John Fielding (footballer, born 1939)

English footballer

John FieldingPersonal information

Full name|  John Arnold Fielding[1]
Date of birth|  (1939-09-02)2 September 1939
Place of birth|  Liverpool, England
Date of death|  1 August 2022(2022-08-01) (aged 82)[1]
Place of death|  Wigan, England[1]
Height|  5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[2]
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.[3][4] Following four seasons at Goodison Park, he transferred to Lancashire Combination First Division club Wigan Athletic.[3] 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.[3] He broke into the team on a regular basis during the 1961–62 season, scoring 13 goals in 48 appearances.[5] He went even better the 1962–63 season, with 11 goals in 32 appearances, before departing the club in March 1963.[5] Fielding scored made 86 appearances and scored 24 goals for Southport.[5]

### Brentford

[edit]

On 26 March 1963,[5] Fielding transferred to Fourth Division high-flyers Brentford for a £7,000 fee.[2] 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.[2] After the return fixture, McDonald tabled a big-money offer.[2] 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.[2][6] He made 93 appearances and scored 21 goals during 2+1⁄2 years at Griffin Park.[2]

### Grimsby Town

[edit]

Fielding joined Third Division club Grimsby Town in December 1965.[2] 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.[2] He had a successful 1967 season, winning the league championship.[3] Fielding departed the club at the end of the 1968 season.[4]

### 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.[4][5] In February 1969, he departed to join Tranmere Rovers on trial.[5]

### 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.[2] 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.[3][8] He departed at the end of the season.[3]

### Non-League football

[edit]

Fielding wound down his career with spells at Northern Premier League clubs Altrincham, Ellesmere Port Town, South Liverpool and Runcorn.[2] Work commitments led to his retirement from football in 1976.[3]

## Personal life

[edit]

While an amateur with Everton, Fielding served an apprenticeship as a plumber with Arthur Peat.[4]

## 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] | Fourth Division  | 41  | 10  | 3  | 1  | 1  | 0  | 3[a] | 2  | 48  | 13
1962–63[11] | Fourth Division  | 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] | Third Division  | 38  | 10  | 4  | 1  | 0  | 0  | —  | 42  | 11
1965–66[6] | Third Division  | 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[5] | 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

* Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy: 1959–60[3]

Port Elizabeth City

* National Football League: 1967[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "John Fielding". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
2. ^ 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.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Obituary | John Fielding (02/09/1939 – 1 August 2022)". Wigan Athletic FC. 19 August 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
4. ^ a b c d Hayes, Daniel (18 August 2022). "John Fielding 1939–2022". SFC FPA. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
5. ^ a b c d e f g "Johnny Fielding". Port Online. 9 November 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
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.

*[Apps]: League appearances
*[Gls]: League goals