 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Cookson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 6 December 1904 | ||
| Place of birth | Manchester, England | ||
| Date of death | 14 December 1970 (aged 66) | ||
| Place of death | Warminster, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9+1⁄2 in (1.77 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1923–1925 | Manchester City | 0 | (0) |
| 1925–1927 | Chesterfield | 74 | (85) |
| 1927–1933 | West Bromwich Albion | 122 | (103) |
| 1933–1936 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | (37) |
| 1936–1938 | Swindon Town | 50 | (31) |
| Total | 292 | (256) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
James Cookson (6 December 1904 – 14 December 1970) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Manchester City, Chesterfield, West Bromwich Albion, Plymouth Argyle and Swindon Town.
Life and career
Cookson was born in Manchester.[1] He began his career as a wing half with South Salford Lad's Club and then played for Clayton and Manchester North End.[3] He turned professional with Manchester City in August 1923,[4] but was unable to break into the first team and was sent to Southport on loan for a trial period in 1924.[3] He was transferred to Chesterfield in April 1925,[4] and converted to a centre forward.[3][5] He was the leading goalscorer in the Third Division North for the 1925–26 season with 44 goals,[6] and scored 85 overall in 74 league appearances.[1] In August 1927, he joined West Bromwich Albion for a £2,500 fee.[4] He continued to score goals at his new club and was a member of the 1930–31 squad that won the FA Cup and promotion to the First Division.[5] Later in 1931, Cookson was selected for the Football Association tour of Canada.[3][5]
He scored 103 league goals in 122 matches for Albion,[1] including six in a Second Division game against Blackpool in 1927.[5] Cookson was also the leading goalscorer in the Second Division for the 1927–28 season with 38 goals.[6] Cookson maintained his high goalscoring ratio after joining Second Division club Plymouth Argyle in 1933.[3] He scored 28 goals in his first season with Argyle, including 27 in 29 league appearances, but injuries restricted his playing time over the next two campaigns.[3][5] Cookson managed a further 10 goals in 17 matches to bring his overall tally to 38 goals in 48 games.[3][5] He moved to Swindon Town in 1936, where he played on for two more seasons, and scored 31 goals in 50 league appearances.[1] Cookson retired from the game in May 1938 to become a publican.[4]
Cookson's Football League record of 256 goals scored in 292 appearances is one of the best in the League's history. His great quality was a willingness to shoot, and shoot early, whenever a chance presented itself.[5] Cookson died in Warminster on 14 December 1970.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 60. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
- ↑ The Pilgrim (25 August 1924). "Ready for action: few changes in the First Division of the League. Manchester City". Athletic News. Manchester. p. 5.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Jimmy Cookson". GoS–DB. Greens on Screen. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 Matthews, Tony (2005). The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 54. ISBN 1-85983-474-4.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Knight, Brian (1989). Plymouth Argyle: A Complete Record 1903–1989. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 126. ISBN 0-907969-40-2.
- 1 2 Ross, James M. (15 July 2011). "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2012.