Jim Langley
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ernest James Langley | ||
| Date of birth | 7 February 1929 | ||
| Place of birth | London, England | ||
| Date of death | 9 December 2007 (aged 78) | ||
| Place of death | London, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Playing position | full back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Yiewsley | |||
| Hounslow Town | |||
| Uxbridge | |||
| Hayes | |||
| Brentford | |||
| Ruislip | |||
| 1948–1952 | Guildford City | 155 | (?) |
| 1952–1953 | Leeds United | 9 | (3) |
| 1953–1957 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 178 | (16) |
| 1957–1965 | Fulham | 356 | (33) |
| 1965–1967 | Queens Park Rangers | 87 | (9) |
| 1967–1971 | Hillingdon Borough | ||
| National team | |||
| 1958 | England | 3 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1966–1971 | Hillingdon Borough | ||
| 1977 | Dulwich Hamlet | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Ernest James "Gentleman Jim" Langley (7 February 1929 – 9 December 2007) was an English association football player noted for his pacey, rampaging runs from the left fullback position and his long throw-ins. He is remembered particularly fondly by supporters of Fulham for his long service with the club during which he helped them achieve promotion to the First Division during the 1958–59 season; by Queens Park Rangers fans for featuring in the side which won the Third Division title and sensationally beat First Division West Bromwich Albion in the League Cup Final in the 1966–67 season and by non-league side Guildford City where he remains one of their most successful former players. Langley also enjoyed a short spell as an England international, playing three games for his country in 1958.
Langley started his football career as an amateur playing for a number of non-league sides in the London area whilst still a teenager. His ability was soon attracting attention and in 1946 Langley was given his dream move – First Division side Brentford signing him when he was still only 17. Langley's stay with the Bees did not last long however - his height of 5 feet 9 inches apparently counting against him with manager Harry Curtis - and the Londoner was soon looking for another club.
As with many youngsters his age, Langley was called upon to do national service and it was while he was still in the army that Langley joined Guildford City in 1948. After a season playing with the Southern League side as an amateur, during which they narrowly avoided relegation, Langley turned professional in 1949.
Langley was a huge crowd favourite at Guildford City, helping them to two Southern League cup finals in 1951 and 1952 during his four seasons there. After the near catastrophic 1948–49 season he also helped the Surrey side to record a top ten finish in each of the following three seasons. It was hence with great reluctance that Guildford were forced to sell their prized asset to Second Division Leeds United for £2,000 in the summer of 1952 after slipping some £12,000 into debt. He was not forgotten by the club however and in the mid 1970s when Guildford City merged with Dorking FC and were forced to sell their Joseph's Road ground for housing, a Langley Close was created on the site in his honour
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