About Jim Furnell
Born 1937. Jim Furnell is a British association football player.
James Furnell (born 23 November 1937 in Clitheroe, Lancashire) is an English former footballer, who played as a goalkeeper.
Furnell immediately slotted into the Arsenal first team, making his debut the day after he signed, on 23 November 1963 against Blackpool; the match finished 5–3 to Arsenal. Furnell went on to become the long-term successor to Jack Kelsey, playing as Arsenal's No. 1 for the next five seasons (aside from 1964-65, when he shared the spot with Tony Burns). Under manager Billy Wright, however, Arsenal struggled to make an impact in either the League or the Cups.
With the promotion of Bertie Mee to manager in 1966, Arsenal's form began to pick up, although Furnell didn't stay at the club long enough to enjoy it. Although he played in the 1967-68 League Cup Final against Leeds United (which Arsenal lost 1–0), in the following match, an FA Cup tie against Birmingham City, he made an error which let in Birmingham's equaliser. He was dropped with Bob Wilson taking his place, and never played for the Arsenal first team again.
He was sold in September 1968 for £8,000 to Rotherham United; he had played 167 matches for Arsenal in total. After two years with Rotherham he moved to Plymouth Argyle in 1970. He played for five and a half years for Plymouth before his retirement in the summer of 1976. As part of the club's centenary in 2003, Furnell was named as goalkeeper in the Pilgrims' all-time greatest XI by the club's fans.
After retiring as a player, he was a coach at Plymouth before joining Blackburn Rovers in 1981; he served as a coach there until his retirement in 1998.
In a 2007 web poll, Furnell was named Plymouth's best goalkeeper of all time.
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Important facts
People in Jim Furnell's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Jim Furnell's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Jim Furnell?
English footballer (born 1937)
When was Jim Furnell born?
Jim Furnell was born on 23 November 1937 in Clitheroe.
What is Jim Furnell's occupation?
Jim Furnell is an association football player.
What nationality is Jim Furnell?
Jim Furnell is British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jim Furnell. https://biography.guide/jim-furnell/
MLA: "Jim Furnell." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jim-furnell/.
Chicago: "Jim Furnell." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jim-furnell/.
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