The footballing career of Jimmy Speirs began in earnest in April 1905 with Maryhill in the Glasgow Junior league and ended ten years later, after some 250 games, in the English Second Division at Leeds City.

Jimmy was briefly part of a very successful (at its own level) Maryhill, suffered in the shadows of Celtic whilst at Rangers, enjoyed comparative success at Clyde, and a "near-miss" at Leeds City.

All this could not compare, however, with three and a half successful years in the top Division of English football, and especially the FA Cup victory of "Glorious 1911", at Bradford City.

Although he appeared in a "Home Scots" v "Anglo Scots" game in March 1910, and reportedly took part in international trials, Jimmy did not add to his one international cap gained whilst at Rangers in 1908.

At the start of his career, Jimmy was a centre-forward.  However, in later years, Jimmy played in a position which today would be described as "attacking midfielder", and his goals per games ratio on this basis is impressive. He captained both Bradford City and Leeds City, the former to its ultimate moment of glory in 100 years, at Old Trafford in April 1911.

Jimmy's football career ended in April 1915, when he returned to Glasgow and enlisted in the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders.  He had just turned 29 years of age at the time, and but for the War, he would presumably have extended his career in senior football.