Kirkpatrick Jimmy Image 1 Plymouth Argyle 1920

Description

Dumfries born winger Jimmy Kirkpatrick began his career with his hometown club Dumfries, joining Southern League Plymouth Argyle in August 1911 and playing for the club either side of World War One. He made his Plymouth debut in September 1911 and soon established himself as a first team regular. A consistent performer at outside-right, he was a regular member of the first team until hostilities broke out in 1914 and peacetime football was suspended the following year. The 1913-14 Argyle handbook memorably stated of Kirkpatrick: “A model wing player, possessed of speed, cleverness and daring. Admits he isn’t big, but says he is made of the right stuff, and is proud of Dumfries, which we believe is in Scotland.”

During the War he worked at, and played for, the Devonport Dockyard before returning to Home Park at the end of the conflict. Although he played 31 matches for Plymouth Argyle in their inaugural Football League season of 1920-21, including being part of the team who played Argyle’s maiden Football League match against Norwich City in August 1920, over the next five seasons he found his first team opportunities increasingly limited and in 1924 followed Argyle team-mate Harry Raymond, the new Torquay United player-manager, to Plainmoor, where he ended his career after 8 goals in 187 appearances for The Pilgrims.