Jimmy McCormick (footballer, born 1883)

James McCormick (28 April 1883 – 28 January 1935) was an English professional footballer who played 23 games in the Football League for Sheffield United, and 269 in the Southern League for Plymouth Argyle. He played as a right half.

Jimmy McCormick
Personal information
Full name James McCormick
Date of birth (1883-04-28)28 April 1883
Place of birth Rotherham, England
Date of death 28 January 1935(1935-01-28) (aged 51)
Place of death Kimberley, Canada
Position(s) Right half
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Attercliffe
1905–1907 Sheffield United 22 (1)
1907–1910 Plymouth Argyle 119 (8)
1910 Sheffield United 1 (0)
1910–1920 Plymouth Argyle 170 (17)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

McCormick was born in Rotherham. He joined Sheffield United from local football in the Sheffield area.[1] On leaving the club in 1907, he played in the Southern League and the Western League for Plymouth Argyle.[2] He made a brief return to Sheffield United before the 1910–11 season, but played only once[1] before resuming his Argyle career in December 1910. He remained with the club until the League was suspended for the duration of the First World War.[2] McCormick joined the 17th Middlesex Battalion, the Footballers' Battalion, in January 1915 and was promoted to Sergeant soon after enlisting.[2] The battalion went to France in November 1915, where McCormick was wounded the following year by shrapnel in his forehead during the Battle of the Somme.[2] McCormick carried a wounded comrade whose legs had been shattered, who guided him the wrong way down a trench and they were captured.[2] He was taken to a prisoner of war camp in Saxony.[2]

He was repatriated when the First World War ended and spent time in hospital recovering from malnutrition.[2] McCormick played for Argyle again throughout the 1919–20 season and captained the side after Harry Wilcox retired early in the campaign.[2] He made 305 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 26 goals, and retired from professional football before the club joined the Football League.[2] McCormick emigrated to Canada in June 1920, where he captained Ladysmith Football Club on Vancouver Island.[2] He suffered from tinnitus and deteriorating eyesight as he got older due to the injury sustained during the war and retired to Kimberley in 1930.[2] McCormick died of cancer on 28 January 1935.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData (Tony Brown). p. 165. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Jimmy McCormick". Greens on Screen. Retrieved 17 August 2010.