James Brogan (footballer, born 1865)

For other people with the same name, see Jim Brogan.

James Brogan (June 17, 1864 – 1951) was a Scottish footballer who played for the majority of his career at Bolton Wanderers. He played mostly as an inside-left or outside-left.

James Brogan

Personal information
Full name	James Brogan
Date of birth	17 June 1864[1]
Place of birth	Beith, Scotland
Date of death	1951 [2]
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
1882-1883	Beith
1883-1884	Hibernian
1884-1885	Hearts
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1885-1888	Hearts	0	(0)
1888–1892	Bolton Wanderers	74	(26)
1892	Fleetwood Rangers	0	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Having started his career in the amateur game with his local club Beith, he signed for Hibernian in 1883. He scored six goals on his senior debut for the club, in a 10–1 Scottish Cup win against Edina.^[3] He was then signed by Hibernian's Edinburgh derby rivals Hearts.^[3]

Brogan then moved to Bolton Wanderers from Hearts,^[3] after the Scottish club had toured Lancashire.

1888-1889

When signing for Bolton in December 1884, James Brogan became one of the first professional footballers to play for Bolton Wanderers. James Brogan made his League debut, playing as a winger, on 8 September 1888 at Pike's Lane, then home of Bolton Wanderers, and their opponents were Derby County. Bolton Wanderers lost the match 6–3. James Brogan scored his debut League goal, scoring Bolton Wanderers third goal of the match. When James Brogan made his League debut he was approximately 23 years 70 days old; that made him, on that first day of League football, Bolton Wanderers' youngest player. Brogan played in all 22 League matches in season 1888-89 scoring 13 goals (Bolton Wanderers top scorer for the season), scoring two-League-goals-in-a-match twice. Brogan played as a winger in a midfield that achieved big (three-League-goals-or-more) wins on five separate occasions. James Brogan was one of five Bolton Wanderers players, who, in season 1888–89 played in every (22) League game. The other four, apart from Brogan, were, Kenny Davenport, John Milne, Bob Roberts and Davie Weir.^[2][4]

1892

When Brogan lost his place in the Bolton team in 1892, he left football and went to work in the shipyards, eventually retiring at the age of 85.^[4]

References

1. "English National Football Archive". Retrieved 12 March 2023. (registration & fee required)
2. "English National Football Archive". Retrieved 29 March 2018. (registration & fee required)
3. "James Brogan". ihibs.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
4. Metcalf, Mark (2013). The Origins of the Football League. Amberley. pp. 185–186. ISBN 978-1-4456-1881-4.

• Dean Hayes (1990). Britain in Old Photographs:Bolton Wanderers. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-2182-X.