Jackie Mittell

James Lyons Mittell (28 February 1906 – 30 March 1976), known as Jackie Mittell, was a Welsh professional footballer who made 247 appearances^[a] in the Football League playing for Rochdale, Wigan Borough, Birmingham, Luton Town, Hartlepools United and Barrow.^[2] He played as a goalkeeper.

Jackie Mittell

Personal information
Full name	James Lyons Mittell
Date of birth	(1906-02-28)28 February 1906
Place of birth	Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
Date of death	30 March 1976(1976-03-30) (aged 70)
Place of death	Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1]
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Merthyr Town
	Penrhiwceiber
1926–1929	Rochdale	46	(0)
1929–1930	Wigan Borough	40	(0)
1930	Connah's Quay
1930–1931	Wigan Borough[a]	30	(0)
1931–1933	Birmingham	6	(0)
1933–193?	Luton Town	8	(0)
193?–193?	Derry City
1935–1937	Hartlepools United	65	(0)
1937–1938	Barrow	42	(0)
1938–1939	Tunbridge Wells Rangers
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mittell was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, and began his football career in his native country with Merthyr Town and Penrhiwceiber, before crossing the border to England to join Rochdale of the Third Division North in 1926.^[2] He played 46 League games for Rochdale before joining Wigan Borough in 1929.^[3] Mittell played 40 league games for Wigan Borough before joining Connah's Quay, but was back at Wigan for what turned out to be the club's last season. The season opened with a 4–0 defeat in Chester's first game since their election to the Football League.^[4] The final first-team game before the club folded and their results were expunged was a 5–0 defeat at Wrexham on 24 October 1931.^[5] Mittell had been ever-present for those 12 games.^[3]

He joined First Division club Birmingham as backup to England's first-choice goalkeeper Harry Hibbs. He played only six times in 18 months, and moved on to Luton Town and Derry City^[6] before finding a regular place in the starting eleven at Hartlepools United. After 78 games in all competitions for Hartlepools,^[7] Mittell joined his last Football League club, Barrow, where he spent one season before moving into non-League football with Tunbridge Wells Rangers.^[2]

Mittell died on 30 March 1976 aged 70.^[8]

Notes

1. These figures include 12 games from the 1931–32 Football League season with Wigan Borough. The club folded following the match on 24 October 1931, a 5–0 defeat at Wrexham in which Mittell played. Although the team's results from that season were expunged, Joyce includes the players' appearances in his totals.^[2]

References

1. "Hartlepools United. Big fee for centre forward". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. xvi – via Newspapers.com.
2. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 186. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
3. "Players A to Z – (Latham–Murray)". Wigan Borough Football Club – Complete. Bernard Ramsdale. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
4. "The First Match at 'The Stadium' Sealand Road". chester-city.co.uk. Steve Mansley. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
5. "The season that never was". Wigan Borough Football Club – Complete. Bernard Ramsdale. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
6. Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 111. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
7. "Jackie Mittell". In The Mad Crowd. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
8. Dykes, Garth (2011). Wigan Borough in the Football League: A Complete Record and Who's Who 1921–1931. Tony Brown. ISBN 978-1-905891-53-5.