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Gotts Surname Family History
Tim Carder also found this reference in an early programme, 31 August 1946
20 - 1 Jim Gotts footballer continued
Debut with Brighton & Hove Albion: Torquay United (a), 21.12.1946 (FL D3(S))
Jim Gotts played for Ashington in the North Eastern League before the outbreak of war in 1939, but then disappeared from the football scene until resurfacing in Brentford's ranks during the 1945-46 transitional season. After scoring one goal in four outings for the 'Bees', he was recruited by Albion manager Charlie Webb in June 1946 for the return of regular League football, but a pre-season injury limited his opportunities.
He played in the club's pre-season trial match, Reds v Stripes, on 24/8/46.
(Trial games between the club's own players were the norm before pre-season friendlies came in in the 1960s.) “
Tim Carder, the Club Historian for Brighton and Hove Albion FC has provided this extra information:
“GOTTS, JIM 1946-47
Outside-right 2 appearances
“We don't have complete line-ups for the reserves, but the first game we have for him was 25/9/46 in a 2-1 defeat at Aldershot.
The next mention is 7/12/46, in a 5-3 win at the Goldstone Ground against Swansea.
The two games he played for the first team were:
21/12/46 (a) Torquay Utd, Lost 1-3
28/12/46 (a) Port Vale, Lost 1-4.
He wore the no.7 shirt on both occasions.
Further games we know of for the reserves:
4/1/47 Brentford (a) Lost 0-4
15/2/47 Millwall (h) Won 3-0 - he scored one goal!
A lively winger, Jim was one of seven players to appear down the right flank during the difficult 1946-47 campaign, but, at the late age of 29, there was little prospect of a career in the Football League and he departed from the first-class game on his release in May 1947.”
Many thanks to Tim Carder and the Brighton & Hove Albion Heritage Society
Alan Gotts has shared Jim’s WW2 service record, and on it we noticed when he joined up his medical record shows “excision cartilage right knee removed after to football injury 3 years ago. No disability”
This would be in 1938 when he was playing for Ashington, and it could be the ACL which may have caught up with him.