John Fielding (footballer, born 1939)

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.

John Fielding
Personal 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)[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

Playing career

Early years

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Career statistics
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[lower-alpha 1] 2 48 13
1962–63[11] 27 10 2 1 3 0 2[lower-alpha 2] 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[lower-alpha 3] 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

Wigan Athletic

Port Elizabeth City

References
  1. "John Fielding". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  2. "Johnny Fielding". Port Online. 9 November 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  3. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. p. 56. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  4. "Obituary | John Fielding (02/09/1939 – 1 August 2022)". Wigan Athletic FC. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  5. Hayes, Daniel (18 August 2022). "John Fielding 1939–2022". SFC FPA. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  6. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 387–388. ISBN 0951526200.
  7. "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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