| Fullname | James Cookson[1] |
|---|---|
| Birth date | 6 December 1904 |
| Birth place | Manchester, England |
| Death date | 14 December 1970 (aged 66) |
| Death place | Warminster, England |
| Height | 5 ft 9+1⁄2 in (1.77 m)[2] |
| Position | Centre forward |
| Years 1 | 1923–1925 |
| Clubs 1 | Manchester City |
| Caps 1 | 0 |
| Goals 1 | 0 |
| Years 2 | 1925–1927 |
| Clubs 2 | Chesterfield |
| Caps 2 | 74 |
| Goals 2 | 85 |
| Years 3 | 1927–1933 |
| Clubs 3 | West Bromwich Albion |
| Caps 3 | 122 |
| Goals 3 | 103 |
| Years 4 | 1933–1936 |
| Clubs 4 | Plymouth Argyle |
| Caps 4 | 46 |
| Goals 4 | 37 |
| Years 5 | 1936–1938 |
| Clubs 5 | Swindon Town |
| Caps 5 | 50 |
| Goals 5 | 31 |
| Totalcaps | 292 |
| Totalgoals | 256 |
James Cookson (6 December 1904 – 14 December 1970) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Manchester City, Chesterfield, West Bromwich Albion, Plymouth Argyle and Swindon Town.
Life and career
Cookson was born in Manchester.[1] He began his career as a wing half with South Salford Lad's Club and then played for Clayton and Manchester North End.[3] He turned professional with Manchester City in August 1923,[4] but was unable to break into the first team and was sent to Southport on loan for a trial period in 1924.[3] He was transferred to Chesterfield in April 1925,[4] and converted to a centre forward.[3][5] He was the leading goalscorer in the Third Division North for the 1925–26 season with 44 goals,[6] and scored 85 overall in 74 league appearances.[1] In August 1927, he joined West Bromwich Albion for a £2,500 fee.[4] He continued to score goals at his new club and was a member of the 1930–31 squad that won the FA Cup and promotion to the First Division.[5] Later in 1931, Cookson was selected for the Football Association tour of Canada.[3][5]
He scored 103 league goals in 122 matches for Albion,[1] including six in a Second Division game against Blackpool in 1927.[5] Cookson was also the leading goalscorer in the Second Division for the 1927–28 season with 38 goals.[6] Cookson maintained his high goalscoring ratio after joining Second Division club Plymouth Argyle in 1933.[3] He scored 28 goals in his first season with Argyle, including 27 in 29 league appearances, but injuries restricted his playing time over the next two campaigns.[3][5] Cookson managed a further 10 goals in 17 matches to bring his overall tally to 38 goals in 48 games.[3][5] He moved to Swindon Town in 1936, where he played on for two more seasons, and scored 31 goals in 50 league appearances.[1] Cookson retired from the game in May 1938 to become a publican.[4]
Cookson's Football League record of 256 goals scored in 292 appearances is one of the best in the League's history. His great quality was a willingness to shoot, and shoot early, whenever a chance presented itself.[5] Cookson died in Warminster on 14 December 1970.
References
- ^ Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 60. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
- ^ The Pilgrim (25 August 1924). "Ready for action: few changes in the First Division of the League. Manchester City". Athletic News. p. 5.
- ^ "Jimmy Cookson". GoS–DB. Greens on Screen. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ^ Matthews, Tony (2005). The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 54. ISBN 1-85983-474-4.
- ^ Knight, Brian (1989). Plymouth Argyle: A Complete Record 1903–1989. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 126. ISBN 0-907969-40-2.
- ^ Ross, James M. (15 July 2011). "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived 2 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 February 2012.