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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
30/31
Mar-30
-
0/  0
1/ 0
-
30/31-32/33
Jan-31
-
95/ 51
5/ 2
-
33/34-35/36
May-33
-
58/ 23
3/ 0
4/ 1
Exeter City
35/36
Sep-35
-
23/ 14
1/ 0
3/ 2
36/37
Jun-36
-
2/  0
-
-
Hartlepools United
36/37
Jan-37
-
16/  4
-
1/ 0
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.
..
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.
..
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'

Comments

Jo said…
Jimmy McCambridge died in 1988, I was at his funeral and am his great-grand daughter.
jcd said…
Thanks Jo, I've updated accordingly.
Anonymous said…
Jimmy McCambridge is my Grand-Father and that is something I'm proud off... unfortunately I can't play as good as him! Sean McCambridge
Anonymous said…
Jo,
If you are really Jimmy's great-grand daughter, I may have something of great interest, passed down from my grandfather.
Neil Coleman said…
McCambrige's stats at Ballymena FC are as follows;

1928/29 (apps/goals)
League 25/16
Irish Cup 5/8
Other 14/8
Total 44/32

1929/30 (apps/goals)
League 23/12
Irish Cup 3/3
Other 1/0
Total 27/15

He signed from Larne in June 1928 and left for Everton in February 1930 (not September 1930 as mentioned).
jcd said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Paul Godfrey (CTFC) said…
Jimmy McCambridge scored 8 goals in 28 appearances for Cheltenham Town during season 1937-38. 18 appearances were in the Southern League and 10 in Cups and all his games were played at inside right. He played against Watford in the FA Cup first round and was a member of the team that reached the Welsh Cup quarter-finals. In the previous round he scored the only goal as Cheltenham defeated his old club Cardiff City at Ninian Park.
Anonymous said…
This is my great uncle (my marriage)!
Jo said…
Jackie Campbell, I'd be very interested in what your grandfather passed down.

I am the grand-daughter of Jimmy McCambridge's son Jim McCambridge.

Thanks
Jo
Mark Mccambridge said…
This is my Great Grandfather Mark Mccambridge (BY BLOOD)