James Mitchell

Signed from Hearts for the Sky Blues’ debut campaign – James Mitchell was one of the famous Irish Cup winning side of 1929.

Born and raised in East Belfast, it was with local junior side Ormiston that he began his footballing journey in his late teens and was part of the team that won the Steel and Sons Cup during the 1924/1925 season after a second replay against Ballyclare Comrades.

It was during the 1926/1927 season that Mitchell (now 23) rose to prominence in the Intermediate League with Ormiston as his stellar performances merited selection for the Irish Junior International side that travelled to Edinburgh to take on their Scottish counterparts in March 1927. Mitchell and his team-mates dazzled the Tynecastle crowd of over 11,000 with a 3-2 win, James’ performance particularly caught the eye of the host club Heart of Midlothian who quickly made an offer to bring the inside forward to Scotland permanently.

Mitchell failed to make a breakthrough into the starting eleven for the Scottish First Division side during a spell in Hearts that lasted just over a year until the end of the 1927/1928 campaign. Despite strong interest from other Scottish clubs, James took the decision to return back home and prepare for life back in his native Belfast.

His return to Ulster also made for his senior bow in the Irish League, as the newly formed Ballymena FC club quickly moved to make Mitchell one of their first new signings ahead of their Maiden campaign. He lined out in the much hyped first senior game against Belfast Celtic at a packed Showgrounds, but it took until mid-September to record his first goal for the club (against Cliftonville at home).

Having scored in both the quarter-final and semi-finals of the Irish Cup competition, Mitchell made history by becoming part of the Ballymena side who triumphed over the mighty Belfast Celtic to win the trophy at their first attempt. Mitchell would finish the season on an impressive senior career high of 21 goals, just behind Messrs Shiels and McCambridge in the free-scoring Light Blue forward line.

Despite his heroics in the debut season, games and goals proved a lot harder to come by in the second season (1929/1930) as the introduction of Thomas Kilpatrick from Ayr United in a reshuffled forward line left James in the stands after beginning the campaign with a starting jersey. With game-time very limited Mitchell was permitted to join the league’s latest new club Derry City on loan for the remainder of the season, as the Candystripes finished in seventh place.

Ballymena again retained James’ professional registration for the 1930/1931 season, but it was a move down south that followed as the 26-year-old forward pitched up at Waterford. Initially on a month’s trial, he impressed and signed until the end of the year as the Blues finished ninth in the League of Ireland in their debut season – the third season in succession that James Mitchell had played with a newly formed senior team competing in their first campaign!

In June 1931, after almost two full seasons away from the Showgrounds – James returned to the fold at Ballymena having agreed new terms ahead of the 1931/1932 season. There were big changes at the Braid in the intervening months as Mitchell was now competing with an influx of Scottish talent – as he lined out for his ‘second debut’ against Derry City with no less than seven Scottish team-mates. The spell proved less fruitful that the first at the club, with only 16 appearances and two goals, as James failed to hold down a regular place and also missed out on a starting jersey in the Gold Cup Final defeat to Coleraine.

The relationship between Mitchell and Ballymena came to an end in the summer of 1932 as the forward made the move south again, in a move that proved to be the most successful of the 28-year-old’s career. James played an integral part in the Dundalk’s historic first ever League Championship win in 1932/1933 after joining the club alongside former Ballymena team-mate, David Nelson.

Forming an important partnership with Eddie Carroll on the forward line, he was described by the Dundalk Democrat as “A great grafter who specialises in making openings for colleagues… Ties an opposing defence into knots every time.”. James missed only one game during the landmark season, making 41 appearances scoring six goals at Oriel Park.

His stay at Dundalk was short, only one season before a return back to the Irish League as James signed for Glenavon. It proved to be the final stop in his senior football career as after an unsuccessful 1933/1934 campaign, the now 30-year-old’s contract was eventually terminated early in February 1934. It was the last time Mitchell featured in senior football and also the last known football club he turned out for at all – bringing down the curtain on an impressive career with little fanfare.

James Mitchell passed away in August 1956 in his native Belfast, aged 52.

Career
Ormiston; (Mar 1927) Heart of Midlothian; (Jun 1928) Ballymena; (Nov 1929) Derry City - loan; (Sep 1930) Waterford – loan; (Aug 1932) Dundalk; (1933) Glenavon

Honours
(with Ormiston)
Steel and Sons Cup: (winner) 1924/1925
(with Ballymena)
Irish Cup: (winner) 1928/1929
City Cup: (runner-up) 1928/1929
(with Dundalk)
League of Ireland: (winner) 1932/1933
League of Ireland Shield: (finalist) 1932/1933