Jimmy Rolfe (1932 – 2025)

Former Chester winger Jimmy Rolfe has passed away at the age of 93. 

Jimmy made 50 Division Three North appearances for the club between 1953 and 1955 and also played in the Football League for Crewe Alexandra and Barrow.

Jimmy started his football career at Eastham Athletic, where his performances attracted the attention of Liverpool who signed him on amateur terms. Over the next two years he featured in both the A and B teams before being called up for National Service. While serving in Germany he represented the Combined Services and also played for Munster 08. After being demobbed in July 1952, Jimmy returned to Anfield and signed as a professional before being released in the summer of 1953.

The Liverpool-born player became one of Louis Page’s first signings for Chester and made his Football League debut in a 3-0 win over Workington at Sealand Road in September 1953. After playing in the following game at Darlington, Jimmy returned to the reserves before nine goals in five games, including hat-tricks in consecutive games against Northwich and Mossley, saw him return to first team action in a side desperate for goals. Unfortunately, Jimmy couldn’t translate his goalscoring form from the reserves to the first team and by February he was back in the Cheshire County League team, before being reinstated at the end of the campaign when he won a Welsh Cup runners up medal after featuring in the final against Flint Town United.

In the following season, Jimmy featured 33 times on the right wing, adding one goal to the previous season’s tally of three, before surprisingly being given a free transfer in 1955. Standing at just over 5’6″, he made up for his lack of height with energy and enthusiasm, but was unlucky to feature in a struggling team that finished bottom of the table in both 1953/54 and 1954/55.

After departing Sealand Road, Jimmy went on to play more than 100 games for Crewe followed by Barrow and then a very brief spell at Southport. He dropped into non-league football in 1959 and featured for Runcorn, Buxton, Holyhead and New Brighton. After leaving the game he worked for Littlewoods.

The club send out their condolences to his family and friends.