Harold Fleming (footballer)
| 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) | ||
| Playing position | 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 a footballer for St. Marks F.C. and Swindon Town.
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.
Fleming's legendary status in the minds of Swindon supporters is cemented by a road named after the forward close to the County Ground named Fleming Way and a statue which stands in the club's foyer. (During his career, he also had a style of football boot named after him.)
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.
External links
- Discovery of lost Harold Fleming footage at BBC Wiltshire
- Article on Swindon Town website
- Tribute from local newspaper