Jim Gotts

James Atkinson Gotts was born on 17 January 1917 in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland.[1] He attended Seaton Delaval School, with whose football team his goalscoring ability first became apparent. He joined East Cramlington Black Watch Juniors, where the 16-year-old "maintained his special forte of marksmanship" with 26 goals from 10 Bedlington and District Junior League matches in the first half of the 1933–34 season.[2] Gotts scored in the first minute of the Bedlington Junior Cup final, which Cramlington won in front of scouts from several Football League clubs, and was reportedly "booked for a further look over".[3]

That interest came to nothing, but he soon moved on to Ashington of the North-Eastern League, and was selected in "his proper position" of centre forward for their first team in late October 1935.[4] He continued for a time in the first team, but appeared increasingly for the reserves in the latter part of 1936 and in 1937,[5] and is known to have undergone knee surgery following a football injury.[6]

Gotts served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War.[7] In January 1946, he resumed his football career, signing professional forms with Brentford.[8] He made four appearances and scored once in the Football League South wartime league,[9] and played twice without scoring in the 1945–46 FA Cup, on 31 January in a 5–0 victory at home to Bristol City in the fourth round and nine days later in a 3–1 win away to Queens Park Rangers.[10] Gotts played once as a guest for Colchester United, on 13 April in a Southern League Cup match in which Colchester won 5–2 away to Guildford City.[11] According to the Essex County Standard, Gotts' "brilliant placing of the ball from long distances often led to shots rights on the target."[12]

In June 1946, ahead of the Football League's post-war resumption, Gotts signed for Third Division South club Brighton & Hove Albion. His debut was delayed because of an injury sustained during pre-season, but he eventually made his first appearance in the Football League on 21 December, playing at outside right – characterised as a "lively winger" and one of seven players used in that position over the season – in a 3–1 defeat away to Torquay United.[13] His second and last, a week later, was in an even heavier defeat away to Port Vale.[14] He was released at the end of the season,[13] and made no more appearances in League football.[14]

Gotts died in Ealing, west London, in December 1998 at the age of 81.[1]