Jim Bett

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Jim Bett
Personal information
Full name James Bett
Date of birth (1959-11-25) 25 November 1959 (age 64)
Place of birth Hamilton, Scotland
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Gartcosh United
Dundee
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1976–1978 Airdrieonians 8 (0)
1978 Valur 2 (0)
1978–1980 Lokeren 33 (1)
1980–1983 Rangers 104 (21)
1983–1985 Lokeren 64 (7)
1985–1994 Aberdeen 257 (33)
1994 KR Reykjavík 13 (4)
1994–1995 Heart of Midlothian 26 (2)
1995–1996 Dundee United 10 (2)
International career
1980–1982 Scotland U21[1] 7 (0)
1982–1990 Scotland 26 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

James Bett (born 25 November 1959 in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire) is a Scottish former international professional association footballer. He played for nine seasons with Aberdeen and had shorter spells at other clubs in three countries. He played in central or left midfield.

Playing career

Bett was a Scottish Schoolboy international,[2] who started his club career with Gartcosh United, Dundee and Airdrieonians before moving to Icelandic side Valur in 1978. A year later he joined K.S.C. Lokeren (282) in Belgium.

Rangers manager John Greig paid £150,000 to sign him for the Glasgow club in 1980. In three seasons at Ibrox he won a Scottish Cup winners medal (1980–81)[3] and a League Cup winners medal (1981–82).[2] During this spell he also earned his first selection for the Scotland national side, making the first of 26 appearances in 1982.[4] Bett left Rangers in 1983 for a second spell with Lokeren.

Bett returned to his native land joining Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen in 1985 for £300,000.[2] During his time with the Dons, he collected winners medals in the Scottish Cup in 1985–86,[5] and both the League Cup and Scottish Cup in 1989–90,[6] also playing in three other finals in the former competition (all ending in defeat to Rangers).[7][8][9] He left Pittodrie in 1994, after making over 300 first-team appearances.

In 2003, Bett was inducted into the Aberdeen FC Hall of Fame as one of the founding members.[10]

He next moved to KR Reykjavík. He won the Icelandic Cup with KR but left at the end of the 1994 Icelandic season. Bett returned to Scotland again to join Hearts with whom he played the 1994–95 Scottish season. After a final season with Dundee United he retired.

Personal life

Bett met his Icelandic wife during his time playing for Valur and has maintained a close connection with Iceland since. His sons Baldur and Calum, also both professional footballers, were born there and have represented the country at Under-19 level.[11] Coincidentally, Bett's only goal for Scotland occurred in a 1–0 win over Iceland in Reykjavík in 1985.[11]

Career statistics

International

Scotland national team[12]
Year Apps Goals
1982 2 0
1983 1 0
1984 6 0
1985 6 1
1986 2 0
1987 2 0
1988 1 0
1989 2 0
1990 4 0
Total 26 1

International goals

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.[13]
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 28 May 1985 Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík  Iceland 1–0 1–0 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification

References

  1. ^ "Jim Bett". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Lamming, Douglas (1987). A Scottish Soccer Internationalists Who's Who, 1872–1986 (Hardback). Hutton Press. (ISBN 0-907033-47-4).
  3. ^ "Six of the best Scottish Cup finals: Rangers 4 Dundee United 1 (1981, replay)". The Herald. 24 May 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Dark Blue Dons: Jim Bett". AFC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Scottish Cup: 1986 revisited". Aberdeen F.C. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  6. ^ Traynor, James (14 May 1990). "Stagnant Celtic pay ultimate penalty. Snelders saves Rogan's kick and Irvine secures cup for Aberdeen". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  7. ^ Reynolds, Jim (26 October 1987). "Spot-on Rangers earn the cheers". Glasgow Herald. p. 9. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Now you know: Ally McCoist double helped Rangers defeat Aberdeen 3-2 in 1988 League Cup Final". Evening Times. Glasgow. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  9. ^ McKinney, David (26 October 1992). "Football: Smith's slip gives Rangers the prize". The Independent. London. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Hall of Fame: Jim Bett". AFC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  11. ^ a b "News Archive". Bob Dunning 1970–71 Football review. 30 September 2005. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Jim Bett". www.national-football-teams.com.
  13. ^ "Scottish Football Association". www.scottishfa.co.uk.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jim_Bett&oldid=906996563"