| James Donnelly | |
| Fullname: | James Elliot Donnelly |
| Birth Date: | 18 December 1893[1] |
| Birth Place: | Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland |
| Death Place: | England |
| Height: | 5ft 11in |
| Position: | Full back |
| Years1: | –1919 |
| Clubs1: | Royal Artillery |
| Years2: | 1919–1922 |
| Clubs2: | Blackburn Rovers |
| Caps2: | 8 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 1922–1924 |
| Clubs3: | Accrington Stanley |
| Caps3: | 54 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 1924–1925 |
| Clubs4: | Southend United |
| Caps4: | 42 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 1925–1928 |
| Clubs5: | Brentford |
| Caps5: | 79 |
| Goals5: | 1 |
| Years6: | 1928–1932 |
| Clubs6: | Thames |
| Caps6: | 36 |
| Goals6: | 3 |
| Years7: | 1953 |
| Clubs7: | Clitheroe |
| Totalcaps: | 147 |
| Totalgoals: | 4 |
| Manageryears1: | 1933–1935 |
| Managerclubs1: | Građanski Zagreb |
| Manageryears2: | 1935–1936 |
| Managerclubs2: | Güneş |
| Manageryears3: | 1936–1937 |
| Managerclubs3: | Turkey |
| Manageryears4: | 1938–1940 |
| Managerclubs4: | AFC Amsterdam |
| Manageryears5: | 1944–1945 |
| Managerclubs5: | AFC Amsterdam |
| Manageryears6: | 1953 |
| Managerclubs6: | Clitheroe (player-manager) |
James Elliot Donnelly (18 December 1893 – 3 June 1959) was an Irish professional football player and manager. As a player, he played as a full back in the Football League for Blackburn Rovers, Accrington Stanley, Southend United, Brentford and Thames.[2] [3] After his retirement as a player, Donnelly became a manager and coach and as part of an FA coaching programme, he was sent abroad and managed Građanski Zagreb, Turkey and Amsterdamsche FC.[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] He also held coaching roles at Thames, in Belgium and at AS Ambrosiana-Inter.[9]
Donnelly served in the Royal Artillery during the First World War.[10]
He was married to Jane Isherwood.[11]
| Season | League | National Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Blackburn Rovers | 1920–21[12] | First Division | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| Southend United | 1924–25[13] | Third Division South | 42 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 0 | |
| Brentford | 1925–26[14] | Third Division South | 39 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 0 | |
| 1926-27 | 39 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 44 | 1 | |||
| 1927–28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 79 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 86 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 129 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 131 | 1 | |||