Players - Jimmy Melia

Jimmy Melia
Birthdate: 1 November 1937
Birthplace: Liverpool, England
Other clubs: Wolverhampton Wanderers (1964), Southampton (1964-68), Aldershot (1968-72), Crewe Alexandra (1972-73)
Signed from: Local
Signed for LFC: Joined 1953 - Professional 01.11.1954
International debut: 06.04.1963 vs. Scotland
International caps: 2/1 - 05.06.1963
Liverpool debut: 17.12.1955
Last appearance: 08.02.1964
Debut goal: 17.12.1955
Last goal: 26.10.1963
Contract expiry: 09.03.1964
Win ratio: 53.15% W:152 D:55 L:79
Games/goals ratio: 3.62
Honours: Second Division 1961/62; League Championship 1963/64
Total games/goals opposite LFC: 5 / 0
League games / goals: 268 / 77
Total games / goals: 286 / 79

Player Profile

Born in Liverpool, Melia was a schoolboy international of exceptional promise and clearly destined from an early age to have a long and distinguished football career which he certainly did by playing in over 500 Football League games for five different clubs. Melia was born in the Scotland Road district of Liverpool and had five sisters and five brothers of which he was the only one to pursue a football career. He was chosen captain of the Liverpool Schools side and made the England Schoolboy team starring alongside Bobby Charlton and featuring later for the England youth team. Melia signed professional forms with his hometown club on his seventeenth birthday in November 1954. Liverpool had just been relegated to the Second Division and were desperate to return to the First, especially as city rivals Everton had passed them on the way down returning to the top league. Melia had to wait until shortly before Christmas 1955 to make his debut where he delivered a man of the match performance setting up one goal and scoring Liverpool's second in a 5-2 victory over Nottingham Forest. He played in four games out of five before he had to return to his National Service. First-team opportunities were curtailed but he settled for appearances with the British Army side as well as Liverpool's reserves. In the following season, only 19 years old, he broke into the first team taking over from John Evans. Inside-left Melia flourished and was Liverpool's top-scorer in the 1958/59 season, scoring 21 goals in 40 games. He worked hard for the team and possessed a good football brain.

The strain of just missing out on promotion three seasons running finally took its toll on manager and ex-player Phil Taylor and it quickly became apparent that Bill Shankly saw in Melia all the qualities that were needed to help the club back to its position amongst the country's elite. Following two disappointing defeats at the start of his tenure Shankly moved Melia from his natural position at inside-forward to the right wing. Shankly explained: "This was a case of expediency, as we really had not wings of sufficient experience among the juniors to play in the senior side. The plan was for him to be a deep-lying inside-right/outside right with Roger Hunt playing the role of a poacher at centre-forward alongside Dave Hickson." Melia struggled on the wing and was replaced by Billy Liddell, who was fast approaching the end of his career. On his return to the side two months later James Harrower made way as Melia was put in his old position. Youngster Ian Callaghan was given a go on the right wing in the last month of the season. Melia played in all 42 league games when the team took the second division title in 1961/62.

Melia had a good debut season in the First Division, missing only three games, but in the middle of December in the following season he got injured. It was his first real injury and dented his confidence, in fact he only played three more games for Liverpool before he lost his place to Alf Arrowsmith. He was almost immediately transferred to Wolverhampton Wanderers, although he had played in enough league matches before the transfer to qualify for a championship medal. Before the end of the year though, he had moved further south to join Southampton and he enjoyed four good years there, including helping them into the First Division in 1966, before he moved on to Aldershot as a player-coach, later taking over as manager. In January 1971 he had the enormous thrill of leading his club out for an FA Cup third round tie at Anfield and he received a wonderful reception from the Liverpool crowd who remembered how tirelessly he had worked when he was one of their own.

After his playing days were over, Melia coached in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and USA before being appointed Brighton & Hove Albion's chief scout, becoming their manager in the 1982/83 season. After Brighton's relegation to the Second Division in 1983 he moved to Portugal where he managed Belenenses for three years. He later moved to America where he served as Technical Director of Liverpool's Academy in Texas. In his post-Liverpool career he is probably most remembered for being behind Brighton's heroic run to the FA Cup final in 1983, which included a shock fifth round victory over Liverpool at Anfield when they were bottom of the First Division and their hosts were top. To make matters worse, the winning goal was scored by a Liverpool old-boy, Jimmy Case!
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 268 18 0 0 0 286
1955-1956 4 0 0 0 0 4
1956-1957 26 1 0 0 0 27
1957-1958 34 2 0 0 0 36
1958-1959 39 1 0 0 0 40
1959-1960 34 2 0 0 0 36
1960-1961 26 1 0 0 0 27
1961-1962 42 5 0 0 0 47
1962-1963 39 5 0 0 0 44
1963-1964 24 1 0 0 0 25
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
13 1170 Leyton Orient
12 1080 Bristol Rovers
11 990 Stoke City
11 990 Sheffield United
11 990 Middlesbrough
11 990 Swansea City
10 900 Rotherham United
10 900 Ipswich Town
9 810 Huddersfield Town
8 720 Sunderland
8 720 Derby
8 720 Scunthorpe United
8 720 Charlton Athletic
8 720 Fulham
7 630 Nottingham Forest
7 630 Blackburn Rovers
7 630 Bristol City
6 540 West Ham United
5 480 Preston North End
5 480 Burnley
5 450 Sheffield Wednesday
5 450 Barnsley
5 450 Brighton & Hove Albion
5 450 Lincoln City
4 360 Cardiff City
4 360 Aston Villa
4 360 Plymouth Argyle
4 360 Blackpool
4 360 Manchester United
4 360 Southampton
4 360 Luton Town
4 360 Grimsby Town
4 360 Arsenal
4 360 Leicester City
4 360 Everton
4 360 Wolves
3 270 Bolton Wanderers
3 270 WBA
3 270 Southend
3 270 Norwich City
3 270 Leeds United
3 270 Bury
3 270 Hull City
2 210 Port Vale
2 180 Doncaster Rovers
2 180 Notts County
2 180 Tottenham
2 180 Portsmouth
2 180 Walsall
2 180 Chelsea
2 180 Manchester City
2 180 Newcastle United
1 90 Oldham Athletic
1 90 Wrexham
1 90 Worcester City
1 90 Birmingham City
Total Venue
145 Home
140 Away
1 Neutral
Total Competition
268 League
18 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
158 86 30 42 54.4% Bill Shankly
120 61 24 35 50.8% Phil Taylor
4 2 1 1 50% Don Welsh
4 3 0 1 75% Caretaker Manager
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 77 2 0 0 0 79
1955-1956 1 0 0 0 0 1
1956-1957 6 0 0 0 0 6
1957-1958 10 0 0 0 0 10
1958-1959 21 0 0 0 0 21
1959-1960 14 0 0 0 0 14
1960-1961 3 0 0 0 0 3
1961-1962 13 0 0 0 0 13
1962-1963 5 2 0 0 0 7
1963-1964 4 0 0 0 0 4
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 17.12.1955 Nottingham Forest Anfield League
50 30.11.1957 Sheffield United Bramall Lane League
100 30.03.1959 Barnsley Oakwell League
150 10.09.1960 Ipswich Town Portman Road League
200 10.02.1962 Bury Gigg Lane League
250 20.03.1963 WBA Anfield League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 48 17.12.1955 Nottingham Forest Anfield League
50 9 16.01.1960 Sheffield United Anfield League
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Wolves pay up £48,000 for Jimmy Melia

