Jimmy Ruffell
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Ruffell was an English
footballer
who played for West Ham United
.
Ruffell was born in Doncaster
, South Yorkshire
, but moved south at an early age. He played for Essex Road School, Manor Park, Fullers, Chadwell Heath
United, Manor Park Albion, East Ham and Wall End United, before West Ham signed him from the works team of the Ilford Electricity Board in March 1920.
Ruffell, an outside-left, made his West Ham debut in September 1921, a 3-0 home victory over Port Vale
. He was an ever-present during the 1924-25
season, and went on to make 548 senior appearances for the Hammers, a record that wasn't beaten until Bobby Moore
surpassed it in 1973. He scored a total of 166 goals, placing him above many of West Ham's finest strikers in the club's records, and was the club's top scorer for the 1927-28
and 1934-35
seasons. Despite this, he didn't score a single goal during the 1921-22, 1932–33 and 1936-37 seasons.
In 1923, he was part of the team that contested the first FA Cup Final
to be staged at Wembley Stadium
, known as The White Horse Final.
In April 1926, he made his international debut in a 0-1 defeat by Scotland
in Manchester. He played for England
a further five times, but competition from the likes of Cliff Bastin
and Eric Houghton
kept him out of the team.
Ruffell left the east London club in 1937. He joined Aldershot
for a short spell, playing his last game against Port Vale, the club he'd debuted against 17 years earlier.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer
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...
who played for West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
.
Ruffell was born in Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, but moved south at an early age. He played for Essex Road School, Manor Park, Fullers, Chadwell Heath
Chadwell Heath
Chadwell Heath is a place in the London Borough of Redbridge and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, both in Greater London. It is north-east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
United, Manor Park Albion, East Ham and Wall End United, before West Ham signed him from the works team of the Ilford Electricity Board in March 1920.
Ruffell, an outside-left, made his West Ham debut in September 1921, a 3-0 home victory over Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
. He was an ever-present during the 1924-25
1924-25 in English football
The 1924–25 season was the 50th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
season, and went on to make 548 senior appearances for the Hammers, a record that wasn't beaten until Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
surpassed it in 1973. He scored a total of 166 goals, placing him above many of West Ham's finest strikers in the club's records, and was the club's top scorer for the 1927-28
1927-28 in English football
The 1927–28 season was the 53rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the season in which Dixie Dean scored an astounding 60 goals in 39 league appearances for Everton – 58.8% of their seasons total .-Honours:...
and 1934-35
1934-35 in English football
The 1934–35 season was the 60th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Arsenal become only the second team to win the League three consecutive times.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
seasons. Despite this, he didn't score a single goal during the 1921-22, 1932–33 and 1936-37 seasons.
In 1923, he was part of the team that contested the first FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
to be staged at Wembley Stadium
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...
, known as The White Horse Final.
In April 1926, he made his international debut in a 0-1 defeat by Scotland
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...
in Manchester. He played for 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...
a further five times, but competition from the likes of Cliff Bastin
Cliff Bastin
Clifford Sydney Bastin was an English football player.Born in Heavitree near Exeter, Bastin started his career at Exeter City, making his debut for the club in 1928, at the age of 16...
and Eric Houghton
Eric Houghton
William Eric Houghton , was an English footballer and manager.Eric Houghton was born in Billingborough, Lincolnshire and educated at Donington Grammar School. He signed for Aston Villa as a seventeen-year-old and played in the Villa side for two decades, scoring 170 goals in 392 games...
kept him out of the team.
Ruffell left the east London club in 1937. He joined Aldershot
Aldershot F.C.
Aldershot Football Club was an English Football League club, which was wound up in the High Court in March 1992. They became the first Football League club since Accrington Stanley to resign from the League during the course of a season. The club was nicknamed the Shots for both the last syllable...
for a short spell, playing his last game against Port Vale, the club he'd debuted against 17 years earlier.
External links
- Jimmy Ruffell at westhamstats.info
- Biography at spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk