James Herriot (born 20 December 1939) is a Scottish former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for clubs in Scotland, England and South Africa. Herriot represented both Scotland and the Scottish League XI.
Career
Herriot was an apprentice bricklayer playing part-time for Junior club Douglasdale[2][3] before he joined Dunfermline Athletic in 1958. He became the Pars established number 1 when Eddie Connachan left for Middlesbrough in 1963.[4] Herriot adopted the American Football technique of applying boot polish under and around his eyes to reduce the effects of glare from the sun.[5] Herriot helped Dunfermline reach the 1965 Scottish Cup Final, which they lost 3–2 to Celtic.[4][6]
Herriot was transferred to Birmingham City for £18,000 in 1965.[4] He was a fixture in the City side during the next four and a half years[7] and eventually gained international recognition. He made his Scotland debut in October 1968, in a 1–0 defeat by Denmark in a friendly in Copenhagen, and played a further seven times for the national side. His last cap came just a year after his first, in a 3–2 defeat by West Germany in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in Hamburg.[8]
He left the Edinburgh side to join St Mirren in 1973, then moved to Partick Thistle in 1975. After a spell on loan with Morton in October 1975 he returned to Dunfermline Athletic in early 1976 before joining Morton permanently for the 1976–77 season.[10] He retired from the game in the summer of 1977.[2]
Literary alter ego
Herriot is probably best known today for giving his name to the writer James Herriot, a Yorkshirevet whose real name was Alf Wight. Wight needed a pen-name to comply with professional rules banning advertising and chose Jim Herriot's name after seeing him play for Birmingham City in a televised match against Manchester United.[11]
