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.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Arnold Fielding[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 2 September 1939 | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
| Date of death | 1 August 2022 (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 | |||
| –1976 | Runcorn | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
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
| 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 | ||
- ^ 2 appearances and 1 goal in Liverpool Senior Cup, 1 appearance and 1 goal in Lancashire Senior Cup
- ^ 1 appearance in London Senior Cup, 1 appearance in Lancashire Senior Cup
- ^ Appearance in Lancashire Senior Cup
Honours edit
Wigan Athletic
- Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy: 1959–60[4]
Port Elizabeth City
References edit
- ^ a b "John Fielding". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Johnny Fielding". Port Online. 9 November 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d Hayes, Daniel (18 August 2022). "John Fielding 1939–2022". SFC FPA. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 387–388. ISBN 0951526200.
- ^ a b "Players F". Mariners Archive. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- ^ Wigan Athletic F.C. at the Football Club History Database
- ^ "Player Details". Port Online. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ^ "Player Details". Port Online. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ^ "Player Details". Port Online. Retrieved 8 January 2017.