Jim McAlpine

James Montgomery McAlpine (28 June 1887 – 1948)[1] was a Scottish footballer, who played as a half back for Southampton in the Southern League before playing for Football League clubs Millwall and Gillingham.

For the player for Queen's Park, see James McAlpine.

Jim McAlpine
Personal information
Full name James Montgomery McAlpine
Date of birth (1887-06-28)28 June 1887
Place of birth Dalziel, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Date of death October qtr. 1948 (aged 61)
Place of death Southampton, England
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[1]
Position(s) Left half
Youth career
Strathclyde
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1907–1908 Craigneuk Heatherbell
1908–1909 Dalziel Rovers
1909–1910 Vale of Clyde
1910–1911 Strathclyde
1911–1915 Southampton 132 (2)
1919 Kilmarnock
1919 Wishaw Thistle
1919–1921 Millwall[2] 17 (0)
1921–1923 Gillingham 47 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Football career

Born in Dalziel, near Motherwell, Lanarkshire, McAlpine played for various local clubs, including Strathclyde where he was spotted by scouts from Southampton. Along with teammate Andrew Gibson, he signed for the Saints in May 1911 and was considered to be one of new manager George Swift's better signings. Swift was Southampton's first appointment as manager and promptly embarked on a spending spree, signing eleven players in six weeks.[3]

Playing alongside the ever-dependable Bert Lee, he became a virtual ever-present up to the suspension of football in 1915. According to Holley & Chalk's "The Alphabet of the Saints", McAlpine was "rather small for a left half, (but) made up for his lack of stature with a determined and forceful temperament that made him a firm favourite with the Saints crowd."[4]

During World War I he remained on Saints' books, but joined local shipbuilders Harland and Wolff and turned out for their works football team, often against the Saints. He briefly returned to his native Scotland, playing for Kilmarnock and Wishaw Thistle.

After the war he moved to Millwall where he was part of their first ever Football League side in 1920–21. In July 1921 he moved on to Gillingham for a couple of seasons before retiring.

References
  1. Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan; Bull, David (2013). All the Saints: A Complete Players' Who's Who of Southampton FC. Southampton: Hagiology Publishing. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-9926-8640-6.
  2. Football League (1920-21) only
  3. Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan (1987). Saints - A complete record. Breedon Books. pp. 50–51. ISBN 0-907969-22-4.
  4. Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (1992). The Alphabet of the Saints. ACL & Polar Publishing. p. 215. ISBN 0-9514862-3-3.
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