Bullions: James Law (Jim)

1947-1950 (Player Details)

Wing Half

Born: Dennyloanhead, Stirlingshire: 12-03-1924

Debut v Chesterfield (a): 29-11-47

5’11” 11st 10lb (1945)

An amateur with Chesterfield, he turned down an offer from Blackpool to begin work as a Derbyshire miner. He played for Clowne FC before Derby County signed him in October 1944. During the Second World War he played with Chesterfield making one appearance in 1939-40 and twenty-one appearances in 1943-44, without scoring. He the returned to Derby County and scored once in forty-one appearances in 1944-45 and then made thirty-three appearances without scoring in 1945-46. He was the youngest member of the Derby County F.A. Cup winning team at Wembley on 25th April 1946, when Derby beat Charlton Athletic 4-1, with Bullions playing at Right-Half. After seventeen League appearances for the Rams he joined Leeds in November 1947 as a ball winning wing half and was drafted straight into the team, holding down his position until the end of the season. He lost his right half spot to Jim McCabe and, when Eric Kerfoot emerged, he decided that life in the Central League needed to be improved on and he moved on to Shrewsbury Town in September 1950. He scored twice in one hundred and thirty-one games with them as they established themselves in the Football League, staying with them until June 1954. He played Non-League with Worksop Town to August 1956, when he joined Gresley Rovers, moving to Sutton Town just four months later, and then Matlock Town in 1958 where he was a regular first team player in 1958-59, and skipper of Second XI in 1959-60. He gave outstanding service to the club and was well rewarded with a League Cup medal, making one first team appearance and having thirty-five reserve team games in which he scored six goals. He moved to Alfreton Town becoming Player Manager in September 1960 and played fifty-eight games before retiring and went on to complete nine years in the role of Manager. In April 1996, at the fiftieth anniversary of Derby’s only F.A. Cup win, he was one of only two of their players still alive.The other was Reg Harrison who was the second youngest player in the team.