The London doctor who scored 100 league goals for Rangers

dh1963

Well-Known Member
James Marshall was born in January 1908 in the small Stirlingshire village of Avonbridge (only 3 miles away from another tiny village called Slamannan which was the birthplace of one of his famous future Rangers teammates, the legendary goalscorer Jimmy Smith).

A talented and pacy inside forward with an eye for goal, the young Marshall played junior football for Shettleston, where he caught the eye of Bill Struth and his Rangers scouts. The club's long serving inside right Andy Cunningham was still the inside right starting in the first team, but he couldn't go on forever and manager Struth was searching for a potential successor. Convinced James Marshall could be that player, he signed him for Rangers in 1925 at the age of just 17.

Season 1925-26 was a horrendous season for the club, a combination of injuries and loss of form saw the club stumble to their worst ever league placing, finishing 6th. March 1926 saw Rangers suffer 4 successive defeats, including a Scottish Cup semi final defeat by St Mirren. The season was over and with 4 games remaining before it ended, Struth decided to give young James Marshall his opportunity. How he grabbed it! His debut was on April 3rd 1926 away to Morton. The 18 year old scored twice in a 3-1 victory, helping halt that losing run. In the 3 remaining matches, Rangers won two and drew the other. Marshall scored 2 more doubles and a single, meaning 4 games played, scored 7 goals, and scored in all 4 of his starts.

A highly educated young man, he combined his football career with studying medicine, his medical career being his ambition and football his passion. Season 1926-27 started with a home game against Dundee United. Rangers won 2-0 with Marshall scoring both. He started 18 out of the first 20 matches in that league season, with highlights being a 5 goal haul against Morton, a hat trick against Clyde and a goal in the New Year game versus Celtic, his first appearance against them in an Ibrox 2-1 win. James Marshall won his first league winners medal that season, eventually playing 25 league games and scoring 20 goals. Marshall was used as an inside right, a right winger and even a centre forward, his versatility a huge asset to the manager.

Over the following seasons, he gradually established himself as the number one inside right at the club. He collected 5 more league medals, in 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933 and 1934. After missing out on the immortal Scottish Cup Final win over Celtic in 1928, James Marshall finally collected a winners medal in the competition in a hard fought final win over Partick Thistle that went to a replay. James Marshall netted the crucial first goal in that replay, before Tully Craig's winner in a 2-1 scoreline. He was to add 2 more Scottish Cup medals to his collection, playing in the 1932 win over Kilmarnock and the 1934 triumph against St Mirren. That 1934 victory was only possible thanks to a James Marshall goal in a 1-0 semi final win over St Johnstone.

By this time, the team line up featured Doctor James Marshall, as he had completed his medical studies and graduated in 1933. He accepted an offer to take up a medical position in London in 1934, which meant this would be the end of his Rangers career. In the summer of that year, after denying any interest in the player, Arsenal signed Dr James Marshall in a blaze of publicity. He would score for them in a Charity Shield victory over Manchester city, but he struggled initially to combine his work with his job, and rarely featured at Highbury. He would move on to West Ham, where he played far more often, scoring 14 goals for them in 57 appearances. He retired at the young age of 29 to concentrate full time on medicine.

Dr Marshall won 3 Scotland caps, strangely all 3 were against England in successive years. He didn't score in these games, but played a starring role in the 2-1 Hampden win of 1933.

Overall Dr James Marshall scored 137 goals for Rangers in his 9 seasons at the club, a fantastic strike rate for a player who was primarily an inside forward. He only ever took one penalty in that tally, and is a member of an elite club to have scored more than 100 league goals for Rangers.

After a successful medical career, mainly in the Bermondsey area of London, Dr Marshall passed away in December 1977 at the age of 69.
He is not yet inducted in the Rangers Hall of Fame.

Dr James Marshall, Rangers FC

Appearances 243
Goals 137
6 League Titles
3 Scottish Cups
3 Scotland caps

Just what the doctor ordered.
 
James Marshall was born in January 1908 in the small Stirlingshire village of Avonbridge (only 3 miles away from another tiny village called Slamannan which was the birthplace of one of his famous future Rangers teammates, the legendary goalscorer Jimmy Smith).

