James Fiddes was born in Grangemouth during the hard days of The Great War, on October 3rd 1916. Like a great many young Scottish footballers of the time, as a teenager he joined his local junior team, Grange Rovers. A thoughtful and tricky right winger and occasional inside forward, his displays caught the eye of local Ibrox scouts who knew there was a space to fill in the Rangers squad since the career of the great Sandy Archibald had ended. In June 1934, Bill Struth offered the 17 year old Fiddes a contract and he became a Rangers player.
Bobby Main was the established first choice in the right wing position, young Fiddes starting his Rangers career in the reserves learning from those around him. He didn't have long to wait for his first appearance in the top team, however, Struth selected a relatively inexperienced eleven on August 27th to play Celtic in a testimonial match for their long serving and legendary goalscorer James McGrory. It wasn't the usual Celtic line up either, but 10,000 fans attended and expected the usual competitive match. It was a night to remember for Jimmy Fiddes, playing at inside right he scored the third goal as Rangers cruised to an emphatic 4-0 win. He also started the last 2 league games of the season, defeats to Hamilton and Queens Park
Fiddes had to wait till the following April for his competitive debut. Rangers had a Scottish Cup Final the following Saturday, so rested both Bobby Main and George Brown for the trip to Aberdeen on April 13th. The 2 replacements were at opposite ends of their Rangers careers. Brown was replaced by the great Tully Craig, making his last ever Rangers start. Main was replaced on the right wing by Jimmy Fiddes. Rangers won 3-1, and the newspaper reports of the game all agreed the youngster showed great promise. He also started the last 2 league games of season 1934/35, defeats to Hamilton and Queens Park, but the title had already been secured.
Season 1935/36 started inconsistently for Rangers, both in results and team selection. Several players were tried at inside right in the opening weeks, with Archie MacAuley, George Brown and a single appearance by Egyptian Mohamed Latif. It was Fiddes who got the nod for a Glasgow Cup semi final against Clyde, and his clever and incisive play saw him retain the jersey. On October 12th 1935, Fiddes started in the Glasgow Cup final at Hampden against Celtic in front of 50,000 fans. After a tense first half, Rangers exerted their superiority after the interval. And it was Jimmy Fiddes who got the breakthrough in 65 minutes with his first competitive goal, a fierce shot crashing back into play off the woodwork, but the officials were well placed to see it had clearly crossed the line first. Rangers won 2-0, the second goal scored by Torry Gillick direct from a corner, and 19 year old Jimmy Fiddes had his first winners medal.
Fiddes went on to play 17 league games that season, many in his initial position on the right wing. He was a winger when scoring a hat trick in a 6-2 away demolition of Dunfermline in February 1936, but despite his 6 league goals Rangers relinquished their title to Celtic. They did, however, reach a third successive Scottish Cup final, and on April 18th 1936, Jimmy Fiddes won his first and only winners medal in the tournament when a Bob McPhail goal defeated Third Lanark at Hampden.
Season 1936/37 was a good one for Rangers, claiming back their title, but it wasn't memorable for Jimmy Fiddes who lost his place in early October through injury after playing in 2 Old Firm games in a matter of weeks. On his return to fitness, manager Struth preferred to stick with a winning team, and he only made a total of 5 starts. He again wasn't an automatic choice the following season, but did play more often. He played both wide and inside in his 14 league starts in an unsuccessful campaign, but his season's highlight was winning a second Glasgow Cup final in a 2-1 defeat of Third Lanark in October 1937.
1938/39 was to be his last full season at Ibrox, and it was the one he saw most first team appearances. 19 of these were in the league, with his best display at Ibrox on December 17th 1938 when he scored 4 goals against a good Aberdeen team in a 5-2 victory. Rangers were champions again, and Jimmy Fiddes had his second league medal. He started the first 3 games of the following season, scoring in an Ibrox win over St Mirren on the opening day, before the lives of everyone were changed by the outbreak of War. Jimmy Fiddes played his last game for Rangers in a defeat to Morton in the Western League on December 30th 1939. He left Rangers at the start of 1940, moving back closer to home to join Falkirk, managed by the same Tully Craig who played his last Rangers league game the day Fiddes had played his first. In all, he had started 73 games and scored 16 Rangers goals.
