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Jimmy Shields RIP


Fitzhugh Fella
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Older fans might be interested and saddened to hear Jimmy Shields has passed away this morning. He was born in Derry in 1931 and was Ted Bates's first ever signing as a manager in July 1956. Arriving from Sunderland, he cost £1000 and the fee was provided by the Saints Supporters Club. He played 43 games and scored 22 goals and was capped by Northern Ireland during his two and a bit years at The Dell. Injury brought his professional career to an end and he returned to Sunderland to become a joiner. In 1993 he was a guest of Southampton FC at a dinner held to honour Ted and I had the pleasure to meet him. Delightful company he was too. Recently he had been living in Cumbria with his daughter and it was her that told me the sad news. David Bull will be posting a proper obituary on the club website in due course.

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Always sad to read of former Saints passing away.

 

George Obrien, i noticed on the online Echo has passed away as well.

 

I didn't see either play, but I remember some of the older members of my family talking about George O'Brien and they rated him quite highly.

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George Obrien, i noticed on the online Echo has passed away as well.

 

My first Saints game was in 1966 and I think that George has not long left the club. I never saw him play but Terry Paine said that he was a goal scorer on par with Jimmy Greaves. Praise indeed! RIP to both former players.

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That is not true. George is still alive and the Echo made a mistake. I'd like to keep this thread for memories of Jimmy if that's ok.

 

The Echo did a full page today on George. I knew him quite well, first at Stoneham then later through golf. I used to talk to him most days. All of a sudden he wasn't there any more. He was driving a taxi then. The Echo said he was in a care home in Portswood suffering from dementia. He was a great player. Laid out ex Pompey Harry Harris playing against Newport County. One of the best right upper cuts I've ever see

 

I remember Jimmy Shields well he was a real bustling goalscorer but suffered a broken leg which really stopped him in his tracks was never the same after. RIP Jimmy

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George did pass away in December. I know the family. Incidentally The Echo rag article is littered with inaccuracies.

 

One of my best mates knows George’s grandson really well. The grandson told him today that he categorically isn’t dead?

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I remember well the supporters club giving the club £1000 so they could buy Jimmy. He really repaid that, scoring about a goal every two games.

 

I was a boy when we signed Jimmy Shields but I remember my Mum going to whist drives to help raise the money! then when he came she didn't think much of him but I remember him as an old fashioned helter-skelter centre forward who caused chaos and got some good goals

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Back in the days when Jimmy played, I was an avid supporter who went up the Dell every Saturday for the game, 1st team one week and the reserves the next week. There is one incident involving Jimmy that I clearly remember (and have recounted to younger fans many times).

Jimmy really put his foot through the ball when he shot. None of this 'passing into the net' with him. In one game he literally broke the net. He shot, and scored but the ball wasn't in the net when the keeper went to pick it up. The ref came and had a look and found a hole in the bottom of the net. Needless to say, he insisted that it had to be repaired before play could continue. I think Len Stansbridge was Groundsman at the time, and he had to find a ball of twine to tie the net up. Dear old Len could move at two different speeds, slow and even slower. It took fully 10 minutes to complete the repair and satisfy the ref.

I have never found a reference to this incident in any of the Saints books (and I have them all FF and Dave), so I think this must have been a reserve gamer.

 

Anyway, rest in peace Jimmy, it was great watching you play.

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