Alex James (footballer)
Alex James (right) playing in France
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexander Wilson James | ||
| Date of birth | 14 September 1901 | ||
| Place of birth | Mossend, Lanarkshire, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 1 June 1953 (aged 51) | ||
| Place of death | London, England | ||
| Playing position | Inside forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1922–1925 | Raith Rovers | 98 | (27) |
| 1925–1929 | Preston North End | 147 | (53) |
| 1929–1937 | Arsenal | 231 | (26) |
| Total | 476 | (106) | |
| National team | |||
| 1925–1932 | Scotland | 8 | (3) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Alexander Wilson "Alex" James (14 September 1901 – 1 June 1953) was a Scottish international footballer. He is most noted as a play making lynch pin of Arsenal with whom he won six senior trophies in the first seven seasons of the 1930s. James played as a deep lying creative midfielder providing the link between defence and attack. He was famed for his outstanding footballing intelligence and supreme ball control and passing. James was described by Tom Finney as "an inspiration, pure magic" with his style of play having led to comparisons with that of Dennis Bergkamp of modern times. His rheumatism meant he wore "baggy" shorts to hide the long johns he wore to keep warm; the baggy appearance became his trademark.
Born in Mossend, Lanarkshire, James was schooled at the Bellshill Academy in Bellshill wheren he begun a long friendship with Hughie Gallacher. James started his youth footballing career with local clubs, Bellshield Athletic and Ashfield.
Alex James joined Raith Rovers in 1922. He spent three seasons at Starks Park recording nearly a hundred League appearances. His best league finish was fourth in 1924 sandwiched between the ninth place finishes on either side. He then transferred to Preston North End for £3,000 in 1925.
Alex James spent four years at the Second Division side scoring 55 goals in 157 appearances. Preston twice were in contention for promotion finishing sixth then fourth in the middle two of James' four seasons there. However towards the end of his stay there he fell into several disputes with the club's management, partly over wages – at the time, the Football League operated a maximum wage of £8 a week – and also because Preston refused to release James for international duty with Scotland.
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