Jimmy McCambridge

Name: James McCambridge

Born: 23 September 1905, Larne

Died: 1988

Height: 5.10 ft

Weight: 11.10 st

Position: Inside-Left

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Representative Honours: 4 Full Caps (1930-1931); Irish League: 2 Caps/3 Goals (1929-1930).

Club Honours: (with Larne) Irish Cup Runner-Up 1927/28; (with Ballymena) Irish Cup Winner 1928/29.

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Club Career:

Teams	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup		Other
Larne	-	-	-	-	-		-
Ballymena	28/29-29/30	Jun-28	-	48/ 28	8/11		15/ 8
Everton	30/31	Mar-30	-	0/  0	1/ 0		-
Cardiff City	30/31-32/33	Jan-31	-	95/ 51	5/ 2		-
Bristol Rovers	33/34-35/36	May-33	-	58/ 23	3/ 0		4/ 1
Exeter City	35/36	Sep-35	-	23/ 14	1/ 0		3/ 2
Sheffield Wednesday	36/37	Jun-36	-	2/  0	-		-
Hartlepools United	36/37	Jan-37	-	16/  4	-		1/ 0
Cheltenham Town	38/39	Sep-37	-	*28/  8	(Southern League)
Larne	-	Oct-38	-	-	-	-
TOTALS	-	£-		270/128	18/13	23/11

* all games

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Biography:

James "Hoody" McCambridge was a member of the Larne side surprisingly defeated by Willowfield in the 1928 Irish Cup Final replay. That summer he left his hometown club to join the newly founded Ballymena. His first campaign at Warden Street brought a number of goals, including the winner against Belfast Celtic in the Irish Cup Final.

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The 1st February 1930 proved to be an historic day. McCambridge became the first Ballymena player to claim an Ireland cap as Wales were defeated 7-0 at Celtic Park, with Joe Bambrick claiming a double hattrick. Three weeks later McCambridge was again in the side that lost 3-1 to Scotland at a sandy Parkhead.

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Shortly after his second cap McCambridge was transferred to Everton. He made a single appearance for the Toffees, as deputy for Dixie Dean in a 3-0 win over Bradford City. After less than a year at Goodison, McCambridge moved to Cardiff City. He was afforded an early opportunity for the Bluebirds, scoring twice on his debut in a 3-2 defeat by West Brom in January 1931.

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McCambride claimed a total of nine goals in his first campaign, including a hattrick in a 3-2 home win over Stoke. His second campaign at Ninian Park brought a club record 26 League goals, with another two hattricks against QPR and Clapton Orient. He continued his good form into the 1932/33 season, claiming eleven goals in the first twelve games. He again finished the season as the club's topscorer, but his final tally of 16 illustrated a drop in form. McCambridge won two further caps while with Cardiff in defeats by Wales and England.

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Despite the drop-off in form, it was a surprise when McCambridge was allowed to leave Cardiff in 1933. On 12th May he had reported to have returned to Ballymena as player-manager, but ten days later he signed for Bristol Rovers. He regained his form at Eastville, finishing as the the Arabs' topscorer in his first season. He then topped the charts in a season with Exeter City in 1934/35 before returning to the top-flight with Sheffield Wednesday. His stay at Hillsbrough was brief and he joined Hartlepools United mid-way through the 1936/37 season and finished his career with Cheltenham Town prior to the Second World War.

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Although most famed as a goalscorer, across his career McCambridge proved highly versatile. In the first game of the 1928 Irish Cup Final for Larne he was selected at right-back and in the second at inside-left. The following season he was at outside-left in Ballymena's Cup win. His inter-league appearances were at inside-right and inside-left and while his four appearances for Ireland were at inside-left, through his Football League career he appeared in every outfield position.

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A joiner by trade, McCambridge was also a keen pigeon fancier.

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Ireland Cap Details:

01-02-1930 Wales... H W 7-0 BC

22-02-1930 Scotland A L 1-3 BC

22-04-1931 Wales... A L 2-3 BC

17-10-1931 England. H L 2-6 BC

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Summary: 4/0. Won 1, Drew 0, Lost 3.

Additional club career details courtesy of Martin O'Connor, the kind commentators below and to 'Neil Coleman - The Official History of Ballymena United FC'