James Findlay Stephen (23 August 1922 – 5 November 2012)[2] was a Scottish footballer who played as a defender. At club level, he played in the Football League for Bradford (Park Avenue)[3] and Portsmouth.[4] He also played in two full international matches for Scotland.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Findlay Stephen[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 23 August 1922 | ||
| Place of birth | Johnshaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 5 November 2012 (aged 90) | ||
| Place of death | Southsea, Hampshire, England | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1937–1938 | Johnshaven Dauntless | ||
| 1938–1939 | Bradford (Park Avenue) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1939–1949 | Bradford (Park Avenue) | 94 | (0) |
| 1949–1955 | Portsmouth | 100 | (0) |
| 1955–1956 | Yeovil Town | ||
| 1956–1957 | Bridgwater Town | ||
| 1957–1959 | Newport (Isle of Wight) | ||
| 1959-1960 | Waterlooville | ||
| International career | |||
| 1944–1945[1] | Scotland (wartime) | 5 | (0) |
| 1946–1947 | Scotland | 2 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1956–1957 | Bridgwater Town (coach) | ||
| 1957–1959 | Newport (Isle of Wight) (coach) | ||
| 1959-1960 | Waterlooville (coach) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Stephen signed for Bradford when he left school in 1938, and turned professional the following year. During the Second World War he made guest appearances for clubs including Halifax Town, Middlesbrough[2] and Huddersfield Town.[5] He left Bradford for Portsmouth in 1949,[2] although National Service in the RAF meant he was restricted to a solitary appearance in the Portsmouth team that won the 1949–50 League title.[6] He finished his career in non-league football with Yeovil Town before becoming a player-coach at Bridgwater Town, Newport in the Isle of Wight, and Waterlooville[2]
Having represented Scotland in five wartime internationals against England,[1] Stephen made his full international debut as captain in the first competitive match Scotland played after the war, a 3–1 defeat to Wales on 19 October 1946 in the British Home Championship. His second and last cap came a year later, also against Wales.[2][7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c (Scotland player, including unofficial matches) James Stephen, London Hearts Supporters Club
- ^ a b c d e "Jimmy Stephen - A Squad". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
- ^ "Bradford Park Avenue : 1946/47–1969/70". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
- ^ "Portsmouth : 1946/47–2008/09". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
- ^ Rollin, Jack (2005). Soccer At War 1939-45. London: Headline. p. 345. ISBN 978-0-7553-1431-7.
- ^ Ley, John (14 September 2009). "Portsmouth all at sea as Bolton Wanderers add to their woes". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
At half-time, Jimmy Stephen, 87, a 1950 title-winner with Portsmouth, was introduced to the crowd. "Sign him up," sang the Fratton faithful.
- ^ Brown, Alan (6 June 2008). "Scotland - International Matches 1946-1950". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
External links
edit- Jimmy Stephen at the Scottish Football Association
- "Jimmy Stephen". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
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