James Scowcroft
{{short description|English footballer and coach}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = James Scowcroft
| image =
| fullname = James Benjamin Scowcroft
| height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}{{cite news |title=James Scowcroft profile |url=http://www.lcfc.com/page/ProfilesDetail/0%2C%2C10274~5792%2C00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218092516/http://www.lcfc.com/page/ProfilesDetail/0%2C%2C10274~5792%2C00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 February 2012 |publisher=Leicester City F.C. |access-date=17 May 2020}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|11|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = Bury St Edmunds, England
| position = Striker
| youthyears1 = 1986–1994
| youthclubs1 = Ipswich Town
| years1 = 1994–2001
| years2 = 2001–2005
| years3 = 2005
| years4 = 2005–2006
| years5 = 2006–2009
| years6 = 2009–2010
| years7 = 2010–2012
| clubs1 = Ipswich Town
| clubs2 = Leicester City
| clubs3 = → Ipswich Town (loan)
| clubs4 = Coventry City
| clubs5 = Crystal Palace
| clubs6 = Leyton Orient
| clubs7 = Bury Town
| caps1 = 206
| goals1 = 47
| caps2 = 133
| goals2 = 24
| caps3 = 9
| goals3 = 0
| caps4 = 41
| goals4 = 3
| caps5 = 83
| goals5 = 14
| caps6 = 26
| goals6 = 0
| caps7 = 26
| goals7 = 8
| totalcaps = 524
| totalgoals = 96
| nationalyears1 = 1996–1997
| nationalteam1 = England U21
| nationalcaps1 = 5
| nationalgoals1 = 0
}}
James Benjamin Scowcroft (born 15 November 1975) is an English retired footballer who played as a striker. He is currently a European Scout for Crystal Palace.
Scowcroft began his career at Ipswich Town, graduating from the club's academy. He went on to score over 50 goals and make over 200 appearances for Ipswich, helping the club win promotion to the Premier League in 2000. He joined Leicester City in 2001, spending four seasons at the club, including helping the club return to the Premier League in 2003. He returned to Ipswich on loan during the 2004–05 season before joining Coventry City in 2005. He spent one season at Coventry before leaving to join Crystal Palace in 2006. He spent three seasons at Crystal Palace. In 2009 he joined Leyton Orient, spending one season with the club. After his release from Leyton Orient in 2010, Scowcroft joined hometown club Bury Town.
He won five caps for the England U21 national team between 1996 and 1997.
Club career
Born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, Scowcroft started his career as a youth player at nearby Ipswich Town, joining the club at the age of 11.{{cite news| url=https://www.buryfreepress.co.uk/sport/scowie-s-best-ever-season-despite-painful-late-twist-9110893/ | work=Bury Free Press | title=James Scowcroft looks back on a golden campaign for Ipswich Town 20 years on from winning promotion to the Premier League | date=25 May 2020}} He progressed to become a regular first team player, gaining five England Under-21 caps in the process. From 1994 to 2001 he played over 200 games for the club, scoring over 50 goals. He was named player's and fan's Player of the Year in 2000 but missed out on the play off final with a hamstring injury, which saw Ipswich promoted to the Premier League.{{Cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/football/2000/may/28/newsstory.sport8 | title = Ipswich v Barnsley: a form guide | work = The Guardian | date = 28 May 2000 | access-date = 22 August 2021 | first = Marie-José | last = Kleef | archive-date = 1 September 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200901122757/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2000/may/28/newsstory.sport8 | url-status = live }} At the end of the 2000–01 season, he was sold to Leicester City for £3m, where he played over 150 games, scoring fewer than 30 goals. During his period at Leicester Scowcroft was accused of being involved in the alleged sexual assault of three women at La Manga golf club, Spain, but was cleared of all charges, having been mistakenly identified.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3732707.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=Leicester trio charges 'dropped' | date=21 May 2004}} He was loaned back to Ipswich in the spring of 2005.
Scowcroft was then signed by Coventry City on a free transfer. He was used primarily on the right sometimes as the right wing for Coventry for the 2005–06 season.
