Oswald Jimmy Image 1 Notts County 1891

Description

Glasgow born centre forward Jimmy Oswald began his football career with Clydebank in 1885, playing for Govan Hill in 1886 and Kilbirnie in 1887 before joining Third Lanark in 1888. It was while he was with The Warriors that won The Scottish Cup in 1889 as they beat Celtic after a replay at Hampden Park, his brother John scoring in both matches in February 1889, and he was first capped for Scotland, scoring against England in a 3-2 victory at The Kennington Oval in April 1889. Both brothers then joined Football League club Notts County in the 1889 close season, Jimmy making his debut at Wolverhampton Wanderers that September, and he top scored for The Magpies in each of his four seasons at Trent Bridge, scoring hat-tricks in wins over Aston Villa in November 1890, Burnley in March 1892 and West Bromwich Albion that November. Additionally he scored 6 goals as Notts County reached the 1891 FA Cup Final, where he scored The Magpies’ goal as they were beaten 3-1 by Blackburn Rovers at The Kennington Oval.

However after Notts’ relegation in 1893 Oswald returned to Scotland to join St Bernard’s after 65 goals in 109 matches for Notts County. It was at St Bernard’s that he won his second cap for Scotland, playing in a defeat to England at Goodison Park in April 1895, He also played 3 times for The Scottish League in matches with The Football League between April 1894 and April 1896, scoring in two of those games. He then transferred to Glasgow Rangers in the 1896 close season after 18 goals in 32 matches for St Bernard’s, winning his final Scotland cap in a 2-2 draw with Wales at The Racecourse Ground, Wrexham in March 1897. At Rangers he scored 17 goals in 33 matches and won the Scottish League title with Rangers, however he was not selected for either of their Scottish Cup wins while at Ibrox.

Having played his last match for Rangers in April 1899, he transferred to Greenock Morton in the 1899 close season, and while at Cappielow he won his final Scottish League cap, in a big win over The Irish League at Easter Road in February 1900. He continued playing for Morton until his retirement in 1903, having scored 23 goals in 41 matches for The Ton.

His younger brother John Oswald was also a footballer; both siblings (who were born in Greenockbut relocated to the Gorbals area of Glasgow with their family when very young), played together in the 1889 Scottish Cup Final, then moved to England to play for Notts County, where they played together for one season.

NB although published while at Rangers, the photograph clearly shows Oswald in a Notts County shirt.