Jimmy Sharp

Who was Jimmy Sharp?

James "Jimmy" Sharp was a Scottish international footballer.

Born in Alyth, Perthshire, Sharp began his career with East Craigie and then joined Dundee in 1899. There he was a regular at left back in his five seasons there, where he earned a Scottish First Division runners-up medal in 1902-03 and made his debut for Scotland against Wales on 12 March 1904. In 1904 he moved south of the border to Fulham, who were then in the Southern League.

A year later, in 1905 he was snapped up by Woolwich Arsenal of the First Division and promptly became a regular in the side after making his debut against Liverpool on 2 September 1905. He missed only three league games in his first season and reached the FA Cup semi-finals twice in his first two seasons. At Arsenal Sharp also won another three Scotland caps, before Rangers prised him away in April 1908 for £400. In total he played 116 games for Arsenal, scoring 5 goals.

His spell at Rangers only lasted nine months before he moved back to London again, rejoining Fulham for a transfer fee of £1,000. He spent another four seasons at Craven Cottage, winning a final Scotland cap, against Wales on 1 March 1909, to bring his total to five. Sharp finished his career at their rivals Chelsea before retiring from football upon the cancellation of league football in 1915 due to World War I. He moved back to Fulham in 1919, working as a trainer. However at the age of 39 he made an unlikely comeback; after Fulham's inside left Harold Crockford missed the team bus to an away game at Bury on 17 April 1920, Sharp returned and scored in a 2-2 draw.