England Football Online
Players Index Page Last Updated
12 August 2025
 
 

Jimmy Windridge

Chelsea FC

 8 appearances, 7 goals

P 8 W 7 D 1 L 0 F 43: A 5
94% successful
1908-09

captain: none
minutes played: 720

Timeline
  James Edwin Windridge
Birth Saturday, 21 October 1882 in Sparkwood, Birmingham, Warwickshire
  registered in Aston October-December 1882
 

According to the 1891 census, James is the fourth of five children to James and Harriet (née Bird), living at 113 Bolton Road in Bordesley area of Aston, Birmingham. His father is a gun implement trimmer.
 

According to the 1901 census, James, a gun rifler for the Birmingham Small Arms Company, still lives at home with his parents with four of his siblings, three older, one younger, still at 113 Bolton Road. His father is the assistant foreman at the gunmakers.
His father died in 1905
 

According to the 1911 census, James is a professional footballer boarding with John Denoon in the Bragg household, at 43b Barclay Road in Fulham.
Marriage to Nellie Beatrice Copson, Saturday, 6 July 1918 at St. Bartholomew's Church, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Warwickshire. A lewis gunmaker by trade, living at 119 Bristol Road.
registered in King's Norton July-September 1918
According to the 1921 census, James Edwin is now married to Nellie Beatrice, and together they are living at 57 Evesham Road in the Crabbs Cross area of Redditch, where he is a publican at The Star & Garter Inn. They have one barmaid, Clara Mary Sutton.
According to the Midland Electoral Registers, James and Nellie occupied the Bulls Head (left) on Stratford Road from at least 1922 until his death.
His mother died on 8 January 1928.
Death Saturday, 23 September 1939, at The Bull's Head Hotel, 1320 Stratford Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, Warwickshire.
aged 56 years 337 days registered in Birmingham July-September 1939
Obituary
"'JIMMY' WINDRIDGE DEAD
"Mr. James Edwin Windridge, who as Jimmy Windridge was a popular figure in Association football a generation ago, died with tragic suddenness at the Bull's Head, Hall Green (of which he was licensee) to-day. He was in his 57th year. He played four times in 'regular' international matches for England—against Scotland and Wales in 1908 and against Ireland in 1908 and 1909. He had also played cricket on several occasions for the Warwickshire County Cricket Club. Many will remember the dapper, sturdy little outside-left who was as neat in appearance as he was in ball control. He played for Small Heath Royal and for Selly Oak St. Mary's in the early years of the century, and was introduced by Alec Leake to Small Heath Alliance, becoming a familiar figure on the Muntz Street ground. His time was before the £8 maximum; in fact, his early wages with the Small Heath club were 10s. a week. Later on he felt the urge for wider and fuller experience and went with Bob McRoberts to Chelsea, with whom he remained for seven years. It was during this period that he gained his international honours. He also took part in the tour of the Football Association to the Continent in the summer of 1908 and played against Austria (twice), Hungary and Bohemia. After leaving Chelsea he was with Middlesbrough for two seasons."
  - The Birmingham Mail, Saturday, 23 September 1939
Funeral Tuesday, 27 September 1939, at Lodge Hill Crematorium, Selly Oak, Birmingham
  According to the 1939 register, Nellie B. is now a widower, living at The Bull's Head in Moseley, as the manageress. Jimmy had died only six days prior to this register being taken.
Probate "WINDRIDGE James Edwin of the Bulls Head Hotel 1320 Stratford-road Birmingham 28 died 23 September 1939 Probate Birmingham 11 November to Nellie Beatrice Windridge widow. Effects £2918 17s. 6d." [2025 equivalent: £165,256]
  His wife, Nellie, died on 22 November 1987 in Bromford Lane in Birmingham, aged 97 years
Source

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

Playing Career

Club(s)		 Began his junior career with local amateur side, Small Heath Alma FC before he joined the local league side, Small Heath FC in the 1902-03 close season. Chelsea FC, on 3 May 1905, paid a £190 transfer fee for him, along with Bobby McRoberts and Jimmy Robertson. Middlesbrough FC finally signed Windridge on 28 November 1911 for a 'transfer fee officially stated to be over £1000', before he returned to his roots when he returned to Birmingham FC on 8 April 1914. He retired from playing during WW1, although he did guest for the BSA football team during the war.

