Leighton James
A better Lollipop man than Ronaldo
| Full name: | Leighton James |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: | February 16, 1953 |
| Clubs played for: | Burnley, Derby, QPR, Swansea, Sunderland, Bury, Newport |
Club Career
Leighton James was just 17 when he played his first game for Burnley, and 36 when he played his last at the end of a career that saw him serve the club in three separate spells. Born near Swansea, James joined the Clarets as a schoolboy and made his first-team debut against Sunderland in 1970.
It was during the 1972-73 season that he made his name, as Burnley clinched promotion to the First Division, and in 1974 he helped the club reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
James was a gifted and ambitious left-winger and it was no real surprise when he left Turf Moor in November 1975 to join League champions Derby for a £310,000 fee. He followed that with a short spell at QPR before heading back to Turf Moor in 1978, but when they were relegated in 1980 he returned to his native south Wales to join John Toshack's Swansea.
In 1986, he joined Burnley for a third time, combining his role on the pitch with the job of youth team coach, before leaving the club for good in 1989.
Club Stats
| Years | Clubs | App | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-75 | Burnley | 180 | 45 |
| 1975-77 | Derby | 68 | 15 |
| 1977-78 | QPR | 28 | 4 |
| 1978-80 | Burnley | 76 | 9 |
| 1980-83 | Swansea | 88 | 27 |
| 1983-84 | Sunderland | 52 | 4 |
| 1984-85 | Bury | 46 | 5 |
| 1985-86 | Newport | 28 | 2 |
| 1986-89 | Burnley | 79 | 13 |
International Career
James made his international debut at the age of 18 in a European Championship qualifier against Czechoslovakia in 1971. He was a key member of the Wales team that reached the last eight of the European Championships in 1976 but never played in a World Cup.
International Career Stats
| Years | Clubs | App | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-83 | Wales | 54 | 10 |
Key Games
Tottenham 2-3 Burnley (First Division, September 5, 1973)
In one of his first matches back in the top-flight, James helped beat Tottenham 3-2 on a stormy night at White Hart Lane. He scored the opening goal on 11 minutes, before getting involved in a running feud with defender Cyril Knowles. Referee Jack Taylor turned down two Spurs penalty appeals but awarded Burnley a spot-kick that won them the game.
Burnley 0-2 Newcastle (FA Cup semi-final, March 30, 1974)
Burnley had battled through to the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1962, but fell at the last hurdle as they came up against a Newcastle team inspired by Malcolm Macdonald. James had a good enough game, forcing a fine save from Willie McFaul, but Supermac struck twice in the second half to fire the Toon Army to Wembley.
Wales 2-0 Poland (World Cup qualifier, March 28, 1973)
James scored the opening goal in an impressive 2-0 defeat of the Poles at Ninian Park, keeping Wales on course for the 1974 World Cup finals. Poland manager Kazimierz Gorksi praised James for his performance as he admitted that Wales were better than he had expected. They eventually missed out on the finals, however, while Poland went on to finish third.
Honours
| Club | Competition | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Burnley | Second Division Championship | 1973 |
Did You Know...?
James wore contact lenses on the pitch but they did not work under floodlights. Not that it mattered - he claimed to be able to smell the ball!
He was an excellent cricketer and played in the Lancashire League for Lowerhouse and Burnley.
He is now a lollipop man, and was voted Rookie Lollipop Man of the Year by Swansea Council in 2007.
We want your help to grow the MirrorFootball.co.uk archive! Leave your comments about this piece of football history by clicking on the 'Your Memories' tab above. Tell us who or what you'd like to see covered in the MirrorFootball.co.uk archive by emailing archive@mirror.co.uk
(PDF2.5MB)
