Jimmy Ross (footballer, born 1866)

James Daniel Ross (28 March 1866 – 12 June 1902), nicknamed the "Little Demon", was a Scottish footballer of the Victorian era, younger brother of Nick Ross. Born in Edinburgh, in the beginning of his career he played for Edinburgh's St Bernard's F.C., but he came to prominence as part of the Preston North End team known as "The Invincibles", who won the Football League during its first and second seasons, the first one being a double of the league and the FA Cup.

Jimmy Ross
Personal information
Full name James Daniel Ross
Date of birth (1866-03-28)28 March 1866
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland
Date of death 12 June 1902(1902-06-12) (aged 36)
Playing position(s) Inside forward[1]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
– St Bernard's
1883–1894 Preston North End 130 (85)
1894–1896 Liverpool 73 (27)
1896–1898 Burnley 51 (29)
1898–1901 Manchester City 67 (21)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Jimmy Ross came south to Preston to join his famous elder brother Nick.[2] His debut for North End happened by chance – he had to gone to Padiham on 24 November 1883 as a spectator to watch his brother play but, as the team were a couple of men short, he was invited to play. He scored two goals in North end's 4–0 win. Ross was a phenomenal goalscorer. In the four seasons up to the formation of the Football League in 1888, he scored over 250 goals in only 220 appearances. He scored for North End in a Lancashire Senior Cup final. Born in Edinburgh, he was unlucky not to have been chosen for his country but the selectors only chose from players at clubs north of the border. Ross formed a highly successful partnership up front for North End with England international John Goodall. He scored seven goals against Hyde United in a 26–0 win and six against Reading when North End won 18–0. Jimmy Ross appeared in the 1888 FA Cup Final against West Bromwich Albion which Preston North End lost 2–1.[3]

Jimmy Ross made his League debut on 8 September 1888 as a forward for Preston North End against Burnley at Preston North End' Deepdale ground. Preston won 5–2 and Jimmy Ross scored Preston North End' third and fourth goals. On 13 October 1888, playing as a forward for Preston North End in a League match at Deepdale against West Bromwich Albion Jimmy Ross scored in the 88th minute to put his team 3-0 up and becoming the first League player to score ten League goals. The final score was 3–0. Jimmy Ross played in 21 of Preston' 22 League Championship matches. As a forward he played in a front-line that scored three–League–goals–or–more goals on 13 separate occasions. Jimmy Ross scored 19 League goals in 1888-1889. His 19 goals included four–in–a–match on 6 October 1888 at Deepdale against Stoke when Ross scored four first–half goals in a 7–0 win. He also scored two-in-a-match on 8 September 1888 at Deepdale against Burnley, on 29 September 1888 at County Ground in a 3–2 win against Derby County; two in a 5–2 win at Pike's Lane over home team Bolton Wanderers and two in a 5–0 win at Stoney Lane against home team West Bromwich Albion. Ross played in all five FA Cup ties for season 1888–89 and scored two goals including a goal in the Final. The Final was at Kennington Oval on 30 March 1889 against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Preston North End won 3–0 to complete the first–ever League and FA Cup double. Ross won League Championship and FA Cup winners medals.[4][5]

In 1894 Ross was signed to Liverpool by the club's manager John McKenna for £75. He made his debut for his new club in a Football League Division One match on 13 September 1894 and went on to score 12 times during the season, which ended with Liverpool being relegated. A prolific goalscorer in his time at Liverpool, Jimmy found the Second Division defences more to his liking managing to hit the net 23 times in 25 outings, spearheading the Reds charge back to the top tier.

The following season Liverpool managed to establish themselves in the First division, finishing 5th; he only scored twice in his 21 matches.

After his short spell at Anfield Ross was transferred out signing for Second Division side Burnley in March 1897. There he scored 29 goals in 51 games. Just prior to his arrival, Burnley had been relegated and with Ross's help, gained promotion back to the First Division in the 1898 test matches, that ended with a 0–0 draw against Stoke, a scandal that ended test matches in English league football.

Later that year Ross joined Manchester City, scoring 21 goals in 67 games there. He was forced to retire from football due to ill health after the 1900–01 season. Ross died 12 June 1902, aged 36.

Around the fin de siècle the Football league decided to impose a maximum wage of £4 per week for professional football players. For a full-time player like Ross, able to play for wages of up to £10 a week, this was serious threat to their livelihood. To curb this threat, Ross and other top players of the time formed the Association Footballers' Union.[1]

Goalscoring record (partial) in Football League.[6]
Season Rank Club Division Matches played Goals scored Goals scored per match His club's position in the league
1888–892ndPreston North EndFirst Division21190.90Champions
1889–901stPreston North EndFirst Division21241.14Champions
1890–91?Preston North EndFirst Division136?2nd
1891–927thPreston North EndFirst Division26160.622nd
1892–9318thPreston North EndFirst Division25100.402nd
1893–946thPreston North EndFirst Division?17?14th
1894–95?LiverpoolFirst Division27120.4416th (relegated)
1895–96?LiverpoolSecond Division25230.92Champions, 2nd Division
1896–97?LiverpoolFirst Division2150.245th
1896–97?BurnleyFirst Division410.2516th (relegated)
1897–98?BurnleySecond Division27230.85Champions, 2nd Division
1898–99?BurnleyFirst Division2060.303rd
1898–99?Manchester CitySecond Division970.78Champions, 2nd Division
1899–1900?Manchester CityFirst Division26100.387th
1900–01?Manchester CityFirst Division253?11th

Career details

As a player:

  • Liverpool FC (1894–1897): 85 appearances, 40 goals — Football League Second Division winner's medal (1896).[7]
gollark: If you want to solve "the most difficult solvable equation in the world" you're probably going to have to come up with a lot of new techniques.
gollark: Practising stuff will make you better at what you're already able to do mostly.
gollark: No you won't.
gollark: Well, some maths at school etc. is like that, but it isn't real maths™.
gollark: Wrong.

References
  1. "Jimmy Ross". Spartacus Educational.
  2. The Coodnaes, Scots Football Worldwide
  3. Hayes, Dean (2006). The Who's Who of Preston North End. Breedon Books. p. 206. ISBN 1 85983 516 3.
  4. "English National Football Archive". Retrieved 18 March 2018. (registration & fee required)
  5. Metcalf, Mark (2013). The Origins of the Football League The First Season 1888/89. Amberley. pp. 21–22/54–55/61–62. ISBN 978 1 4456 1881 4.
  6. Fußball-Weltzeitschrift No. 10, Jan/Feb 1988.
  7. Player profile. "Liverpool career stats for Jimmy Ross – LFChistory – Stats galore for Liverpool FC!". LFChistory.
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