Jimmy Thorpe
Possibly the greatest, certainly the most tragic, sportsperson to emerge from JCS was goalkeeper Jimmy Thorpe who left Jarrow Central in 1929. An all-round sportsman, he had played both football and cricket for Jarrow, before being signed by Sunderland AFC when he was only 17 years old.
Jimmy was a regular first team player from 1932/33 until 1935/36. These were the days when Sunderland was a force to be reckoned with in the old First Division and, ironically, they won the League Championship in his final season. He made 139 appearances for them and could, foreseably, have gone on to international honours had not a rough match against Chelsea at Roker Park ended in tragedy. The Chelsea team were criticised for their bullyboy tactics which was based around the, if you can’t get the ball get the man, system. As this approach included viciously kicking the goalkeeper whenever possible it would seem that Chelsea operated the system in reverse.
Eventually Thorpe, who was relatively small for a goalkeeper and thus more vulnerable, succumbed to the visitor’s shameless tactics and was stretchered off midway through the second-half; the game ended in a three all draw. Four days later, at Monkseaton General Hospital, he died in a diabetic coma. The condition was said to have been, accelerated by the rough usage of the opposing team. The coroner’s jury criticised the referee for his handling of the game but the official was later exonerated. It was a tragic end to what promised to be a fast blossoming career.
Sunderland finished the season as League Champions that year although celebrations were somewhat muted. Jimmy Thorpe was awarded a medal posthumously and the following year Sunderland went on to win the F.A. Cup – a foretaste of what the future might have held for our former pupil
I only discovered that he was a former pupil last month and I can’t help but think it strange that there was no recognition of his achievements displayed inside the school.
I suppose that, in those days, professional sportsmen were held to be on a par with bookmakers! What is surprising is that in his hometown, Jarrow, he is also a forgotten figure buried in a grave without a headstone; his talents remembered by only a few.
Hopefully, this situation will soon be rectified. John Kelters, a local author, is writing a book on our former pupil and has asked me to appeal to anyone who may have an elderly relative who knew, or even went to school with Jimmy. If you know of someone please let me know.
Next year being the 70th anniversary of his death (Sunday February 5) a memorial service is to be held in Christ Church Jarrow and it is also hoped money can be raised for a belated headstone. Am I being naïve in expecting a donation from Sunderland AFC? I wonder.
As an interesting footnote, 25 years after Jimmy Thorpe had left school, one of the most outstanding players on the school football team was Colin Thorpe, now also deceased. Colin was Jimmy Thorpe's nephew.
© Lance Liddle June 2005