James Mathieson

Jimmy Mathieson
Personal information
Full name James Adamson Mathieson[1]
Date of birth (1904-05-10)10 May 1904
Place of birth Methil, Scotland
Date of death 13 April 1950(1950-04-13) (aged 45)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Youth career
Dubbleside Hearts
Colinsburgh United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1922–1923 Partick Thistle
1923–1926 Raith Rovers 92 (0)
1926–1934 Middlesbrough 245 (0)
1934–1938 Brentford 125 (0)
1938–1939 Queen of the South 38 (0)
Total 502 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (goals)

James Adamson "Jimmy" Mathieson was a Scottish football goalkeeper who played in the Football League for Middlesbrough and Brentford. He made over 500 professional appearances in the English and Scottish leagues.[2] Mathieson is the only player to win three English Division Two championship medals, as an ever-present in each season.[2]

Career

Early years

A goalkeeper, Mathieson began his career in Scotland with junior sides Dubbleside Hearts and Colinsburgh United.[3][4] He got his break when he signed for Scottish Division One side Partick Thistle in 1922. Mathieson moved to fellow top flight side Raith Rovers the following year, making 92 league appearances in three seasons before departing after Rovers' relegation to the Scottish Division Two was confirmed at the end of the 1925/26 season.

Middlesbrough

Mathieson moved to England to join Division Two side Middlesbrough in 1926.[2] He was an ever-present in the Boro side which was promoted to Division One as Division Two champions in the 1926/27 season, giving Mathieson his first taste of top flight football in England. Middlesbrough were relegated straight back to Division Two, but with Mathieson again an ever-present in goal, the club won promotion straight back as Division Two champions in the 1928/29 season.[2] He made 245 league appearances for the club before departing in 1934.

Brentford

Mathieson dropped to Division Two to sign for Brentford in the summer of 1934.[2] He was one of a number of former Middlesbrough players recruited by Bees manager Harry Curtis in the early 1930s and Mathieson linked up with former teammates Jack Holliday, Billy Scott, Herbert Watson and Ernie Muttitt at Griffin Park.[2] Mathieson went straight into the team and was an ever-present during the 1934/35 season, helping Brentford to the Division Two title and promotion to the top-flight for the first time in the club's history.[5] He missed just one league game during the 1935/36 season, as the Bees finished in their highest-ever league placing of fifth in Division One.[5] In the next two seasons the Bees finished sixth.[6] Mathieson lost his place in goal to another Scot, Joe Crozier, during the 1937/38 season and departed the club at the end of the campaign.[2][5] He made 129 appearances during his four years with Brentford.[5]

Queen of the South

Mathieson returned to Scotland in 1938 and joined Dumfries side Queen of the South, then in Scotland's top tier.[2] Things went well for Mathieson at Queens, with the club finishing in sixth position and reaching the quarter finals of the Scottish Cup.[7][8] He made 38 league appearances before the breakout of the Second World War ended his career in 1939.

Personal life

Before becoming a professional footballer, Mathieson worked as a miner.[2]

Honours

Middlesbrough

Brentford

References

  1. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 199. ISBN 190589161X.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920-2006. Yore Publications. pp. 43, 44. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  3. http://www.scottish-football-historical-archive.com/fieldsoffife.pdf
  4. "East Neuk Junior Football League 1919-1922". Scottish-football-historical-archive.com. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Brentford Football Club History". Brentfordfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  6. "Football Club History Database - Brentford". www.fchd.info. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
  7. "QosFC: Club History". qosfc.com. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  8. "QosFC: Legends - Jackie Oakes". qosfc.com. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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