Stevenson Jimmy Image 1 Walsall 1935

Description

Newmains, Lanarkshire born inside forward Jimmy Stevenson began his football career with Newmains and played for Overtown Rangers in 1923 before signing for Scottish League club Third Lanark the following year. Having scored 7 goals in 38 appearances for The Warriors, he was signed by Second Division club South Shields in November 1926, making his debut in an FA Cup tie at Sheffield Wednesday in January 1927, also playing four days later in the replay as South Shields won 1-0 at Horsley Hill. He then scored on his Football League debut in a 3-3 draw with Port Vale the following weekend, and although he couldn’t prevent South Shields’ relegation the following season, he scored 16 goals in their 1928-29 campaign, finishing as the club’s second top goalscorer behind Rance Maycock. His total included a hat-trick in a win over Rochdale in January 1929.

His form caught the eye of Second Division club Bradford City who signed him in July 1929 after 25 goals in 67 appearances for South Shields, but he was a fringe player during two seasons at Valley Parade and joined Southern League club Aldershot in the summer of 1931 after a single goal in 10 appearances. He helped Aldershot to win the Southern League title in 1932 and his form earned him a return to Football League action when he was signed by Third Division (North) club Stockport County in July 1932, where he scored consistently and helped The Hatters to consecutive third place finishes during his first two seasons at Edgeley Park. His return of 44 goals in 109 appearances during three seasons at Edgeley Park proved the best period of his career, but he joined Walsall in August 1935 and played in only the first three matches of the season before suffering knee ligament damage, returning to Stockport County in January 1936, for whom he appeared just once in a win over Carlisle United the following month.

Stevenson joined Cheshire League club Macclesfield as their first ever player-manager in the 1936 close season, scoring three goals in 11 appearances for them. After leaving Macclesfield at the end of the 1936-37 season and having retired due to his injury, he returned to Stockport County, serving a reserve team trainer and remained there in various capacities for another 35 years. In 2002 he was inducted into the Stockport County Hall of Fame.