Jamie Shiels Player Profile

Biography

Fourth in the club’s all-time goalscorers chart, Shiels was one of the original idols of the Ballymena team across two spells in the formative years of senior football in the town.

Born in Longford in 1909, Shiels swapped Leinster for Ulster – beginning his footballing career with Ballymoney in the Intermediate Leagues. After breaking through towards the end of the 1926/1927 season, the 18-year-old came to life the following year, scoring with regularity for Ballymoney as they finished fourth in the Intermediate League Second Division in the 1927/1928 season.

Shiels’ performances at centre-forward were beginning to attract the attentions of senior clubs, with Portadown showing serious interest, but it was league newcomers Ballymena who sealed the teenager’s signature in July 1928 for their debut campaign in the Irish League. Departing with the blessings of Ballymoney, he started the Sky Blues’ first competitive game against Belfast Celtic the following month, and his first senior goals in his third game – a brace in a 3-3 draw against Coleraine at the Ballymena Showgrounds.

The goals simply didn’t stop flowing for Shiels in a remarkable debut season at the Braid – 42 goals in 37 games during the 1928/1929 season as the ‘Ballymena Babes’ impressed many onlookers, particularly with their triumph in the Irish Cup final against Belfast Celtic in March 1929, a game in which Jamie had opened the scoring in a 2-1 victory over the Irish League champions. Shiels also picked up a runners-up medal in the City Cup competition, as Ballymena finished sixth in the standings.

He proved not to be a one season wonder, as a further 30 goals in the 1929/1930 campaign fired Ballymena to another Irish Cup final, but despite two goals against Linfield – the team fell to a 4-3 defeat at Celtic Park. Remarkably despite 74 goals in two seasons in senior football, both International and League representative honours alluded Shiels who watched on as forward-line partner ‘Hoody’ McCambridge was transferred to Everton in February 1930. A series of niggling injuries hampered the 1930/1931 season as he shared the central forward berth with Jamie Murphy and eventually contributed just 14 goals – his lowest total to date. A third consecutive Irish Cup final ended in defeat to Linfield once again, this time without a goal in the showpiece as the Light Blues were defeated 3-0 at The Oval.

Scouted by Mr. Arthur Dixon, he joined Dublin based club, Dolphin in July 1931 after failing to agree terms with Ballymena for a fourth season. Despite having his professional registration retained by the club, he joined star performers David Reid and Jamie Murphy in an exodus to the Free State League. Shiels flourished in his new surroundings, as Dolphin performed well in their first season in the top division after having won the Leinster Senior League previously. Having formed a prolific partnership with Jonny Summers – the club narrowly lost the final of the FAI Cup to Shamrock Rovers at Dalymount Park in April 1932 in front of 32,000 spectators.

After less than a year in the Free State League, Shiels returned back North to rejoin the Light Blues. Ballymena’s much changed team now included two team-mates from the inaugural 1929 season as the club tried valiantly to recapture those glories without success in the 1932/1933 season. A brace on his second debut against Newry in August 1931 bode well for the season, but it proved a major disappointment as the club finished in their lowest league position to date (eighth) and exited the Irish Cup at the first hurdle. The 23-year-old forward returned only 16 goals in total, and yet despite strong overtures of a swift return to the League of Ireland, he committed to Ballymena once again in the summer of 1933.

Optimism was high going into the 1933/1934 season following Ballymena’s summer recruitment which included the Ireland international trio of Gerry Morgan and the Mahood brothers, Jack and Stanley. Shiels as the leader of the Braid attack returned to form with 26 goals throughout the campaign, and whilst a title-charge looked like a possibility at the mid-point of the season, Ballymena eventually fell away to fifth in the standings. Both the season and the club unravelled following the drama surrounding the Ballymena club’s suspension from football over alleged illegal payments to their amateur players. This sadly ended in the withdrawal of Ballymena FC from the Irish League and subsequent liquidation of the town’s first senior football club after just six seasons.

Left in limbo, Shiels and his professional peers had their registrations held and offered to the new Ballymena United club that emerged from the ashes. Given the uncertainty, many of the players sought pastures new – including Jamie who, although had been touted to stay at the Showgrounds, eventually signed for Belfast Celtic in June 1934. This transfer ended a proud association with the club and a fine goalscoring record of 125 goals in 183 appearances, across his two spells.

With his expectations, Shiels made his debut for hoops in August 1934 in an 8-0 rout of Newry Town at Celtic Park, his early season performances caught the attention of Derby County who were touted to be keen on the forward that Autumn. Shiels bagged his first winners’ medal in five seasons when he won the Gold Cup in December 1934, following a 4-0 win over Linfield. It proved an indifferent season as Shiels struggled for consistent form and games, as Celtic eventually finished third in the table – but he did manage a goal-glut on his return to the Showgrounds, scoring four times against Ballymena United in one game.

Shiels re-signed for Celtic for the 1935/1936 campaign which proved to be a season of mixed success for the striker. He claimed his first ever Irish League Championship winners’ medal with the Hoops but sat out the first part of the season through injury and had to bide his time in the second string. It was with Celtic’s Second team that he won the Steel and Sons Cup on Christmas Day before subsequently returning to the first team for the league title-run in and contributed some vital goals. In a bizarre scenario, Shiels was selected for Belfast Celtic II as they faced the first team in the County Antrim Shield final in March 1936, with Jamie featuring on the losing on the losing side.

Despite late advances from Ballymena United officials to coax 27-year-old Shiels back for a third spell, by this stage of the summer of 1936 he had agreed a deal to sign for New Brighton of the English Third Division North. Playing at inside-left, Shiels made an instant impact XXX

Coleraine had been tipped for a loan move in the 1937 close season, but he remained at the Merseyside club for a second season which was to be plagued by injury – as Shiels was forced out of action from October until March and by the time he returned for the tail end of a season in which the Rakers finished thirteenth in the Third Division North, it wasn’t enough to be retained by the club, finishing his time at the club with 8 goals from 57 appearances.

Coleraine were quick to follow up on their interest from a year previously and signed Shiels in June 1938 to play at the Ballycastle Road. Despite Coleraine’s struggles on the pitch in a 1938/1939 season which they finished bottom of the Irish League with only nine points to their name, Shiels proved one of the few highlights in a dismal season as he scored a respectable 17 goals in 34 appearances for the Bannsiders.

After one season back at Coleraine, he was released owing to enforced cost-cutting by the league and subsequently Shiels returned to England for the 1939/1940 with non-league Solihull Town, but the outbreak of the Second World War would unfortunately cut short his stellar football career at the age of just 30-years-old.

Unfortunately, not much is known of Shiels’ life after the end of his career barring an occasional visit to Warden Street to watch his old club or star for the Ballymena ‘Antiques’ team in charity matches in the 1950’s.

Career
Ballymoney; (Jul 1928) Ballymena; (Jul 1931) Dolphin; (May 1932) Ballymena; (Jun 1934) Belfast Celtic;
(Jul 1936) New Brighton; (Jun 1938) Coleraine; (Aug 1939) Solihull Town

Honours
(with Ballymena)
Irish Cup: (winner) 1928/1929; (finalist) 1929/1930, 1930/1931
City Cup: (runner-up) 1928/1929
(with Dolphin)
Free State (FAI) Cup: (finalist) 1931/1932
(with Belfast Celtic)
Irish League (winner) 1935/1936
Belfast Charity Cup (winner) 1935/1936
Steel and Sons Cup (winner) 1935/1936
Gold Cup: (finalist) 1934/1935
County Antrim Shield: (finalist) 1935/1936

Last updated: 19 August 2023