Jimmy Ross
Encyclopedia
James D. “Jimmy” Ross nicknamed the "Little Demon", was a Scottish
association football player of the Victorian era
, younger brother of Nick Ross. In the beginning of his career he played for Edinburgh's St Bernard's F.C.
, but he came to prominence as part of the Preston North End
team known as “The Invincibles”, who won the Football League during its first and second seasons, the first one being a double
of the league and the FA Cup
.
in the 1889 FA Cup Final, when Preston secured the double
.
In 1894 Ross was signed to Liverpool
by the club’s manager manager John McKenna
for £75. He made his debut for his new club in a Football League Division One match on 13 September 1894 and went on to score 12 times during the season, which ended with Liverpool
being relegated. A prolific goalscorer in his time at Liverpool, Jimmy found the Second Division
defences more to his liking managing to hit the net 23 times in 25 outings, spearheading the Reds charge back to the top tier.
The following season Liverpool managed to establish themselves in the First division
, finishing 5th; he only scored twice in his 21 matches.
After his short spell at Anfield
Ross was transferred out signing for Second Division side Burnley
in March 1897. There he scored 29 goals in 51 games. Just prior to his arrival, Burnley had been relegated and with Ross’s help, gained promotion back to the First Division in the 1898 test matches, that ended with a 0–0 draw against Stoke
, a scandal that ended test matches in English league football.
Later that year Ross joined Manchester City
, scoring 21 goals in 67 games there. He was forced to retire from football due to ill health after the 1900-01 season. Ross died 12 June 1902, aged 36.
Around the fin de siècle
the Football league decided to impose a maximum wage of £4 per week for professional football players. For a full-time player like Ross, able to play for wages of up to £10 a week, this was serious threat to their livelihood. In order to curb this threat, Ross and other top players of the time formed the Association Footballers' Union (1898-1901).
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...
association football player of the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, younger brother of Nick Ross. In the beginning of his career he played for Edinburgh's St Bernard's F.C.
St Bernard's F.C.
St Bernard's F.C. were a Senior Scottish football club based in Edinburgh from 1878 to 1943....
, but he came to prominence as part of the Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
team known as “The Invincibles”, who won the Football League during its first and second seasons, the first one being a double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
of the league and the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
.
Career
Jimmy Ross was the second-best scorer during the first league season, with 18 goals in 21 matches, and the best during the second season the second season, with 24 goals in 21 matches. He is said to have scored 250 goals in only 220 appearances for Preston. Among his goals were one that he scored against Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton 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 the 1889 FA Cup Final, when Preston secured the double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
.
In 1894 Ross was signed to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
by the club’s manager manager John McKenna
John McKenna
John McKenna , born in County Monaghan, Ireland, was a self-made businessman and former rugby player, who was the first manager of Liverpool....
for £75. He made his debut for his new club in a Football League Division One match on 13 September 1894 and went on to score 12 times during the season, which ended with Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
being relegated. A prolific goalscorer in his time at Liverpool, Jimmy found the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
defences more to his liking managing to hit the net 23 times in 25 outings, spearheading the Reds charge back to the top tier.
The following season Liverpool managed to establish themselves in the First division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, finishing 5th; he only scored twice in his 21 matches.
After his short spell at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
Ross was transferred out signing for Second Division side Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
in March 1897. There he scored 29 goals in 51 games. Just prior to his arrival, Burnley had been relegated and with Ross’s help, gained promotion back to the First Division in the 1898 test matches, that ended with a 0–0 draw against Stoke
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
, a scandal that ended test matches in English league football.
Later that year Ross joined Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, scoring 21 goals in 67 games there. He was forced to retire from football due to ill health after the 1900-01 season. Ross died 12 June 1902, aged 36.
Around the fin de siècle
Fin de siècle
Fin de siècle is French for "end of the century". The term sometimes encompasses both the closing and onset of an era, as it was felt to be a period of degeneration, but at the same time a period of hope for a new beginning...
the Football league decided to impose a maximum wage of £4 per week for professional football players. For a full-time player like Ross, able to play for wages of up to £10 a week, this was serious threat to their livelihood. In order to curb this threat, Ross and other top players of the time formed the Association Footballers' Union (1898-1901).
Goalscoring record (partial) in Football League.
| Season | Rank | Club | Division | Matches played | Goals scored | Goals scored per match | His club’s position in the league |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888–89 | 2nd | Preston North End Preston North End F.C. Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One... |
First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
21 | 18 | 0.86 | Champions |
| 1889–90 | 1st | Preston North End Preston North End F.C. Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One... |
First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
21 | 24 | 1.14 | Champions |
| 1890–91 | ? | Preston North End Preston North End F.C. Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One... |
First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
13 | 6 | ? | 2nd |
| 1891–92 | 7th | Preston North End Preston North End F.C. Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One... |
First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
26 | 16 | 0.62 | 2nd |
| 1892–93 | 18th | Preston North End Preston North End F.C. Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One... |
First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
25 | 10 | 0.40 | 2nd |
| 1893–94 | 6th | Preston North End Preston North End F.C. Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One... |
First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
? | 17 | ? | 14th |
| 1894–95 | ? | Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
27 | 12 | 0.44 | 16th (relegated) |
| 1895–96 | ? | Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
25 | 23 | 0.92 | Champions, 2nd Division |
| 1896–97 | ? | Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
21 | 5 | 0.24 | 5th |
| 1896–97 | ? | Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... |
First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
4 | 1 | ? | 16th (relegated) |
| 1897–98 | ? | Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... |
Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
? | ? | ? | Champions, 2nd Division |
| 1898–99 | ? | Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
9 | 7 | 0.78 | Champions, 2nd Division |
| 1899–1900 | ? | Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
26 | 10 | 0.38 | 7th |
| 1900–01 | ? | Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
25 | 3 | ? | 11th |
Career details
As a player:- Liverpool FC (1894–1897): 85 appearances, 40 goals — Football League Second Division winner's medal (1896).