Melrose, Jim

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Fullname: James Milsop Melrose
aka: Jim Melrose, Mello
Born: 7 October 1958
Birthplace: Glasgow
Signed: 11 August 1983 (from Coventry City)
Left: 7 November 1984 (to Man City)
Position: Centre-forward
First game: Rangers 0-1 Hampden 13 August 1983 Glasgow cup final
Last game: Dunfermline Athletic 3-2 away 22 August 1984 league cup
First goal: Hibernian 2-0 away 20 August 1983 league
Last goal: Dundee 3-0 home 24 April 1984 league
Internationals: Scotland U/21

Biog

“Given the fact that I’m from the blue side of Glasgow. It wasn’t the best decision I ever made. At the time Glasgow was renowned for its problems. Also Celtic are a club with huge expectations and I couldn’t handle it, it’s as simple as that.”
Jim Melrose

Jim Melrose made a name for himself as a popular striker with Partick Thisle, Leicester and Coventry.

He signed for Celtic in August 1983 for a fee of £100,000 which was a notable fee at that time, following the departure of Hoops striking heroes Charlie Nicholas to Arsenal and George McCluskey to Leeds United. The pacy Jim Melrose made his debut for the Bhoys in a 1-0 Glasgow Cup defeat to Rangers on 13th August 1983, and then he scored on his league debut on 20th August 1983 in a 2-0 win at Easter Road. The early signs were good but he soon lost form in the Autumn of 1983, and the fans were to get on his back.

On October 8th Jim Melrose scored in a 2-1 defeat at Tannadice, but after scoring that goal he then made an unnecessary & stupid gesture towards the Celtic fans; an element of the Celtic support never forgave him for this.

In March 1984, he scored the winner in a 1-0 win over Aberdeen at Celtic Park to finally win him much needed praise. He was a substitute in the 1984 League Cup final lost against Rangers and then in the following 1984 Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen (against lost). However, he was to be constantly frustrated by having to play second fiddle to Frank McGarvey and Brian McClair whose good form kept him out the team for long periods.

In truth, few were convinced by him as a player, and his stats show that he gave a poor return when on-field. Maybe it was the pressure of having been a possible replacement for the highly lauded Charlie Nicholas, and it was to be a step (or leap) too far for him. In fairness, the Celtic support was frustrated at losing Nicholas who was then one of the most prized talents in football, and so in part Jim Melrose had to deal with their wrath. It’s no surprise to anyone that he was to be pushed back in the queue for first pick for the striker’s role with McClair & McGarvey to challenge him.

He summarised his time and failings quite fairly:

“Given the fact that I’m from the blue side of Glasgow. It wasn’t the best decision I ever made. At the time Glasgow was renowned for its problems. Also Celtic are a club with huge expectations and I couldn’t handle it, it’s as simple as that.”

He was subsequently loaned out to Wolverhampton in November 1984 where he hit a very commendable four goals in four games before returning to Parkhead.

Manchester City – managed by Billy McNeill – then moved to take the player on a permanent deal. So after 48 appearances and 11 goals for the Bhoys, Melrose departed for Maine Road for £40,000 on 7th November 1984, where he helped Manchester City to promotion in May 1985, but soon moved on to Charlton where he enjoyed a good spell scoring 19 goals in 48 games.

He later played out his career with Leeds, Shrewsbury and Macclesfield Town before hanging up his boots.

In one dark episode, Jim Melrose was assaulted whilst playing at Shrewsbury Town by future Sky Sports cheeky-chappy football pundit Chris Kamara, with allegations of verbals being the cause. This led to Chris Kamara being fined & charged with GBH in the courts having caused Jim Melrose to have a depressed fracture of the cheekbone from their altercation. Chris Kamara was quite a brutal & unsubtle player, and Jim Melrose didn’t deserve the assault. Jim Melrose actually was to make legal history in that case in becoming the first player ever to be awarded criminal damages for assault against another player for injuries received in a match.

Jim Melrose wound down in non-league football with Macclesfield Town, Curzon Ashton Athletic (both 1990) and Halesowen Harriers (1991) before hanging up his boots, keeping contact with the game in a variety of ways since including both as a players agent and football scout. He has also worked as an operations manager in the catering industry.

