Biography

Full back James Henry Middlehurst was born in Prescot near Wigan in Lancashire to a coal miner father, James himself worked in a brass wire works during his teenage years while playing local district football around Prescot and St Helens. Like so many of his contemporaries in the pre-WW1 era, he came to Hull City’s attention thanks to the scouting of former Tigers player William Robinson, who also hailed from Prescot. Middlehurst signed for Hull City in August 1914 on the same day as post-WW1 star goalkeeper Billy Mercer, another Prescot man.
Middlehurst went straight into the Tigers’ reserves XI but by September 1914 he was handed his first team debut against Arsenal, replacing regular right back John Pattison. Middlehurst did not reappear again until April 1915 against Leicester Fosse, by which time new manager Fred Stringer was in post and Pattison had himself been replaced at right back by Charlie Betts. The Football League was suspended at the end of the 1914/15 season and Middlehurst’s time at Hull City seemed destined to be shortlived. He returned to the North West and played wartime fixtures for Liverpool in the 1915/16 season, then signed up for the Army in July 1916. Sent to battle in Mesopotamia – present day Iraq – James wasn’t demobilised until January 1920. Hull City again took on Middlehurst, signing him ahead of Liverpool, and by March 1920 manager David Menzies had reintroduced him to the City first team, replacing the suspended Matt Bell. Despite starting seven of the final nine games, City did not retain Middlehurst in the 1920 close season.
James joined Southern League side Chatham for the 1920/21 season before returning north a year later to play for Midland League side Wakefield City. At this point his football career came to and end, he returned to Prescot and by 1939 was working as a wood turner and performing Air Raid Patrol duties around Prescot’s local shops. Staying in the town for the rest of his days, Middlehurst died at the end of 1954.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 17 November 1892, Prescot
Hull City First Game: 26 September 1914, Arsenal A (Division Two), 21 years, 313 days old
Hull City Final Game: 1 May 1920, Rotherham County A (Division Two), 27 years, 166 days old
Clubs
Hull City (1914-1915), Hull City (1920), Chatham (1920-1921), Wakefield City (1921-1922)
Hull City Record
Career: 9 apps, 0 goals
James MiddlehurstSeason | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1914/15 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1919/20 | 7 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |