James Dunlop was born in Gourock. But the family was from Paisley and it was to there that they soon returned and where "Daddy", as he became known, lived the rest of his far too short life. At eighteen he, an inside forward, was playing first team football having come through youth and reserve ranks. At twenty he was team captain. Yet, his team was St. Mirren despite he staying only a little over half a mile from the ground of Paisley's other top-flight team of the era, Abercorn. Dykebar was the third but never at the same level. But then the grounds of the two clubs were themselves about the same distance from each other.