Jim Mallan
James Mallan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Scotland |
| Died | May 27, 1969 (aged 45) |
| Occupation | Professional footballer |
| Known for | Defender for Celtic and St Mirren |
James Mallan (born 25 January 1924, died 27 May 1969) was a Scottish professional footballer who operated primarily as a defender for both Celtic and St Mirren.
Career
Mallan became part of Celtic's squad as a young player during a notably unsuccessful era for the club in terms of achievements and silverware. He secured the Glasgow Cup title in the 1948–49 season and was a regular participant in wartime fixtures, which are not officially recognized. During the 1946 Victory Cup encounter with Rangers, he was dismissed from the game, leading to an extended ban imposed by the Scottish Football Association. This suspension postponed his official league debut until December of that year.
In 1949, Mallan was selected once for the Scottish League XI, though his performance in the 3–0 defeat to the Football League XI was met with criticism, which he publicly contested.
While playing for St Mirren, Mallan unfortunately scored an own goal in the 1955 Scottish League Cup Final against Aberdeen, a factor in their narrow 2–1 loss. Following that season, he ended his playing career and subsequently managed a pub located in Paisley. Mallan passed away in 1969 at the age of 45.
Personal life
Jimmy Mallan was the pioneer of four successive generations of male family members reaching prominent levels in football. His son, also named Jimmy, was a forward in Junior football and famously netted a hat-trick for Johnstone Burgh during the 1964 Scottish Junior Cup final. The grandson, Stevie, born in 1967, competed with various Scottish Football League teams throughout the 1990s before extending his career in Junior football well into his forties, including an appearance at the 2011 Scottish Junior Cup Final when he was 44 years old. The great-grandson, also Stevie and born in 1996, made his professional debut as a midfielder for St Mirren in 2014, accumulated over 100 appearances for the club, then transferred to English football before signing with Hibernian.