From the Daily Mirror on 10 March 1964.

Youth star Melia to make his debut

From Daily Mirror on 15 December 1955.

Ian St John - Raging Bull

LFChistory.net had the great pleasure of interviewing the Saint. I was a bit unprepared for our talk, but considering the circumstances coped pretty well.

Hicks is no Anfield threat

An article by James Pearce at the Liverpool Echo on 16th of February, 2007.

Liverpool's gallant fight was all in vain

Liverpool Daily Post report on Bristol City - Liverpool on 01.09.1959.

Melia's goal - centre or shot?

The Daily Express. Liverpool 3, Sunderland 0 30.04.1960

Kop roars Liverpool to victory

Liverpool Daily Post report on Liverpool - Hull City on 29.08.1959.

Melia shines in seven goal thriller

Match report from Liverpool - Nottm Forest from the Liverpool Echo on 17.12.1955.

Looking At Sport with… Leslie Edwards

Liverpool Echo article from 30 August 1963.

Southampton too good for Liverpool

Daily Mail press report on Southampton - Liverpool on 14.08.1968.

Scrapbook
1957 - A goal I shall never forget
1957 - A goal I shall never forget
20 February 1983
20 February 1983
26 August 1961
26 August 1961
Aldershot are inspired by Melia
Aldershot are inspired by Melia
Byrne and Melia chosen for England - June 1963
Byrne and Melia chosen for England - June 1963
Feast of football as Melia and St John smash Wednesday - 9 October 1963
Feast of football as Melia and St John smash Wednesday - 9 October 1963
I am sure we can go places - July 1963
I am sure we can go places - July 1963
Introducing Brighton's chief scout
Introducing Brighton's chief scout
January 1962
January 1962
Jimmy Melia - the local boy come good
Jimmy Melia - the local boy come good
Jimmy Melia on the back page of the Evening Express
Jimmy Melia on the back page of the Evening Express
Jimmy Melia poster in Football Monthly
Jimmy Melia poster in Football Monthly
LFC Official Matchday Magazine interview 2000/01
LFC Official Matchday Magazine interview 2000/01
Liverpool miss skill in the middle, says Melia in 1971
Liverpool miss skill in the middle, says Melia in 1971
Melia in place of Arnell for his debut - 14 December 1955
Melia in place of Arnell for his debut - 14 December 1955
Melia leaves Brighton - 19 October 1983
Melia leaves Brighton - 19 October 1983
Melia marries 1961
Melia marries 1961
Melia reigns at Brighton - from 1982
Melia reigns at Brighton - from 1982
Melia scores after 28 secs! - 23 September 1961
Melia scores after 28 secs! - 23 September 1961
Melia sold - 10 March 1964
Melia sold - 10 March 1964
Melia's return to Liverpool as Aldershot boss in January 1971
Melia's return to Liverpool as Aldershot boss in January 1971
Poster in Football Monthly
Poster in Football Monthly
Profile of Jimmy Melia on the cover of the Liverpool Echo on 21 February 1959
Profile of Jimmy Melia on the cover of the Liverpool Echo on 21 February 1959
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Wolves 1963-1964 England First Division 9 4 9 4
Wolves 1964-1965 England First Division 15 0 15 0
Southampton 1964-1965 England Second Division 21 3 23 3
Southampton 1965-1966 England Second Division 38 3 41 3
Southampton 1966-1967 England First Division 42 4 48 4
Southampton 1967-1968 England First Division 30 0 31 0
Southampton 1968-1969 England First Division 8 1 9 1
Aldershot 1968-1969 England Fourth Division 27 0 27 0
Aldershot 1969-1970 England Fourth Division 46 10 53 12
Aldershot 1970-1971 England Fourth Division 39 2 45 3
Aldershot 1971-1972 England Fourth Division 23 2 28 2
Crewe 1971-1972 England Fourth Division 4 0 4 0
Total 302 29 333 32