Jimmy Todd

Jimmy Todd

Personal information
Full name	James Todd[1]
Date of birth	19 March 1921[1]
Place of birth	Belfast, Northern Ireland[1]
Date of death	21 December 2007 (aged 86)
Place of death	Stoke-on-Trent, England
Playing position	Half-back
Youth career
	Ards
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1944–1946	Blackpool	0	(0)
1946–1953	Port Vale	146	(0)
	Wellington Town
	Stafford Rangers
Total		146+	(0+)
National team
1946–1947	Ireland (Victory)	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

James "Jimmy" Todd (19 March 1921 – 21 December 2007) was a footballer from Northern Ireland who played for Port Vale between 1946 and 1953. A half-back, he was "a real terrier type who used to fight for the ball all the time".^[2]

Playing career

Todd began his playing career with Ards, before playing for the Royal Air Force and then Blackpool, before moving to Port Vale for a then-club-record four-figure fee in October 1946, on the recommendation of Stanley Matthews.^[1] He made 31 appearances in the Third Division South in 1946–47, 24 appearances in 1947–48, and 11 appearances in 1948–49.^[1] Having slipped out of the first team picture at The Old Recreation Ground, he returned to play 41 games in 1949–50.^[1] However he played only eight games in 1950–51, becoming a fringe player at newly constructed Vale Park.^[1] In the summer, manager Gordon Hodgson died, and following Ivor Powell's brief tenure, Freddie Steele took charge of the club in November.^[1] Todd played 25 times in 1951–52, and then made 11 league appearances in 1952–53, as Vale finished as runners-up in the Third Division North.^[1] Having played 146 league and eleven FA Cup games for the "Valiants", he was given a free transfer to Cheshire County League side Wellington Town in May 1953.^[1] Todd later played for Stafford Rangers.^[1]

Statistics

• Sourced from Jimmy Todd profile at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Blackpool	1945–46		0	0	4	0	4	0
Port Vale	1946–47	Third Division South	30	0	5	0	35	0
	1947–48	Third Division South	24	0	0	0	24	0
	1948–49	Third Division South	11	0	0	0	11	0
	1949–50	Third Division South	37	0	4	0	41	0
	1950–51	Third Division South	8	0	0	0	8	0
	1951–52	Third Division South	24	0	1	0	25	0
	1952–53	Third Division North	11	0	1	0	12	0
	Total		145	0	15	0	160	0

Honours

with Port Vale

• Football League Third Division North runner-up: 1952–53

References

1. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 291. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
2. "Jim Todd". nifootball.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 24 April 2012.