Jamie Sheldon

Jamie Sheldon
Personal information
Full name Jamie Lee Sheldon[1]
Date of birth (1991-08-14) 14 August 1991 (age 33)[2]
Place of birth Birmingham, England
Position(s) Forward, Midfielder
Youth career
200?–2009 Birmingham City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2010 Redditch United
2010 Interblock 10 (0)
2010 Solihull Moors 5
2010 → Evesham United (loan)
2010–2012 Leamington 26 (2)
2012 → Sutton Coldfield Town (loan)
2012–2013 Sutton Coldfield Town
2013 Leamington 0 (0)
2013–2014 Stratford Town 38 (15)
2014–2015 Sutton Coldfield Town
2015–2016 Stratford 60 (12)
2016–2017 Hednesford Town 9 (1)
2017 Chasetown 7 (2)
International career
2007 England U17 4 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jamie Lee Sheldon (born 14 August 1991) is an English former footballer who played professionally in the Slovenian PrvaLiga for NK Interblock. He began his career in Birmingham City's Academy, but was not offered a professional contract, and also played non-league football for Redditch United, Solihull Moors, Evesham United, Leamington, Stratford Town, Hednesford Town, Sutton Coldfield Town and Chasetown. Internationally, he represented England at under-17 level.

Life and career

Sheldon was born in 1991 in Birmingham,[2] and attended The International School in the Tile Cross area of the city.[3] He joined Birmingham City's Academy, and during his final year of school, combined studying for his GCSEs with helping the club's youth team reach the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup, in which they lost to Manchester United's under-18s.[3][4][5] He began a two-year scholarship in 2007.[6]

Sheldon and two Birmingham team-mates, Dean Lyness and Ashley Sammons, were selected for the England under-17 squad for the Nordic Tournament in Denmark in July and August 2007.[7] He played in all three group matches, and scored from 20 yards (18 m) in the 2–1 win against Finland, but losing to Sweden meant they failed to qualify for the final.[8] Sheldon scored again as England beat Norway 4–1 in the third-place play-off.[9]

During his scholarship, he played both youth and reserve-team football, and was a first-half substitute in the Birmingham City team, a mixture of youth and first-team players, that beat Burton Albion 5–0 in the final of the 2008 Birmingham Senior Cup.[10] The following year, he was a regular in the Birmingham youth team that reached the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup, in which they lost over two legs to Liverpool's youngsters.[11] Only one of his age-group was offered a professional contract; the others, Sheldon included, were released.[12]

Sheldon joined Conference North (sixth-tier) club Redditch United for the 2009–10 season. After six months and six goals, he left in January 2010 to take up the offer of a professional contract with Slovenian PrvaLiga team Interblock of Ljubljana.[13] He played twice for Interblock in the Slovenian Cup, and made ten appearances (seven starts) in the 2009–10 PrvaLiga,[1] at the end of which the team were relegated[14] and Sheldon returned to England.

He had trials with Football League clubs Hereford United, for which he scored to help his side win the Herefordshire Senior Cup,[15] and Rochdale,[16] before signing for Solihull Moors. He made five appearances in the Conference North,[17] played five times on loan to Evesham United, and then joined a fellow Southern League Premier Division team, Leamington, in November 2010.[18] He was a regular in the team for the rest of the season, but a broken metatarsal meant he played little in 2011–12.[19][2][20] While regaining fitness, he spent time with Sutton Coldfield Town of the Northern Premier League Division One South, joined them again for the 2012–13 season,[21] and made a brief return to Leamington to play in one FA Cup tie.[19][2]

Sheldon signed for Stratford Town in October 2013. After missing only one match between then and the following September, he completed the 2014–15 season with Sutton Coldfield Town, helping them gain promotion to the NPL Premier Division. He rejoined Stratford Town, made 52 appearances in all competitions during the 2015–16 season, and took his total past the 100 mark in August 2016, marking the occasion with a "trademark long-range special", before leaving the club in November for off-field reasons.[22] Sheldon spent a couple of months with Hednesford Town, scoring once from nine Northern Premier League matches,[23] and in February 2017, signed for Chasetown.[24]