He came close to one of the most unlikely of reunions, with a possible move back to Celtic (in a post-playing role). He was at one time future Celtic player Neil Lennon’s agent, and brought him to Leicester under then Leicester manager Martin O’Neill (and future Celtic manager). Martin O’Neill was so impressed by Jim Melrose, he then made him the Chief Scout at Leicester City. In time, Jim Melrose was to leave Leicester when Martin O’Neill left to Celtic, but Jim Melrose was to instead move into financial work in Manchester.

We wish him the best.

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

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THEY EMBARRASSED THE HOOPS from NTV issue 7 by James Payne

Celtic for most of their 100 years have been renowned for fielding good to great forwards. The first fifty years saw such legends as Mcmahon, Quinn and the greatest of them all, McGrory and whilst the first twenty years after the war saw standards slip, with such no hopers as Conway, Colrain and the magnificent Maxwell, there were still some good inside and centre forwards in the team – the MacPhails, Fernie and Steve Chalmers. Since 1961 when inside forwards became strikers, Celtic have fielded an almost unbroken run of great forwards from McBride, through Dalglihs, Deans, Nicholas & McClair to the present Walker and McAvennie. But when they slipped, my God, did they slip – witness “Dumbo” McInally.

But for sheer embarrassment, the worst had to be Jim Melrose.

It may seem surprising to some to include the man who scored the winning goal in our first league victory at home against Aberdeen in 2 and a half years, but for all his memorable moments of glory – the other was a great goal in his league debut against Hibs – Melrose was a complete disaster.

Signed for £100,000 from Coventry City in August 1983, his arrival at Celtic heralded the advent of four years of almost uninterrupted rubbish.

Clearly somebody has felt that Jim was a forward in the Rossi or even Archibald mould i.e. completely useless outside the opposition penalty area, but more than alright in it, but the record books suggest otherwise. From Partick, Leicester and Coventry, Jim never exceeded more than a eleven goals in a league season.

Completely without brain, his squabbles with linesmen who had (correctly) ruled him to be offside, often cheered up a grey afternoon and earned him a worthy caution.

Treacle like acceleration, his attempts at “cunning flicks” would not have fooled even the most inept of defenders (Dave MacKinnon of Rangers)

Risible when he attempted to run with the ball, Jim reminds you that dribbling was something that O.A.P.’s and children do with their food.

His finishing made you pine for goals that were 20 feet high and twenty yards wide. Plumrose’s greatest charm was his delight in running as fast as he could chasing balls he hadn’t a hope of catching and then having to be substituted with 20 minutes to play because his bandy legs could carry him no further.

However the game for which he will best be remembered was at Tannadice in October 1983.

Celtic went into this game against the then League Champions unbeaten but they were already showing signs of creaking.

Almost straight from kick-off “Mello” unveiled a new tactic. Clearly aware that his normal efforts would not bother Hegarty and Co, Jim threw up in the centre circle. Clearly the pie he had eaten during Davie Hay’s pre-match team talk had not agreed with his greyhound metabolism.

His next contribution to the match came 84 minutes later.

Celtic , in one of those typical Tannadice days, were two down, despite having played quite well, when all of a sudden “Primrose” arrived as if from nowhere to score a diving header.

The fans – sensing a fightback – began to celebrate, only to be greeted by the scorer gesturing to them with the type of display normally produced by “drunken yobs (copyright Daily Mail 1988) regalling some unfortunate with tales about the conquest of some dazzling female made by themselves.

Actually this gesture finally succeeded in alienating “Rednose” completely from the Celtic support but I prefer to look back on Jim as some kind of comedy turn rather than a senior footballer. And admit you did snigger when you heard that Chris Kamara broke Jim’s jaw for an alleged racist remark while the great one was playing for Shrewsbury – his fifth club since leaving Celtic (at least)

What with vomiting, idle sexual boasts and personal abuse, Jim was clearly the missing link between Alf Garnett and Harry Enfield.

Kamara: ‘The Lowest Point Of My Career’

http://www.swindonweb.com/?m=133&s=1296&ss=1425&c=7620

Sometimes I’d lash out verbally and on one occasion I let myself down badly, which ended with me being the first player convicted of assault on the pitch, the SKY Sports pundit told The Sun newspaper.

In 1988, when I was at Swindon, Shrewsbury striker Jim Melrose and I had a few words after he got a bang in the face in a midfield tussle, ironically off his team-mate Vic Kasule’s knee.

I couldn’t play again until the court case was over and it was the lowest moment of my career.

Chris Kamara played 234 games for Town in the 1970s and 80s, scoring 27 goals. His first spell was from 1977-1981, before returning to play from 1985-1988.

