Jimmy Melia

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Jimmy Melia (born 1st November 1937) is a former English footballer who predominantly played for Liverpool and went on to became a manager.

[edit] Life and playing career

Born in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, Jimmy joined the Reds straight from school as a 15 year old, when manager Don Welsh saw the potential in the young schoolboy internationals feet, he signed professional forms on his 17th birthday, the 1st November 1954. He made his debut aged 18 on the 17th December 1955 at Anfield in a 2nd Division fixture, Nottingham Forest were the visitors and came up against an in form Billy Liddell who scored an hat-trick in the 5-2 victory, Jimmy also scored his first goal for the club in the 48th minute, John Evans got the other.

Although Jimmy received rave reviews about his performance, Welsh held him back and brought him in to the set up slowly, it wasn't until the following season that he got a real run in the side starting 27 matches. Melia followed this up with a 36 match season scoring 10 goals, he had made his name and would be difficult to shift.

Melia along with the rest of the staff at Anfield would feel dejection 3 seasons on the spin as they just missed out on promotion on each occasion. It was all too much for manager Phil Taylor who resigned in 1959. He was followed by the man who would return Liverpool to the status the club deserves, one Bill Shankly.

Shankly liked Melia and used him as part of his plan for Liverpool to rule English football, the first attempt at promotion fell short again by 8 points as Cardiff City finished 2nd behind champions Aston Villa. The frustration continued in 1960/61 as, for a 5th straight time, Liverpool finished 3rd, 7 points adrift of winners Ipswich Town and 6 short of Sheffield United.

Something had to change to break the 3rd spot hoodoo, so Shankly went north of the border to buy Ian St John from Motherwell and the man he nicknamed the Colossus Ron Yeats from Dundee United, these 2 along with the likes of Alan A'Court, Gerry Byrne, Gordon Milne, Ian Callaghan, Ronnie Moran, 'Sir' Roger Hunt and Melia, who was an ever-present, scoring 13 goals, would help guide the Reds to the 2nd Division title by a clear 8 points over Leyton Orient, finally after so many years in the wilderness Liverpool were back in the top flight of English football.

Melia flourished in the 1st Division and played 39 times as the Liverpool finished a very respectable 8th place, unfortunately for the red half of Merseyside Everton won won the league and were 17 points better than the Reds. This wasn't what Shankly wanted and he would do anything he could to get Liverpool to the top of the league.

During this spell Jimmy caught the eye of England manager Alf Ramsey who gave him his debut, whilst still a 2nd Division player, on the 6th April 1963 in British Championship match at Wembley against Scotland, the outcome didn't quite go to script however, as the Scots left London with a 2-1 victory. Melia's 1 and only goal came in his 2nd a final appearance for his country, it came on the 5th June '63 at St. Jakob Park, Basel, England were on form that night as they thumped their hosts, Switzerland, 8-1, along with Melia's strike, Bobby Charlton scored a hat-trick and Johnny Byrne got a brace, Bryan Douglas and Tony Kay got the others.

Nobody could have predicted how quickly Shankly would make things happen, his all conquering squad swept aside the competition as they pipped rivals Man United and Everton by 4 and 5 points respectively. Melia, now aged 27, could now add a championship medal to the 2nd division title medal he already owned as he appeared 24 times during the triumphant campaign, however he received it whilst at a different club. Alf Arrowsmith had taken Jimmy's place in the side and without too much thought Shankly allowed Melia to leave, he did so joining Black Country side Wolverhampton Wanderers in the March of 1964.

His stay in the Midlands was a short one as he moved on to Southampton before the end of '64. Jimmy stayed for 4 years at the Hampshire based club helping them to promotion from Division 2 at the end of the 1965/66 season, they finished 5 points behind champions Manchester City.

He left Southampton in 1969 to take up the player/manager role at Aldershot Town, from there he took up a similar role at Crewe Alexandra, after retiring as a player he took on the managerial role at Gresty Road full-time

He went on to manage Brighton & Hove Albion, this is where his greatest managerial feat occurred when he took them to the 1983 F.A Cup final, he even took the side, who were bottom of the league, to his old stomping ground of Anfield where a goal from ex-Red Jimmy Case broke the hearts of the on watching Koppites. During the cup run Melia became famous for his 'disco' style of dress and his glamorous younger girlfriend, Val Lloyd.

Melia went on to spells in charge of Southport, Stockport County Portuguese side Beleneses.

In 1989 Jimmy had a stint in youth training when he travelled to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates where he set up an academy. He currently coaches select soccer for the Texas Longhorns Soccer Club in Dallas, Texas.

[edit] Career details

As a player

  • Liverpool F.C (1952 - 1964) - 269 appearances, 76 goals - First Division (level 1) championship winners medal (1964), Second Division (level 1) championship winners medal (1962)
  • Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C (1964) - 24 appearances, 2 goals
  • Southampton F.C (1964 - 1969) - 139 appearances, 11 goals - Second Division (level 2) championship winners medal (1966)
  • England (1963) 2 caps, 1 goal

As a player/manager

  • Aldershot Town F.C (1969 - 1971) 171 appearances, 14 goals
  • Crewe Alexandra F.C (1971 - 1972) 2 appearances

As a manager

  • Crewe Alexandra F.C (1972 - ?)
  • Stockport County F.C (? - ?)
  • C.F Belenenses (? - ?)
  • Brighton & Hove Albion F.C (? - ?) - F.A Cup runners-up 1983
  • Southport F.C

[edit] External links

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