Jamie Stevenson (Scottish footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name= Jamie Stevenson

| image =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|7|13|df=y}}

| birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland

| height = 1.73 m{{Soccerway|jamie-stevenson/38552}}

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2001| youthclubs1 = Aberdeen

| youthyears2 =2001–2002| youthclubs2 = Alloa Athletic

| youthyears3 =2002| youthclubs3 = Mallorca (trial)

| years1=2001–2003|clubs1=Alloa Athletic|caps1=2|goals1=0

| years2=2003–2004|clubs2=Mallorca B|caps2=8 |goals2=0

| years3=2004–2006|clubs3=Alloa Athletic|caps3=79|goals3=13

| years4=2006–2009|clubs4=Greenock Morton|caps4=58|goals4=10

| years5=2008|clubs5=→ Alloa Athletic (loan)|caps5=16|goals5=2

| years6=2009|clubs6=→ East Stirlingshire (loan)|caps6=15|goals6=4

| years7=2009–2010|clubs7=East Stirlingshire|caps7=49|goals7=15

| years8=2010–2012|clubs8=Airdrie United|caps8=58|goals8=7

| years9=2012–2014|clubs9=Cowdenbeath|caps9=53|goals9=10

| years10=2014–2020|clubs10=Peterhead|caps10=173|goals10=19

| years11=2020–2021|clubs11=Kelty Hearts|caps11=12 |goals11=2

| years12=2021–2022|clubs12=East Kilbride|caps12= |goals12=

| years13=2022–2023|clubs13=Berwick Rangers|caps13=40 |goals13=2

| club-update = 16:40, 10 December 2023 (UTC)

}}

James Stevenson (born 13 July 1984) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a full back or midfielder.

After spending a year in Spain with the reserve team of Real Mallorca as a teenager, he spent all of his career in the lower divisions of Scottish football, playing for various clubs including Alloa Athletic (three spells), Greenock Morton, East Stirlingshire, Airdrie United, Cowdenbeath, Peterhead, and Kelty Hearts.

Career

=Early years and Mallorca=

Stevenson began his career with Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen. He was released because they believed he was too small to make the grade in professional football. From there he dropped down the leagues and joined Alloa Athletic while training to become a mechanic.

It was after just two first team appearances with the club that Stevenson's life was turned upside down. In what has been described as a 'Roy of the Rovers' moment he was spotted playing a game of football with his uncle on the Spanish island of Majorca.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/alloa/2519081.stm Alloa youth given Real chance], BBC Sport, 27 November 2002. A scout from Spanish La Liga side Real Mallorca approached Stevenson and offered him a trial. Stevenson made such an impression in this trial that he was offered a 3-year contract.

Stevenson only lasted just over a year at the Son Moix stadium; in his time in Spain he did not make a first team appearance but was a regular in the B side, for whom he scored a goal on his debut.{{cite news|url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/alloa-to-spain-and-back-again-1-513828|title=Alloa to Spain and back again|newspaper=The Scotsman|date=14 February 2004|access-date=1 February 2018}} Real Mallorca were keen to hold on to Stevenson and part of his release stated that he could only return to his former club Alloa, which he did in February 2004.

=Return to Scotland=

In season 2005–06 he was a star man for Alloa Athletic almost single-handedly keeping them in the Second Division via the end of season 2nd Division/3rd Division playoffs. His form alerted several larger clubs but to many people's surprise he chose to sign a pre-contract agreement with Greenock Morton, a club who were in the same division as Alloa. Morton agreed to pay Alloa a nominal sum believed to be in the region of £16,000.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/morton/4936988.stm|title=Morton snap-up Alloa's Stevenson|publisher=BBC Sport|date=23 April 2006|access-date=8 January 2009}}

In July 2008, he moved to Alloa Athletic for a third spell after joining the second division club on loan from Morton.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/alloa/7516276.stm|title=Stevenson returns to Alloa again|publisher=BBC Sport|date=20 July 2008}} On Hogmanay 2008 his loan spell expired, so he returned to Morton with only six-months to earn himself a new contract at the club.

