Jimmy McEwan: Difference between revisions
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==Aston Villa== |
==Aston Villa== |
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Aston Villa bought him in 1959. McEwan helped Villa win the [[Football League Division Two]] championship in his first season for promotion to England's top flight. [[Les Smith (footballer, born 1927)|Les Smith]]'s [[achilles]] injury ultimately led to his retirement in 1960 opening a place on the team sheet at right wing. Given his chance, McEwan was an important player in attack Villa teaming up well with [[Vic Crowe]] and [[Bobby Thomson (footballer, born 1937)|Bobby Thomson]]. In one game Villa beat [[Charlton Athletic]] 11-1 at Villa Park in November 1959 with all five Villa forwards scoring including five by [[Gerry Hitchens]]. That same season Villa reached the [[1959-60 FA Cup]] semi-final. In an all-midlands affair played at [[The Hawthorns]] in [[West Bromwich]], McEwan's club again lost to the eventual winners, this time [[Wolverhampton Wanderers]].<ref name=jlprofile/><ref name=villaway>"The Villa Way, 1874~1944" John Lerwill on softback</ref><ref name=memories/> |
Aston Villa bought him in 1959. McEwan helped Villa win the [[Football League Division Two]] championship in his first season for promotion to England's top flight. [[Les Smith (footballer, born 1927)|Les Smith]]'s [[achilles]] injury ultimately led to his retirement in 1960 opening a place on the team sheet at right wing. Given his chance, McEwan was an important player in attack Villa teaming up well with [[Vic Crowe]] and [[Bobby Thomson (footballer, born 1937)|Bobby Thomson]]. In one game Villa beat [[Charlton Athletic]] 11-1 at Villa Park in November 1959 with all five Villa forwards scoring including five by [[Gerry Hitchens]]. That same season Villa reached the [[1959-60 FA Cup]] semi-final. In an all-midlands affair played at [[The Hawthorns]] in [[West Bromwich]], McEwan's club again lost to the eventual winners, this time [[Wolverhampton Wanderers]].<ref name=jlprofile/><ref name=villaway>"The Villa Way, 1874~1944" John Lerwill on softback</ref><ref name=memories/><ref name=super>"Aston Villa: the First Superclub: The Story of Aston ViIla 1874-2012" published on A & J L Solutions (August 27, 2012) ISBN-10: 0956983316 ISBN-13: 978-0956983312</ref> |
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On 27 September 1960 he played against ex-club Raith in a game to formally mark the switch on of the [[Starks Park]] floodlights. Raith won 2-1.<ref name=lhraith>[http://londonhearts.com/scores/a1960/raithrovers1961.htm "Results for Raith Rovers for 1960-61" londonhearts.com]</ref><ref name=lights>[http://www.footballzone.co.uk/aston-villa-fc-c-97_103_148/aston-villa-v-raith-rovers-1960-opening-of-the-new-flodlights-p-39907.html Aston Villa v Raith Rovers match programme, 27 September 1960. Note the page text is a welcome for McEwan back at Starks Park. The printer of the programme at the bottom of the page is a printer in Kirkcaldy. The season's fixture list on Londonhearts.com also says this game was played in Kirkcaldy]</ref> Villa reached the [[1961 Football League Cup Final]]. Villa won the inaugural version of the trophy beating [[Rotherham United]] 3-2 on aggregate. Seventh in the [[1961–62 Football League]] was his highest finish in England. His favourite Villa game was his first start of the season on 19 March 1966, 5-5 draw away at [[Tottenham Hotspur]], three days before his 37th birthday. His last game at Villa Park was on 6 April 1966 when he scored when captaining his team in a 1-1 draw against [[Manchester United]].<ref name=villares>[http://footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/LeagueTables/Season1965-66/ClubResults/1965-66AstonVilla.html "ASTON VILLA 1965/66 results" footballsite.co.uk]</ref> At Villa he scored 28 goals from 143 league games and 4 goals from 18 League Cup games. No goals from his 20 Villa FA Cup ties gave him totals of 181 games with 32 goals.<ref name=jlprofile/><ref name=villaway/><ref name=memories/> |
On 27 September 1960 he played against ex-club Raith in a game to formally mark the switch on of the [[Starks Park]] floodlights. Raith won 2-1.<ref name=lhraith>[http://londonhearts.com/scores/a1960/raithrovers1961.htm "Results for Raith Rovers for 1960-61" londonhearts.com]</ref><ref name=lights>[http://www.footballzone.co.uk/aston-villa-fc-c-97_103_148/aston-villa-v-raith-rovers-1960-opening-of-the-new-flodlights-p-39907.html Aston Villa v Raith Rovers match programme, 27 September 1960. Note the page text is a welcome for McEwan back at Starks Park. The printer of the programme at the bottom of the page is a printer in Kirkcaldy. The season's fixture list on Londonhearts.com also says this game was played in Kirkcaldy]</ref> Villa reached the [[1961 Football League Cup Final]]. Villa won the inaugural version of the trophy beating [[Rotherham United]] 3-2 on aggregate. Seventh in the [[1961–62 Football League]] was his highest finish in England. His favourite Villa game was his first start of the season on 19 March 1966, 5-5 draw away at [[Tottenham Hotspur]], three days before his 37th birthday. His last game at Villa Park was on 6 April 1966 when he scored when captaining his team in a 1-1 draw against [[Manchester United]].<ref name=villares>[http://footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/LeagueTables/Season1965-66/ClubResults/1965-66AstonVilla.html "ASTON VILLA 1965/66 results" footballsite.co.uk]</ref> At Villa he scored 28 goals from 143 league games and 4 goals from 18 League Cup games. No goals from his 20 Villa FA Cup ties gave him totals of 181 games with 32 goals.<ref name=jlprofile/><ref name=villaway/><ref name=memories/><ref name=super/> |
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The [[Birmingham Mail]] on 26 July 2017 reported they believed him to be Villa's oldest surviving ex-player.<ref name=memories/> |
The [[Birmingham Mail]] on 26 July 2017 reported they believed him to be Villa's oldest surviving ex-player.<ref name=memories/> |
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Revision as of 08:20, 11 October 2017
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James McEwan[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 22 March 1929[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Dundee | ||
| Position(s) | Right wing | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1947–1951 | Arbroath | ||
| 1951–1959 | Raith Rovers | 209 | (53) |
| 1959–1966 | Aston Villa | 143 | (28) |
| 1966–1967 | Walsall | 10 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
James McEwan (born Dundee, 22 March 1929)[2][3] is a Scottish former professional association footballer who usually played at right wing. He played for Arbroath and Raith Rovers in Scotland before settling in the West Midlands in England playing for Aston Villa[4] and Walsall.[1]
Style of play
McEwan usually played right wing but sometimes at inside right. He was described in the profile by Aston Villa's club historian as, "a craggy-and-hungry-looking outside-right, a player who hugged the touchline, cutting in when the ball was being moved along the opposite flank," and "With Raith he blossomed into a goalscoring right-winger-cum-centre-forward." He was a fast and tricky player with a useful goal scoring record. He had a Stanley Matthews style way he would side-step a full-back before delivering over a good cross.[5]
Arbroath
Jimmy McEwan was with East Craigie in the Scottish Junior Football Association set up in his birth town of Dundee.[1] From there he joined the senior ranks signing for Arbroath in the second tier of the Scottish Football League. At Arbroath he hit what the club's history suggest is the fastest ever goal at their Gayfield stadium scoring after 10 seconds against Dumbarton on 6 January 1951. He was managed by Arch Anderson and then Alec Cheyne.[6]
Raith Rovers
In 1951 he moved up a division to join Raith Rovers[1] in the Scottish top flight, a division they stayed in for all of that decade. McEwan and Raith ended their first season together with a fifth place finish in the league. Raith reached the 1955-56 Scottish Cup semi final. They were eliminated in a replay by Heart of Midlothian who with Dave Mackay went on to beat Celtic in the final. In December of the same year Raith had their decade's most eye-catching single result when they beat Rangers 5-1 in Kirkcaldy. Raith appeared genuine title contenders for part of that season before finishing fourth, their best in McEwan's eight season at the club and their best since 1922. Their league form of that season was matched by a run to the 1956-57 Scottish Cup semi final. Again they were eliminated in a replay by the team who won the trophy, in this case the Falkirk team of Alex Parker.[7] He top scored at Raith for three seasons from 1956-59.[5][8] At different times McEwan played along side Raith Hall of Famers Willie McNaught, Willie Penman, Willie Polland, Johnny Urquhart and Andy Young.
