{{short description|Welsh footballer}} {{Use British English|date=July 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Glyn James | image = | fullname = Edward Glyn James | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1941|12|17|df=y}} | birth_place = Llangollen, Wales | death_date = | death_place = | height = | position = Centre half | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Gobowen Juniors | youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Druids | youthyears3 = 1957–1959 | youthclubs3 = Blackpool | years1 = 1959–1974 | clubs1 = Blackpool | caps1 = 399 | goals1 = 22 | nationalyears1 = 1965–1971 | nationalteam1 = Wales | nationalcaps1 = 9 | nationalgoals1 = 0 }}

'''Edward Glyn James''' (born 17 December 1941) is a Welsh former professional footballer. He played as a defender. He spent his entire professional career with Blackpool.

James also represented Wales on nine occasions.

==Early life== James became a Welshman in unusual circumstances: his parents were both English and lived a few miles from the Welsh border but James was delivered in the nearest nursing home across the border in Llangollen.<ref name = "Whos Who"/> He was brought up in Weston Rhyn near Oswestry in Shropshire.<ref name=shropstar>{{cite news|title=Alan Ball, the lad from Oswestry|work=Shropshire Star|date=10 February 1965|page=10}} James was referenced in a news interview Alan Ball had with a Shropshire Star reporter.</ref>

He was educated at Oswestry Boys High School, where one of his contemporaries was Alan Ball, Jr who later played alongside James when Ball played for Blackpool during 1961 to 1966.<ref name=shropstar/> He played for the school team as well as turning out for Gobowen Juniors and the Druids club at Ruabon.<ref name = "Whos Who"/>

==Club career== He was recommended to Blackpool by the former Wales international Billy Matthews, who was a Blackpool scout. He joined ''the Seasiders'' as a trainee in December 1957 and signed as a professional in May 1959.<ref name = "Whos Who"/>

Blackpool manager Ron Suart gave James his Blackpool debut on 28 September 1960, in a goalless draw at Leeds United in the League Cup. He made four more appearances in 1960–61 – three in the League and one in the League Cup.<ref name=Gillatt>{{cite book|last=Gillatt|first=Peter|title=Blackpool FC On This Day: History, Facts and Figures from Every Day of the Year |publisher=Pitch Publishing Ltd|date=30 November 2009|isbn=978-1-905411-50-4}}</ref>

==Later career== Following his retirement from football, James set up a laundry and dry cleaning business and included his former club amongst his clientele.<ref name = "Whos Who">{{cite book |title=Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players |last1=Davies |first1=Gareth |last2=Garland |first2=Ian |year=1991 |publisher=Bridge Books |isbn=1-872424-11-2|page=94}}</ref>

==Blackpool F.C. Hall of Fame== James was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield in April 2006.<ref name="legends-58">{{cite book|title=Legends: The great players of Blackpool FC|editor=Singleton, Steve|work=Blackpool Gazette|location=Blackpool|year=2007|pages=58–61|edition=1|isbn=978-1-84547-182-8}}</ref> Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; James is in the 1960s.<ref name="bsa60">{{cite web |url=http://www.bsaweb.info/HOF60.aspx |title=The Hall of Fame – 1960's |publisher=Blackpool Supporters Association |access-date=29 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612154323/http://www.bsaweb.info/HOF60.aspx |archive-date=12 June 2010 }}</ref>

==International career== James won nine caps for Wales between 1965 and 1971.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

==Career statistics== ===Club statistics=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>{{ENFA}}</ref> ! rowspan="2" |Club ! rowspan="2" |Season ! rowspan="2" |Division ! colspan="2" |League ! colspan="2" |FA Cup ! colspan="2" |League Cup ! colspan="2" |Other ! colspan="2" |Total |- !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals |- | rowspan="15" |Blackpool |1960–61 | rowspan="7" |First Division |3||0||0||0||2||0||0||0||5||0 |- |1961–62 |1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0 |- |1962–63 |7||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||7||0 |- |1963–64 |9||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||10||0 |- |1964–65 |35||0||1||0||2||0||0||0||38||0 |- |1965–66 |37||1||2||1||1||0||0||0||40||2 |- |1966–67 |34||0||1||0||3||0||0||0||38||0 |- |1967–68 | rowspan="3" |Second Division |31||2||1||0||3||0||0||0||35||2 |- |1968–69 |42||4||1||0||3||0||0||0||46||4 |- |1969–70 |38||2||3||0||2||1||0||0||43||3 |- |1970–71 | rowspan="1" |First Division |36||1||2||0||2||0||1<ref name="AIC" group="lower-alpha">Appearances in the Anglo-Italian Cup</ref>||0||41||1 |- |1971–72 | rowspan="4" |Second Division |39||8||1||0||4||1||5<ref name="AIC" group="lower-alpha"/>||2||49||11 |- |1972–73 |34||1||0||0||4||0||4<ref name="WC&AIC" group="lower-alpha">One appearance in the Watney Cup and three appearances in the Anglo-Italian Cup</ref>||1||42||2 |- |1973–74 |42||3||1||0||2||0||0||0||45||3 |- |1974–75 |12||0||0||0||3||0||0||0||15||0 |- ! colspan="3" |Career total !400!!22!!13!!1!!33!!2!!10!!3!!456!!28 |}

{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

===International statistics=== {| class=wikitable style=text-align:center |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref name=NFT>{{NFT player |id=35534 |name=James, Glyn|accessdate=14 September 2020}}</ref> |- !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan=3|Wales |1966||3||0 |- |1967||2||0 |- |1971||4||0 |- !colspan=2|Total||9||0 |}

==See also== *One-club man.

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{cite book|last=Calley|first=Roy|title=Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992|publisher=Breedon Books Publishing Co Ltd|date=20 October 1992|isbn=1-873626-07-X}} * {{cite book|title=Legends: The great players of Blackpool FC|editor=Singleton, Steve|work=Blackpool Gazette|location=Blackpool|year=2007|edition=1|isbn=978-1-84547-182-8}}

==External links== * {{NeilBrownPlayers|blackpool/blackpool|Blackpool}} * {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612154323/http://www.bsaweb.info:80/HOF60.aspx |date=12 June 2010 |title=Green in the Blackpool Supporters Association Hall of Fame }}

{{Blackpool F.C. Hall of Fame}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Glyn}} Category:1941 births Category:People from Llangollen Category:Footballers from Denbighshire Category:Footballers from Shropshire Category:Living people Category:Welsh men's footballers Category:Wales men's international footballers Category:Wales men's under-23 international footballers Category:Druids F.C. players Category:Blackpool F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:Men's association football central defenders Category:20th-century Welsh sportsmen