Biography

Jim entered the League in 1954 with Gartsherrie AFC at youth level, when the League was known as the Airdrie & Coatbridge League. He worked his way through the Juveniles into Juniors and had a run at Senior level before returning to the Senior Amateur League in his mid 20's with Rochsolloch FP AFC.

He then started a new team in the senior league with the then Treasurer Harry Hampson called Monkland Rovers AFC and he had "reasonable" success winning amongst other trophies the CINEMA CUP, which even back then was the major league trophy.

He took up refereeing in the League for a spell, before for the start of the 1970/71 season he was invited to take on the role of Match Secretary. At that time there were 3 Senior Leagues and 2 Youth Leagues and it was during this period that he started up another new team, this time in the Youth League called Victoria Park AFC and again they had a fair run of success. However due to the downturn in employment within the district during the late 70's and early 80's the League began to suffer and teams folded at an alarming rate and measures had to be sought to address this downward trend.

Due to the foresight and forward thinking of George Dingwall and the then President Dougie McKerley it was decided to approach Scottish and Newcastle Brewers to involve them in a new League set up and a change of name and the Central Scottish AFL was created.

Victoria Park AFC and the other youth clubs left the league and moved to the Lanarkshire YMCA AFL leaving the League to become a Senior Amateur League.

Jim continued as Match Secretary until season 1989/90 when he stepped down and handed over the reigns to Robert Bowman. However he continued to serve on the Executive Committee of the League and of course still does to this day.

He had another short spell as Match Secretary before taking over from Iain Walker when he emigrated to New Zealand in 2007, as Registration Secretary.

Jim was also invited onto the SAFA Youth Executive in the late 1970's and served there until it was moved under the wing of the SFA. He still serves on the main committee of the Scottish Amateur Football Association, the Executive and Finance Committee and has served on a number of SAFA committees over the years including the Western District Executive, West Sunday Executive, General Purposes Committee and the National Review Committee.

Jim claims with tremendous satisfaction that he has enjoyed every experience over the years and takes great pride serving and representing the League where and when possible.

I am sure you will agree Jim has been and remains to this day a tremendous officer and ambassador of the League and we hope to be able to "tap" into his vast knowledge and experience for many years to come.

23rd April 2010