Fleming Jimmy Image 3 Ayr United 1935

Description

Dennistoun, Glasgow born centre forward Jimmy Fleming was originally an outside left with Shettleston Juniors and was signed by St Johnstone in 1923 for a £20 sign on fee and £6 a week. By the end of November 1923, Saints were top of their Division. With some spectacular scores being notched up by the Perth side, Jimmy Fleming was hailed as a new hero and St Johnstone duly went on that season to win, for the first time, promotion to the First Division of the Scottish League. Fleming had more than repaid the Board’s faith in him.

Described as “a born leader, chock-full of dash and has a powerful shot”, he had proved adept at putting the ball in the net and was especially good in the air with 50 goals from 77 games before joining Glasgow Rangers in October 1925 in a player exchange deal.

Fleming made his Rangers debut against Dundee in October 1925 and scored in a 2-1 defeat at Ibrox. He currently holds the record for the most Scottish Cup goals scored by a Rangers player, with 44. He also holds the record of having scored the most goals in a single match for Rangers, scoring nine times in a 14-2 Scottish Cup win against Blairgowrie in 1934. A week later he scored 5 goals in a 6-0 win against Dundee. Jimmy Fleming scored 27 hat tricks in his Rangers career, no other Rangers player has recorded more.

He represented Scotland three times between June 1929, when he made his debut in a 1-1 draw against Germany in Berlin, playing 3 days later and scoring in a 2-0 win over The Netherlands in Amsterdam, and April 1930, scoring two goals in a 5-2 defeat by England at Wembley.

His 10 seasons at Rangers produced 220 goals in 267 matches, a phenomenal return. During the 1934-35 season he lost his place and joined Ayr United who he helped to avoid relegation with “a number of fine goals” and played for Ayr until 1936.

His first cousin and adopted brother was Tom Fleming, who played for both Dundee clubs, Fulham and Wigan Borough.