Kenny Chisholm
Kenny Chisholm
Kenny Chisholm
● Kenny Chisholm, c1947 (EBY)

born in Scotland

Kenneth McTaggart Chisholm was born on Sunday, 12th April, 1925, in Hillhead, Glasgow.

The 5' 10½ (12st 3lbs) forward signed for Donald Turner's Thistle on Saturday, 4th May, 1946, having most recently been with Queen's Park.

Aged 21, he made his debut appearance on Saturday, 10th August, 1946, in a 4-1 win at home to Hamilton Academical in the SFL First Division.

That day, Kenny became a member of our scoring debutant's club.

He scored the last of his 21 goals on Saturday, 20th December, 1947, in a 4-0 win at home to Queen of the South in the SFL First Division.

He played his last game for the club on Saturday, 3rd January, 1948, in a 2-1 win away to Queen's Park in the SFL First Division, having appeared as a Jag on 49 occasions.

His club-list included Cartha Athletic, Queen's Park, Manchester City, Bradford Park Avenue, Chelsea, Portsmouth, Partick Thistle, Leeds United, Leicester City, Coventry City, Cardiff City, Sunderland, Workington, Glentoran, Spennymoor United and Los Angeles Kickers.

Kenny died on Monday, 30th April, 1990, in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, aged 65.

Bio Extra

Kenny was a post World War 2 signing, having previously played with Cartha Athletic and Queens Park, with whom Kenny was registered for the war years. The forward scored in his first outing for the Jags, in a 4-1 win against Hamilton Academical in a SFL A Division fixture at Firhill on 10 August 1946. He went on to score 2 goals in the next league match on 14 August 1946, a 4-1 win against Heart of Midlothian. He again scored a brace in the 4-0 League victory over Queen’s Park on 21 August 1946. Indeed the Jags scored 4 goals in each of the opening 5 matches in what proved to be a successful season, blowing the wartime blues away (for Thistle supporters). Kenny scored 16 goals that season, up there with Willie Sharp on 17, Willie O’Donnell on 19 and David Mathie on 19. The club ended up 5th in a 16 team league. He scored 3 goals in the following season, when Thistle finished up 3rd in a 16 team league. Kenny didn’t play so often in the 1947-48 season, but racked up 21 goals in 49 appearances for the club.

The player moved on for a short spell with Leeds United in January 1948 where he played around 40 matches for the club, scoring 17 goals. Leeds paid Thistle £6,000 for the player’s services. Kenny moved on to Leicester City in 1949, after falling out with the Leeds club’s manager. Frank Buckley is said to have told Kenny “This city’s not big enough for both of us and I’m not going.” Ray Iggleden moved in the opposite direction as part of the deal. He scores 17 goals in 42 appearances. Kenny was a prolific scorer during his career. In 1950 he moved to Coventry City.

The Derby Daily Telegraph of 25 October 1952 states “The burly Chisholm was a member of Leicester’s Cup Final team of 1949 and suffered the galling experience of having a second half “goal” disallowed. He joined Coventry in March, 1950. Cardiff, needing a powerful inside-forward in a challenge for promotion to the First Division signed him last March, (March 1952) and he fitted the bill perfectly.” Kenny went on to play for Sunderland in 1953. (After Cardiff City where he knocked in 63 goals.) With 78 Sunderland goals scored he went to Workington Town (39 goals) before retiring from playing in 1958. A long and fruitful career. He had a short spell as player-manager of Glentoran, then returned to England to play for Spennymoor United before being enticed to play in the USA for Los Angeles Kickers, his last hurrah.

Some sources have Ken joining the RAF as a fighter pilot in World War 2. He did join the RAF in 1941, and rafcommands.com have Kenny listed as a Bomber Command Pilot. m.cdn.ampproject.org also list Kenny as an “RAF Bomber Commander”. During his war service he did play 4 matches as a guest player. He played for Manchester City once in the 1944-45 season, and on one occasion for Bradford Park Avenue, Chelsea and Portsmouth in the 1945-46 season. He never received full international honours, but did receive a Scottish Victory cap when he took part in Scotland’s 3-2 victory over Ireland at Windsor Park on 2nd February 1946. Kenny passed away in Chester-le-Street in April 1990 aged 65.

On account of his service during WWII, Kenny is included in our feature piece, The Partick Thistle returned →.

(DMAC/AFK)



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