John Fielding (footballer, born 1939)

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John Fielding
Personal information
Full name John Arnold Fielding[1]
Date of birth (1939-09-02) 2 September 1939 (age 84)
Place of birth Liverpool, England
Date of death 1 August 2022(2022-08-01) (aged 82)[2]
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[3]
Position(s) Right winger, right midfielder
Youth career
1955–1959 Everton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1959–1961 Wigan Athletic 19 (8)
1961–1963 Southport 77 (21)
1963–1965 Brentford 82 (18)
1965–1967 Grimsby Town 30 (8)
1967–1968 Port Elizabeth City
1968–1969 Southport 0 (0)
1969–1970 Wigan Athletic 27 (3)
Altrincham
Ellesmere Port Town
South Liverpool
0000–1976 Runcorn
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

John Arnold Fielding (2 September 1939 – 1 August 2022) was an English professional footballer who played as a winger in the Football League for Brentford, Southport and Grimsby Town. He later had a long career in non-League football and also played in South Africa.

Playing career[edit]

Early years[edit]

A right winger or midfielder, Fielding began his career as an amateur at Everton.[4][5] Following four seasons at Goodison Park, he transferred to Lancashire Combination First Division club Wigan Athletic.[4] A record of nearly a goal every other game between September 1959 and March 1961 earned Fielding a £500 transfer to Football League Fourth Division club Southport.[4] He broke into the team on a regular basis during the 1961–62 season, scoring 13 goals in 48 appearances.[2] He went even better the 1962–63 season, with 11 goals in 32 appearances, before departing the club in March 1963.[2] Fielding scored made 86 appearances and scored 24 goals for Southport.[2]

Brentford[edit]

On 26 March 1963,[2] Fielding transferred to Fourth Division high-flyers Brentford for a £7,000 fee.[3] He had impressed manager Malky McDonald with his performance while a Southport player at Griffin Park in a 3–3 draw earlier in the season.[3] After the return fixture, McDonald tabled a big-money offer.[3] Fielding made seven appearances in what remained of the 1962–63 season to help the Bees over the line to the Division Four championship.[6] He made semi-regular appearances in the Third Division and made 31 appearances, before fully breaking into the team in the 1964–65 season, when he made 42 appearances and scored 10 league goals.[6] After making just 9 appearances in the first half of the 1965–66 season, Fielding left the Bees in December 1965.[3][6] He made 93 appearances and scored 21 goals during 2+1⁄2 years at Griffin Park.[3]

Grimsby Town[edit]

Fielding joined Third Division club Grimsby Town in December 1965.[3] Though not a regular pick for the team, he managed eight goals in 31 appearances before departing in 1967.[1][7]

Port Elizabeth City[edit]

Fielding moved to South Africa in 1967, where he linked up with former Brentford teammate Matt Crowe at National Football League club Port Elizabeth City.[3] He had a successful 1967 season, winning the league championship.[4] Fielding departed the club at the end of the 1968 season.[5]

Return to Southport[edit]

Fielding returned to Third Division club Southport in November 1968 and made a first team appearance in a Lancashire Senior Cup match on 3 January 1969.[5][2] In February 1969, he departed to join Tranmere Rovers on trial.[2]

Return to Wigan Athletic[edit]

Fielding returned to Wigan Athletic in 1969 for a second spell with the now high-flying Northern Premier League club.[3] He made 49 appearances and scored eight goals during the 1969–70 season and helping the Latics to a second-successive runners-up finish in the league.[4][8] He departed at the end of the season.[4]

Non-League football[edit]

Fielding wound down his career with spells at Northern Premier League clubs Altrincham, Ellesmere Port Town, South Liverpool and Runcorn.[3] Work commitments led to his retirement from football in 1976.[4]

Personal life[edit]

While an amateur with Everton, Fielding served an apprenticeship as a plumber with Arthur Peat.[5]

Career statistics[edit]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Southport 1960–61[9] Fourth Division 9 1 — — — 9 1
1961–62[10] 41 10 3 1 1 0 3[a] 2 48 13
1962–63[11] 27 10 2 1 3 0 2[b] 0 34 11
Total 77 21 5 2 4 0 5 2 91 25
Brentford 1962–63[6] Fourth Division 7 3 — — — 7 3
1963–64[6] Third Division 28 4 0 0 3 0 — 31 4
1964–65[6] 38 10 4 1 0 0 — 42 11
1965–66[6] 9 1 2 2 0 0 — 11 3
Total 82 18 6 3 3 0 — 91 21
Grimsby Town 1965–66[7] Third Division 30 8 — 1 0 — 31 8
Southport 1968–69[2] Third Division 0 0 — — 1[c] 0 1 0
Total 77 21 5 2 4 0 6 2 92 25
Career total 189 47 11 5 8 0 6 2 214 54
  1. ^ 2 appearances and 1 goal in Liverpool Senior Cup, 1 appearance and 1 goal in Lancashire Senior Cup
  2. ^ 1 appearance in London Senior Cup, 1 appearance in Lancashire Senior Cup
  3. ^ Appearance in Lancashire Senior Cup

Honours[edit]

Wigan Athletic

Port Elizabeth City

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "John Fielding". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Johnny Fielding". Port Online. 9 November 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. p. 56. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Obituary | John Fielding (02/09/1939 – 1 August 2022)". Wigan Athletic FC. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d Hayes, Daniel (18 August 2022). "John Fielding 1939–2022". SFC FPA. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 387–388. ISBN 0951526200.
  7. ^ a b "Players F". Mariners Archive. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  8. ^ Wigan Athletic F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  9. ^ "Player Details". Port Online. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  10. ^ "Player Details". Port Online. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  11. ^ "Player Details". Port Online. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
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