Arthur Wileman
Arthur Harold Wileman MM (1 January 1886 – 28 April 1918), sometimes known as Nippy Wileman, was an English professional footballer who played as an inside right in the Football League for Chelsea and Burton United.[5][6]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Arthur Harold Wileman[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 1 January 1886 | ||
| Place of birth | Newhall, England | ||
| Date of death | 28 April 1918 (aged 32)[2] | ||
| Place of death | near Voormezeele, Belgium[3] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[4] | ||
| Position(s) | Inside right | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Newhall Swifts | |||
| 1904–1906 | Gresley Rovers | ||
| 1906–1909 | Burton United | 8 | (2) |
| 1909–1911 | Chelsea | 14 | (5) |
| 1911–1912 | Millwall Athletic | ||
| 1912–1915 | Luton Town | 72 | (42) |
| Southend United | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Personal life
Wileman's brother Heneage was also a footballer and the brothers played together at Burton United, Chelsea and Southend United.[5][7] On 16 December 1914, four months after Britain's entry into the First World War, Wileman enlisted in the Football Battalion.[8] After transferring to the Royal Sussex Regiment,[1] he was sent to the front in March 1916.[8] Wileman rose to the rank of sergeant and was awarded a Military Medal for bravery in the field in January 1918.[1] On 28 April 1918, Wileman was killed along with two others during a reconnaissance patrol in the vicinity of the Elzenwalle Chateau, Voormezeele, West Flanders on 28 April 1918.[3][7] His name is inscribed on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing.[2]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Burton United | 1905–06[7] | Second Division | 8 | 2 | — | 8 | 2 | |
| Chelsea | 1909–10[9] | First Division | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 4 |
| Luton Town | 1912–13[10] | Southern League Second Division | 23 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 9 |
| 1913–14[10] | 24 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 27 | 28 | ||
| 1914–15[10] | Southern League Second Division | 25 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 29 | 10 | |
| Total | 72 | 42 | 9 | 5 | 81 | 47 | ||
| Career total | 94 | 48 | 9 | 5 | 103 | 53 | ||
References
- "Arthur Harold Wileman | Service Record". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
- "Casualty Details". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
- Churchill, Alexandra; Holmes, Andrew (15 July 2015). Over Land and Sea: Chelsea FC in the Great War. The History Press. ISBN 9780750965422.
- Luton Town F.C. Handbook 1914–15. 1914. p. 35.
- Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 311. ISBN 978-1905891610.
- "Arthur Harold Wileman - Player Database". Gresley FC Online. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- Newman, Steve. "The Original Blue Army" (PDF). pp. 12–13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
- "Sergeant Arthur Harold Wileman MM | Great War Stories". www.worldwar1luton.com. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
- "Arthur Wileman". 11v11.com. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- "Arthur Wileman". Hatters Heritage. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- "Lest We Forget, By Roger Wash". www.lutontown.co.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