In the January 2009 transfer window, Stevenson rejoined Jim McInally at his new club East Stirlingshire on loan until the end of the season. It was announced that Stevenson would be released after the end of the 2008–09 season, this was confirmed by Davie Irons on 8 May in the Greenock Telegraph.{{cite news|url=http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/articles/2/39006|title=Irons: We don't want to finish with a whimper|work=Greenock Telegraph|date=8 May 2009|access-date=9 May 2009}}

On 9 July 2009, Stevenson signed permanently for the Shire.{{cite news|url=http://www.eaststirlingfc.co.uk/news_articles/070709stevenson.htm|title=JAMIE STEVENSON SIGNS|publisher=eaststirlingfc.co.uk|date=9 July 2009|access-date=9 July 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711194312/http://www.eaststirlingfc.co.uk/news_articles/070709stevenson.htm|archive-date=11 July 2009}} He was released at the end of the 2009–10 season but re-signed on a one-month short-term contract at the start of the following season. There was talk of Stevenson joining up with ex-Morton defender Ryan Harding again on the Mediterranean island of Malta to play for league champions Birkirkara{{cite news|url=http://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/sport/Jamie-Stevenson-prepares-to-swap.6509164.jp|title=Jamie Stevenson prepares to swap East Stirlingshire for Malta|work=Falkirk Herald|date=2 September 2010|access-date=27 December 2010}} – this however did not materialise.

On 16 September 2010, he signed on a contract with Airdrie United until the end of the season.{{cite web |url=http://www.airdrieunitedfc.com/news/club-news/596-jamie-stevenson-signs |title=Jamie Stevenson signs |access-date=2010-09-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707095804/http://www.airdrieunitedfc.com/news/club-news/596-jamie-stevenson-signs |archive-date=7 July 2011 }} Following the expiry of his contract at Airdrie United he went on trial at SPL club Inverness Caledonian Thistle however he remained unsigned and returned to Airdrie in August 2011.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

In June 2012, Stevenson signed for Cowdenbeath to play in the First Division.{{cite web|url=http://www.cowdenbeathfc.com/index.php?act=viewNews&id=1065 |title=Blue Brazil Online | Cowden | The Beath |publisher=Cowdenbeath FC |access-date=2017-06-09}} After two seasons with Cowdenbeath, he signed for Peterhead.[http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/mcinally-recruits-stevenson-for-a-third-time Peterhead sign Stevenson], spfl.co.uk; accessed 8 June 2017.

Kelty Hearts announced the signing of Stevenson on 5 September 2020.{{Cite web|title=We would like to welcome versatile midfielder Jamie Stevenson who joins the club from League 1 side Peterhead|url=https://twitter.com/keltyheartsfc/status/1302268836926959617|access-date=2020-09-05|website=Twitter|language=en}}

Stevenson signed with East Kilbride on 9 June 2021.{{Cite web|title=Triple swoop sees Manager bolster the squad with experienced trio|url=https://eastkilbridefootballclub.co.uk/news/triple-swoop-see-manager-bolster-the-squad-with-ex-09-06-2021|access-date=2021-06-10|website=East Kilbride FC|language=en}}

Honours

;Greenock Morton

Scottish Second Division: 1

:: 2006–07

References

External links

{{soccerbase|id=33621|name=Jamie Stevenson}}
{{soccerbase|id=51071|name=Jamie Stevenson}} (East Stirlingshire & Airdrie stats)
{{BDFutbol|301214|James Stevenson}}

Category:Living people

Category:1984 births

Category:Footballers from Glasgow

Category:Scottish men's footballers

Category:Scottish expatriate men's footballers

Category:Aberdeen F.C. players

Category:Airdrieonians F.C. players

Category:Alloa Athletic F.C. players

Category:Greenock Morton F.C. players

Category:RCD Mallorca B players

Category:Segunda División B players

Category:Scottish Football League players