Jim McKenzie (footballer)

Jim McKenzie
Personal information
Full name James R. McKenzie
Date of birth November 1877
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Date of death Unknown
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Playing position Outside-left
Youth career
Gatmore
Possil Park
East Stirlingshire
Cowlairs
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1896–1897 Burton Swifts 26 (5)
1897–1898 Clyde
1898 Southampton 6 (3)

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

† Appearances (goals)

James R. McKenzie (born November 1877) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an outside-forward for various clubs in Scotland and England in the 1890s.

Football career

McKenzie was born in Glasgow and trained as an upholsterer,[1] playing amateur football for various clubs in the northern half of the city before moving to England in September 1896 to join Burton Swifts of the Football League Second Division.[1]

At Burton he had a successful season, missing only four league matches, scoring five goals, as the Swifts finished the 1896–97 season in eleventh place. He then returned to Glasgow to spend a season with Clyde, at the end of which they finished at the foot of the table.

In the summer of 1898, he was persuaded to move to southern England to join the Southern League champions, Southampton. The "Saints" were about to embark on their first season in their new stadium and McKenzie made his debut for Southampton in the opening match at The Dell, against Brighton United on 3 September 1898.

After Watty Keay had opened the scoring, McKenzie (playing at outside-left) missed some good chances as the Saints put pressure on the Brighton goal. As half-time approached, McKenzie made a "smart run up the left" and crossed for Abe Hartley to score the second goal. McKenzie then added a third in the second half, and although Brighton pulled one back through Roddy McLeod, Tom Smith wrapped the match up with the fourth goal.[2]

The appreciative Saints fans dubbed McKenzie "little Joe Turner",[2] but after only six appearances the lightweight, diminutive winger lost his place to George Seeley,[3] and returned to Scotland.[1]

Honours

Southampton

References

  1. 1 2 3 Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (1992). The Alphabet of the Saints. ACL & Polar Publishing. p. 225. ISBN 0-9514862-3-3.
  2. 1 2 Bull, David; Brunskell, Bob (2000). Match of the Millennium. Hagiology Publishing. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0-9534474-1-3.
  3. Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan (1987). Saints – A complete record. Breedon Books. pp. 24–25. ISBN 0-907969-22-4.
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