Jimmy Methven

James Methven (December 7, 1868 – March 25, 1953), was a Scottish association football player. He belonged to an age of security and loyalty and, accordingly, became synonymous with the very club for whom he played. For Derby County F.C. he was thrice a FA Cup finalist, a seemingly ever-present right-back (unremoved for 5 whole years), and, upon unlacing his boots, manager of the club for 16 years. In total Methven was on the books at the Baseball Ground for 31 years and represented the club, in one capacity or another, in over 1000 matches. Methven, though born in Ceres, Fife, first played League football in Edinburgh (at Leith Athletic, Heart of Midlothian and St Bernard's) but decided to try his luck in England during the great Victorian diaspora of Scottish footballers. He was touted by both Bolton Wanderers and Burton Swifts (then members of the Football Alliance) but, eventually, joined a growing band of Scottish professionals when he signed forms with Derby County at the end of the 1890-91 season.

Under Harry Newbould Derby endured a period of great frustration, never fulfilling what talent that team had and Methven was involved in all the matches that mattered. In total he played 511 games and (was one of three players who) appeared in each of the three unsuccessful FA Cup appearances for the Rams, before taking the reins as manager immediately following Harry Newbould’s departure in 1906. He last played for the club (at the age of 37) on October 6, 1906, the date of Steve Bloomer’s quirky return to the Baseball Ground with Middlesbrough. Derby won 1-0.

Methven was unable to stop the slide into the Second Division during his first season with the club and only converted the club's wayward fortunes when he persuaded the 36-year-old Bloomer to return home in 1910, returning Derby County to the First Division as deserved champions. Methven finally left Derby in June 1922 having been in charge for 498 games (winning more than he lost) finally working for a local authority after a stint as a scout with Stoke City.

External links

* [http://www.scottsboropower.com/~piercedc/jimmymethven.html Jimmy "Logie" Methven profile] , originally published in the Derby Evening Telegraph, October 2000.
* [http://www.scottsboropower.com/~piercedc/logiegenealogy.html Genealogy] of Jimmy Methven