Jimmy Scoular 1953 - 1961

The Iron Man

Born	Livingston Station	West Lothian	11/01/1925
Arrived	Portsmouth	06/1953	£22,250
Debut	Sunderland H	D1	22/08/1953
Departed	Bradford PA	01/1961	£1,300
Apps/Goals	271	6
Ht/Wt	5' 7"

Following the 1952/53 season Stan Seymour decided it was time that Joe Harvey turned his attentions full-time to training the juniors and reserves. The Sergeant Major was a tough act to follow in more ways than one and it was to United's credit that they managed to replace him with another player with teak like qualities; James Scoular. On the face of it the two men had a lot in common.

Scoular had been a member of Portsmouth's Championship winning side of 1948/49 and 1949/50; but a hefty transfer fee (which broke United's transfer record) and better wages were enough to prise the Scottish International away from Portsmouth

Like Harvey he was a right-half and was famous for his crunching tackles; but he was a much more artistic and skilful player comfortable with the ball at his feet. He also had great vision and the ability to hit slide-rule passes over long distances.

He was instantly installed as Captain, but took over at a difficult time as United's great side of the early fifties began to break up. His greatest success on Tyneside was leading the team to the FA Cup Final victory over Manchester City in 1955

Although it was Milburn who grabbed the glory with the goals it was his dominance of the game in the second half that turned the game United's way. Milburn would later state that "no other half-back in the World could have improved upon his display".

If the players thought that life be more peaceful following Harvey's retirement they were wrong. Granite man Scoular was quiet off the field, but on the pitch he was a fierce competitor who was not slow to hand out an ear-bashing to his peers.

Bobby Moncur [in his book United we Stand] said that his "tongue was almost as fierce as his tackling" and recalled a training ground incident when he was just a youngster. "He waded into me with a mouthful that was enough to make my hair stand on end. And there were no apologies from Scoular afterwards"

Despite being tee-total his fiery temper often let him down and brought him into conflict with the men in black. He was sent off at least four times in his career (this at a time when you almost had to kill someone to get your marching orders)

The son of a miner this gruff, bluff Scotsman wasn't just the target of officials and rival fans , he also had his enemies within the United camp. In Crowe Amongst the Magpies Charlie recalls how Jimmy never got on with Ivor Broadis and recalls one of many confrontations between the pair.

Charlie and Scoular were walking into the training ground in torrential rain one day. Broadis came hurtling around the corner in his brand-new car blasting his horn to get them out his way. Scoular gave him some verbals and when they both made the dressing room Broadis retorted with "Sorry James but if you would like to relieve your feelings, feel free to urinate on my car bonnet".

Ivor Allchurch was another who didn't like his style and he once came to blows with Bob Stokoe during a game. Even Milburn believed that the appointment of Scoular caused friction within the once united camp; leading to the development of divisive cliques within the dressing room.

Jimmy Greaves sums up Scoular's appearance and playing style brilliantly in his autobiography.

"He was built like a coke machine with a bald head and at the sides, thick wedges of unkempt dark hair. The most striking parts of Jimmy's visage were a forehead hammered flat through contact with a thousand muddy leather balls, and a nose that made Karl Malden's look like Kylie Minogue's".

"If Tom Waits' voice could ever be turned into a face it would look exactly like Jimmy. He was like a bag of hammers; in addition to his Exocet tackling, every part of Jimmy's body appeared to jut out whenever necessary to inflict maximum pain."

Scoular's style saw him labelled as a dirty player by some but he was adamant that this was not the case. In 1955 he told Football Monthly "When I go for the ball I mean to get it. I go in hard and determined.. but I never intentionally tackle unfairly. In all my years in the game no opponent I have ever faced has failed to finish a game completely fit."

Season by Season

Pre Toon

Son of a miner Scoular played for his home village - Livingstone Station - as a youngster; his next door neighbour was Scottish star Tommy Walker. He joined the Navy at the age of seventeen, working firstly as an engineer and then on the submarines.

Scoular started playing for Gosport Borough whilst he was serving in the Royal Navy. He was spotted and signed up by Portsmouth in 1945 where he would soon form a brilliant half-back line with Jimmy Dickinson and Jack Froggatt, regarded as probably the greatest half-back line ever seen at Fratton Park.

He helped Portsmouth win the Championship two years running in 1948/49 and 1949/50 and he was capped 9 times by his country.

At the end of 1952/53 Scoular put in a transfer request as a result of "a misunderstanding with another Portsmouth player" and within weeks he had left for St James' Park.

.

1953/54 [32/0 - 1]

Scoular takes up the captaincy and made his debut in the opening day derby match against Sunderland. United win 2-1 but Scoular is injured and misses the next six matches. He returns for the 3-7 thrashing at West Brom and throughout the season United fail to live up to past glories.

1954/55 [52/0 - 1]

Another indifferent League season but Jimmy leads United to FA Cup glory; playing in every match during the campaign. In the Final itself he gave a faultless exhibition of midfield scheming that probed ruthlessly at City's tired and disjointed defence.

1955/56 [32/0 - 1]

Scoular turns 31 as he, Stokoe and Crowe start to form a decent half-back combination.

1956/57 [36/0 - 3]

Three goals in eleven league matches for the normally shot shy Scotsman

1957/58 [43/0 - 0]

Only misses one match all season, but United struggle badly and narrowly avoid relegation

1958/59 [33/0 - 0]

United get a new manager as Charlie Mitten arrives and towards the end of the season Scoular plays centre-half returning to the position he played in as a junior.

1959/60 [34/0 - 0]

Back to right half but Scoular misses most of the last two months. Newcastle's new continental strip with it's while lined shorts wasn't good for the hard man's reputation and (allegedly) there were shouts from the terraces advising him that "your bloody slip's showing".

1960/61 [9/0 - 0]

With Mitten turning increasingly towards the youth team there are limited opportunities for the 35 year old and Scoular's last match was on November 19th; a 5-0 reverse at Goodison. He left to become player-manager at Fourth Division Bradford Park Avenue in January 1961 as United tumbled out the top division.

After Toon

In his first season as manager Scoular steered the team to fourth place and promotion but after a couple of seasons they were relegated again. In May 1964. The club asked him to resign and when he refused they fired him.

Jim was planning on legal action but was offered the manager's job at Cardiff who were then in the Second Division. During his 9 years at the club they narrowly missed promotion and relegation. In November 1973 The Bluebirds announced that he was to be relieved of his managerial duties; the Welshman taking advantage of the sudden availability of former Man Utd manager Frank O'Farrell

Scoular then took over at Fourth Division Newport County for four years but he failed to inspire them and left in 1978 in so doing ending his association with football.

Even as a manager Scoular liked to have his say. In December 1972 he was booked by ref. John Yates after he called Bristol City's 1-0 win over his team 'the biggest robbery since the crown jewels were stolen' . In the same year he famously stated that the whole team was available for sale after a defeat against Villa.