Jim Hamilton (footballer)

Jim Hamilton

Personal information
Full name	James Hamilton
Date of birth	(1976-02-09) 9 February 1976
Place of birth	Aberdeen, Scotland
Height
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1993–1994	Keith
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1996	Dundee	74	(27)
1996–1999	Heart of Midlothian	75	(33)
1999–2000	Aberdeen	14	(1)
2000–2003	Dundee United	70	(12)
2003	Dunfermline Athletic	2	(0)
2003–2004	Ross County	20	(5)
2004–2006	Livingston	21	(4)
2006	Motherwell	48	(11)
2006–2008	Dunfermline Athletic	46	(5)
2008–2009	St. Mirren	38	(4)
2009–2010	Partick Thistle	9	(0)
2010	Livingston	11	(2)
2010–2011	Arbroath	7	(0)
2011	East Fife	7	(1)
International career
1995–1997	Scotland U21	14	(6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 May 2011

James Hamilton (born 9 February 1976, in Aberdeen) is a retired Scottish footballer. Hamilton played as a striker in a career that saw him appear for thirteen different league clubs in Scottish football, including Dundee, Heart of Midlothian, Aberdeen, Dundee United, Motherwell, Dunfermline Athletic and St. Mirren in the top tier. Hamilton's only major honour in club football was winning the Scottish Cup with Hearts in 1998. He appeared for the Scotland under-21 team fourteen times, scoring six goals.

Career

1990s

A product of the Scottish Highland Football League, Jim Hamilton began his professional football career as a part time professional with the Banffshire, North of Scotland football club, Keith FC, before moving to Premier Division side Dundee in January 1994. He spent three years at Dens Park, during which time he established himself as a player to look out for in the future. He joined Hearts in late 1996 and enjoyed a successful spell with them, scoring 33 goals in his two and a half years with the Edinburgh club and winning the Scottish Cup in 1998. He caught the attention of Aberdeen, and followed in his father's footsteps (also named Jim Hamilton) when he signed for them in March 1999. Hamilton cost the Dons £300,000, however his time with Aberdeen was to prove less productive as he made few appearances and scored only one league goal.

2000s

In January 2000, Dundee United signed him for £150,000, making them his fifth club to have played for. In November 2001, Hamilton became the first player in Scottish football to have a red card overturned after video evidence. In March 2003, Hamilton was told he could leave Tannadice, and due to transfer window restrictions, he surrendered his professional status to sign as an amateur for Dunfermline Athletic for the remainder of the season. Hamilton failed to win a full-time deal and signed for Scottish First Division side Ross County at the start of the 2003–04 season.

He made his return to the SPL in June 2004 when he signed for Livingston, becoming top scorer for 2004–05 with seven goals in fourteen starts for the Almondvale club. His career with Livingston was to prove short-lived, as Motherwell signed him in January and he only went on to score one goal for the Steelmen that season. The next season, he scored 11 goals in total, including the only goal in the 3–1 defeat to Celtic which won the SPL 'Goal of the Season' award, and later the SPL 'Goal of the Decade' Award.

On 29 August 2006, Hamilton re-signed for Dunfermline for an undisclosed fee, playing 34 games and scoring five goals before signing for SPL side St. Mirren on 30 January 2008. After four months in Paisley, Hamilton signed a one-year contract extension.

He was released from his St. Mirren contract at the end of the 2008–09 season, and signed for Partick Thistle on 9 July 2009 on a one-year contract. He scored his first goals for his new side when he scored twice in a 6–1 win at Forfar Athletic in the Scottish Challenge Cup second round. Hamilton was released by Partick Thistle in January 2010. After his release, Hamilton returned to Livingston, signing a short-term deal with the Almondvale side before being released at the end of the season.

2010s

Into his third decade as a professional footballer, Hamilton joined Arbroath in July 2010 on a one-year deal but moved to East Fife the following January. In 2011 he began working with Total.

Statistics

Correct as of 28 September 2008

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Scotland			League		Scottish Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
1993–94	Dundee	Scottish Premier Division	74	27	N/A		N/A		-		78	33
1994–95		Scottish First Division			N/A		N/A		-
1995–96					N/A		N/A		-
1996–97					N/A		4	6	-
	Heart of Midlothian	Scottish Premier Division	17	5	3	1	-		-		20	6
1997–98			32	14	5	1	3	0	-		40	15
1998–99		Scottish Premier League	25	6	1	1	3	1	4	2	33	10
	Aberdeen		7	1	-		-		-		7	1
1999-00			7	0	-		1	0	-		8	0
	Dundee United		13	1	3	3	-		-		16	4
2000–01			20	2	3	0	1	0	-		24	2
2001–02			24	5	1	0	3	1	-		28	6
2002–03			13	4	1	1	2	0	-		16	5
	Dunfermline Athletic		2	0	-		-		-		2	0
2003–04	Ross County	Scottish First Division	20	5	-		2	0	-		22	5
2004–05	Livingston	Scottish Premier League	21	4	1	0	3	3	-		25	7
	Motherwell		14	1	-		-		-		14	1
2005–06			34	10	1	0	3	1	-		38	11
2006–07	Dunfermline Athletic		28	2	4	1	1	0	-		33	3
2007–08		Scottish First Division	21	3	1	0	1	0	2	1	25	4
	St Mirren	Scottish Premier League	15	1	-		-		-		15	1
2008–09			5	0	-		2	0	-		7	0
Career total			454	117	24	8	29	12	6	3	513	140

Achievements

• Dundee
  • Scottish Challenge Cup: runner-up 1994-95
  • Scottish League Cup: runner-up 1995-96

• Hearts
  • Scottish Premier League: third-place 1997-98
  • Scottish Cup: winner 1997–98

• Dunfermline
  • Scottish Cup: runner-up 2006–07

External links

• Jim Hamilton career statistics at Soccerbase
• Profile at londonhearts.com

• http://www.ptfc.co.uk/matches/seasons/2009-2010/matches/1601_raith_rovers/preview