James "Jimmy" Clews Cowan (16 June 1926 – 20 June 1968) was a Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 football

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 goalkeeper who played for St. Mirren

St. Mirren F.C.

St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...

, Greenock Morton

Greenock Morton F.C.

Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....

, Sunderland

Sunderland A.F.C.

Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

, Third Lanark

Third Lanark A.C.

Third Lanark Athletic Club was a football club that originally existed between 1872 and 1967, 95 years in existence, based in Glasgow, Scotland. Third Lanark were known as Thirds, the Warriors, the Redcoats and the Hi Hi's...

 and the Scotland national team

Scotland national football team

The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

.

Cowan was born in Paisley

Paisley

Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...

 and began his professional career with St Mirren before moving to Morton in 1944. He remained at Cappielow

Cappielow

Cappielow is a district of Greenock in Inverclyde, west central Scotland. It is home to Scottish First Division side Greenock Morton F.C. The name Cappielow, taken alone, usually refers to the Cappielow Park stadium, but it can also refer to a small area of housing or the adjoining industrial...

 for nine years, playing in the 1948 Scottish Cup Final defeat to Rangers

Rangers F.C.

Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

. During his time at Morton he won all of his 25 Scotland caps

Cap (sport)

In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...

, making his debut against Belgium in April 1948. He played in the 1949 and 1951 wins against England

England national football team

The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

 at Wembley

Wembley Stadium

The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

, results which ultimately won Scotland the 1949

1949 British Home Championship

The 1949 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations. The tournament was notable for it being the final competition the Home Nations competed in before they joined the FIFA World Cup and thus the last time it was the most important international...

 and 1951

1951 British Home Championship

The 1951 British Home Championship football tournament was the Home Nations follow-up to England's disastrous appearance at their first World Cup, the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. There the much vaunted English had been beaten by the USA and Spain. The Scots had refused to go, and the Welsh and...

 British Home Championship

British Home Championship

The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...

s.

During his time at Morton, the club were twice relegated from the First Division (1948-49

1948-49 in Scottish football

The 1948–49 season was the 52nd season of competitive football in Scotland. Rangers became the first team to win the Scottish domestic treble. Scottish League Division "C" was disbanded...

 and 1951-52

1951-52 in Scottish football

The 1951–52 season was the 55th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division A:Champions: HibernianRelegated: Greenock Morton, Stirling Albion-Scottish League Division B:Promoted: Clyde, Falkirk...

). After the club failed to win promotion in 1952-53

1952-53 in Scottish football

The 1952–53 season was the 56th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division A:Rangers won the title with a 1–1 draw in their last match, away to Queen of the South...

, Cowan was transferred to English club Sunderland in June 1953. He returned to Scotland two years later and played for a season at Cathkin Park

Cathkin Park

Cathkin Park is a municipal park in Glasgow, Scotland. The park is maintained by the city's parks department, and it is a public place where football is still played...

 before retiring.

On 11 November 2007, Cowan was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame

Scottish Football Hall of Fame

The Scottish Football Hall of Fame is located at the Scottish Football Museum. Inductees are picked each year by fans and a committee selects the eight finalists who are inducted at an annual dinner....

.

External links

• Jimmy Cowan, Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database