*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Jimmy Evans
Appearances: 132 Goals: 20
Date / Year of birth: 18th February 1911
Position: Midfielder / Full-back
Season of first appearance: 1935/36
Season of last appearance: 1952/53
Also played for: Presteigne (Wales), Merthyr Town (Wales), Hereford United (Wales), Arsenal (0), Fulham (74,5) and Snowdown Colliery Welfare
5' 6" tall tough-tackling, hard-working Welsh player born in Merthyr Tydfil who had three spells with Margate.
Jimmy started his career with spells at Presteigne, Merthyr and Hereford in Wales before moving to England to join Arsenal in 1935. He was immediately loaned to Margate during the time when the club were Arsenal's nursery side prior to World War II. Jimmy was one of the many young players the Gunners lent to Margate.
After making his debut in a 0-0 draw at Folkestone on 14.9.35 Jimmy went on to score 13 times in 48 appearances during the 1935/36 season, including all three goals in Margate's 3-1 FA Cup 2nd Round win over Crystal Palace at Hartsdown Park on 14.12.35.
He made a further 21 appearances and scored four times during 1936/37 before returning to Highbury.
Jimmy was released by Arsenal in the summer of 1937 and joined Fulham. He spent three seasons there (1937/38-1939/40) before the start of World War II interrupted his career.
During the conflict Jimmy served as a sergeant PTI in the RAF and was stationed at Felixstowe, Weston-Super-Mare and West Africa at various times. Whilst in Waterloo, Sierra Leone he coincidentally met future long-serving Margate secretary Alan Kay.
When Margate re-formed for the 1946/47 season following the war Jimmy returned to Hartsdown Park and became club captain. He was a fixture in the side during the campaign as Margate won the Kent League title and scored five times in 36 appearances. However on 7.4.47 Jimmy was sent off for fighting in a match against Folkestone and was fined a guinea.
During the 1947/48 season he continued to be the mainstay of Margate's midfield and made a further 43 appearances as the club retained the Kent League title. Jimmy scored six times during the campaign and three of his goals were from direct free-kicks - something of a specialty of his. On 6.5.48 he was part of the side that beat visitors Ramsgate 2-1 to win the Kent League Cup Final and on 8.5.48 Jimmy played as Margate won 4-1 at Gravesend & Northfleet to claim the Kent Senior Shield, completing a three trophy haul for the season.
During the summer of 1948 Jimmy had a brief spell as caretaker manager after Charlie Walker was sacked and he retained the captaincy for the 1948/49 campaign. Jimmy made 37 appearances during the season and scored five times. The first of his goals was a trademark 20 yard free-kick in the campaign's opening game - a 1-1 draw with Gillingham Reserves at Hartsdown Park on 21.8.48.
In the summer of 1949 Jimmy left the club after turning down a new contract and joined Snowdown.
He went on to spend three seasons with Snowdown before returning to Hartsdown Park in the summer of 1952 aged 41.
Jimmy was in and out of the Margate side during 1952/53 and made a total of 16 appearances, scoring four times.
He stayed with the club for the 1953/54 season but played exclusively for the reserves.
Jimmy was the reserve team's captain during 1954/55 but once again he didn't make any first team appearances and it was the same story during the 1955/56 campaign too. At the end of the season he retired aged 45.
Jimmy lived in Thanet for many years after his retirement from football and spent most of his working life at Thanet Press, serving the company for 30 years. He died in Margate in August 1993 aged 82.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1946/47 (MFC) |
36 (38) |
N/A |
5 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (1ST OF 16) |
PR |
2R |
N/A |
SF |
|
|
Margate
won Kent League title. | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1947/48 (MFC) |
43 (47) |
N/A |
6 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (1ST OF 18) |
1QR |
1R |
W |
W |
|
|
Margate
won Kent League title. Played in Kent League Cup Final (06.05.48 - beat Ramsgate Athletic 2-1). Played in Kent Senior Shield Final (08.05.48 - beat Gravesend & Northfleet 4-1). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1948/49 (MFC) |
37 (41) |
N/A |
5 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (10TH OF 18) |
PR |
2R |
2R |
1R |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1952/53 (MFC) |
16 (43) |
N/A |
4 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (11TH OF 17) |
PR |
2R |
RU |
JW |
|