Jimmy Kelly (footballer born 1973)
Encyclopedia
James "Jimmy" Kelly is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder. He currently plays for Nantwich Town
. He has played for several clubs in The Football League
, Conference National
and Welsh Premier League.
, making his Football League
debut during the 1990–91 season
. After 17 league appearances for the Welsh side, Kelly moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers
in an exchange deal. His spell at Molineux
included loan spells with Walsall
and back at Wrexham
, before a five year prison sentence put his football career on hold.
He returned to playing in 1998 when, after a short spell at Bury
, he joined Nationwide Conference
side Hednesford Town
and became a popular player in his two years at Keys Park
. In 2000 he moved to Doncaster Rovers
for an undiclosed fee, where he remained until being released at the end of the 2001–02 season
and joined fellow Conference side Chester City
. He helped the club reach the play–offs in his one season at the club before a loan deal at Scarborough
was made permanent in October 2003. He became club captain, leading the side to an FA Cup fourth round tie with Chelsea
the following January.
Spells with Morecambe
and Lancaster City
followed before Kelly moved to Droylsden
in December 2006 and helped the Bloods win the Conference North
title. He then moved to Rhyl
, although he missed much of his first season at the club due to a knee injury. He signed for Conference North
club Fleetwood Town
on 31 December 2008, before playing at Colwyn Bay
during the 2009-10 season, where he helped his team win promotion to the Premier Division of the Northern Premier League
. Just days before the 2010-11 season started Kelly joined another Northern Premier League side, Ashton United, making his full debut away at Colwyn Bay.
In July 2011 he joined Nantwich Town
.
In September 2011 he joined Congleton Town
Nantwich Town F.C.
Nantwich Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The club was founded in 1884 and is nicknamed The Dabbers. The club is currently a member of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, with home matches played at the Weaver Stadium.Nantwich...
. He has played for several clubs in The Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
and Welsh Premier League.
Playing career
Kelly began his career as an apprentice with WrexhamWrexham A.F.C.
Wrexham Football Club are a professional football team based in Wrexham, north-east Wales, who play in the English football pyramid.Founded in 1872, they are one of the oldest surviving football clubs in Britain and the oldest professional club in Wales...
, making his Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
debut during the 1990–91 season
1990-91 in English football
The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...
. After 17 league appearances for the Welsh side, Kelly moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
in an exchange deal. His spell at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
included loan spells with Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
and back at Wrexham
Wrexham A.F.C.
Wrexham Football Club are a professional football team based in Wrexham, north-east Wales, who play in the English football pyramid.Founded in 1872, they are one of the oldest surviving football clubs in Britain and the oldest professional club in Wales...
, before a five year prison sentence put his football career on hold.
He returned to playing in 1998 when, after a short spell at Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
, he joined Nationwide Conference
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
side Hednesford Town
Hednesford Town F.C.
Hednesford Town Football Club are an association football team based in Hednesford, Staffordshire, England. They play at Keys Park.-History:...
and became a popular player in his two years at Keys Park
Keys Park
Keys Park is home of Hednesford Town Football Club, and is situated on Keys Park Road in the town of Hednesford, Staffordshire. The club previously played at the Cross Keys, a ground situated behind the pub of the same name....
. In 2000 he moved to Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
for an undiclosed fee, where he remained until being released at the end of the 2001–02 season
2001-02 in English football
The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
and joined fellow Conference side Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
. He helped the club reach the play–offs in his one season at the club before a loan deal at Scarborough
Scarborough F.C.
Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...
was made permanent in October 2003. He became club captain, leading the side to an FA Cup fourth round tie with Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
the following January.
Spells with Morecambe
Morecambe F.C.
Morecambe Football Club is an English football club based in Morecambe, Lancashire. It plays its football in League Two, the fourth division of English football, having been promoted in 2007 for the first time in their history to the Football League. They played their home matches at Christie Park...
and Lancaster City
Lancaster City F.C.
Lancaster City F.C. is an English football club based in Lancaster, Lancashire. The club are currently members of Northern Premier League Division One North and play at Giant Axe.-History:...
followed before Kelly moved to Droylsden
Droylsden F.C.
Droylsden F.C. is an English football club based in Droylsden, near Manchester. As of the 2011–12 season, they play in the Conference North.-History:...
in December 2006 and helped the Bloods win the Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
title. He then moved to Rhyl
Rhyl F.C.
Rhyl Football Club is a Welsh football club, playing in the Cymru Alliance.The club was founded in 1882 and the team plays its home matches at Belle Vue, Rhyl, which can accommodate 3,000 spectators.- History :Few clubs in the Welsh Premier League have as distinguished a past as Rhyl's...
, although he missed much of his first season at the club due to a knee injury. He signed for Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
club Fleetwood Town
Fleetwood Town F.C.
Fleetwood Town F.C. is an English football club based in Fleetwood, Lancashire. They currently play in the Conference National having been defeated in the Conference National play-off semi-final by AFC Wimbledon in the 2010–11 season.-History:...
on 31 December 2008, before playing at Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay
- Demography :Prior to local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 Colwyn Bay was a municipal borough with a population of c.25,000, but in 1974 this designation disappeared leaving five separate parishes, known as communities in Wales, of which the one bearing the name Colwyn Bay encompassed...
during the 2009-10 season, where he helped his team win promotion to the Premier Division of the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
. Just days before the 2010-11 season started Kelly joined another Northern Premier League side, Ashton United, making his full debut away at Colwyn Bay.
In July 2011 he joined Nantwich Town
Nantwich Town F.C.
Nantwich Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The club was founded in 1884 and is nicknamed The Dabbers. The club is currently a member of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, with home matches played at the Weaver Stadium.Nantwich...
.
In September 2011 he joined Congleton Town
Congleton Town F.C.
Congleton Town F.C. is a football club based in Congleton, Cheshire, England. They currently play in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division and are full members of the Cheshire County Football Association...