Jimmy Windridge

Infobox Football biography
playername = Jimmy Windridge


fullname = James Edwin Windridge
dateofbirth = birth date|1882|10|21|df=y
cityofbirth = Birmingham
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|1939|9|23|1882|10|21|df=y
cityofdeath = Birmingham
countryofdeath = England
height =
position = Inside forward
youthyears =
1899–1901
youthclubs = Small Heath Alma
Small Heath
years = 1901–1905
1905–1911
1911–1914
1914–1916
clubs = Small Heath
Chelsea
Middlesbrough
Birmingham
caps(goals) = 026 0(7)
143 (54)
068 (11)
029 (11)
nationalyears = 1908–1909
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 008 0(7)

James Edwin "Jimmy" Windridge (21 October 1882 – 23 September 1939) was an English footballer who played as an inside forward. He made more than 250 appearances in the Football League for Small Heath/Birmingham, Chelsea and Middlesbrough, and played eight times for England.

Football career

Born in Small Heath, Birmingham, England] , Windridge began his senior football career with his local club, Small Heath (now known as Birmingham City),cite book |author=Matthews, Tony |title=Birmingham City: A Complete Record |publisher=Breedon Books |location=Derby |year=1995 |pages=pp. 135 |isbn=978-1-85983-010-9] making his debut in 1903. In his first season the club were promoted to the First Division. [Matthews, p. 149.] He became one of the first players to join the newly-formed Chelsea Football Club in 1905, arriving for the sum of £190 and with fellow Small Heath players, Jimmy Robertson and Bob McRoberts. His impact was immediate, scoring a hat-trick for the club on his home debut against Blackpool, the first competitive football match ever played at Stamford Bridge.

Windridge scored 16 goals that season as Chelsea finished a respectable third in the Second Division, and hit 18 in the next, helping the club earn promotion to the First Division. Thereafter he was overshadowed by more high-profile forwards at the club, such as George Hilsdon and Vivian Woodward, and moved on to Middlesbrough in 1911. Returning to Birmingham in 1914, he equalled a club record by scoring five goals in a league match against Glossop in 1915.

He was also an England international, making his debut in 1908 against Ireland. He scored in six consecutive matches for his country, including in all four matches during England's first overseas tour, and ended his international career with an impressive seven goals from eight games. [cite web
url=http://www.englandstats.com/playerreport.php?pid=1072 |title=James Windridge |publisher=englandstats.com |accessdate=2008-03-04]

Outside football

Windridge also played cricket for Warwickshire. [cite web
url=http://content-www.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/23100.html |title=James Windridge |publisher=cricinfo |accessdate=2008-03-04] He was the cousin of fellow England international Alex Leake.

He died in Small Heath, Birmingham, at the age of 56.

References

*cite book
author=Joyce, Michael |title=Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 |publisher=SoccerData (Tony Brown) |location=Nottingham |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-899468-67-6

Persondata
NAME = Windridge, Jimmy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Windridge, James Edwin
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Professional footballer
DATE OF BIRTH = 1882-10-21
PLACE OF BIRTH = Small Heath, Birmingham, England
DATE OF DEATH = 1939-09-23
PLACE OF DEATH = Small Heath, Birmingham, England