Leighton James

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Leighton James
James with Wales
Personal information
Date of birth (1953-02-16)16 February 1953
Place of birth Loughor, Swansea, Wales
Date of death 19 April 2024(2024-04-19) (aged 71)
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1]
Position(s) Winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1970–1975 Burnley 180 (45)
1975–1977 Derby County 68 (15)
1977–1978 Queens Park Rangers 28 (4)
1978–1980 Burnley 76 (9)
1980–1983 Swansea City 88 (27)
1983–1984 Sunderland 52 (4)
1984–1985 Bury 46 (5)
1985–1986 Newport County 28 (2)
1986–1989 Burnley 79 (13)
Total 645 (124)
International career
1971–1983 Wales 54 (10)
Managerial career
1993–1994 Gainsborough Trinity
1994 Morecambe
1994–1995 Netherfield
1995–1996 Ilkeston Town
1997–1998 Accrington Stanley
1998–2000 Llanelli
2001–2002 Garden Village
2002–2003 Llanelli
2009–2010 Aberaman Athletic
2011–2012 Haverfordwest County
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Leighton James (16 February 1953 – 19 April 2024) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a winger for Burnley, Derby County, Queens Park Rangers, Swansea City, Sunderland, Bury, Newport County and Wales.[2]

Club career[edit]

James started his career as a left winger with Burnley, making his Football League debut in November 1970 against Nottingham Forest.[3]

In 1975, he signed for Derby County for a club-record fee of £300,000,[3] and in 1977 joined Queens Park Rangers in exchange for Don Masson.[4] He made his debut against West Bromwich Albion in October 1977, and went on to play 33 games, scoring six goals.[4] In 1978, he returned to play with Burnley, but left in 1980 when they were relegated to the Third Division.[5]

Manager John Toshack signed James for Swansea City for £130,000 in 1980, in a move to build a side capable of gaining promotion to the First Division. They won the Second Division at the first attempt, with James scoring the first goal against Preston North End in the last game of the season, securing the club's promotion.[6][7] He was widely regarded as one of Swansea City's finest ever players.[8] Following James' death in 2024, Toshack described him as "one of the finest wingers that British football has ever produced and we were very very lucky at the fact he was a Welshman".[9]

He had spells with Sunderland, Bury and Newport County, before he returned to Burnley for a third spell in 1986 as youth-team manager and occasional player. He retired from playing in 1989 after being sacked as youth-team manager.[3]

International career[edit]

In 1971, he won his first international cap, aged 18, against Czechoslovakia at Letenský Stadion in Prague in a 1–0 defeat.[10] His first international goal was in a 2–0 victory against Poland at Ninian Park in Cardiff in March 1973.[11] In May 1977, he scored the only goal of the game, a penalty, in a defeat of England, in the British Home Championship at Wembley, their only win against England in England.[12] He also captained the team, making his first appearance as captain against Iceland at Vetch Field, Swansea, in October 1981.[10] He played 54 times for Wales, scoring ten goals.[12]

Managerial career[edit]

James became a coach at Bradford City, before succeeding Gary Simpson as manager of Gainsborough Trinity in October 1993.[13] He was the manager at Morecambe, but was sacked after five months in charge. In October 1995, he was appointed manager of Southern League Premier Division side Ilkeston Town. After winning his first three matches in charge, the team then went twenty games without a victory, and James left the club in February 1996, to be replaced by Keith Alexander.[14] On 29 September 1997, James took over from Tony Greenwood as manager of Accrington Stanley.[15] He spent five months in charge at the Crown Ground, before resigning in February 1998 due to other work commitments.[16]

James also had two spells in charge of League of Wales club Llanelli, but in his second spell, he oversaw the club's relegation in the 2002–03 season.[citation needed] In the 2001–02 season, he coached Garden Village of the Welsh Football League to the Second Division championship title with a final-day victory at Chepstow Town.[citation needed]

James worked as a football pundit for BBC radio and television, along with a regular programme on Real Radio. The BBC suspended James for a period due to controversial remarks made in a regular newspaper column regarding Cardiff City.[17]

