Jimmy Kelly (Irish footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Kelly | ||
| Date of birth | 1911 | ||
| Place of birth | Ballybofey, County Donegal, Ireland | ||
| Playing position | Outside Left | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 19xx–19xx | Stranorlar School | ||
| 19xx–19xx | Long Tower Boys School | ||
| 19xx–19xx | Foyle Stars | ||
| 19xx–19xx | St. Columb's Court | ||
| 19xx–19xx | Newry Town | ||
| 19xx–19xx | Fulton Rovers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 192x–1928 | Coleraine | ||
| 1928–1930 | Liverpool | 0 | (0) |
| → Liverpool Reserves | |||
| 1930–1946 | Derry City | ||
| 1942 | → Shamrock Rovers (loan) | 5 | (5) |
| 1946–1947 | Dundalk | 10 | (6) |
| 1947–1951 | Derry City | ? | (23) |
| 1951–1952 | Coleraine | ? | (5) |
| 1952 | Ballymena United | ? | (0) |
| 1952–19xx | Ballymoney United | ||
| National team | |||
| 1931–1936 | Ireland (IFA) | 11 | (4) |
| 1932–1936 | Irish Free State (FAI) | 5 | (2) |
| 1931–1948 | Irish League XI | 16 | (6) |
| 1947 | League of Ireland XI | 3 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
|||
Jimmy Kelly (1911, Ballybofey, County Donegal, Ireland – November 1970) was an Irish footballer who played for, among others, Derry City, Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk. Kelly was one of the most prolific goalscorers ever to play in the (Northern) Irish League, scoring 218 goals in the league between 1928 and 1952. He also scored 12 goals during his time in the (Southern) League of Ireland and scored a further 193 in other competitions. Kelly was noted for having a powerful left footed shot.
Kelly was a dual international and played for both Ireland teams – the IFA XI and the FAI XI. In 1932 he became the first (Northern) Irish League player to play for an FAI XI and in 1934 was a member of their first team to play in a World Cup qualifier. In 1936 Kelly actually played for both the IFA XI and the FAI XI within the same week and finished on the winning team on both occasions.
As a youth Kelly played for several teams in the Derry and District League and also turned out for Newry Town. He then began his senior career with Coleraine before being signed by Liverpool in May 1928. However, he failed to make any senior appearances for the Reds and after over two years at the club, a disillusioned Kelly signed for Derry City for a fee of £100 in October 1930.
Kelly made his debut for Derry City on 26 October 1930 against Linfield at Windsor Park. However it took him four matches to score his first goal for the club in a game against Glenavon. This was the first of 363 goals he would score for City. Among these goals was one in a 2–1 defeat against Linfield in the 1936 Irish Cup final. This was the club's first major final. Kelly continued to play for City into the early 1950s, helping the club to their first Irish Cup success, a 3–1 victory over Glentoran in 1949.
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