Jimmy Scoular

Newcastle United F.C. in 1960 with players from left, standing: James "Jimmy" Scoular, Richard Matthewson "Dick" Keith, Bryan Harvey (goalkeeper), Bob Stokoe, Alf McMichael and George Eastham; crouched from left: "Terry" W. L. Marshall, Ivor J. Allchurch, Leonard Roy "Len" White, John McGuigan and Liam Tuohy. James Scoular (11 January 1925 – 19 March 1998) was a Scottish football player and manager. Known as a tough, combative player with precise passing skills, Following his retirement from playing, Scoular went on to manage Cardiff City and Newport County.

Early life

Born in Livingston Station, West Lothian, Scoular's father Alec was also a footballer prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, playing for Alloa Athletic, Stenhousemuir and Leith Athletic. During the Second World War, Scoular became a submarine engineer on HMS Dolphin in Gosport. After helping the club to consecutive league titles in 1948–49 and 1949–50, Scoular's relationship with the club became strained and he left to sign for Newcastle United for a fee of £26,000 in 1953.

Managerial career One month after his departure from Bradford, Scoular was appointed manager of Second Division side Cardiff City. His spell with the club started badly, failing to win any of his first twelve games in domestic competitions. His first win in charge of the club came on 13 October 1964 with a 1–0 victory over Danish side Esbjerg fB in the European Cup Winners' Cup. With the Welsh Cup winners awarded a place in the European Cup Winners' Cup, Cardiff became regular entrants into the competition, winning the Welsh Cup seven times in Scoular's nine years as manager. Having reached the quarter-finals in his first year, eventually being eliminated by Spanish side Real Zaragoza, three years later they went one step further, reaching the semi-finals before losing 4–3 on aggregate to Hamburg. To date, it remains the furthest any Welsh side has progressed in a European competition.

After almost achieving promotion in the 1970–71 season, the club's results slowly deteriorated, culminating in a 20th-place finish in 1972–73. With the team still struggling at the start of the following season, Scoular was sacked. He later managed Newport County until 1977 and also worked as a scout for Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Swansea City and Newcastle United.

As a manager Cardiff City Welsh Cup: 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973