Jimmy Dunn (footballer, born 1900)

James Dunn (25 November 1900 – 20 August 1963) was a Scottish international footballer, most famous for being part of the 1928 Wembley Wizards team.

Jimmy Dunn
Dunn prior to the 'Wembley Wizards match, 1928
Personal information
Date of birth 25 November 1900
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland[1]
Date of death 27 August 1963(1963-08-27) (aged 62)
Position(s) Inside right
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
St Anthony's
1920–1928 Hibernian 268 (91)
1928–1935 Everton 140 (42)
1935–1936 Exeter City
1936–1937 Runcorn
International career
1925–1928[2] Scotland 6 (2)
1922[3] Scottish League XI 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Dunn, born in Glasgow and nicknamed "ginger" due to his hair,[4] started his senior career in 1920 when Hibernian signed him from his local Junior side St Anthony's. He stayed eight years with the Edinburgh club (304 matches, 103 goals in the Scottish Football League and Scottish Cup)[5] helping them to consecutive Scottish Cup finals in 1923 and 1924, although he collected a runners-up medal on each occasion.[6][7]

Dunn joined Everton immediately after his Wembley escapades and played with the Merseyside club for the next 7 seasons. He won a Second Division championship and Football League championship with the Toffees in consecutive seasons (1931 and 1932) and was part of their FA Cup winning side of 1933, scoring in the final itself.[1]

After scoring 49 goals in 155 matches for Everton,[1] he left Goodison Park in 1935 for Exeter City, becoming the Grecians record signing in the process.[4] He joined Runcorn the following year before retiring into a coaching role.

International career

In 1925, Dunn earned his first selection for the Scotland national team, playing in the defeat of Wales 3-1 at Tynecastle.[4] He gained a further 4 Scotland caps with Hibs, the most memorable being the last, against England at Wembley in 1928.

Dunn was a late inclusion in the side for the British Home Championship match, having missed selection for the preceding international trial match between home-based and Anglo-Scots. The entire Scotland forward-line measured 5 foot 7 or less and it was widely expected that the bigger, stronger English side would overpower their Scottish opponents. Dunn and his colleagues thought otherwise and raced to a surprise 5–1 victory, a record Scottish win at Wembley. The victory was widely celebrated in Scotland and the team was later somewhat mythologised as the Wembley Wizards.[4]

While at Everton, Dunn gained one further cap, again against Wales.[2]

Personal life

His son, Jimmy Jr, would later also find fame on the football field, participating in Wolverhampton Wanderers' victorious 1949 FA Cup team.[4][8]

Dunn's great-great-nephew is footballer Alex Harris.[9]

Honours

Everton[1]

References
  1. "Jimmy Dunn". Everton F.C. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  2. James Dunn at the Scottish Football Association
  3. "SFL player James Dunn". Londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  4. Lamming, Douglas (1987). A Scottish Soccer Internationalists Who's Who, 1872-1986 (Hardback). Hutton Press. ISBN 0-907033-47-4. ().
  5. "Hibernian player Jimmy Dunn". FitbaStats. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  6. "Scottish Cup Final". Glasgow Herald. 2 April 1923. Retrieved 24 September 2018 – via The Celtic Wiki.
  7. "We Are Hibernian FC - Part Twenty Three". Hibs.net. 6 January 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  8. Ivan Ponting (13 January 2015). "Jimmy Dunn: Creative inside-forward at the heart of Wolverhampton Wanderers' Cup-winning side in 1949". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  9. Alex Harris keeps it in the family in a bid to end Hibs' cup final disappointment, DailyRecord.co.uk, 19 May 2013.
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