Full name James Henry Sullivan Date of birth 14 November 1904 Playing position | Place of birth Burnley, England Name Jim Sullivan Date of death May 1974 | |
Place of death Nottingham, England | ||
James Henry "Jimmy" Sullivan (14 November 1904 – May 1974) was an English professional association footballer who played as a centre forward.
As an amateur centre-forward Jimmy Sullivan scored 23 goals for Barrow Reserves, which led to him entering League football with Crewe Alexandra. In his first season at Gresty Road he scored 16 times in 26 Northern Section matches and had added a further six in 10 matches in the next season before joining Notts County in October 1925.
Throughout his time at Burnley, Barrow reserves and Crewe Alexandra Jimmy was training to be a teacher. He was in the final stages of his college course when he joined Notts County and upon qualifying took up a teaching post at Southwark Street School. At the time of his signing, Notts County had lost six of their first eleven engagements, winning only three. They were also the lowest scorers in Division One. The new centre-forward made an immediate impact, scoring twice against Sheffield United on his third appearance. One week later he netted a hat-trick against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns to earn the Magpies a share of the points after they had been three goals down inside a quarter of an hour. Shortly afterwards, in a bruising encounter against Everton, he injured his collar-bone and shoulder ligaments and was out of action for several weeks. The Magpies were relegated from Division One in the same season. Sullivan had scored seven goals in nine matches and one is left with a feeling that the seasons's outcome might well have been different had their sharp-shooting schoolteacher steered clear of injury.
In his first season with Midland League Grantham Town Jimmy scored 44 goals, and averaged exactly a goal-a-game in 97 matches spread over just three seasons.