A talented and pacy inside forward with an eye for goal, the young Marshall played junior football for Shettleston, where he caught the eye of Bill Struth and his Rangers scouts. The club's long serving inside right Andy Cunningham was still the inside right starting in the first team, but he couldn't go on forever and manager Struth was searching for a potential successor. Convinced James Marshall could be that player, he signed him for Rangers in 1925 at the age of just 17.

Season 1925-26 was a horrendous season for the club, a combination of injuries and loss of form saw the club stumble to their worst ever league placing, finishing 6th. March 1926 saw Rangers suffer 4 successive defeats, including a Scottish Cup semi final defeat by St Mirren. The season was over and with 4 games remaining before it ended, Struth decided to give young James Marshall his opportunity. How he grabbed it! His debut was on April 3rd 1926 away to Morton. The 18 year old scored twice in a 3-1 victory, helping halt that losing run. In the 3 remaining matches, Rangers won two and drew the other. Marshall scored 2 more doubles and a single, meaning 4 games played, scored 7 goals, and scored in all 4 of his starts.

A highly educated young man, he combined his football career with studying medicine, his medical career being his ambition and football his passion. Season 1926-27 started with a home game against Dundee United. Rangers won 2-0 with Marshall scoring both. He started 18 out of the first 20 matches in that league season, with highlights being a 5 goal haul against Morton, a hat trick against Clyde and a goal in the New Year game versus Celtic, his first appearance against them in an Ibrox 2-1 win. James Marshall won his first league winners medal that season, eventually playing 25 league games and scoring 20 goals. Marshall was used as an inside right, a right winger and even a centre forward, his versatility a huge asset to the manager.

Over the following seasons, he gradually established himself as the number one inside right at the club. He collected 5 more league medals, in 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933 and 1934. After missing out on the immortal Scottish Cup Final win over Celtic in 1928, James Marshall finally collected a winners medal in the competition in a hard fought final win over Partick Thistle that went to a replay. James Marshall netted the crucial first goal in that replay, before Tully Craig's winner in a 2-1 scoreline. He was to add 2 more Scottish Cup medals to his collection, playing in the 1932 win over Kilmarnock and the 1934 triumph against St Mirren. That 1934 victory was only possible thanks to a James Marshall goal in a 1-0 semi final win over St Johnstone.

By this time, the team line up featured Doctor James Marshall, as he had completed his medical studies and graduated in 1933. He accepted an offer to take up a medical position in London in 1934, which meant this would be the end of his Rangers career. In the summer of that year, after denying any interest in the player, Arsenal signed Dr James Marshall in a blaze of publicity. He would score for them in a Charity Shield victory over Manchester city, but he struggled initially to combine his work with his job, and rarely featured at Highbury. He would move on to West Ham, where he played far more often, scoring 14 goals for them in 57 appearances. He retired at the young age of 29 to concentrate full time on medicine.

Dr Marshall won 3 Scotland caps, strangely all 3 were against England in successive years. He didn't score in these games, but played a starring role in the 2-1 Hampden win of 1933.

Overall Dr James Marshall scored 137 goals for Rangers in his 9 seasons at the club, a fantastic strike rate for a player who was primarily an inside forward. He only ever took one penalty in that tally, and is a member of an elite club to have scored more than 100 league goals for Rangers.

After a successful medical career, mainly in the Bermondsey area of London, Dr Marshall passed away in December 1977 at the age of 69.
He is not yet inducted in the Rangers Hall of Fame.

Dr James Marshall, Rangers FC

Appearances 243
Goals 137
6 League Titles
3 Scottish Cups
3 Scotland caps

Just what the doctor ordered.

Get the doctor in the HOF
 
I love stories about our old players. James Marshall sounds like he was a player and a good doctor even though it didn't work out at Arsenal. Thanks for this story.
 
I was unaware of most of these details
So thanks for posting-
Another great Ger - amongst so many
But sounds as if he deserves to be in the HoF
 
Thanks for posting. I recently read the Bob McPhail book ‘Legend’ and Doc Marshall is a name that features quite prominently. Interesting to learn more about him.
 
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