James Nelson

Early years

Nelson was born in Greenock, Scotland, the sixth son of Alexander Nelson and his wife Jeanie. The family moved to Northern Ireland when Nelson was seven where his father was employed as a ship builder. He started his football career there with junior sides St Paul's and Glenarm, initially playing as a forward. At senior level, he joined Irish Intermediate League side Crusaders in 1919 where he was described as a "fullback with great promise". His spell with the team was disrupted by a broken leg during his second season, however he was still chosen to represent an Irish League XI on several occasions and captained the side against their English counterparts. He was spotted by Fred Stewart, manager of Welsh side Cardiff City, who paid £500 to complete a transfer to Cardiff. Such was Nelson's success at Cardiff that the Welsh side sent a message to Crusaders asking "Have you any more players like Jimmy?". This correspondence ultimately led to Tom Sloan and Tom Watson also moving to Cardiff in the following years.

Cardiff City

Nelson moved to Wales in 1921 when signed by Cardiff City, coinciding with the team being promoted to the First Division of the Football League. He made his debut for the club two months into the 1921–22 season, replacing captain Charlie Brittain in a 2–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion on 29 October. He retained his place for Cardiff's following match, a 2–0 defeat to Manchester City on 5 November, but these proved to be…

Nelson made his international debut for Scotland on 14 February 1925 in a 3–1 victory over Wales, a match in which he was the only Scottish player from outside his nation's league system to be selected. He retained his place for his side's 3–0 win over Ireland two weeks later. His next cap came more than three years later when he was recalled for a match against England in March 1928. In the match, Scotland caused a major upset by winning 5–1, with the side becoming known as the Wembley Wizards. His final cap came in May 1930 when he played in a 2–0 victory over France. Nelson had previously been selected to play for Ireland but was withdrawn from the squad when he was found to be ineligible having been born in Scotland.

Nelson married Doris Noon in July 1936 at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Canton, Cardiff. One of his brothers, Davey Nelson, was also a footballer, following his brother by playing for both Crusaders and Cardiff City. After retiring from playing, Nelson served as a policeman during wartime. He became a publican after the war ended, initially in Southend where he worked for his former club in different capacities. He later took over pubs in Penarth and Cardiff. His son Tony became an amateur international footballer for Wales then later turned professional with Newport County and AFC Bournemouth.

Cardiff City

FA Cup: 1926–27; runner-up: 1924–25 FA Charity Shield: 1927 Welsh Cup: 1923, 1927, 1928, 1930 Newcastle United

FA Cup: 1931–32