In December 2009, James was appointed manager of Welsh Football League Division One side Aberaman Athletic.[18]

James was appointed Director of Football at Welsh Football League Division One side Haverfordwest County in 2011,[19] but resigned after less than two months.[20]

Personal life[edit]

Leighton James was born in Loughor, Swansea, in 1953.[2]

In June 2007, the BBC reported that James was given a driving ban for driving while one-and-a-half times over the legal alcohol limit.[21]

James caused controversy in March 2008 by commenting in his column in the South Wales Evening Post that he would like Cardiff City to lose to Barnsley in the 2008 FA Cup semi-final.[22] Although the rivalry between the football clubs of Swansea City and Cardiff City is well documented, James' comments angered some[23] because of his supposed impartiality as a pundit, and also for his staunch attitude that Welsh people should support Welsh teams in whatever sport, an opinion he had discussed at length on radio phone-in programmes. As punishment for his comments, the BBC saw fit to ban James from appearing on their programmes for two weeks.[24] He returned on 26 April 2008 to the Wales on Saturday programme.[citation needed]

James' comments about Cardiff City were the subject of the song "Leighton James Don't Like Us", recorded by Cardiff musician Leigh Bailey.[25]

Away from football, in June 2007 James was named Rookie Lollipop Man of the Year by Swansea Council for Penyrheol Primary School, which his nephew Thomas James went to.[26]

James was a rugby fan, and often commented on rugby on the Real Radio sports phone-in. He was an avid supporter of Scarlets.[27]

He was also a cricketer, and has been described as an extremely competent batsman.[28]

James died on 19 April 2024, at the age of 71.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  2. ^ a b "Leighton James". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "Leighton James: Former Wales, Burnley and Swansea winger dies aged 71". BBC. 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b Fc, Qpr. "Official website of Queens Park Rangers for the latest news from Loftus Road". QPR FC. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Club History". BurnleyFC. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Promotion at Preston". Swansea. 2 May 1981. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  7. ^ "TOP-FLIGHT JACKS: Leighton James". Swansea. 20 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  8. ^ Scrafton, Matt (19 April 2024). "Burnley legend Leighton James sadly passes away, aged 71, with Alan Pace among those to pay tribute". Burnley Express. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  9. ^ "James among 'the very best wingers'". BBC Sport. 19 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Leighton James, international football player". eu-football.info. 16 February 1953. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Swans and Dragons: Leighton James". Swansea. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  12. ^ a b Media, PA (19 April 2024). "Tributes paid to former Wales, Burnley and Swansea winger Leighton James". the Guardian. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  13. ^ Tony Williams, Team Talk Magazine, Number 29, pp.72–73, December 1993.
  14. ^ "Ilkeston Town FC managers". ilsonfootball.co.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  15. ^ "Ex-Clarets star James in charge at Stanley". The Bolton News. 29 September 1997. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  16. ^ "James quits as Stanley boss". The Bolton News. 2 February 1998. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  17. ^ "BBC pundit dropped in FA Cup row". BBC News. 25 March 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  18. ^ "Leighton James new Aberaman chief". welsh-premier.com. 13 December 2009. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  19. ^ "Leighton James joins the Bluebirds". pembrokeshire sport. 5 October 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  20. ^ Home | Welsh Premier Football
  21. ^ "Ex-Wales star's drink-drive ban". BBC News. 14 June 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  22. ^ South Wales Evening Post
  23. ^ Leighton James in Cardiff FA Cup storm – icWales
  24. ^ Comments earn James two-week BBC ban – icWales
  25. ^ MySpace.com – Leigh Bailey – UK – Alternative – www.myspace.com/leighbaileysoulcrew
  26. ^ Paul Doyle (14 June 2007). "News in brief". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  27. ^ Dowling, Rob (19 April 2024). "Leighton James: A Cymru Legacy". FAW. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  28. ^ "Leighton James". Clarets Mad. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
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