Although now a Falkirk player, he enlisted in the RAF, and made a couple guest appearances for Dunfermline as well as turning out for his parent club as his training allowed. On March 5th 1941, James Fiddes completed his RAF training and became an Acting Pilot Officer for the remainder of the conflict. Obviously, his football career was now mainly on hold, but when granted leave he returned home to Falkirk where he now played as mainly a right half.
When the War ended, Fiddes became a mainstay of a good Falkirk team. In the League Cup of 1947, Fiddes and the Prince of Goalkeepers Jerry Dawson were in the Falkirk team who beat Rangers 1-0 in the semi final. Still managed by Tully Craig, they lost the final in a replay to East Fife, who themselves were managed by another Rangers great, Scot Symon.
In all, including wartime, Jimmy Fiddes played 239 times for Falkirk, scoring 29 times, and turned out for them in every outfield position. In 1951, he went part time and took on a job as a tanker driver at the BP refinery in Grangemouth. His part time football career was brief, short spells at Ross County then Stenhousemuir before retiring. But Jimmy Fiddes now enjoyed a second type of career. A keen trades unionist, he became a shop steward at the refinery, becoming both a branch chairman for the TGWU union, and also an active member of their national Commercial Services Group. By 1969, he was also chairman of this group, and his long union activism saw him honoured in the 1970 New Years Honours list, being awarded the British Empire Medal by the Labour Government of Harold Wilson. The official announcement on December 30th 1969 stated the honour was in recognition of his services to The Petroleum Industry and the TGWU.
Sadly, Jimmy Fiddes was not able to boast of his honour for long. In 1970, he passed away suddenly at the age of just 53.
First Rangers goal was against Celtic.
First competitive Rangers goal was in a cup final against Celtic.
2 league medals.
1 Scottish Cup.
2 Glasgow Cups.
Scored 4 in a game against Aberdeen.
RAF hero during conflict.
And holder of the British Empire Medal.
James Fiddes, 1916 to 1970.
No ordinary life.
Bobby Main was the established first choice in the right wing position, young Fiddes starting his Rangers career in the reserves learning from those around him. He didn't have long to wait for his first appearance in the top team, however, Struth selected a relatively inexperienced eleven on August 27th to play Celtic in a testimonial match for their long serving and legendary goalscorer James McGrory. It wasn't the usual Celtic line up either, but 10,000 fans attended and expected the usual competitive match. It was a night to remember for Jimmy Fiddes, playing at inside right he scored the third goal as Rangers cruised to an emphatic 4-0 win. He also started the last 2 league games of the season, defeats to Hamilton and Queens Park
Fiddes had to wait till the following April for his competitive debut. Rangers had a Scottish Cup Final the following Saturday, so rested both Bobby Main and George Brown for the trip to Aberdeen on April 13th. The 2 replacements were at opposite ends of their Rangers careers. Brown was replaced by the great Tully Craig, making his last ever Rangers start. Main was replaced on the right wing by Jimmy Fiddes. Rangers won 3-1, and the newspaper reports of the game all agreed the youngster showed great promise. He also started the last 2 league games of season 1934/35, defeats to Hamilton and Queens Park, but the title had already been secured.
Season 1935/36 started inconsistently for Rangers, both in results and team selection. Several players were tried at inside right in the opening weeks, with Archie MacAuley, George Brown and a single appearance by Egyptian Mohamed Latif. It was Fiddes who got the nod for a Glasgow Cup semi final against Clyde, and his clever and incisive play saw him retain the jersey. On October 12th 1935, Fiddes started in the Glasgow Cup final at Hampden against Celtic in front of 50,000 fans. After a tense first half, Rangers exerted their superiority after the interval. And it was Jimmy Fiddes who got the breakthrough in 65 minutes with his first competitive goal, a fierce shot crashing back into play off the woodwork, but the officials were well placed to see it had clearly crossed the line first. Rangers won 2-0, the second goal scored by Torry Gillick direct from a corner, and 19 year old Jimmy Fiddes had his first winners medal.
