James Alfred Metcalf (12 December 1898 – 20 February 1975) was an English professional footballer who played as a wing half.
The following summer Metcalf joined Third Division North side Nelson for a transfer fee of £250.
On 26 October 1929, he scored his first and only league goal for Nelson in the 4–1 win against Doncaster Rovers at Seedhill.
In his two years with Nelson, Metcalf made a total of 71 first-team appearances before retiring from professional football in the summer of 1930.
Upon leaving Preston he became a trainer at Leicester City, but his stay was curtailed by the outbreak of the Second World War, which meant that competitive football was abandoned for six years in England.