Jimmy Miller (footballer, born 1871)

Scottish footballer (1871–1907)

For other players by this name, see Jimmy Millar.

Jimmy Miller

With Sunderland in 1894

Personal information
Full name|  James Miller
Date of birth|  (1871-02-10)10 February 1871[1]
Place of birth|  Annbank, Scotland[2]
Date of death|  5 February 1907(1907-02-05) (aged 35)[3]
Place of death|  Fulham, England
Position(s)|  Forward
Youth career
|  Primrose[1]
Senior career*
Years|  Team|  Apps|  (Gls)
1889–1890|  Annbank|  |
1890–1896|  Sunderland|  140|  (83)
1896–1900|  Rangers|  53|  (30)
1900–1904|  Sunderland|  97|  (25)
1904–1905|  West Bromwich Albion|  11|  (0)
1905–1906|  Chelsea|  0|  (0)
Total|  |  301|  (138)
International career
1897–1898[4]|  Scottish League XI|  3|  (0)
1897–1898|  Scotland|  3|  (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

James Miller (10 February 1871 – 5 February 1907) was a Scottish footballer who played for Sunderland, Rangers and the Scotland national football team as a forward.

## Club career

[edit]

Initially playing with hometown village team Annbank, Miller was one of several skilled Scottish players brought to Sunderland by manager Tom Watson, which collectively became known as the 'team of all talents'.[5] A player noted for his skill on the ball rather than physical power,[6][7] he made his debut for the Black Cats on 13 September 1890 against Burnley, a match Sunderland lost 3–2.[8] He played for Sunderland over two different spells: 1890–96 (winning three Football League championships in four seasons) and 1900–04 (claiming a fourth title), separated by a stint in his homeland at Rangers where he won two Scottish Football League titles and two Scottish Cups.[7][9] Overall he made 260 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 123 goals.[6] His uncle Billy Dunlop (only two years older)[10] was a teammate at Sunderland and Rangers, and his wife Marion was the sister of another teammate, Will Gibson.[1]

He later had a short spell with West Bromwich Albion[3] and then joined Chelsea for the club's first-ever season, but although registered as a player he did not make a competitive appearance and was mainly acting as trainer, the role he was still in at the time of his death from tuberculosis in February 1907, aged 36.[1]

## International career

[edit]

Having been considered ineligible for selection during his productive first spell at Sunderland (the Scottish Football Association ignored players at English clubs until 1896), Miller was capped for Scotland three times between 1897 and 1898 during his time with Rangers,[1] scoring twice, both in matches against England; his first was the winning goal to secure the 1896–97 British Home Championship at Crystal Palace, while his second at Celtic Park almost exactly a year later proved to be merely a consolation for the hosts as England won both the match and the tournament.[11] He also represented the Scottish League XI three times in the same period.[4]

## Honours

[edit]

Sunderland[7][2]

* Football League: 1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1901–02
* World Championship: 1895[12]
* Sheriff of London Charity Shield: 1902–03[13]

Rangers[a]

* Scottish League Division One: 1898–99, 1899–1900
* Scottish Cup: 1896–97, 1897–98; runner-up 1898–99
* Glasgow Cup: 1896–97, 1897–98
* Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup: 1896–97, 1899–1900
* Glasgow Football League: 1897–98

Scotland

* British Home Championship: 1896–97

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Miller's appearances are recorded under two records in the source.[14][15]

1. ^ a b c d e Mitchell, Andy (2021). The men who made Scotland: The definitive Who's Who of Scottish Football Internationalists 1872-1939. Amazon. ISBN 9798513846642.
2. ^ a b "Jimmy Millar". The Stat Cat. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
3. ^ a b Jimmy Millar, Doing The 92
4. ^ a b "[SFL player] James Millar". London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
5. ^ Scott Murray (8 July 2011). "The Joy of Six: Oft-forgotten title-winning managers". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
6. ^ a b "Jimmy Millar". Sunderland A.F.C. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
7. ^ a b c "SAFC Top 100: 10-1". A Love Supreme. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
8. ^ "Burnley 3-2 Sunderland". The Stat Cat. Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2008.
9. ^ John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine.
10. ^ Ayrshire's Best Half-back. The Scottish Referee, 20 January 1893. Scan via London Hearts Supporters Club
11. ^ "[Scotland player] James Millar profile". London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
12. ^ "World Champions!". Roker Roar. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
13. ^ Corbett, B. O. (ed.). Annals of the Corinthian Football Club, page 159. LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
14. ^ "Rangers player Jim Miller profile". FitbaStats. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
15. ^ "Rangers player Jamie Miller profile". FitbaStats. Retrieved 29 January 2019.

## External links

[edit]

* James Millar at the Scottish Football Association

*[Apps]: League appearances
*[Gls]: League goals