Jimmy Belcher

For the English bare-knuckles boxer, see James Belcher.

James Alfred Belcher (31 October 1932 – October 2023) was an English professional footballer who played as a wing half.^[1]

Jimmy Belcher

Personal information
Full name	James Alfred Belcher[1]
Date of birth	(1932-10-31)31 October 1932
Place of birth	Stepney, England
Date of death	October 2023(2023-10-00) (aged 90–91)
Place of death	Barking, England
Position	Wing half
Youth career
	Leyton Orient
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1950–1951	Leyton Orient	0	(0)
1951–1952	Snowdown Colliery Welfare
1952–1954	West Ham United	0	(0)
1954–1958	Crystal Palace	128	(22)
1958–1961	Ipswich Town	27	(0)
1961–1962	Brentford	30	(1)
1962–1963	Margate	0	(0)
Total		185	(23)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Born in Stepney, Belcher played for Leyton Orient, Snowdown Colliery Welfare, West Ham United, Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town, Brentford and Margate.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

Personal life and death

As of November 2013, Belcher lived in Rainham, Kent.^[4] He died in Barking, London in October 2023.^[1]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Crystal Palace	1954–55[7]	Third Division South	38	12	2	0	—		—		40	12
	1955–56[7]	Third Division South	36	6	2	0	—		—		38	6
	1956–57[7]	Third Division South	31	4	4	0	—		—		35	4
	1957–58[7]	Third Division South	23	0	2	0	—		—		25	0
	Total		128	22	10	0	—		—		138	22
Ipswich Town	1958–59[8]	Second Division	3	0	2	0	0	0	—		5	0
	1959–60[9]	Second Division	24	0	0	0	0	0	1[a]	0	25	0
	Total		27	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	30	0
Brentford	1961–62[10]	Third Division	30	1	5	0	1	0	—		36	1
Margate	1962–63[4]	Southern League First Division	0	0	0	0	—		2[b]	0	2	0
Career total			185	23	17	0	1	0	3	0	206	23

1. Appearance in Ipswich Hospital Cup
2. 1 appearance in Southern League Cup, 1 appearance in Kent Floodlight Cup