Bud Maxwell

James Morton "Bud" Maxwell (15 January 1913 – 22 April 1990) was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre forward for Kilmarnock and Preston North End.

Bud Maxwell
Personal information
Full name James Morton Maxwell
Date of birth (1913-01-15)15 January 1913
Place of birth Kilmarnock, Scotland
Date of death 22 April 1990(1990-04-22) (aged 77)[1]
Place of death Poole, Dorset
Position(s) Centre forward
Youth career
1929–1930 Kilmarnock
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1930–1934 Kilmarnock 126 (103)
1934–1938 Preston North End 129 (60)
1939 Barnsley 3 (4)
1939–1940Kilmarnock (wartime guest)
1943Morton (wartime guest)
1946 Shrewsbury Town 13 (10)
National team
1933 Scottish League XI 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Born in Kilmarnock, James Morton Maxwell's father of the same name was also a footballer prior to his death in World War I, at which time his son was four years old. 'Bud' became known for his skills at school and was selected for Scotland at that level, thereafter becoming an apprentice at hometown club Kilmarnock, also working at a shoe manufacturer.[1]

Maxwell quickly emerged as a prolific goalscorer (displacing Peerie Cunningham whose record was also strong)[2] and becoming Kilmarnock's second highest goalscorer of their history in just four seasons, with 103 goals in 126 League games plus 19 goals in 21 Scottish Cup games. Aged 18, he played in the 1932 Scottish Cup Final against Rangers. The first game was drawn, with Maxwell scoring the only goal for Killie. He also played in the replay, which Kilmarnock lost.[1][3]

Maxwell signed for Preston North End in 1934 and maintained an impressive strike rate, scoring 60 goals in 129 league matches and finishing top goalscorer in 1934–35 with 26 goals, and 1935–36 with 19.[4] He also played in the victorious Preston team at the 1938 FA Cup Final.[1]

However, he suffered increasingly from knee injuries and was sold to Barnsley in 1939 just before the outbreak of World War II, returning to Kilmarnock in unofficial competitions where he scored his 124th goal on his final appearance for the club on 16 March 1940.[1]

He served with the Royal Navy throughout the war, mainly in the North Atlantic on submarine hunting/convoy escort duty. He played as a guest for Greenock Morton in the wartime Scottish Southern League a number of times while on leave from the navy.[1]

After the war, he trained with Preston but his registration was still held by Barnsley, who would not allow him to sign for a divisional rival; instead he joined Shrewsbury Town of the Midland League for a short spell lasting until the end of 1946.[1]

International career

While at Kilmarnock, was selected once for the Scottish Football League XI in September 1933.[5] The SFL lost 3–0 to the Irish League XI in Belfast, and of the 11 picked by the Scots (seven of whom were making their debuts), only one was selected again.[6][1] He was on a reserve list for a Scotland fixture a few months later, but never made a full international appearance.[1] His father had also played for the SFL XI on a single occasion (1907).

References

  1. Bud Maxwell, KillieFC.com
  2. Kilmarnock in History: Nibloe's tough exit, Kilmarnock FC, 9 July 2020
  3. Rangers Win The Cup | Kilmarnock Well Beaten, The Glasgow Herald, 21 April 1932
  4. Preston North End : Top Seasonal Scorers
  5. SFL player Bud Maxwell, London Hearts Supporters Club
  6. Sat 30 Sep 1933 Irish League 3 SFL 0, London Hearts Supporters Club
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