Former Player Remembers: Jim Melrose

31 December 2022
12:29

Interview Source: https://www.lcfc.com/news/1571453/former-player-remembers-jim-melrose/featured

Earlier this season he spoke to Club Historian John Hutchinson about his 16 years in first team football, and how, after a spell as a football agent, he subsequently returned to Filbert Street as Martin O’Neill’s Chief Scout before pursuing a career in banking.
“I’d played for Glasgow Schoolboys at Primary School level,” Jim began. “I started training with Partick Thistle when I was about 11. In 1971, when I was 13, I signed an associated form with them just after they had beaten Celtic in the League Cup Final.
“At the time I played for an amateur club called Eastercraigs. I got my schoolboy caps and I turned pro when I was 15-and-a-half in 1975. When I left school I was lucky enough to get into the first team when I was 16.
“The manager was very progressive so I got my chance early on. There were more opportunities at small clubs. I stayed at Partick for five really good years. It was a part-time club and my dad made me take a trade and I served my time as an electrical engineer. As soon as my time was out, Jock Wallace signed me for Leicester City in June 1980. He had already tried to sign me a couple of times when he was manager at Glasgow Rangers and being a Rangers fan that would have been ideal.
“While I was at Thistle I played for Scotland under-18s. In 1976 we won the initial World Cup which was in the south of France. Then I got 10 Under-21s caps and also represented the Scottish League.”
When Jim moved to Filbert Street in the summer of 1980, Wallace’s young Leicester City side had just been promoted to the old First Division as Second Division title holders.
“This happened in the days before there were agents,” Jim continued. “Jock phoned my dad and said he wanted to sign me. Celtic were also trying to sign me. The Leicester City chairman Dennis Sharp and the Secretary Alan Bennett came up to meet me in Glasgow. It was the first year in Scotland of freedom of contract. A tribunal was avoided and Leicester agreed to pay £250,000. It was all done very simply.
“Going to Leicester is what I wanted to do. I never suffered from homesickness but it helped that there were 14 other Scots on Leicester’s books! I wanted to immerse myself in Leicestershire life.”
“The difference playing in England was more physical than technical,” Jim reflected. “It took a long time to adjust to full time training. At Partick Thistle we would train on Monday and Tuesday nights, rest on Wednesday, have light training on Thursday night, rest on Friday and play on Saturday. The full time training at Leicester was all about learning to rest up and recharge your batteries. That was difficult. It shouldn’t have been because in Glasgow I’d worked an eight-hour day as an electrical engineer before training. It wasn’t light work. We were carrying a lot of machinery about. I think the difference was psychological if the ruth be told.”
At Leicester, Jim found himself in a side which was relegated at the end of his first season, despite manager Wallace’s optimistic predictions for achieving success.
Thinking back, Jim remembered some of the highlights from that year: “We beat Liverpool 2-0 at Filbert Street early in the season. Andy Peake scored a hell of a goal that day. It was a great strike from 30 yards out. Martin Henderson also scored. We also beat Liverpool at Anfield. That was a funny few days. We were knocked out of the FA Cup by Exeter on the Wednesday night and then went to Anfield on the Saturday. Liverpool hadn’t lost at home for 85 matches, we were bottom of the table and we won 2-1! Liverpool went ahead when Alan Young scored an early own goal, Paddy Byrne scored an equaliser and I was lucky enough to score the winning goal.
The great thing about Jock [Wallace] was when you were playing well, he never spoke to you. He used to ignore you. When you didn’t play well, that’s when he would talk to you and he would try and turn you around. That was just brilliant.
Jim Melrose
“The following week we beat Manchester United 1-0 at Filbert Street and I scored the goal. A couple of weeks later we went Tottenham. I got knocked out in the second half and to this day I still don’t remember starting the game let alone anything else. We won 2-1 that day as well and Paddy Byrne got the winner.”
Jim also mentioned scoring a hat-trick in a 3-2 victory in the last match of the season at Norwich City, before going on to reflect on the reasons for Leicester City’s relegation.
“There’s a bit of a myth about that hat-trick,” Jim said. “A lot of people say that Norwich were relegated because of it, but like us, they were already down.
“We had a young side. We were all about 21 and the trouble with young players is that you are either really up or really down. We found it difficult to be consistent. We could play against the best teams, no problem, but we were bad against the worst teams and they are the ones we had to beat.”
Back in the Second Division Jim’s performances in the 1981/82 season made him popular with the Filbert Street crowd. However, the emergence of Gary Lineker meant that despite making 28 starting appearances in League and Cup competitions, he often had to fulfil the role of a super-sub, most memorably when he scored twice in the 5-2 victory over Shrewsbury Town in the FA cup quarter-final when Leicester had to play three goalkeepers following an injury to Mark Wallington.
“At the start of the season, Gary [Lineker] and I were playing together and then I got injured against Orient and that kept me out for quite a while. Youngy (Alan Young) and Gary sort of took over, but I was lucky enough to come on as a sub and score a few goals. I came on in the FA Cup Semi-Final when we lost to Spurs at Villa Park. I remember [Leicester City midfielder] Ian Wilson scoring. He chipped Wally (Mark Wallington). What a great finish! Unfortunately it was an own goal! Later Tommy Williams broke his leg.”
Three months later, Jim was sorry to see Wallace leave Filbert Street for Motherwell.
“Jock for me was the best man manager that I have ever played for,” he stated. “Tactically, he may have been a little bit suspect, but in terms of winding me up and getting me going, he was different class. People say he was a big gruff giant but all he wanted was for you to do the very best you could. The great thing about Jock was when you were playing well, he never spoke to you. He used to ignore you. When you didn’t play well, that’s when he would talk to you and he would try and turn you around. That was just brilliant.”
The new manager Gordon Milne started the new season playing Jim alongside Lineker, Steve Lynex and recent signing Alan Smith. However in September 1982, to the disappointment of the fans, he was exchanged for Tommy English who came from Milne’s old club Coventry City.
“I enjoyed my time at Leicester and I didn’t really want to leave,” Jim recalled. “I was settled and my eldest boy had been born there, but Gordon Milne decided that Tom English was a better player than me. In fairness to Gordon, a few years later he said to me: ‘Look, I made a mistake and I tried to buy you back several times when I was at Leicester’. That meant a lot to me, because I didn’t want to leave Leicester.
“However, leaving Leicester marked me for the rest of my career because I decided at that point, that if clubs don’t have any loyalty to us players why should I have loyalty towards clubs?”