He left Coventry City to join Crystal Palace for £500,000 in July 2006. He was released by the club in May 2009[http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11688_5288834,00.html striker one of six to get new deals but nine players released] having made a total of 86 senior appearances scoring 14 times.{{cite book|title=Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–2011|last=King|first=Ian|date=April 2012|pages=552–3|publisher=Derby Books|isbn=9781780910468}} He then joined Leyton Orient but after fitness problems and failing to score a goal in 20 games for Orient, he was released a year later.{{cite web|url=http://www.leytonorient.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10439~2047424,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224105202/http://www.leytonorient.com/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10439~2047424%2C00.html |archive-date=24 February 2012 |title=O's release seven |publisher=LeytonOrient.com. |date=13 May 2010 |access-date=19 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}
In September 2010, Scowcroft joined non-league hometown club, Bury Town, signing a "pay-as-you-play" deal.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/8973428.stm|title=James Scowcroft makes step down to Bury Town|date=6 September 2010|access-date=6 September 2010|publisher=BBC Sport}}
He made his debut as a substitute in an away game against Wealdstone later the same month.{{cite web|url=http://www.burytownfc.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69&catid=2|title= James Scowcroft thanks the fans|date=12 January 2012|access-date=19 October 2013|publisher=Bury Town F.C.}} In January 2012 Bury Town announced Scowcroft's retirement from football, having failed to recover from an injury sustained during a pre-season friendly.{{cite web|last=Collins|first=Trevor|title=James Scowcroft retires from playing|url=http://www.burytownfc.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68:james-scowcroft-retires-from-playing&catid=2:first-team-news|publisher=Bury Town Football Club|access-date=12 February 2012}}
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"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division
!Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals | |||||||||
| rowspan="7" valign="center" |Ipswich Town
|27 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 2 |
| 1996–97{{soccerbase season|7461|1996|access-date=18 May 2020}}
|First Division |41 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2{{efn|name=FDPO|Appearances in First Division play-offs}} | 1 | 50 | 11 |
| 1997–98{{soccerbase season|7461|1997|access-date=18 May 2020}}
|First Division |31 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2{{efn|name=FDPO}} | 0 | 41 | 7 |
| 1998–99{{soccerbase season|7461|1998|access-date=18 May 2020}}
|First Division |32 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2{{efn|name=FDPO}} | 0 | 36 | 14 |
| 1999–00{{soccerbase season|7461|1999|access-date=18 May 2020}}
|First Division |41 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2{{efn|name=FDPO}} | 0 | 48 | 15 |
| 2000–01{{soccerbase season|7461|2000|access-date=18 May 2020}}
|34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | colspan="2"|— | 43 | 6 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!206 | 47 | 10 | 0 | 23 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 247 | 55 |
| rowspan="5"|Leicester City
|2001–02{{soccerbase season|7461|2001|access-date=18 May 2020}} |Premier League |24 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 26 | 7 | |
| 2002–03{{soccerbase season|7461|2002|access-date=18 May 2020}}
|First Division |43 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 47 | 11 | |
| 2003–04{{soccerbase season|7461|2003|access-date=18 May 2020}}
|Premier League |35 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 39 | 5 | |
| 2004–05{{soccerbase season|7461|2004|access-date=18 May 2020}}
|31 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 35 | 5 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!133 | 24 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 147 | 28 |
| Ipswich Town (loan)
|Championship |9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Coventry City
|2005–06{{soccerbase season|7461|2005|access-date=18 May 2020}} |Championship |41 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 45 | 3 | |
| rowspan="4"|Crystal Palace
|2006–07{{soccerbase season|7461|2006|access-date=18 May 2020}} |Championship |35 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 36 | 5 | |
| 2007–08{{soccerbase season|7461|2007|access-date=18 May 2020}}
|Championship |38 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=CHPO|Appearance in Championship play-offs}} | 0 | 40 | 9 |
| 2008–09{{soccerbase season|7461|2008|access-date=18 May 2020}}
|Championship |10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 10 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!83 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 86 | 14 |
| Leyton Orient
|2009–10{{soccerbase season|7461|2009|access-date=18 May 2020}} |26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2{{efn|name=FLT|Appearances in Football League Trophy}} | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Bury Town
|26 | 8 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | 26 | 8 | |
| colspan="3"|Career totals
!524 | 96 | 25 | 4 | 30 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 590 | 108 |
{{notelist}}
Honours
Ipswich Town
- Football League First Division play-offs: 2000{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/768682.stm |title=Ipswich triumph at last |publisher=BBC News |date=29 May 2000 |access-date=25 September 2019}}
Leicester City
- Football League First Division runner-up: 2002–03{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/may/05/match.wolverhamptonwanderersfootball |title=Wolves strike mood of hungry belief |work=The Guardian |date=5 May 2003 |access-date=17 March 2020}}
Individual
- Nationwide Player of the Month: December 1999
- Ipswich Town Player of the season: 1999–2000{{cite news |url=https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/356/scowy-wins-player-of-the-year |title=Scowy Wins Player of the Year |publisher=TWTD |date=5 May 2000 |access-date=17 May 2020}}
- Leicester City Goal of the season: 2001–02
- Crystal Palace Goal of the Season: 2007–08
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090703185346/http://www.cpfc.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0%2C%2C10323~5792%2C00.html James Scowcroft player profile] at cpfc.co.uk
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120218092516/http://www.lcfc.com/page/ProfilesDetail/0%2C%2C10274~5792%2C00.html James Scowcroft player profile] at lcfc.com
- {{Soccerbase}}
{{Ipswich Town F.C. Player of the Year}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scowcroft, James}}
Category:Footballers from Bury St Edmunds
Category:English men's footballers
Category:England men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Ipswich Town F.C. players
Category:Leicester City F.C. players
Category:Coventry City F.C. players
Category:Crystal Palace F.C. players
Category:Leyton Orient F.C. players
Category:Bury Town F.C. players
Category:English Football League players