James Nathaniel Cunliffe (5 July 1912 – 21 November 1986) was an English

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who played as an

inside forward In the sport of association football, a forward (attacker or striker) is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position which primarily plays further up the pitch than Midfielder, midfielders and Defender (association football), d ...

Career

Born in

Blackrod Blackrod is a town and civil parish situated within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. Nestled in the historic County of Lancashire, Blackrod is positioned 3.9 miles (6.3 km) northeast of Wigan and 6.6 mi ...

, Cunliffe played club football for Haslingden, Adlington, Everton and

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...

. Prior to his football career he worked as an apprentice plater at the Horwich Locomotive Works. For Everton he scored on his debut in March 1933. During World War II he guested for Everton,

Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...

, and Rochdale. Cunliffe also earned one cap for the England national side on 9 May 1936. His cousin was Arthur Cunliffe, also a footballer. He was married, with one son and one grandson, both also called James. After retirement he returned to the Horwich Locomotive Works, to work in the spring smithy section. He also played professional

crown green bowls Crown green bowls (or crown green) is a code of bowls played outdoors on a grass or artificial turf surface known as a bowling green. The sport's name is derived from the intentionally convex or uneven nature of the bowling green which is tradi ...

, a sport he had played as an amateur during his football career. He died at his home on 26 November 1986 following a stroke, aged 74.

References

1912 births 1986 deaths English men's footballers England men's international footballers Everton F.C. players Rochdale A.F.C. players English Football League players Men's association football inside forwards Everton F.C. wartime guest players Bolton Wanderers F.C. wartime guest players Rochdale A.F.C. wartime guest players People from Blackrod Footballers from Greater Manchester Sportspeople from the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton 20th-century English sportsmen {{England-footy-forward-1910s-stub