Lister Jimmy Image 2 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic 1923

Description

Kirkcaldy, Fife born centre forward Jimmy Lister began his football career with Glasgow Perthshire from where he was signed by Scottish League club Kilmarnock in 1914, but his career was soon interrupted by the First World War, although League football continued in Scotland. Lister was signed by Glasgow Rangers in 1915, initially having loan spells with Renton and Armadale before making his Rangers debut against Hamilton Academical in April 1916, scoring once, in a 3-2 win over Dundee, in 5 appearances before the end of the season.

Lister moved from Rangers to Dumbarton in August 1916 and had a successful season with The Sons in 1916-17, scoring 13 goals in 24 appearances before moving to Greenock Morton in 1917, where he kept up his scoring ratio with 8 goals in 16 matches for The Ton. He returned to Glasgow Rangers in 1918 and again went on loan to Renton, but didn’t feature in the Rangers first team before signing for Second Division club Bury after the end of the First World War in July 1919.

Lister made his Football League debut at Bristol City the following month, and scored 6 goals in 14 matches over the season, but wasn’t used the next season and moved to North Eastern League club Hartlepools United in October 1920, and when Hartlepools joined the new Third Division (North) the next season, Lister scored their first ever League goal in their inaugural League fixture, a 2-0 win at Wrexham in August 1921. However this was only one of 2 goals in 9 appearances he made before Christmas, and he joined Southern League club Llanelly in 1922, before returning to Football League action with newly elected Third Division (South) club Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in June 1923.

Lister achieved a rare feat when playing in Bournemouth’s inaugural League match, a 3-1 defeat at Swindon Town, when he scored The Cherries’ goal making him perhaps the only player to score the first League goal for two different clubs! In his single season at Dean Court he found the net 7 times in 28 appearances as Bournemouth toiled close to the bottom of the division, and in May 1924 he returned to South Wales, signing for Aberdare Athletic, for whom he scored 7 goals in 18 appearances, including a goal on his debut in a defeat to Bristol City. He finally joined non league club Ebbw Vale in 1925, his last recorded club before his eventual retirement.