Twomey: James Francis (Jim)

1937-1949 (Player Details) (Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Newry, Northern Ireland: 13-04-1914

Debut: v Blackpool (a): 19-03-1938

5’11” 12st 2lb (1937)

Twomey had the distinction of winning his first cap while still a reserve at Leeds. As a youngster he was a skilful boxer and Gaelic footballer but decided to further his soccer career and made his debut for Newry Town when he was only fifteen. An Irish Youth International, he played twice for the Irish League and it was a brilliant display against the Football League at Blackpool in October 1937 that triggered off a stampede to sign him. Billy Hampson won the race and Twomey was persuaded to give up his job as a woodworking machinist to join Leeds in December 1937. In March 1938 he played for United’s Reserves at Blackpool on the twelfth, kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Wales on his full International debut on the sixteenth and made his League debut for Leeds on the nineteenth. His only other International cap came in a 7-0 thrashing by England in November 1938. During the war he returned to Newry and won an Irish Cup Runner-Up medal as a guest with Linfield in 1943-44. He also played five games for Leeds in the 1944-45 Football League Northern Section Second Championship. His first game was one of four consecutive games he played and it was on 3rd March 1945 in a 4-3 win over Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road, which was followed by a 3-1 home win over Preston North End, a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough and a 1-1 home draw with Grimsby Town. He missed the next game but was back the following game as United lost to Grimsby Town by 0-3 at Blundell Park. He returned to Elland Road when peacetime soccer resumed. In August 1949 he went to Halifax Town where he later became trainer-coach, but did not play for their first team. He also did some part-time scouting for Leeds and worked in an office while living in Beeston, near Elland Road. Twomey did a great deal of charity work with the Leeds United Ex-Players Association before his death on 9th November 1984.