Howie was signed by Newcastle United in May 1903 and between then and 1910 made 237 appearances for the club, scoring 83 goals.
[4] He won the Football League Championship three times (1904–05, 1906–07 and 1908–09) and was also an FA Cup winner in 1910.
During this period he earned three caps for the Scotland national side, making his debut in 1905.
[5] Howie was universally known in the game as "Gentleman James" but was equally notable for his peculiar running action, which looked like a hopping motion.
His brother David, also a former professional footballer, was concurrently manager of Bradford Park Avenue.