League honours
266 appearances, 83 goals
one expulsion		 Small Heath FC 1903-05 26 appearances, seven goals
debut (division two): 31 January 1903 Small Heath FC 5 Burslem Port Vale FC 1.
Chelsea FC 1905-11 143 appearances, 54 goals
debut (division two): 2 September 1905 Stockport County FC 1 Chelsea FC 0.
Middlesbrough FC 1911-13 68 appearances, eleven goals
debut: 2 December 1911 Bolton Wanderers FC 1 Middlesbrough FC 0.
Birmingham FC 1914-15 29 appearances, eleven goals
debut (division two): 13 April 1914 Clapton Orient FC 2 Birmingham FC 2.
last (division two): 24 April 1915 Birmingham FC 1 Bristol City FC 1.
Club honours Football League Division Two runners-up 1902-03 (7ᵃ 5ᵍ), 1906-07 (31ᵃ 18ᵍ), 1911-12 (2ᵃ), third place 1905-06 (20ᵃ 14ᵍ), 1910-11 (4ᵃ 1ᵍ); Division One third place (15ᵃ 3ᵍ);
FA Cup semi-finalist 1910-11 (0ᵃ);
Individual honours None
Distinctions Also played first-class cricket for Warwickshire CCC (seven matches, 1909-13)
Height/Weight 5' 7", 11st. 7lbs [1908].
Source

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

England Career
Player number One of three who became the 330th players (332) to appear for England.
Position(s) Inside-left
First match No. 92, 15 February 1908, Ireland 1 England 3, a British Championship match at Solitude Ground, Cliftonville, Belfast, aged 25 years 117 days.
Last match
363 days		 No. 99, 13 February 1909, England 4 Ireland 0, a British Championship match at Horton Park Avenue, Horton Park, Bradford, aged 26 years 115 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1907-08, 1908-09;
Team honours British Championship shared 1907-08, winners 1908-09;
Individual honours The South (two appearances, January 1908-January 1909).
Distinctions Cousin of Alec Leake, through the Bird family
Died sixteen days after Tom Booth

Beyond England
Became a licensee, evidently first in The Woolpack Hotel, then in the Bull's Head Hotel, in the Hall's Green area of Birmingham. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.273.
Whilst he was a licensee, particularly in The Woolpack, Windridge organised snooker championships, to raise funds for the war effort, and also, on one account, for the men in Ruhleben Camp


The Numbers
parties Apps comp. apps minutes goals ave.min comp. goals captain
8 8 4 720 7 103 min 2 none
The minutes here given can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only an approximation.
P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
8 7 1 0 43 5 +38 0 3 5.375 0.625 93.8 +7

Venue Record
Venue P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Home 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 0 1 4.00 0.00 100.0 +1
Away 7 6 1 0 39 5 +34 0 2 5.571 0.714 92.9 +6

Competition Record
Competition P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
British Championship 4 3 1 0 15 3 +12 0 1 3.75 0.75 87.5 +3
Friendly 4 4 0 0 28 2 +26 0 2 7.00 0.50 100.0 +4

Opposition Record
Opposition P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Ireland 2 2 0 0 7 1 +6 0 1 3.50 1.00 100.0 +2
Wales 1 1 0 0 7 1 +6 0 0 7.00 1.00 100.0 +1
Scotland 1 0 1 0 1 1 =0 0 0 1.00 1.00 50.0 =0
Austria 2 2 0 0 17 2 +15 0 0 8.50 1.00 100.0 +2
Hungary 1 1 0 0 7 0 +7 0 1 7.00 0.00 100.0 +1
Bohemia 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 0 1 4.00 0.00 100.0 +1

Tournament Record
British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1907-08 3 2 1 0 11 3 +8 0 0 2.667 1.00 83.3 +2
BC 1908-09 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 0 1 4.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC All 4 3 1 0 15 3 +12 0 1 3.75 0.75 90.0 +3
All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 4 3 1 0 15 3 +12 0 1 3.75 0.75 87.5 +3
4 3 1 0 15 3 +12 0 1 3.75 0.75 87.5 +3

Match History
 
 Club: Chelsea F.C. - eight full appearances (720 min) 7ᵍ F.A. International Select Committee - eight full appearances (720 min) 7ᵍx

apps match match details comp res. rundown pos

Age 25 trial  
one appearance - The North vs. The South, 27 January 1908;

1 92 15 February 1908 - Ireland 1 England 3
Solitude Ground, Belfast		 BC AW   il

one of three who became the 330th player (332) to appear for England
the second player from Chelsea FC to represent England

2 93 16 March 1908 - Wales 1 England 7
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff		 BC AW  25 il
3 94 4 April 1908 - Scotland 1 England 1
Hampden Park, Glasgow		 BC AD  74 il
4 95 6 June 1908 - Austria 1 England 6
Cricketer Platz, Wien
tour		 AW  21
38		 il
5 96 8 June 1908 - Austria 1 England 11
Hohe Warte Stadion, Wien		 AW  6 il
6 97 10 June 1908 - Hungary 0 England 7
Millenáris Sportpálya, Buda-Pesth		 AW  30 il
7 98 13 June 1908 - Bohemia 0 England 4
Stadión Letná, Praha		 AW  38 il

Age 26 trial  
one appearance - The South vs. The North, 25 January 1909;

8 99 13 February 1909 - England 4 Ireland 0
Horton Park Avenue, Bradford		 BC HW   il
 


  

 
cg