James Moles

{{Infobox football biography

| name = James Moles

| image =

| fullname = James Moles

| height =

| position = Left half

| birth_date = 1884

| birth_place = Tottenham, England

| death_date = 7 {{death year and age|1915|1884|11}}

| death_place = Lillers, France

| years1 =

| clubs1 = Asplin Rovers

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1900–1902

| clubs2 = Tottenham Hotspur

| caps2 = 4

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = {{0|0000}}–1909

| clubs3 = Leyton

| caps3 =

| goals3 =

| years4 = 1909–1911

| clubs4 = Birmingham

| caps4 = 33

| goals4 = 0

| years5 =

| clubs5 = Leyton

| caps5 =

| goals5 =

| years6 =

| clubs6 = Edmonton

| caps6 =

| goals6 =

| years7 =

| clubs7 = Rotherham Town

| caps7 =

| goals7 =

}}

James Moles (1884 – 7 November 1915) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Birmingham as a left half.{{Cite book |last=Joyce |first=Michael |title=Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 |date=2012 |publisher=Tony Brown |isbn=978-1905891610 |location=Nottingham |page=207}}{{Cite web |title=Tributes planned for Saturday's fixture |url=https://www.themillers.co.uk/news/2018/november/read--tributes-planned-for-saturdays-fixture/ |access-date=11 March 2019 |website=www.themillers.co.uk |language=en-gb}} His style of play was described as "aggressive".{{Cite web |last=Lockley |first=Mike |date=29 March 2018 |title=The brave Midland football stars who fought and died in WWI |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/brave-midland-football-stars-who-14449202 |access-date=4 March 2019 |website=birminghammail}}

Career

Moles played for Southern League clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Leyton, before joining Second Division club Birmingham in 1909, as cover for Frank Buckley.{{Cite book |last=Matthews |first=Tony |title=Birmingham City: A Complete Record |publisher=Breedon Books |year=1995 |isbn=978-1-85983-010-9 |location=Derby |page=111}} He made his debut in a 2–2 home draw with Glossop on 13 September 1909, replacing Buckley as the team's centre half. In the second half of the 1909–10 season, he played regularly in his preferred position of left half.Matthews, p. 156. Moles' aggressive style cost him his place and he returned to London local football in 1911.

Personal life

Moles gave a false age when he attested in the Militia in February 1900 and was discharged after 48 days.{{Cite news |title=James Moles {{!}} Service Record |language=en-US |work=Football and the First World War |url=http://www.footballandthefirstworldwar.org/james-moles-service-record/ |access-date=20 June 2018}} Moles served as a lance corporal in the Middlesex Regiment during the First World War and died of wounds at No. 9 Casualty Clearing Station, Lillers on 7 November 1915. He was buried in Lillers Communal Cemetery.{{CWGC|accessdate=25 April 2020|id=2947724}}

Career statistics

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" \|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" \|Club ! rowspan="2" \|Season ! colspan="3" \|League ! colspan="2" \|FA Cup ! colspan="2" \|Total
Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals
rowspan="2" \|Birmingham \|1909–10Matthews, p. 264-267. \| rowspan="2" \|Second Division \|27 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|27 \|0
1910–11 \|6 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|6 \|0
colspan="3" \|Career total !3 !0 !0 !0 !33 !0

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"

|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

! rowspan="2" |Club

! rowspan="2" |Season

! colspan="3" |League

! colspan="2" |FA Cup

! colspan="2" |Total

Division

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals