Jim came from Fifeshire  and as a boy earned £6 a week carrying pit props to the coalface. J. His potential in junior football was soon spotted as he played with local side, Crossgates Primrose and he continued his day job after signing part-time for Raith Rovers in 1957. He gained international recognition for the first time when he was selected for Scotland under-21s against Wales in 1958.

He was then spotted by Glasgow Rangers and signed for the club in 1960 for £17,500, where he stayed for five seasons. Playing alongside Ibrox legends Willie Henderson, Davie Wilson, Jimmy Millar and Ian McMillan, Jim was in his element, controlling the game and sweeping the ball up to the predatory forwards in his imitable style. In his period at the club 'Slim Jim' as he was affectionately known, helped Rangers to three league titles, three Cups, four league cups, including the treble in 1964. His stage was Ibrox Stadium and he was the darling of the fans, particularly as he loved to turn it on against Celtic.

He was first capped for the full Scotland side in 1960 in the 5-2 drubbing of Northern Ireland at Hampden and he went on to acquire 34 caps for his country. He managed to avoid the 9-3 thrashing by England the following year, but achieved some revenge for the national humiliation in 1963 when he inspired 10-man Scotland, Roy of the Rovers style, to a 2-1 victory over the English, scoring both goals himself after Eric Caldow had broken his leg.

His stature was confirmed when he was selected for the 'Rest of the World' against England the following year. He was unlucky never to play in the World Cup Finals, Scotland missing out in 1962 and narrowly failing to qualify in 1966. But his high spot was 1967 and the game against England at Wembley. Scotland beat England 3-2 and became unofficial "World Champions", inspired by Jim's outrageous skill and trickery, his "keepie-uppie" on the pitch and his teasing and tormenting of the bewildered English team, will live long in many a Scottish fan's memory.

He left Rangers for Sunderland in 1965 for a fee of £72,500 but did not do himself any real justice there and in 1967 moved to Nottingham Forest to even less effect. A free transfer took him back to Rangers in 1969 where he played for one more season and played his last game in the light blue of Rangers in December 1969 in a 3-2 win over Aberdeen, retiring soon after.

That brought to a close a Rangers career encompassing 254 games and 24 goals and in 1970 at the age of 30 he moved into the pub trade.

Slim Jim possessed many of the faults of a genius, he was very much his own man, often to a fault with a self destruct streak. His self confessed fondness for alcohol and his playboy lifestyle detracted from his talent and led him to illness in later life.

In his pomp Slim Jim was a magical footballer, he was class and audacity, a seemingly laid back playmaker with supreme confidence. Arguably the finest left footer to come out of Scotland. He had the wit and quick intelligence to thread himself through defences with a shrug and a feint and he could pass the ball with great skill - real Roy of the Rovers stuff. Big Slim Jim is a worthy member of the Roy of the Rovers Hall of Fame!