Sheldon played seven matches in the NPL Division One South and scored twice,[25] before suffering an ACL injury in March 2017. He underwent reconstructive surgery some months later. Soon afterwards, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He received surgery and chemotherapy at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham,[26] and in March 2018 was reported to be in remission.[27]

References

  1. ^ a b "Statistika – 1. Slovenska Nogometna Liga 09/10: Jamie Lee Sheldon" [Statistics – First Slovenian Football League 09/10: Jamie Lee Sheldon] (in Slovenian). Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Player profiles: Jamie Sheldon". aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk. Aylesbury United FC and Luke Buckingham Brown. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b "We've so much to offer pupils; The International School and Sixth Form Centre". Birmingham Mail. 4 September 2007. p. 34. Retrieved 18 January 2021 – via Gale OneFile: News.
  4. ^ "Defence is key for Cup kids". Birmingham Mail. 31 January 2007. p. 54. Retrieved 18 January 2021 – via Gale OneFile: News.
  5. ^ "Blues cup test". Birmingham Mail. 21 February 2007. p. 48. Retrieved 18 January 2021 – via Gale OneFile: News.
  6. ^ "We need a conveyor belt of players who are capable of playing in the Premiership". Birmingham Mail. 8 February 2007. p. 78. Retrieved 18 January 2021 – via Gale OneFile: News.
  7. ^ "England's Nordic test". The Football Association (The FA). 18 July 2007. Archived from the original on 12 June 2008.
  8. ^ "Ice cool Donaldson". The FA. 30 July 2007. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008.
    "Sheldon's fine finish". The FA. 31 July 2007. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008.
    "U17s miss out on final". The FA. 2 August 2007. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008.
  9. ^ Staves, Russell (4 August 2007). "Third degree for Lions". The FA. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008.
  10. ^ "Birmingham Senior Cup – Birmingham City 5 Burton Albion 0". Birmingham Mail. 8 April 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  11. ^ Tattum, Colin (17 March 2009). "Birmingham City 1, Watford 0. FA Youth Cup quarter-final". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
    Tattum, Colin (25 April 2009). "Blues show heart in FA Youth Cup defeat". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Warnock's comments add to Birmingham City fans' conspiracy fears". Birmingham Post. 30 April 2009. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Sheldon leaves for Slovenia". Redditch Advertiser. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Slovenia Play-offs 1/2: Summary: 2010". Soccerway. Perform Grouup. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  15. ^ Morgan, Ian (10 July 2010). "Ledbury Town 0 Hereford United 2". Hereford Times. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Bury 3–0 Rochdale". Rochdale Online. 27 July 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  17. ^ "In-form Leamington looking to leather Hyde". Coventry Telegraph. 19 November 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  18. ^ "Solihull Moors allow Dean Lea and Jamie Sheldon to go out on loan". Birmingham Mail. 6 November 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
    "Sheldon signs for Brakes". The Courier. Leamington. 19 November 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Jamie Sheldon". Leamington F.C. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  20. ^ "Players let club down – Holleran". The Courier. Leamington. 16 September 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  21. ^ "Football: Two points lost as Leamington held at home by Swindon Supermarine". Coventry Telegraph. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
    "Impressive Harriers off on a cruise". Sunday Mercury. Birmingham. 22 July 2012. p. 81. Retrieved 21 January 2021 – via Gale OneFile: News.
  22. ^ "100 up for Jamie Sheldon – and in style". Stratford Town Independent Supporters' Association. 29 August 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
    "Jamie Sheldon". Stratford Town Independent Supporters' Association. 28 November 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  23. ^ "Midfielder added to Pitmen squad". Hednesford Town F.C. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
    "Player statistics: 2016–2017 season: Evo-stik Northern Premier League, F.A. Cup, F.A. Trophy". Pitmenweb. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
    "Fixtures & results: 2016–2017 season: Evo-stik Northern Premier League, F.A. Cup, F.A. Trophy". Pitmenweb. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  24. ^ "Squad Update". Hednesford Town F.C. 17 February 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  25. ^ "1st team: Jamie Sheldon: Season 2016/17". Chasetown F.C. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  26. ^ Preece, Ashley (9 February 2018). "Gifted young footballer 'giving it all he's got' in cancer fight". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  27. ^ "Stratford Town play-off heroes to play for popular Jamie". Stratford Observer. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2021.