musi ...
against Arsenal, shortly before which the Daily Herald described him as "one of the best backs in the country". Cardiff secured a 1–0 victory, becoming the only team from outside England to win the competition. His success gained him the unusual moniker of the "Scotsman from Ireland who won the English Cup with a Welsh team". He also claimed his second Welsh Cup title as Cardiff defeated
Rhyl Rhyl (; cy, Y Rhyl, ) is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. The town lies within the historic boundaries of Flintshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at the mouth of the River Clwyd ( Welsh: ''Afon Clwyd''). To the we ...
2–0 in the final. Cardiff achieved a sixth-placed finish in the 1927–28 season with Nelson making more than 45 appearances in all competitions. However, this proved to be Nelson's last prominent season with the club. After featuring in the opening nine games the following campaign, he succumbed to injury and appeared only two more times as Cardiff suffered relegation to the
Second Division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
after finishing last. Nelson did not return to the first team on a regular basis until midway through the 1929–30 season. He won a fourth Welsh Cup title during his final season, scoring his last goal for the club in a 4–0 victory over Swansea City, their local rivals, in the sixth round.


Newcastle United

Nelson left Cardiff in July 1930, signing for Newcastle United for £7,000. He made his debut for the club on the opening day of the 1930–31 season in a 2–1 defeat against
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot ...
. After one further appearance, Nelson was absent from the first team for three months before returning in November. He finished his debut season having made 25 appearances in all competitions. His second season with Newcastle proved to be his most prominent as he made 49 appearances in all competitions. This included playing in all eight cup matches en route to reaching the
1932 FA Cup Final The 1932 FA Cup Final was contested by Newcastle United and Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in what became known as the "Over The Line" final. Newcastle won 2–1, both of their goals scored by Jack Allen. Arsenal had led 1–0 with a Bob John goal, ...
. He captained the side to victory in the game, defeating Arsenal to win the competition for the second time in his career. Nelson was still held in high esteem in South Wales from his spell with Cardiff and a benefit night was hosted in his honour in
Ystrad Mynach Ystrad Mynach is a town in the Caerphilly County Borough, within the ancient county of Glamorgan, Wales, and is north of the town of Caerphilly. The urban area has a population of 19,204, and stands in the Rhymney Valley. Before the Industr ...
shortly after the cup final. As well as raising money for the
Caerphilly District Miners Hospital Caerphilly District Miners’ Hospital ( cy, Ysbyty'r Glowyr Caerffili) was a community hospital in Caerphilly, Wales. It was managed by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. History The hospital was established in a private house known as ...
, Nelson was presented with a painting of himself and other items. He remained a regular for two further seasons, making 40 league appearances in both. Newcastle were relegated to the Second Division in 1934 and Nelson fell out of favour during the 1934–35 season. He appeared in the opening three games of the campaign, all of which Newcastle lost as they conceded 14 goals in the process. The third match, a 5–2 defeat against Brentford on 1 September, proved to be his final appearance for the side. Nelson was among ten players that were released by Newcastle at the end of the year. A potential return to Cardiff was considered, with the side having fallen into the
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 ...
, while
Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, and ...
also showed interest in his signing.


Southend United

Nelson joined
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 ...
side
Southend United Southend United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of English football. Southend are known as ...
in June 1935. Within the first six months, he helped the side win the Southend Hospital Cup, a regional competition. Nelson attended the award ceremony with his teammates in January 1936, during which his car was stolen from outside the venue before being abandoned in
Pitsea Pitsea is a small town and former civil parish, now in the unparished area of Basildon, in south Essex, England. It comprises five sub-districts: Eversley, Northlands Park Neighbourhood (previously known as Felmores), Chalvedon, Pitsea Mount and B ...
. He remained with the club until 1939, making 81 appearances in all competitions. The same year, he unsuccessfully applied for the managerial position at
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
, losing out to
Billy Birrell William Birrell (13 March 1897 – 29 November 1968) was a Scottish professional footballer who made over 220 appearances as a forward in the Football League for Middlesbrough. He also made over 120 appearances in the Scottish League for Raith ...
.


International career

Nelson made his international debut for
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
on 14 February 1925 in a 3–1 victory over
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, a match in which he was the only Scottish player from outside his nation's league system to be selected. He retained his place for his side's 3–0 win over
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
two weeks later. His next cap came more than three years later when he was recalled for a match against
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in March 1928. In the match, Scotland caused a major upset by winning 5–1, with the side becoming known as the
Wembley Wizards The Wembley Wizards is the nickname for the Scotland national football team that crushed England national football team, England 5–1 at Wembley Stadium (1923), Wembley in the 1928 British Home Championship. Background Scotland had failed to w ...
. His final cap came in May 1930 when he played in a 2–0 victory over
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. Nelson had previously been selected to play for Ireland but was withdrawn from the squad when he was found to be ineligible having been born in Scotland.


Personal life

Nelson married Doris Noon in July 1936 at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Canton, Cardiff. One of his brothers, Davey Nelson, was also a footballer, following his brother by playing for both Crusaders and Cardiff City. After retiring from playing, Nelson served as a policeman during wartime. He became a
pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
lican after the war ended, initially in
Southend Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...
where he worked for his former club in different capacities. He later took over pubs in Penarth and
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
. His son
Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...
became an amateur international footballer for Wales then later turned professional with Newport County and AFC Bournemouth.


Career statistics


Honours

Cardiff City *
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
:
1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 ...
* FA Charity Shield:
1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 ...
*
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
finalist:
1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Itali ...
*
Welsh Cup The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mos ...
: 1923, 1927, 1928, 1930 Newcastle United *
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
:
1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort to assassinate Emperor Hiro ...


References

;Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, James 1901 births 1965 deaths Scottish men's footballers Scotland men's international footballers Cardiff City F.C. players Newcastle United F.C. players Southend United F.C. players English Football League players Men's association football fullbacks Crusaders F.C. players Footballers from Greenock Place of death missing Association footballers from Belfast Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland NIFL Premiership players