James McGiffen

James McGiffen (30 January 1904 – 3 August 1929) was an English professional footballer who played as an outside left in the Football League for Darlington. He also played non-league football as an amateur for Stockton.[1]

James McGiffen
Personal information
Full name James McGiffen[1]
Date of birth (1904-01-30)30 January 1904[1]
Place of birth South Bank,[1] England
Date of death 3 August 1929(1929-08-03) (aged 25)[2]
Place of death Stockton-on-Tees,[2] England
Position(s) Outside left
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
19??–1927 Stockton
1927–1929 Darlington 23 (4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

McGiffen, the third child of John McGiffen, an iron worker, and his wife Alice, was born in 1904 in South Bank, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, and raised in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham.[3]

By 1924, he was playing football for his hometown club, the amateur club Stockton F.C.; he scored in a 9–4 defeat to Ferryhill Athletic on the last day of the 1923–24 Northern League season.[4] The Daily Express preview of Stockton's Amateur Cup tie against London Caledonians in 1926 described the youthful McGiffen as "very fast and tricky, with a penchant for goals".[5] He helped Stockton win the Northern League Challenge Cup in 1926–27, before leaving the club at the end of the season to turn professional with Third Division North club Darlington.[6]

McGiffen scored in Darlington's 9–3 win against Lincoln City in January 1928,[7] and according to the Burnley Express, he was the pick of their forwards as he scored twice in a 4–2 defeat of Nelson in April.[8] By the end of his second season with the club, McGiffen had made 23 League appearances and scored four times.[1] He was included on Darlington's retained list, and was reported to have signed on again for the coming season.[9]

At the end of July, he underwent a mastoid operation in Stockton Hospital; he died there three days later, on 3 August, at the age of 25.[2]

References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 168. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  2. "James McGiffen. Darlington footballer dies in hospital". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 3 August 1929. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive. James McGiffen, who played outside left as a professional for Darlington and who formerly assisted Stockton as an amateur, died in Stockton Hospital this morning following an operation last Wednesday for mastoid. He resided at Thornaby-on-Tees.
  3. "1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription 30 Norfolk Street Stockton-On-Tees, Stockton on Tees, Durham, England". James McGiffen. Age: 7. Birth place: Yorkshire South Bank. Census reference: RG14PN29554 RG78PN1717A RD544 SD1 ED8 SN104. Retrieved 27 October 2014 – via Findmypast.
  4. "Northern League". Yorkshire Post. 5 May 1924. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "Calies beware. Stockton men who are making history". Daily Express. 3 February 1926. p. 13.
  6. Dale, D.; Livingtone, P. "Stockton Football Club". This is the North East Communigate. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. In 1926/27 Stockton added a new trophy to their list of honours by claiming the Northern League Challenge Cup when, at the fourth attempt, they defeated Bishop Auckland after a series of three drawn games. ... At the end of the campaign outside left James McGiffen left the club to join Darlington where he became a regular member of their side until his untimely death in 1929 at the age of 25.
  7. "Phenomenal scoring. League records broken". Western Daily Press. Bristol. 9 January 1928. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "Third successive defeat". Burnley Express. 18 April 1928. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. "Darlington's new pivot". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 10 June 1929. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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