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Players Index Page Last Updated
10 May 2020
 
 

Jimmy Conlin

Bradford City FC

1 appearance, 0 goals

P 1 W 0 D 0 L 1 F 1: A 2
0% successful

1906

captain: none
minutes played:
90

Timeline
  Private James Conlin
Birth 6 July 1881 in Consett, County Durham [no registration found].

Birth notes

There were two James Conlin's registered in Durham (Sunderland district), one in June 1881, the other in September 1882.
 

Between April and June 1881 Mary Ann Courtney is pregnant with the child who would become James. She would marry his father, Luke Conlin, in Lanchester, County Durham. But they did return to Coatsbridge before 1886, where all future Conlin's were born.

 

According to the 1891 census, James is the oldest of four children to Luke and Mary Ann. His younger three siblings were all born in Coatbridge from 1885. His Scottish father is a puddler, and the live at The Depot in Old Monkland in Coatsbridge, Scotland.

  According to the 1901 census, nineteen year old James remains the oldest of the four children still at home with their parents. Now living at 69 North Jackson Street in Old Monkland. James is a labourer at the Iron Works.
Marriage to Elizabeth [no registration, presumably married in Scotland in 1904].

According to the 1911 census, James is married to Elizabeth and is a professional footballer, he has two children, David (born in 1906, Bradford) and Elizabeth Ann (born 1909 in Coatbridge, Scotland). They live at 10 Moorland Street in West Gorton, Manchester.

Death: 23 June 1917, aged 35 years 352 days [registered in Army Deaths]. Killed in Action. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Nieuport memorial (left), Arrondissement Veurne, West-Vlaanderen.

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990], BantamsPast.co.uk/FallenHeroes &

Playing Career

Club(s) Jimmy began his career in Scotland with captain Colt's Rovers. He went onto Cambuslang FC and Hibernian FC. He joined Falkirk FC on 9 January 1900, and on 14 March 1901 he joined Albion Rovers as a left winger.  Conlin should have signed for Bradford City FC in April 1904, however, Albion Rovers wanted £200. City appealed to the Scottish League Committee and they set Conlin's transfer fee at £60. Albion Rovers responded by alleging that City had approached Conlin without their consent. An international committee, made up of representatives from both sides of the border, met at Carlisle on 23 September. City were found guilty, but the transfer was allowed to proceed. City were fined £50 for their 'illegal' approach of the player. However, a £100 transfer fee was approved and Conlin was thus freed to appear in City's victory over Port Vale at Valley Parade on 24 September 1904.

Jimmy became the first Bradford City player ever to be sent off when he was dismissed during a 6-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion on 11 November 1905. On 10 February 1906 he was at the centre of yet another controversy. Manchester United came to Valley Parade, during the game United's burly Bob Bonthron repeatedly clashed with Jimmy. The crowd 'angered by Jimmy's treatment' got completely out of hand. After the game the visiting team were pelted with missiles as they made their way up Holywell Ash Lane. The Football League held a commission of enquiry and duly closed Valley Parade for a fortnight between 1-14 March.  Sadly, Jimmy's off field problems worsened when he failed to turn up for several Airdrieonians training sessions. On 4 February 1913, after Jimmy admitted having a drink problem, the board fined him again, ordered him to find work and told him to stop drinking. The warning had no effect, on 15 April 1913 Jimmy was suspended by the club and placed on the transfer list. Obviously, the club still rated him as a footballer, as they were asking £200 for his services. 

  Jimmy made 67 appearances for Bradford City, scoring ten goals. On 13 July 1906 Manchester City paid £1,000 to secure Jimmy's services. After 175 appearances and 30 goals he left for Birmingham City FC on 29 September 1911. A stay at plagued by injury, he made only 23 appearances, scoring twice. On 8 July 1912 Jimmy moved back to Scotland, with Airdrieonians FC for a fee of £150, but on 7 October he was fined £2 10s. for failing to turn up for a game. On 13 August 1913 the Coatbridge Express reported that Jimmy had joined Broxburn Athletic FC, but it was a move that was 'not the will of the directors'. Presumably the £200 was not forthcoming! Jimmy had made 27 appearances for Airdrie, scoring six goals. His long and occasionally troubled career ended at Broxburn.
Club honours Scottish Combination Championship 1901-02, 1902-03. Lanarkshire Cup runner-up 1902-03. Scottish Qualifying Cup runner-up 1903-04. Football League Division Two winner 1909-10. Lanarkshire Cup winner 1911-12;
Individual honours None
Distinctions None
Height/Weight 5' 5", 9st. 1lbs [1906]. Athletic News, in 1927, stated 5' 4", 9st 6lbs.

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990]

England Career

Player number One of three who became the 318th players (320) to appear for England.
Position(s) Outside-left
Only match No. 88, 7 April 1906, Scotland 2 England 1, a British Championship match at Hampden Park, Mount Florida, Glasgow, aged 24 years 275 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1905-06
Team honours British Championship shared 1905-06
Individual honours None
Distinctions Died 22 days after Jack Yates

Beyond England

At the outbreak of the Great War, James enlisted in Coatbridge with the Highland Light Infantry, serving in the 15th (Service) Battalion (1st Glasgow). The battalion was transferred to the Nieuport sector on the Belgium coast during June 1917, in readiness to support a British offensive at the third Battle of Ypres. This is where Private Conlin (26447) died. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.72./BantamsPast.co.uk/FallenHeroes

 

Jimmy Conlin - Career Statistics
Squads Apps comp. apps Mins. Goals goals ave.min comp. goals Capt. Disc.
1 1 1 90 0 0 min 0 none none
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors.

 

Jimmy Conlin - Match Record - All Matches - By Type of Match
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Away - British Championship 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0 0 1.00 2.00 0.00 -1
All 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0 0 1.00 2.00 0.00 -1

 

Jimmy Conlin - Match Record - Tournament Matches
British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1905-06 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0 0 1.00 2.00 0.00 -1
BC All 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0 0 1.00 2.00 0.00 -1
All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0 0 1.00 2.00 0.00 -1
All 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0 0 1.00 2.00 0.00 -1

 

Jimmy Conlin - Match History
 Club: Bradford City F.C. - 1 full cap

F.A. International Select Committee - 1 full capx

Age 24
1 88 7 April 1906 - Scotland 2 England 1, Hampden Park, Glasgow BC AL Start ol

Notes

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