Jimmy Scoular

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jimmy Scoular (born 11 January , 1925 - died 1998) was a Scottish football player.

Scoular signed for Portsmouth in 1945 from Gosport Borough. Here he impressed many with his tireless stamina and tough tackling. Duncan Edwards once stated that Scoular was 'the finest tackler of the ball I ever saw' [1]. He gained 9 caps for Scotland whilst at Portsmouth. His performances attracted Newcastle United into signing him for a fee of £26,000 in 1953. His debut for Newcastle came against arch-rivals Sunderland on August 22, 1953.

He captained Newcastle to victory in the FA Cup Final 1955 and became popular amongst the fans of the club who appreciated his determination and strength. He stayed at the club until 1960 when Bradford Park Avenue appointed him as player-manager. At Bradford he finally hung up his boots, ending an 18-year playing career spanning 600 matches. He left Bradford to manage Cardiff City, who he helped qualify for European competition. He later managed Newport County until 1977.