Fiddes went on to play 17 league games that season, many in his initial position on the right wing. He was a winger when scoring a hat trick in a 6-2 away demolition of Dunfermline in February 1936, but despite his 6 league goals Rangers relinquished their title to Celtic. They did, however, reach a third successive Scottish Cup final, and on April 18th 1936, Jimmy Fiddes won his first and only winners medal in the tournament when a Bob McPhail goal defeated Third Lanark at Hampden.
Season 1936/37 was a good one for Rangers, claiming back their title, but it wasn't memorable for Jimmy Fiddes who lost his place in early October through injury after playing in 2 Old Firm games in a matter of weeks. On his return to fitness, manager Struth preferred to stick with a winning team, and he only made a total of 5 starts. He again wasn't an automatic choice the following season, but did play more often. He played both wide and inside in his 14 league starts in an unsuccessful campaign, but his season's highlight was winning a second Glasgow Cup final in a 2-1 defeat of Third Lanark in October 1937.
1938/39 was to be his last full season at Ibrox, and it was the one he saw most first team appearances. 19 of these were in the league, with his best display at Ibrox on December 17th 1938 when he scored 4 goals against a good Aberdeen team in a 5-2 victory. Rangers were champions again, and Jimmy Fiddes had his second league medal. He started the first 3 games of the following season, scoring in an Ibrox win over St Mirren on the opening day, before the lives of everyone were changed by the outbreak of War. Jimmy Fiddes played his last game for Rangers in a defeat to Morton in the Western League on December 30th 1939. He left Rangers at the start of 1940, moving back closer to home to join Falkirk, managed by the same Tully Craig who played his last Rangers league game the day Fiddes had played his first. In all, he had started 73 games and scored 16 Rangers goals.
Although now a Falkirk player, he enlisted in the RAF, and made a couple guest appearances for Dunfermline as well as turning out for his parent club as his training allowed. On March 5th 1941, James Fiddes completed his RAF training and became an Acting Pilot Officer for the remainder of the conflict. Obviously, his football career was now mainly on hold, but when granted leave he returned home to Falkirk where he now played as mainly a right half.
When the War ended, Fiddes became a mainstay of a good Falkirk team. In the League Cup of 1947, Fiddes and the Prince of Goalkeepers Jerry Dawson were in the Falkirk team who beat Rangers 1-0 in the semi final. Still managed by Tully Craig, they lost the final in a replay to East Fife, who themselves were managed by another Rangers great, Scot Symon.
In all, including wartime, Jimmy Fiddes played 239 times for Falkirk, scoring 29 times, and turned out for them in every outfield position. In 1951, he went part time and took on a job as a tanker driver at the BP refinery in Grangemouth. His part time football career was brief, short spells at Ross County then Stenhousemuir before retiring. But Jimmy Fiddes now enjoyed a second type of career. A keen trades unionist, he became a shop steward at the refinery, becoming both a branch chairman for the TGWU union, and also an active member of their national Commercial Services Group. By 1969, he was also chairman of this group, and his long union activism saw him honoured in the 1970 New Years Honours list, being awarded the British Empire Medal by the Labour Government of Harold Wilson. The official announcement on December 30th 1969 stated the honour was in recognition of his services to The Petroleum Industry and the TGWU.
Sadly, Jimmy Fiddes was not able to boast of his honour for long. In 1970, he passed away suddenly at the age of just 53.
First Rangers goal was against Celtic.
First competitive Rangers goal was in a cup final against Celtic.
2 league medals.
1 Scottish Cup.
2 Glasgow Cups.
Scored 4 in a game against Aberdeen.
RAF hero during conflict.
And holder of the British Empire Medal.
James Fiddes, 1916 to 1970.
No ordinary life.
