Harold Fleming (footballer)
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Harold John Fleming | ||
| Date of birth | 30 April 1887 | ||
| Place of birth | Downton, Wiltshire, England | ||
| Date of death | 23 August 1955 (aged 68) | ||
| Position(s) | Inside forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| St. Marks | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1907–1924 | Swindon Town | 295 | (182) |
| National team | |||
| 1909–1914 | England | 11 | (9) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Harold John Fleming (30 April 1887 – 23 August 1955) was an English footballer who played for Swindon Town and the national team.
Football career[]
Fleming was an inside forward and began his career at St. Marks before being invited for a trial at Swindon Town by manager, Sam Allen. Fleming scored a brace in a 4–0 win over Salisbury and was swiftly signed on a full-time basis.
Harold Fleming became a Swindon Town legend scoring 203 times in 332 games for Swindon and if not for World War I his career may have been more successful. He worked as a physical education instructor during the conflict.
During his career, Fleming had a style of football boot named after him.[citation needed]
Commemoration[]
Fleming Way in Swindon, close to the County Ground, is named after him and a statue of him stands inside the foyer of Swindon Town at the County Ground. In 2019 Swindon Heritage unveiled a blue plaque to Flemming on his former home in Durham Street.[1]
Swindon Town career details[]
| Season | Team | League Apps | League Goals | Cup Apps | Cup Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923-24 | Swindon Town | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 1922-23 | Swindon Town | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1921-22 | Swindon Town | 24 | 11 | 2 | 2 |
| 1920-21 | Swindon Town | 26 | 16 | 1 | 1 |
| 1919-20 | Swindon Town | 20 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| 1914-15 | Swindon Town | 23 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| 1913-14 | Swindon Town | 24 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
| 1912-13 | Swindon Town | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 1911-12 | Swindon Town | 20 | 16 | 6 | 5 |
| 1910-11 | Swindon Town | 30 | 19 | 4 | 2 |
| 1909-10 | Swindon Town | 33 | 19 | 6 | 7 |
| 1908-09 | Swindon Town | 34 | 28 | 1 | 0 |
| 1907-08 | Swindon Town | 30 | 17 | 4 | 0 |
England career[]
Fleming remains the only Swindon player to have represented England at senior level while playing for the club - gaining 11 caps between 1909 and 1914.
| Cap | Date | Venue | Opposition | Att. | Result | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 April 1909 | Crystal Palace | Scotland | 40,000 | (W) 2-0 | 0 |
| 2 | 29 May 1909 | Budapest | Hungary | 10,000 | (W) 4-2 | 1 |
| 3 | 31 May 1909 | Budapest | Scotland | 13,000 | (W) 8-2 | 2 |
| 4 | 12 February 1910 | Belfast | Ireland | 25,000 | (D) 1-1 | 1 |
| 5 | 14 March 1910 | Cardiff | Wales | 20,000 | (W) 1-0 | 0 |
| 6 | 11 February 1911 | Derby | Ireland | 20,000 | (W) 2-1 | 0 |
| 7 | 13 March 1911 | Millwall | Wales | 22,000 | (W) 3-0 | 0 |
| 8 | 10 February 1912 | Dublin | Ireland | 15,000 | (W) 6-1 | 3 |
| 9 | 17 March 1913 | Bristol | Wales | 8,000 | (W) 4-3 | 1 |
| 10 | 5 April 1913 | Chelsea | Scotland | 52,500 | (W) 1-0 | 0 |
| 11 | 4 April 1914 | Glasgow | Scotland | 127,307 | (L) 1-3 | 1 |
Family[]
Harold Fleming was the son of Fredrick Henry Fleming (born 19 May 1850), and had one brother (Fredrick Edwin) and two sisters (Ella and Edith). All four went on to have children, including a daughter (Meriel) for Harold.
References[]
- ^ "Harold Fleming". SWINDON HERITAGE BLUE PLAQUES. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
External links[]
- 1887 births
- 1955 deaths
- People from Downton, Wiltshire
- Swindon Town F.C. players
- English footballers
- England international footballers
- Association football inside forwards
- British military personnel of World War I