Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | James Scoular | ||
Date of birth | 11 January 1925 | ||
Place of birth | Livingston, Midlothian, Scotland | ||
Date of death | 19 March 1998 | (aged 73)||
Place of death | Cardiff, Wales | ||
Playing position | Wing half | ||
Youth career | |||
Gosport borough | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1945–1953 | Portsmouth | 247 | (8) |
1953–1960 | Newcastle United | 247 | (6) |
1960–1964 | Bradford Park Avenue | 108 | (5) |
National team | |||
1951–1952 | Scotland | 9 | (0) |
Teams managed | |||
1960–1964 | Bradford Park Avenue | ||
1964–1973 | Cardiff City | ||
1976–1977 | Newport County | ||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
James "Jimmy" Scoular (11 January 1925 – 19 March 1998) was a Scottish football player and manager. Known as a tough, combative player with precise passing skills, Scoular made over 600 appearances in the Football League with Portsmouth, Newcastle United and Bradford Park Avenue, as a player-manager, and attained nine caps for Scotland in a playing career spanning nearly twenty years. Following his retirement from playing, Scoular went on to manage Cardiff City and Newport County.
Born in Livingston, Midlothian, Scoular's father Alec was also a footballer prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, playing for Alloa Athletic, Stenhousemuir and Leith Athletic. Called up for national service, Scoular became a submarine engineer on HMS Dolphin in Gosport.
Scoular signed for Portsmouth in 1945 from Gosport Borough as part of the post-war rebuilding undertaken by manager Jack Tinn. He quickly established himself in the first team, forming a Wing half partnership with England international Jimmy Dickinson, impressing many with his tireless stamina and tough tackling, which lead Duncan Edwards to state that Scoular was "the finest tackler of the ball I ever saw" After helping the club to consecutive league titles in 1948–49 and 1949–50, Scoular's relationship with the club became strained and he left to sign for Newcastle United for a fee of £26,000 in 1953.