Name: James Walker
Born: 29 March 1932, Belfast
Born: 29 March 1932, Belfast
Height: 5.10 ft
Weight: 12.07 st
Position: Forward
Position: Forward
Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: 1 Full Cap / 1 Goal (1955), 3 Youth Caps; Irish FA; Irish League: 3 Caps /1 Goal (1953-1958).
Club Honours: (with Linfield) Irish League Champion 1953/54, 1960/61; Irish Cup Winner 1952/53, Runner-Up 1960/61; Co. Antrim Shield Winner 1952/53.
Club Career:
Clubs
|
Seasons
|
Signed
|
Fee
|
League
|
FA
Cup
|
Other
|
Ledley
Hall
|
-
|
-
|
Youth
|
(East.Belfast)
|
-
|
-
|
Glentoran
|
50/51
|
-
|
Youth
|
1/ 1
|
-
|
-
|
Linfield
|
51/52-53/54
|
c/s-51
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Doncaster
Rovers
|
54/55-56/57
|
May-54
|
-
|
47/19
|
4/0
|
-
|
Portadown
|
-
|
1957
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Linfield
|
-
|
1960
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
TOTALS
|
£-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||
Biography:
Jimmy Walker was one of the most highly rated young centre-forwards playing in junior football. From Parkgate Avenue in east Belfast, the obvious footballing destination was Glentoran and he was a contemporary of Billy Bingham and Jimmy McIlroy at Co-Op Rec (the Glens' third team). He won three youth caps, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over England at Cliftonville in May 1950. Walker only once got beyond the Glens' IIs - the senior number nine shirt was held by Sammy Hughes - and he scored as a weakened Glentoran defeated Ballymena in a dress rehearsal for the following week's Irish Cup final at the end of the 51/52 season.
..
In 1951 Walker moved across Belfast to join Linfield. He made his début within two months and finished his first campaign with 23 goals. He continued his free-scoring ways, claiming an Irish Cup winners medal in 1953, scoring in a 5-0 Final victory over Coleraine. He added to that a League winner’s medal the following season, scoring 43 times along the way. During his time at Windsor Park he also played twice for the Irish League in defeats by the Football League and Scottish League.
Walker’s Irish League form prompted Peter Doherty to step in and take him to Doncaster Rovers in May 1954. He made his Football League début in the opening game of the season, a 3-2 defeat at Liverpool. By the end of his first campaign in England Walker had scored fifteen times and made his international début Doherty included his club protégé in the Ireland side to face Wales and Walker, true to form, scored in a 3-2 defeat. Thereafter Walker’s club form suffered and he scored just five goals in fifteen games during the 1955/56 season and failed to make the Rovers side at all in the following campaign.
Walker returned to Northern Ireland in 1957. He signed for Portadown where his form and confidence recovered. In 1958 he played for the Irish FA against South Africa, and scored for the Irish League in a 3-2 win over the League of Ireland. He also remained in Peter Doherty’s thoughts, being included in Northern Ireland’s provisional squad of forty for the 1958 World Cup Finals. In 1960 Walker returned to Linfield to fill the boots of the departing Jackie Milburn.
Northern Ireland Cap Details:
20-04-1955 Wales... H L 2-3 BC 1 Goal
Summary: 1/1. Won 0, Drew 0, Lost 1.
In 1951 Walker moved across Belfast to join Linfield. He made his début within two months and finished his first campaign with 23 goals. He continued his free-scoring ways, claiming an Irish Cup winners medal in 1953, scoring in a 5-0 Final victory over Coleraine. He added to that a League winner’s medal the following season, scoring 43 times along the way. During his time at Windsor Park he also played twice for the Irish League in defeats by the Football League and Scottish League.
Walker’s Irish League form prompted Peter Doherty to step in and take him to Doncaster Rovers in May 1954. He made his Football League début in the opening game of the season, a 3-2 defeat at Liverpool. By the end of his first campaign in England Walker had scored fifteen times and made his international début Doherty included his club protégé in the Ireland side to face Wales and Walker, true to form, scored in a 3-2 defeat. Thereafter Walker’s club form suffered and he scored just five goals in fifteen games during the 1955/56 season and failed to make the Rovers side at all in the following campaign.Walker returned to Northern Ireland in 1957. He signed for Portadown where his form and confidence recovered. In 1958 he played for the Irish FA against South Africa, and scored for the Irish League in a 3-2 win over the League of Ireland. He also remained in Peter Doherty’s thoughts, being included in Northern Ireland’s provisional squad of forty for the 1958 World Cup Finals. In 1960 Walker returned to Linfield to fill the boots of the departing Jackie Milburn.
Northern Ireland Cap Details:
20-04-1955 Wales... H L 2-3 BC 1 Goal
Summary: 1/1. Won 0, Drew 0, Lost 1.
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