Cameron, James

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Fullname: James Scott Cameron
aka: James Cameron, Jimmy Cameron
Born: 27 May 1906
Died: 16 Dec 1935
Birthplace: Lochee, Dundee
Signed: 2 May 1932 (from Shelbourne)
Left: 1933 (free); 6 Aug 1933 (to Arbroath)
Position: Outside-Right
Debut: Celtic 3-0 Aberdeen, League, 13 Aug 1932 (and scored once)
Internationals: none

Biog

Dundee-born James Cameron moved to Celtic from Irish side Shelbourne in 1932 but his time in the Hoops was to be brief. He was brought into Celtic at a club looking for ‘made players‘ (i.e. seasoned professionals).

Jimmy Cameron, an outside-right, had to that point enjoyed a rather nomadic football career which included stints at Montrose, Dundee Harp and Dundee United. In one Dundee Utd game on 29 Dec 1929 “he so delighted the 2000 hardy spectators that they completely forgot about the snowstorm“.

The right-footed player began as a regular at the start of the 1932-33 season, and made his debut against Aberdeen in a 3-0 league win at Celtic Park, and became the first Celtic player to score on his competitive debut since 1913. Despite the victory it was said that: “he found it well-nigh impossible to get his crosses in. Time and again he smacked the ball against a defender“. Maybe he just needed gametime with the First Team to improve on this.

Celtic actually had a decent start that season, winning twice and drawing once, but then lost to Partick Thistle 2-1. He was then replaced by McGillivray and then Hugh O’Donnell (who was to become a mainstay in the squad).

Overall, through no real fault of his own, Jimmy Cameron failed to impress having been selected by Willie Maley in the problematic outside-left position. Celtic were long hitting a low, having not won the league for many years now to this point, but managed to make amends in part in this season of 1932-33 by winning the Scottish Cup, but Jimmy Cameron was to not play any part in that run sadly.

Jimmy Cameron was “a player above the ordinary” but criticised as “…he turns back oftener than I would like and by the time the ball comes across, the defenders are in position“.

By January 1933 Jimmy Cameron had fully slipped out of first team contention and was playing reserve team football where he suffered a serious injury in the form of a broken ankle.

He departed Celtic Park after scoring two goals in his four first team appearances moving on to Arbroath and then Forfar.

Tragic early passing away
On 7th December 1935 he played and scored for Forfar at Edinburgh City in a 2-2 draw played in freezing Arctic-like conditions.

His journey back home to Dundee (where by trade he was a fruiterer) that evening saw him have to stand in an unheated corridor of a train carriage.

He went down with pneumonia and just nine days after his goal at Pilton, James Cameron sadly passed away at the age of 29, too premature a death for any man.

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

none

Pictures

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