Jimmy Kelly

DOB: 14th July 1926

Position: Striker

Season of first appearance: 1955/56

Season of last appearance: 1955/56

Full Appearances: 17

Substitute: 0

Goals: 13

Also played for:

Chingford Town, Dartford, Watford (0), Gillingham (3,0), Ramsgate Athletic and Folkestone Town.

Player Profile:

Talented forward born in Holborn, London, who started his career with Chingford before moving on to Dartford. Jimmy then had a short spell with Watford before signing for Gillingham in May 1951.

He made three first team appearances for the Gills during the 1951/52 season, making his debut in a game at Southend on 29.12.51.

Jimmy was released in the summer of 1952 and joined Ramsgate. He then linked up with Folkestone for the 1954/55 season, scoring 34 times for them during the campaign.

In May 1955 Jimmy signed for Margate and made his debut in a 5-1 win over Canterbury in the Kent League at Hartsdown Park on 20.8.55. During the first half of the 1955/56 campaign he was a fixture in the side, scoring 13 times in just 17 appearances and Jimmy's tally included both goals in a 2-2 draw with Walsall at Hartsdown Park in the FA Cup 1st Round on 19.11.55. He also played in the replay at Walsall on 24.11.55 that the home side won 6-1.

On 3.12.55 Jimmy scored a hat-trick in an 8-1 win at Whitstable but before the end of December 1955 he suddenly left Margate due to business commitments.

After leaving Margate Jimmy played amateur football on Hackney Marshes for a few years but in November 1958 he wrote to Almer Hall asking whether he could return to Hartsdown Park. As a result he made a few reserve team appearances during the 1958/59 season but couldn't recapture his old form and wasn't deemed worthy of a run out in the first team. In May 1959 he was released by the club.

Jimmy died in Chelmsford, Essex in 1996.