Jim’s subsequent career reflects this decision. After a year at Coventry City he signed for Celtic, appearing in the Scottish FA Cup Final and League Cup Final.
“Given the fact that I’m from the blue side of Glasgow,” Jim explained, “It wasn’t the best decision I ever made. At the time Glasgow was renowned for its problems. Also Celtic are a club with huge expectations and I couldn’t handle it, it’s as simple as that.”
After a short loan spell at Molineux, Jim’s next move was to Billy McNeill’s Manchester City in November 1984.
“Manchester City was a great club with great supporters, he said. “There were a number of Scottish players there too, which helped, particularly with the sense of humour in the dressing room. We beat Charlton 5-1 in the last game of the season to gain promotion to the First Division. Tragically that was the same day as the Bradford City fire when a lot of people lost their lives.”
In March 1986, Jim signed for Charlton Athletic, who were battling with Leicester City to avoid relegation from the top flight.
“Lenny Lawrence the manager believed in me. I was very happy there but my family situation dictated that I had to move on. We were expecting our third child, we couldn’t sell our house in Cheshire and my wife didn’t want to move to London, so I went to Leeds United (in September 1987). Soon afterwards, my good lady had the temerity of going into labour on the Friday and having Lindsey, my daughter, on the Saturday morning. Manager Billy Bremner told me to go to London to play against Millwall. I told him I couldn’t as I had two young lads at home to look after. I never played for Leeds again. They never spoke to me again. They bombed me out because I refused to go to London. That’s what it was like in football clubs in those days. Even if you were injured, most managers wouldn’t talk to you.”
In August 1990 Jim had a brief spell with Conference side Macclesfield Town
“I was there for a month,” Jim continued. “I just didn’t want to do it. I fell out of love with the game. I’d been playing first team football for 16 years, so I fell into doing other things.
“I was an agent for a while. I brought [Neil] Lennon to Leicester City. Then Martin O’Neill decided I was a half decent judge of a player and offered me the Chief Scout’s job at Filbert Street (in November 1996). Just the thought of going back to Leicester and back into the dressing room was too much to say no to. It was a successful time for the Club, but I left when Martin went to Celtic. I didn’t want to go back to Glasgow so I fell into banking in Manchester would you believe? I worked for a finance company who wanted to get into funding transfer fees etc. I’ve been in and out of that ever since and I’m currently working with a London bank.”