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James Blessington
Personal information
Date of birth	28 February 1874
Place of birth	Linlithgow, Scotland
Date of death	18 April 1939 (aged 65)
Place of death	Newton Abbott, England
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s)	Inside right
Youth career
	Harp Athletic
Senior career*
Years	Team
1890–1892	Hibernian
1891–1892	→ Leith Athletic (loan)
1892–1898	Celtic
1898	→ Preston North End (loan)
1898–1899	Preston North End
1899	Derby County
1899–1900	Bristol City
1900–1903	Luton Town
1903–1909	Leicester Fosse
International career
1892–1898	Scottish League XI
1894–1896	Scotland
Managerial career
1907–1909	Leicester Fosse
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

James Blessington (28 February 1874 – 18 April 1939) was a Scottish football player (an inside right) and manager.

Playing career

Club

Born in Linlithgow, West Lothian,^[2] Blessington began his playing career with several Edinburgh sides, including Hibernian (then temporarily known as Leith Hibernians)^[3] and Leith Athletic, before moving to Glasgow to join Celtic in 1892.^[4] He spent six seasons at Celtic Park, earning three Scottish Football League titles (1892–93, 1893–94 and 1895–96).^[5]^[6]

He moved to England in 1898, spending short periods with Preston North End, Derby County, Bristol City followed by three years at Luton Town and his longest spell at Leicester Fosse^[2] between 1903 and 1909.^[7]

International

Blessington was capped four times by the Scotland national team between 1894 and 1896 during his time with Celtic.^[8]^[9] He also made six appearances for the Scottish League representative side, scoring one goal.^[10]^[11]^[12]

Managerial career and later life

Between 1907 and 1909 Blessington acted as player-manager of Leicester Fosse (though he played only very occasionally),^[7] becoming that club's first manager, and was in charge for a total of 84 games.

He then moved to Ireland, where he helped coach Belfast Celtic and also assisted the Irish Amateur Athletic Association as a handicapper.^[2] He later moved to Newton Abbot in Devon, where he ran a pub.^[2]

References

^ James Blessington, Luton Town FC Handbook 1900, via The Straw Plaiters
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Lamming, Douglas (1987). A Scottish Soccer Internationalists Who's Who, 1872-1986 (Hardback). Hutton Press. ISBN 0-907033-47-4. ().
^ 1890: Need to Move, Hibernian FC Historical Trust
^ 1892: New Beginnings, Hibernian FC Historical Trust
^ (Celtic player) Blessington, James, FitbaStats
^ John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^ ^a ^b Jimmy Blessington, FoxesTalk
^ James Blessington at the Scottish Football Association
^ "[Scotland player] James Blessington". London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
^ "[SFL player] James Blessington". London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
^ "Re: Matchfacts 1891/92". Scottish Referee. SFQAs. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
^ "Football. | Scottish League V. Scottish Alliance". The Herald. Glasgow. 31 May 1892. Retrieved 2 July 2021 – via London Hearts Supporters Club.

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