Jimmy Glass

Jimmy Glass

Personal information
Full name	James Glass
Date of birth	1 August 1973 (1973-08-01)
Place of birth	Epsom, Surrey, England
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1991–1996	Crystal Palace	0	(0)
1995	→ Portsmouth (loan)	3	(0)
1995	→ Gillingham (loan)	0	(0)
1996	→ Burnley (loan)	0	(0)
1996–1998	Bournemouth	95	(0)
1998–2000	Swindon Town	11	(0)
1999	→ Carlisle United (loan)	3	(1)
2000	Cambridge United	0	(0)
2000	Brentford	2	(0)
2000–2001	Oxford United	1	(0)
2001	Crawley Town	?	(?)
2001	Kingstonian	14	(0)
2001	Lewes	?	(?)
Total		129	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

James "Jimmy" Glass (born 1 August 1973 in Epsom, Surrey, England) is a former football goalkeeper. Glass is remembered for scoring the last-minute goal which kept Carlisle United in the Football League in 1999. The drama of Glass's late goal, which came in one of only three games that he played for Carlisle, has since made it famous in English football at a level beyond its immediate ramifications. Beyond the Carlisle goal, Glass's most notable time with a club was three seasons playing for Bournemouth from 1996-1998. Bournemouth was the only Football League club for whom he was a regular member of the first team, and Glass retired from football in 2001 aged 27.

Early career

Glass had a journeyman's career in football, playing for many clubs, initially as a reserve keeper for Crystal Palace. The closest he came to a trophy was reaching the final of the Football League Trophy with Bournemouth in 1998 - unfortunately Glass scored an own goal in the match, and Bournemouth lost 2–1. This was not the first time a goalkeeper had scored an own goal at Wembley however, Bruce Grobbelaar had scored one in the 1984 Charity Shield for Everton against his team Liverpool. Glass moved to Swindon Town in the summer of 1998, but after falling out with Jimmy Quinn (the manager at the time) was unable to gain a regular place in the team.

Time at Carlisle United

He moved to Carlisle United on loan from Swindon late that season (after goalkeeper Tony Caig was sold to Blackpool and Richard Knight's loan period had been cut short due to injury. His moment of fame came on 8 May 1999, in the final match of the 1998–99 season against Plymouth Argyle, which Carlisle needed to win to avoid relegation. With the score 1–1 with only ten seconds remaining, and Carlisle winning a corner, Glass came up from his own penalty area and promptly scored a last minute goal, volleying the ball in after the Plymouth goalkeeper had parried out Scott Dobie's goalbound header. Carlisle got the win they needed and Scarborough were relegated to the Football Conference instead after a 1-1 draw with Peterborough.

“	So... deep, deep, deep, I make it sixty seconds. Jimmy Glass knocks it long. It comes now to Bagshaw. Bagshaw back to Anthony. Up to Stevens... and the ball goes out now for a corner to Carlisle United – will they have time to take it? Referee looks at his watch... and here comes Jimmy Glass! Carlisle United goalkeeper Jimmy Glass is coming up for the kick – everyone is going up... there isn’t one player in the Carlisle half! Well, well... and the corner kick comes in... and... the goalkeeper’s punch... oh... Jimmy Glass! Jimmy Glass! Jimmy Glass, the goalkeeper, has scored a goal for Carlisle United! There’s a pitch invasion! There is a pitch invasion! The referee has been swamped – they’re bouncing on the crossbar!	”
—Commentator Derek Lacey, BBC Radio Cumbria

Life after Carlisle United

Despite his brief fame, this was the last of just three matches Glass played at Carlisle, who were unable to sign him on a permanent basis. Glass spent time at several other clubs, including Oxford United and Brentford, before moving to non-league clubs, and then quitting football altogether. He reportedly scored six goals two weeks running whilst playing Sunday league football in Bournemouth, playing as a striker. He has written an autobiography, entitled One Hit Wonder.

His goal was selected as the 72nd greatest sporting moment ever by the Channel 4 programme 100 Greatest Sporting Moments. The goal was also ranked 7th in The Times newspaper's list of the 50 most important goals in football history.

Author Gabriel Kuhn described Glass' fame by saying:

Football allows for magic experiences and incredible personal stories, such as when no-name goalkeeper Jimmy Glass saved Carlisle United from relegation to amateur football in 1999 with a last-minute goal, only to disappear into anonymity again shortly after.

Life after football

Glass retired from professional football at the age of 27, and became an IT salesman. He later became a taxi driver in Dorset. He lives in the Dorset village of Lytchett Matravers, with his wife, Louise, and their twins and runs a taxi business in the nearby town of Wimborne Minster.

Coaching

In October 2011, it was announced that Glass joined Poole Town as the new goalkeeping coach, working on a voluntary basis.

External links

• Jimmy Glass career stats at Soccerbase
• The Observer - Do You Remember...Jimmy Glass?
• Soccernet profile
• Article in Oxford University Student Magazine
• BBC Press Release
• Working Glass Hero - article in the University of Cumbria student newspaper