When at Raith he was selected to play for a Scottish Football League XI against a Scotland XI at Ibrox Stadium on 16 March 1959.[9] He left Raith at the end of that season.[1]
Aston Villa
Aston Villa bought him in 1959. McEwan helped Villa win the Football League Division Two championship in his first season for promotion to England's top flight. Les Smith's achilles injury ultimately led to his retirement in 1960 opening a place on the team sheet at right wing. Given his chance, McEwan was an important player in attack Villa teaming up well with Vic Crowe and Bobby Thomson. In one game Villa beat Charlton Athletic 11-1 at Villa Park in November 1959 with all five Villa forwards scoring including five by Gerry Hitchens. That same season Villa reached the 1959-60 FA Cup semi-final. In an all-midlands affair played at The Hawthorns in West Bromwich, McEwan's club again lost to the eventual winners, this time Wolverhampton Wanderers.[5][10][8][11]
On 27 September 1960 he played against ex-club Raith in a game to formally mark the switch on of the Starks Park floodlights. Raith won 2-1.[12][13] Villa reached the 1961 Football League Cup Final. Villa won the inaugural version of the trophy beating Rotherham United 3-2 on aggregate. Seventh in the 1961–62 Football League was his highest finish in England. His favourite Villa game was his first start of the season on 19 March 1966, 5-5 draw away at Tottenham Hotspur, three days before his 37th birthday. His last game at Villa Park was on 6 April 1966 when he scored when captaining his team in a 1-1 draw against Manchester United.[14] At Villa he scored 28 goals from 143 league games and 4 goals from 18 League Cup games. No goals from his 20 Villa FA Cup ties gave him totals of 181 games with 32 goals.[5][10][8][11]
The Birmingham Mail on 26 July 2017 reported they believed him to be Villa's oldest surviving ex-player.[8]
Walsall
He left Villa in 1966 to play that season for Walsall. He then joined the coaching staff at Fellows Park remaining there until 1973.[8][5][10]
Later days
He worked at Ansells Brewery, coached in South Africa, and worked at the Social Security Offices in Handsworth. He played football for the Villa Old Stars into his 50s until forced to stop due to knee replacement operations. The 26 July Birmingham Mail article reported McEwan living in residential care. The article reported he had been in good health until 18 months previously when he developed a heart problem and early onset dementia.[8][5][10]
Honours
Aston Villa;
- 1959-60 Football League Division Two champions
- 1960-61 Football League Cup winners
References
- ^ a b c d e f Jimmy McEwan on Neil Brown's player database
- ^ "Aston Villa Player Database". Jörn Mårtensson. Retrieved 26 August 2007.
- ^ "Jimmy McEwan". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
- ^ Hayes, Dean. The Villa Park Encyclopedia: A-Z of Aston Villa. Mainstream Publishing (2 October 1997). pp. ... ISBN 978-1-85158-959-3.
- ^ a b c d e f Jimmy McEwan profile by John Lerwill
- ^ "Club History" arbroathfc.co.uk
- ^ "Willie McNaught" www.qosfc.com
- ^ a b c d e f "Villa memories still brighten up Jimmy's days", Mat Kendrick, Birmingham Mail, 26 July 2017
- ^ "Scotland XI v. Scottish Football League XI." The Scottish Football Association Ltd ref WPA/HA.
- ^ a b c d "The Villa Way, 1874~1944" John Lerwill on softback
- ^ a b "Aston Villa: the First Superclub: The Story of Aston ViIla 1874-2012" published on A & J L Solutions (August 27, 2012) ISBN-10: 0956983316 ISBN-13: 978-0956983312
- ^ "Results for Raith Rovers for 1960-61" londonhearts.com
- ^ Aston Villa v Raith Rovers match programme, 27 September 1960. Note the page text is a welcome for McEwan back at Starks Park. The printer of the programme at the bottom of the page is a printer in Kirkcaldy. The season's fixture list on Londonhearts.com also says this game was played in Kirkcaldy
- ^ "ASTON VILLA 1965/66 results" footballsite.co.uk
External links
- Jimmy McEwan, Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database