Leighton_James
Leighton James
Welsh footballer (1953–2024)
Leighton James ( (1953-02-16) (2024-04-19)16 February 1953 – 19 April 2024)[2] was a Welsh international footballer.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leighton James[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1953-02-16)16 February 1953[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Loughor, Swansea, Wales[1] | ||
| Date of death | 19 April 2024(2024-04-19) (aged 71)[2] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[3] | ||
| 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 | |||
James started his career as a left winger with Burnley, making his league debut in November 1970 against Nottingham Forest.
In 1971, he won his first international cap against Czechoslovakia. Altogether, he played 54 times for Wales and scored 10 goals.
In 1975, he signed for Derby County for a then club record fee of £310,000, and in 1977 joined Queens Park Rangers in exchange for Don Masson. He made his QPR debut against WBA in October 1977 and went on to play 28 league games, scoring 4 goals.
In 1978, he returned to play with Burnley but left when they were relegated to the third division and signed for Swansea City, helping them from the third division to the first. He had spells with Sunderland, Bury and Newport County before in 1986 he returned to Burnley for a third spell, as youth team manager and occasional player. He retired from playing in 1989 after being sacked as youth team manager.
James became a coach at Bradford City before succeeding Gary Simpson as manager of Gainsborough Trinity in October 1993.[4] He was the manager at Morecambe but was sacked after only 5 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 20 games without a victory and James left the club in February 1996 to be replaced by Keith Alexander.[5] On 29 September 1997, James took over from Tony Greenwood as manager of Accrington Stanley.[6] He spent five months in charge at the Crown Ground before resigning in February 1998 due to other work commitments.[7]
James also had two spells in charge of League of Wales club Llanelli, who he saw relegated in 2002–03. In 2001–02 he coached Garden Village of the Welsh Football League to the Second Division championship title with a final day victory at Chepstow Town.
He 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.[8]
In December 2009, James was appointed manager of Welsh Football League Division One side Aberaman Athletic.[9]
He was appointed as Director of Football at Welsh Football League Division One side Haverfordwest County in 2011[10] but resigned after less than 2 months.[11]
James' personal life has not been without controversy. In June 2007, the BBC reported that he was given a driving ban for driving while one and a half times over the legal alcohol limit.[12]
He caused further 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 FC in the FA Cup semi-final 2008.[13] Although the rivalry between the football clubs of Swansea and Cardiff is well documented, James' comments angered some[14] 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 has 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.[15] James returned on 26 April 2008 to the Wales on Saturday programme.
James' comments about Cardiff City were the subject of the song, "Leighton James Don't Like Us", recorded by Cardiff musician Leigh Bailey.[16]
Away from football, in June 2007 James was named Rookie Lollipop Man of the Year by Swansea Councilfor Penyrheol Primary School, which his nephew Thomas James went to.[17]
James is also a rugby fan, and often comments on rugby on the Real Radio sports phone in. He is an avid supporter of Scarlets. James was also a cricketer, and has been described as an extremely competent batsman.[18]
James died on 19 April 2024, at the age of 71.[2]
- "Leighton James". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- "Leighton James: Former Wales, Burnley and Swansea winger dies aged 71". BBC. 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
- Tony Williams, Team Talk Magazine, Number 29, pp.72–73, December 1993.
- "Ilkeston Town FC managers". ilsonfootball.co.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- "Ex-Clarets star James in charge at Stanley". The Bolton News. 29 September 1997. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- "James quits as Stanley boss". The Bolton News. 2 February 1998. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- "BBC pundit dropped in FA Cup row". BBC News. 25 March 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- "Leighton James new Aberaman chief". welsh-premier.com. 13 December 2009. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
- "Leighton James joins the Bluebirds". pembrokeshire sport. 5 October 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
- "Ex-Wales star's drink-drive ban". BBC News. 14 June 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- Paul Doyle (14 June 2007). "News in brief". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- "Leighton James". Clarets Mad. Retrieved 2 February 2024.