Jim Arnold (footballer)

James Alexander Arnold (born 6 August 1950) is an English former football goalkeeper, noted for his highly intelligent positional ability. He made 165 league appearances in a seventeen-year career in the English Football League.

Jim Arnold
Personal information
Full name James Alexander Arnold[1]
Date of birth (1950-08-06) 6 August 1950
Place of birth Stafford, England
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Rising Brook
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Stafford Rangers
→ Sandbach Ramblers (loan)
1979–1981 Blackburn Rovers 58 (0)
1981–1985 Everton 48 (0)
1982–1983 → Preston North End (loan) 6 (0)
1985–1986 Port Vale 53 (0)
Kidderminster Harriers
Rocester 1 (0)
Workington
Total 166 (0)
National team
1979 England C 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He arrived in the professional game in 1979, at the late age of 29, when he signed with Blackburn Rovers from Stafford Rangers. Two years, one promotion out of the Third Division, and 58 league appearances later, he moved on to Everton. He spent four years as Everton's back-up keeper, as the club won the First Division title and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. He was loaned out to Preston North End during the 1982–83 campaign, and signed with Port Vale in August 1985. Voted the club's Player of the Year in 1985–86, he announced his retirement from full-time football in November 1986. He did though later turn out for non-league sides Kidderminster Harriers, Rocester and Workington. He won the FA Trophy with Stafford Rangers and Workington.

Playing career

Early career

After leaving Rising Brook, Arnold played for non-league Stafford Rangers, and also appeared on loan for the Sandbach Ramblers. During his time at Stafford Rangers he appeared in two separate FA Trophy finals at Wembley. In 1976 Stafford lost to Scarborough 3–2 after extra-time; Arnold saved a John Woodhall penalty in this match. In the 1979 final Arnold played as Stafford beat Kettering Town 2–0. He was signed by Blackburn Rovers manager Howard Kendall in 1979 to provide competition for John Butcher and went on to make his Football League debut at the age of 29.[3] Arnold kept a club record nineteen clean sheets in 1979–80,[4] as Rovers won promotion out of the Third Division as runners-up, with only the top two clubs in the English Football League, Liverpool and Manchester United, conceding fewer than 36 league goals. Despite Arnold missing three months with a groin injury,[3] just 29 league goals were conceded in 1980–81, a record only beaten by Lincoln City, as Rovers missed out on promotion from the Second Division by just three points.

Everton

Howard Kendall was appointed manager at First Division club Everton in August 1981, and he quickly signed Arnold for a £200,000 fee.[3] However Neville Southall soon proved to be superior goalkeeper as the "Toffees" finished eighth in 1981–82, and seventh in 1982–83 and 1983–84. Arnold spent some of the 1983–84 campaign on loan at Alan Kelly's Preston North End, and played six games for the Third Division club. He was an unused substitute in the 1984 FA Charity Shield, which Everton won with a 1–0 victory over Merseyside derby rivals Liverpool. Everton went on to win the league title in 1984–85 by a massive thirteen point margin. However Arnold was not the first choice keeper, and made only 48 league appearances for the club in his four years at Goodison Park. One of his final actions for the club was to sit on the bench for the 1985 European Cup Winners' Cup Final win against SK Rapid Wien.[5]

Port Vale

Arnold signed for John Rudge's Port Vale in August 1985.[6] He played 52 games in 1985–86, and conceded just 37 league goals as the "Valiants" won promotion out of the Fourth Division.[6][7] For his performances he was awarded the club's Player of the Year award.[8] However, he went into retirement in the summer, joining Staffordshire Police as a recreation officer.[9] He did though return to Vale Park on a non-contract basis in September 1986 after Mark Grew picked up a knee injury; this crisis was resolved in November 1986, when Vale signed Alex Williams, and so Arnold stepped down once more, having played fifteen games of the 1986–87 campaign.[6]

Later career

Arnold also went on to play for local non-league sides Kidderminster Harriers, Rocester and Workington. While with Kidderminster, Arnold featured in the 1987 FA Trophy final versus Burton Albion. After a 0–0 draw at Wembley, Arnold saved a penalty in the replay at The Hawthorns, which Harriers won 2–1.

Style of play

He was a shot-stopping goalkeeper, who mostly remained on his line and relied on his defenders to deal with crosses; former Port Vale teammate Robbie Earle stated that "you could not wish to meet a nicer, more level-headed fella".[10]

Later life

Arnold settled in Staffordshire and joined Staffordshire Police as a recreation officer.[11]

Statistics

Source:[12][13]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Blackburn Rovers 1979–80 Third Division 3807020470
1980–81 Second Division 2000050250
Total 5807070720
Everton 1981–82 First Division 1600010200
1982–83 First Division 2505020320
1983–84 First Division 70000070
Total 4805060590
Preston North End (loan) 1982–83 Third Division 60000060
Port Vale 1985–86 Fourth Division 4104070520
1986–87 Third Division 1200030150
Total 53040100670

Honours
Individual
Stafford Rangers
Blackburn Rovers
Everton
Port Vale
Kidderminster Harriers

References
  1. "Jim Arnold". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. Rollin, Jack, ed. (1980). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1980–81. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 66. ISBN 0362020175.
  3. Jackman, Mike (1994). Blackburn Rovers : the official encyclopaedia. Derby: Breedon. p. 13. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  4. "Blackburn Rovers Club Records". Archived from the original on 24 May 2011.
  5. "A Foot in Both Camps". evertonfc.com. 23 April 2004. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013.
  6. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 9. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  7. Fielding, Rob (5 November 2019). "Cult hero 66: Jim Arnold". onevalefan.co.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  8. Kent, Jeff (1990). The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. p. 305. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
  9. Ellis, Adam (31 March 2016). "Where Are They Now? Port Vale Fourth Div promotion winners 1985/86". The Football League Paper. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  10. Baggaley, Mike (8 June 2017). "Robbie Earle: The perfect qualities for Port Vale's new keeper". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  11. Ellis, Adam (31 March 2016). "Where Are They Now? Port Vale Fourth Div promotion winners 1985/86". The League Paper. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  12. Jim Arnold at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  13. Williams, Mike; Williams, Tony, eds. (2013). Non-League Club Directory 2014. Tony Williams Publications. p. 1006. ISBN 978-1-869833-72-5.
  14. Kent, Jeff (1990). "From Rags to Riches (1979–1990)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 258–290. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
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