Popular Grantham & Bourne Town footballer Jimmy Jackson died at the end of February aged 77.
He leaves two sons, Darren and David.
Bourne-born Jimmy made his first appearance for his local club in 1966, becoming a first-team regular from 1968. He went on to make over 240 appearances and scored more than 50 goals in a Bourne shirt.
Jimmy started out as a striker at Grantham and scored on his debut in the first home game of the 1969/70 season against Boston FC. On Boxing Day 1969 he netted his first hat-trick for the club, with Stamford being the unfortunate victims, but by the start of the following season, Grantham’s first of what would be three consecutive Championships, Terry Bly was spoilt for choice with quality strikers and Jimmy was forced to sit out many of the games.
After a return to Bourne for a spell, he came back to London Road, this time in his favoured midfield position. He played in the November 1975 FA Cup First Round tie against Port Vale, but the next few years saw precious little to cheer about, until the 1978/79 Championship winning season, although Jimmy missed out on the final six league fixtures.
The first couple of years that Grantham spent in the Northern Premier League continued with him as a valuable asset to the team, although he scored his final goal for the club on Boxing Day 1979 at Marine.
His final appearance for Grantham came in the August 1981 County Cup defeat against Boston United, following which he returned again to Bourne Town and also spent a period of time in the managerial position there.
Yet he was always the football connoisseur’s favourite, a player who would think about what he was doing and former the foundation of many attacks.
He returned to Bourne in a boardroom capacity and became Assistant Manager during their 1991 United Counties League Premier Division title-winning season. He also took up golf and joined Stoke Rochford Golf Club.
He continued to live in the Bourne area, working as a plasterer. Both clubs held a minute’s silence before Saturday’s respective games.
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