The Thistle Archive

A Kilmarnock fan forever, Jim was delighted to sign with the club in 1968 whilst a schoolboy, before being allowed to cut his teeth in the juniors with Troon. He went on to play as a senior with Kilmarnock (1972-1977), Middlesbrough (1977-1980), Rangers (1980-1984), Dumbarton (loan 1983), St Mirren (1984-1986) and Partick Thistle (1986). He earned 2 full caps for Scotland and was included in the squad at the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

It was Willie Ormond who first brought the teenage Jim into the international set-up in the springtime of 1973, selecting him for the U-23s for whom he made his debut on 14th March in a 2-1 win over Wales at the Vetch Field, Kenny Dalglish and Asa Hartford on the scoresheet for the young Scots. Jim was also included in the full squad for the SFA's big 100th anniversary match at Hampden on 30 June 1973; Scotland 0 Brazil 1. There was further recognition in the springtime of 1974 with a couple of U23 caps and an appearance for the Scottish League against their English counterparts at Maine Road, but it was one to forget; England 5 Scotland 0. Considering he had just been a part-time player in the Second Division with Killie (albeit they had just finished champions), it was an achievement in itself for Jim to travel to the World Cup in Germany 1974. Including the build-up camp, it was a six week never-to-be-forgotten experience, even if he didn't get to play.

Jim continued to win honours at U-23 level and for the Scottish League, but that much-coveted full international cap remained elusive until he finally earned it… in unusual circumstances. Scotland flew to South America in the summer of '77 for a 3 match tour during which they would take on Chile, Argentina and Brazil, in preparation for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. First up was Chile in Santiago, and the game was controversial from the start. There were protests against it being played at all, with military dictator Augusto Pinochet having seized power in a violent coup in 1973. Indeed the national stadium in which Scotland played was used in mass torture of dissidents. Scotland, with Alan Rough in goals, were winning 3-0 at half-time in El Stade de Death. Ally MacLeod gave Jim the second half of the friendly, Scotland winning 4-2 in the end. As he later reflected, “it was a strange feeling with the protests going on and it was a hostile atmosphere”. Jim would make the squad for Argentina '78, but didn't make the final cut to be in the travelling party.

The 24-year-old Jim, by now a Middlesbrough player, won a second cap in October 1978. In his first game in charge, Jock Stein selected him to play in a European Championship qualifier. 65,372 were at Hampden to see it; Scotland 3 Norway 2. Jim's 100% win-rate was maintained, but so was his record of conceding 2-per-game and Alan Rough was re-instated for the next game. Jim's last appearance in a Scotland jersey came in the Under 21s (as one of the over-age players!) in late November '78; Portugal 0 Scotland 3. It was very satisfying to finish with a win and a clean-sheet. He remained on the fringes for a few years in squad terms. Being a regular for Rangers meant that he was in mind for the Spain '82 World Cup and, although listed in the provisional squad, he never made the trip. 3 World Cup mentions without a game!

It was one of his old Scotland and Rangers mates, Derek Johnstone, who brought Jim to a depressed Firhill for season 1986-87. He started the season as first choice keeper, but lost his place after a 0-1 loss at home to East Fife in the League Cup at the end of August. Jim got another run of 6-not-out as '86 turned into '87, but was again dropped after a cup exit, albeit it was a spirited 1-3 loss away to Motherwell in the Scottish Cup. It was during that final run that Jim and Derek Johnstone appeared in the same Thistle team, firstly in a 2-1 win at Forfar (13 Dec 1986) then in a 1-1 draw at East Fife (24 Jan 1987).

Jim was later the goalkeeping coach at Kilmarnock and Hearts, who he left to rejoin Rangers in August 2007. From 2002, he worked with the SFA as a youth goalkeeping coach before joined the Scotland national football team set-up under Gordon Strachan in 2013, on a part-time basis, a role which he held for several years. Jim left Rangers in March 2017, following the appointment of Pedro Caixinha as team manager. He was then the goalkeeping coach at Nottingham Forest from May 2017 to January 2018. It was the springtime of 2018 when Alex McLeish decided to end Jim's 16-year stint with the SFA, as he drafted in Stevie Woods as goalkeeper coach. Of course, Scotland then qualified for the 2020 Euros, so Jim's bad luck in missing the big tournaments continued! His son Colin also played as a goalkeeper for Kilmarnock, and daughter-in-law Julie Fleeting became the all-time leading scorer for the Scotland women's national football team.

Jim is included in our feature piece, The Definitive Who's Who Of The Partick Thistle Internationalists →