2020 New British TV Drama The English Game (2020) Review: the Real Jimmy Love

Unlike the famous Suter and Kinnard, Jimmy Love in history doesn't even have a wikipedia entry. I looked up the history of Scottish football for some stories about Jimmy. Love and Suter were poached by Mr Walsh from Patick, Scotland, to Darwen together. In fact, Love arrived earlier than Suter. Jimmy Love was born on March 17, 1858. His mother died when he was 5 years old, and his father remarried soon after. He used to be a contractor for a dustman and played for the local team in his spare time. In 1878 he fled Glasgow to Darwen in Lancashire, where he played so well that he scored twice against Eagley in the second round of the fa cup. As a result of his success, former teammate Fergus Suter also came to Darwen, and the cooperation between them brought about a qualitative leap in Darwen's strength. Jimmy Love scored two goals in the famous 5-5 draw at Old Etonian.

Love made three appearances at Darwen in the following season and disappeared after the Lancashire cup defeat to Haslingden, never to return. He then played one match each for Darwen's arch-rivals Blackburn Rovers and Haslingden. No one knows why he left, perhaps because of debt problems. Unlike in the TV series, Love is not married.

In 1880, Love chose to join the army, joining the royal marines in Egypt. He was described on a draft form at the time as 5 '6 "5" 6 "5" tall, with a dark complexion and brown hair. He was promoted to corporal in 1881 and arrived in Alexandria with the army in 1882. He died of typhoid fever at the age of 24 and was buried in the tel-el-kebir cemetery in Cairo.

Jimmy Love had a short life and a short football career, he didn't win a championship, but his skills really made Darwen's fans adore him.
 
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