Editing Jimmy Brain

{{Short description|English footballer (1900–1971)}}
{{use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Jimmy Brain
| image = 
| fullname = James Brain
| birth_date = 11 September 1900
| birth_place = [[Bristol]], England
| death_date = {{death year and age|1971|1900}}
| death_place = [[Chipping Barnet|Barnet]], London, England
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Prospects of the clubs in the First Division of the League. Arsenal |author=Achates |newspaper=Athletic News |location=Manchester |date=20 August 1923 |page=5}}</ref>
| position = [[Centre forward]]
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = 
| years1 = ?–1923
| years2 = 1923–1931
| years3 = 1931–1934
| years4 = 1934–1937
| years5 = 1937–1939
| years6 = 1939–1940
| clubs1 = [[Ton Pentre F.C.|Ton Pentre]]
| clubs2 = [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
| clubs3 = [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]
| clubs4 = [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea Town]]
| clubs5 = [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]]
| clubs6 = [[Cheltenham Town F.C.|Cheltenham Town]]
| caps1 = 
| caps2 = 204
| caps3 = 45
| caps4 = 51
| caps5 = 32
| goals1 = 
| goals2 = 125
| goals3 = 10
| goals4 = 25
| goals5 = 9
| manageryears1 = 1939–?
| manageryears2 = 1937–1948
| managerclubs1 = [[King's Lynn F.C.|King's Lynn]]
| managerclubs2 = [[Cheltenham Town F.C.|Cheltenham Town]]
}}
'''James Brain''' (11 September 1900 – 1971) was an English professional football [[Manager (association football)|manager]] and [[Association footballer|player]] who played as a centre forward.

== Career ==
Born in [[Bristol]], Brain started his career playing in Wales, having an unsuccessful trial at [[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]], before gaining a regular place at [[Ton Pentre F.C.|Ton Pentre]]. In 1923, he moved to [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], and in his eight years with Arsenal became one of the club's most successful goalscorers. After a year in the reserve side, Brain started his Arsenal first-team career with a goal on his debut, a 1–0 win against local rivals [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] on 25 October 1924.

Brain was a prolific striker throughout his career, and was the club's top scorer for four seasons in a row, from [[1924–25 in English football|1924–25]] to [[1928–29 in English football|1928–29]]; this included 39 goals in the [[1925–26 in English football|1925–26]] season (second only to [[Ted Drake]]'s haul of 45 in [[1934–35 in English football|1934–35]]), which included four [[hat trick]]s. The next season, [[1926–27 in English football|1926–27]], Brain scored 34 goals, this haul including two four-goal tallies against [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]] and [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]]. Brain's goalscoring feats helped Arsenal reach their first [[FA Cup]] final, in 1926–27, though a mistake by [[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]] [[Dan Lewis (footballer)|Dan Lewis]] meant Arsenal lost 1–0 to Cardiff City.

However Brain's form dropped and in [[1929–30 in English football|1929–30]] he lost out in competing for the front spot with [[Jack Lambert (footballer, born 1902)|Jack Lambert]], [[David Jack (footballer)|David Jack]] and [[Dave Halliday]] all getting the nod ahead of him, meaning Brain only played six league matches this season. Brain therefore missed Arsenal' 1930 Cup final win over [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]]; Jack and Lambert led the line that day. He played in Arsenal's 2–1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the [[1930 FA Charity Shield|Charity Shield]] at [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]] in October 1930.<ref name=fortune>{{Cite news | work = Sheffield Independent| title = Fortune smiles on the Arsenal | date = 8 October 1930 | access-date = 22 March 2016 | page=10| via = British Newspaper Archive| url = http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001464/19301009/309/0010}}</ref> The following season, [[1930–31 in English football|1930–31]], Brain finally won a medal after playing sixteen matches (scoring four goals) in Arsenal's very first [[Football League First Division|First Division]] title-winning season. Brain's final appearance in an Arsenal shirt was a 2–0 win over [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]] on 21 March 1931.

By now, Brain's age was catching up with him, and he had been overtaken in the goalscoring stakes by both Lambert and Jack. He left Arsenal for Tottenham for £2,500 in September 1931, becoming one of the few players to have moved directly between the two rival clubs. In total, he scored 139 goals in 232 appearances for Arsenal, making him Arsenal' joint-fifth top scorer of all time, and he was the first player ever to score 100 goals for the club, a feat he achieved in a 6–3 win over [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] on 7 March 1928. However, he never played for [[England national football team|England]]; he managed to secure a trial for the national team but was never actually selected.

By the time Brain had joined Spurs he was in his thirties, and only played 47 times for them, scoring 10 goals, before leaving in 1934. He played his final years out at [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea Town]] and [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]]. After retiring as a player, Brain managed first [[King's Lynn F.C.|King's Lynn]] and then [[Cheltenham Town F.C.|Cheltenham Town]] from 1937<ref name=New>{{Cite news | work = Gloucestershire Echo| title = Mr. J. Brain New Town A.F.C. Manager | date = 8 April 1937 | access-date = 20 May 2022 | page=8| via = British Newspaper Archive| url = https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/JL3243918604/BNCN}}</ref> until 1948.<ref name=Resign>{{Cite news | work = Gloucestershire Echo| title = Town A.F.C.'s Manager Resigns | date = 23 January 1948 | access-date = 20 May 2022 | page=4| via = British Newspaper Archive| url = https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/IS3243231408/BNCN}}</ref> During the war Brain briefly turned out for [[Cheltenham Town F.C.|Cheltenham Town]]. He returned to his role as [[Cheltenham Town F.C.|Cheltenham Town]] manager until 1948, after which he retired completely from football. He died in 1971, at the age of 71.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}

==Honours==
===Player===
'''Arsenal'''{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}
*[[Football League First Division]]: [[1930–31 Football League First Division|1930–31]]
*[[FA Charity Shield]]: [[1930 FA Charity Shield|1930]]
*[[FA Cup]] runner-up: [[1927 FA Cup final|1926–27]]

===Manager===
'''Cheltenham Town'''{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}
* Gloucestershire Northern Senior Professional Cup: 1939–40

==References==
'''Citations'''{{reflist}}'''Bibliography'''
*{{cite book |
  last=Harris|first=Jeff|editor-last=Hogg|editor-first=Tony|
  title=Arsenal Who's Who |
  publisher=Independent UK Sports |
  year=1995 |
  isbn=1-899429-03-4}}

{{King's Lynn F.C. managers}}
{{Cheltenham Town F.C. managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brain, Jimmy}}
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:English football managers]]
[[Category:Arsenal F.C. players]]
[[Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players]]
[[Category:Swansea City A.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Bristol City F.C. players]]
[[Category:Cheltenham Town F.C. players]]
[[Category:King's Lynn F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Cheltenham Town F.C. managers]]
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1971 deaths]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Footballers from Bristol]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Ton Pentre F.C. players]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]