Stoke superstars shocked by Jim’s amazing hat-trick
Norwich City are hoping that Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour can help them avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The Canaries will have to upset some of the division’s richest clubs to make progress up the table this month. They face Newcastle United on Tuesday, followed by games against Spurs and Manchester United.
Jim Oliver stole the limelight from some of the game’s most-illustrious stars during his first season at Carrow Road.
His club was expected to act as the supporting cast when Stoke City were the visitors in 1963.
The Potters had just pulled off a major coup in the transfer market by signing Northern Ireland international, Jimmy McIlroy, from Burnley.
He joined a forward line that boasted Stanley Matthews, Jackie Mudie and Dennis Viollet. This was a real all-star side.
But McIllory and his new team-mates were thrashed 6-0, a result that sent shockwaves around the country.
Jim was the game’s star man, giving a brilliant display and hitting a hat-trick.
He recalled: “We met the Stoke players in the Royal Hotel before the game, and Stanley Matthews was sporting a teddy-boy look.
“He was wearing a bootlace tie and black patent shoes.
“There was a full house and I’m sure many of them were there to see the famous visitors.
“All the photographers were behind our goal, expecting plenty of action.
“Fortunately, I had a purple patch that afternoon, and everything went right. I had a few in my career but that was one of the best.
“I remember walking off after the game and hearing Jimmy McIlroy saying: ‘What the hell have I come to?’.
“Stoke recovered to win promotion to the First Division, but they got a real shock from us.
“There wasn’t the glamour there is in football now. I didn’t get the match ball and, after a brief celebration, it was back to preparing for the next game.
“I later tried to see if I could get film of my hat-trick against Stoke because Anglia Television covered the game. But everything apart from ago al by Terry Allcock had been destroyed.”
Norwich’s next game was a 5-0 thrashing of Newcastle United in the FA Cup.
Jim had not long arrived in English football after a transfer from Falkirk.
He said: “I had the chance to go to other English clubs when I was younger. Newcastle United and West Brom wanted me.
“I had played for Scotland Schoolboys and for Glasgow Schools against London in the same team as Alex Ferguson.
“I came from Maddiston, near Falkirk, but my PE teacher pushed me forward for selection.
“West Brom wanted to fly me down from Scotland every weekend to play for their youth team, but my dad didn’t want me to go.
“I joined Falkirk instead, spending four years at Brockville and then joining Norwich when I was 20.
“George Swindin signed me, and he was the best manager I had. He was a bit like Alf Ramsey.
“Unfortunately, he wasn’t appreciated by some of the senior players. He got sick of them and left when we were second in the division to join Cardiff City.” Jim had a three-year spell at Brighton under former Norwich boss, Archie McAuley, before moving to Colchester United in 1968.
He went on: “I’d met my wife in Norwich, and we were keen to move back there.
“I was able to travel to Colchester for training. The manager, Dick Graham, was quite a character. “He would train you until you dropped.” After 80 games for Colchester, Jim stepped down into non-league football.
He said: “I played for Kings Lynn, then managed Lowestoft and Gorleston.
“I combined that with running a sports shop with a colleague.”
Now 79, Jim is still living in Norfolk.