Jimmy Speirs

Scotland

An inside forward, Speirs moved to Maryhill in the Glasgow Junior League in 1905. Maryhill, whose Lochburn Park ground was five miles north of Speirs' home, were among the top sides in the junior leagues, and lifted 13 trophies in eight seasons at the turn of the 20th century. The 1904–05 team contained six junior internationals, and the side won three titles that season. Speirs' first recorded scoring appearance was on 29 April 1905, when his two goals helped Maryhill beat Parkhead 2–0. Speirs scored again in a 3–3 draw against Ashfield in the Glasgow Junior Cup final and scored the only goal of the replay to help Maryhill win the competition. Maryhill also won the Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup and the league title although it is unknown if Speirs played in the cup final or picked up a league winners medal. At the end of the season, Speirs and junior international John McFie both moved across Glasgow to First Division side Rangers, who had finished second to city rivals Celtic after losing out in a title play-off. Speirs did not make his full debut until 25 September 1905, when Rangers lost 5–0 to Heart of Midlothian at Ibrox. Speirs scored his first Rangers goal two weeks later during the next league game in a 4–1 win away to Port Glasgow. In his first season, Speirs scored a hat-trick in a 7–1 Scottish Cup first round victory over Second Division Arthurlie and won the Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup, during which he scored twice in both the semi-final and…

Speirs was born on 22 March 1886 in the Govan area of Glasgow, Scotland, the fifth of six children of James Hamilton Speirs and Janet Shields Speirs (née McLean). By 1901, the family had moved to nearby Govanhill and Jimmy worked as a clerk. It was in Govanhill that Speirs' football ability was first shown, when he played in the junior football circuit on the black ash pitches of Glasgow, for Annandale, during summer tournaments.

Speirs married Elizabeth Lennox Maben on 24 October 1906 in Glasgow. On 11 December 1907, the couple's first child, James Hamilton Speirs, was born. Speirs, who had still been recorded as a clerk at the time of the wedding, was now listed as a spirit dealer's stocktaker. Their second child, Elizabeth Maben Speirs, known as Betty, was born on 6 August 1912. Speirs was also a freemason. He was initiated into Lodge Saint Vincent Sandyford No 553, based in Glasgow, on 11 March 1908, just four days after he had made his only Scottish appearance. When his football career took him away from Glasgow, Speirs maintained links with the lodge. He became a Master Mason, then a life member on 12 February 1913. Following Speirs' death, Bessie remarried during the 1920s and moved to the south of England with Betty and her new husband. His son remained in Scotland but later emigrated to Canada. In 2003, his family auctioned Speirs' 1911 FA Cup winning medal with his Military Medal and service medal. The FA Cup medal was sold for £26,210, a record for a cup medal. Bradford City fan Mark Lawn bought Speirs' FA Cup winning medal. Lawn later became chairman of the football club and allowed the medal to be shown, alongside that of Frank Thompson, in the club's museum. Speirs' medals formed part of an exhibition to celebrate Bradford City's centenary in 2003 at Bradford Industrial Museum and have also been on show at Imperial War Museum North, in Greater Manchester, as part of an exhibition…

Maryhill

Glasgow Junior Cup: 1904–05 Rangers

Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup: 1905–06 Bradford City

FA Cup: 1910–11 Leeds City

West Riding Cup: 1913–14