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Fullname: James Joseph Lafferty
aka: Jim Lafferty, James Lafferty
Born: 6 February 1930
Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland
Died: 5 July 2008 in San Pedro, California
Signed: 1 November 1951
Left: 28 April 1953 (free); 6 July 1953 (to Lincoln City)
Position: Outside-left; Forward
Debut: Celtic 2-1 Partick Thistle, League, 1 Dec 1951
Internationals: none
Biog
Bustling forward James Lafferty was signed by Celtic in November 1951 from Arthurlie.
He made his debut at outside-left in place of the suspended Charlie Tully in a 2-1 home league win over Partick Thistle on 1st December 1951.
He reverted to his usual role as centre forward the following week and he hit both Celtic goals in a 2-1 win over St Mirren at Parkhead. A fine start, but then it went downhill with three defeats and a draw in his remaining four league matches that season. He helped to save Celtic with a goal in a 2-2 league draw v Motherwell.
Despite his goals, Lafferty could not hold down a regular first team place and he was released by the club in April 1953 after a commendable four goals in seven first team appearances.
He signed off with a goal in his final game, the second in an exciting 5-4 victory over Third Lanark in the league on 8 Nov 1952 with Celtic sealing the victory in the final minutes coming from behind to win, “when his wanderings had the Warriors in a spin“.
Celtic were still much in the doldrums around this time, but had a partial recovery with the Scottish Cup win the season before Jim Lafferty arrived. If the club had given him a chance to hold on at Celtic, he could possibly have been part of the incredible league & Scottish Cup double winning side of 1953-54.
His signed up with Lincoln City in July 1953 but he left soon after by his own request on a free in November 1953. He went to Larne and then soon quickly on to Worcester City. It seems he couldn’t settle down after leaving Celtic.
He soon made the move to the US in 1954, where after settling in California he played for various sides, including the Los Angeles Danes.
Jim Lafferty passed away in San Pedro, California in 2008 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. His family say that he was a prolific story-teller who always had the time to tell you a story about his glory days of ‘soccer‘ and other topics; we hope he had many good stories to tell about Celtic.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES |
LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1951-53 | 7 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 7 |
| Goals: | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 |
Honours with Celtic
none
Links
- Family Obituary: http://lafffam.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07/jim-lafferty-feb-6-1930-july-5-2008.html
Obituary
source: http://lafffam.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07/jim-lafferty-feb-6-1930-july-5-2008.html
Jim Lafferty, 78, of Lomita, California, passed away Saturday, July 5, 2008 at Little Sisters of the Poor in San Pedro, California. He died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, of which he was diagnosed in 1995.
Born James Joseph Lafferty on February 6, 1930 to Joseph and Anne Lafferty in Glasgow, Scotland, Jim was an excellent soccer player. In November 1951, he was signed to The Celtic Football Club (commonly known as Glasgow Celtic); he played center forward. While his career with Celtic lasted just two years, he managed to make his mark with the team by scoring four goals in seven first-team appearances. His biggest achievement with the team included scoring both goals in a 2-1 win over St. Mirren at Parkhead.
In 1954, Jim decided to make the move from Scotland to the United States. Initially, he made his home in Philadelphia, but ultimately southern California was where he decided to settle permanently. His soccer career continued with the American Soccer League; he played on a variety of teams until he retired from soccer at the age of 40.
While living in California’s South Bay, Jim met Cecilia Margaret “Peggy” Roche, whom he married on April 4, 1970. Jim and Peggy had four children: Cynthia, Christina, James and Joseph. They purchased their first house on Pennsylvania Avenue in Lomita, but they made their home on Doria Avenue where they raised their four children. Jim and Peggy were active members of their parish, St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, throughout their marriage, and Jim attended weekly mass until he was admitted into the hospital in June 2008.
Jim retired from Honeywell (formerly Garrett Air Research) after 18 years of service as a supply manager. In his retirement, he enjoyed traveling all over the United States with Peggy. In addition, he enjoyed time with his children and grandchildren and loved to play golf.
Anyone who knew Jim Lafferty knows that he was a prolific story-teller who always had the time to tell you a story about his glory days of soccer, his two-year stint in the British Army and life in the South Bay during the 50s and 60s. Jim loved his family, and all of his stories reflected this. He always had a twinkle in his eye when he told tales about his family, especially of his father, Joseph, whom he fondly referred to as “Fayther.”
Jim is survived by his four children, as well as Jimmy’s wife, Josephine; four grandchildren, Johnny, Katie, Jamie and James (and baby Liam to be born in August 2008); and his sister, Anne Robertson. He is further survived by his nephews, Douglas, Mathew, Chuck, Dennis and Jamie; and his nieces, Donna, Mary and Liz. In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Peggy, who made her journey to heaven on June 8, 2003; his sisters, Betty Dillion and Mae Rowley; his niece, Cindy Logan; and his grand-nephew, Christopher James Rowley, who passed in April 2008.
Services
A viewing will be held at Little Sisters of the Poor on Thursday, July 10 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a Rosary at 7 p.m. The Rosary will be lead by Sister Genevieve.
Little Sisters of the Poor is located at
2100 South Western Avenue
San Pedro, 90732The funeral mass will be celebrated at Little Sisters of the Poor on Friday, July 11 at 10:30 a.m. Burial services will immediately follow mass at All Souls Cemetery, which is located at
4400 Cherry Avenue
Long Beach, 90807A reception will follow the interment at Little Sisters of the Poor. Father Mike Meyer will officiate the mass and interment. Funeral arrangements are being managed by All Souls Mortuary, Long Beach. Should you need any additional information, please contact Susan Robinson at 562-424-8601.
Memorial
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Little Sisters of the Poor:
The Little Sisters of the Poor
Jeanne Jugan Residence
2100 S. Western Avenue