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4 December 2022
 
 

Harold Fleming

Swindon Town FC

11 appearances, 9 goals

P 11 W 9 D 1 L 1 F 33: A 13
86% successful

1909
-14

captain: none
minutes played:
990

Timeline

  Harold John Fleming
Birth 30 April 1887 in Duck Lane Cottage, Downton, Wiltshire [registered in Alderbury, June 1887].
Attended Sanford Street School and at theological College, Warminster.
Baptism 21 August 1887 in Downton
 

According to the 1891 census, the three year old Harold is the youngest of three children to Frederick Henry and Jane (née Cove). They live at 14 Short Lane, Andover. His father is a grocer's assistant.

 

According to the 1901 census, Harold is now just one of two children living with their parents at 8 Market Street in Swindon. His father is now a pork butcher.
According to the Great Western Railway Employment Records, Fleming began working as a fifteen year-old clerk at The Engineer's Office, on 20 May 1902. He remained in their employment until 30 September 1907, when he also signed professional forms with Swindon Town FC.

 

According to the 1911 census, Harold, now a professional footballer, is the only one still living with his parents, now at 5 Durham Street in Swindon. His father is a dairyman. The census also reveals that Harold is one of seven children, three had tragically died.
According to Passenger Lists, Fleming was one of the Swindon Town team on board the LH Vandyke leaving Buenos Aires bound for Southampton on 3 August 1912. Fleming was injured and acted as the after-dinner speaker.
According to the North Wiltshire directory's, as well as Kelly's Directory and the BT Phone Book's, F.H. was still living at 5 Durham Street in 1920, whereas H.J. was now in Wroughton Road.

Marriage to Grace Haskins [registered in Cambridge, December 1918]. They had one child, Merial (b.23 April 1920, d January 1992).
  According to the 1921 census, Harold John, a boot manufacturer, is now married to Grace, and they have one daughter, Merial, and with his new wife's father, Walter Haskins, they live at 1 The Knoll, Wroughton Road in Swindon.
According to the North Wiltshire directory's, as well as Kelly's Directory and the BT Phone Book's, F.H. was at 40 Croft Road, while his bootmaking and sports outfitters shop was based at 7 Fleet Street, Tel No. Swindon 284. From 1937, he was still living at Croft Street, whilst his shop was now at 24 Regent Circus. By 1940, he was living at The Knoll (tel no. Swi 2971), and still in his shop and Regents Circus (tel no. Swi 2813). Still available in 1959 edition.
  According to the 1939 register, Harold J., an athletic outfitter and owner of a boot factory, and Grace remain married, and they live at 40 Croft Road in Swindon, with their daughter Merial.
Death 23 August 1955 at 1 The Knoll, Croft Road in Swindon, aged 68 years 115 days [registered in Swindon, September 1955]. Left £13,118 4s 11d to his widow, Grace.

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &

Playing Career

Club(s): Played junior football in Swindon, with St. Mark's FC, before having a trial with the town's professional team, and then signed for, Swindon Town FC, after impressing the secretary, Sam Allen, on 30 September 1907. Fleming settled to become club captain and to be an integral part of the team seeking election to the Football League. He missed most of 1912 after an FA Cup semi-final injury at Stamford Bridge, in what was a bruising encounter with Barnsley FC on March 30. After being constantly fouled, he was kicked in the groin and had to leave the field, he did not return for ten months. He returned to fitness, and despite an over-£3000 transfer to Newcastle United FC on 5 May 1914 failing to materialise, with agreements having been completed, he remained with Swindon until his retirement, completing 295 league appearances, scoring 182 goals, in August 1924.
Club honours: Southern League Division One runners-up 1908-09, 1909-10, 1912-13, winners 1910-11, 1913-14; FA Cup semi-finalist 1909-10, 1911-12; Dubonnet Cup winners 1910; FA Charity Shield runners-up 1911;
Individual honours: Southern League (six appearances, five goals)
Distinctions: Fleming was a man of religious principle, he made a religious commitment to never play on a Good Friday or Christmas Day.
Fleming's statue
(left) was revealed on 2 May 1956, shortly after his death, scuplted by Carleton Attwood. It currently stands within the County Ground premises.
Fleming Way
(SN1) runs from Swindon's town centre running eastward toward the town's County Ground stadium.
Height/Weight 5' 10", 11st. 7lbs [1909].
  Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].

England Career

Player number 341st player to appear for England.
Position(s) Inside-right
First match No. 101, 3 April 1909, England 2 Scotland 0, a British Championship match at Sports Arena, Crystal Palace, Sydenham, London, aged 21 years 338 days.
Last match No. 119, 4 April 1914, Scotland 3 England 1, a British Championship match at Hampden Park, Mount Florida, Glasgow, aged 26 years 339 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1908-09, 1910-11, 1911-12, 1912-13, 1913-14;
Team honours British Championship winners 1908-09, 1910-11, 1912-13, shared 1911-12;
Individual honours England's Joint-Top Goalscorer, three times (one 1910, three 1912, one 1914), FA Tour of South Africa 1910 (including the two tests)
Distinctions The first Wiltshirian to represent England.
most appearanced Englishman at Swindon Town.
Died twelve days after Bert Freeman

Beyond England

Fleming became a successful businessman in Swindon. A proprietor of a football boot factory in the town. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.97/98.

 

Harold Fleming - Career Statistics
Squads Apps comp. apps Mins. goals ave.min comp. goals Capt. Disc.
16 11 9 990 9 110 min 6 none none
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors.

 

Harold Fleming - Match Record - All Matches
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Home 5 5 0 0 12 4 +8 0 3 2.40 0.80 100.0 +5
Away 6 4 1 1 21 9 +12 0 1 3.50 1.50 75.0 +3
All 11 9 1 1 33 13 +20 0 4 3.00 1.182 86.4 +8

 

Harold Fleming - Match Record - By Type of Match
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
British Championship 9 7 1 1 21 9 +12 0 4 2.333 1.00 83.3 +6
Friendly 2 2 0 0 12 4 +8 0 0 6.00 2.00 100.0 +2
All 11 9 1 1 33 13 +20 0 4 3.00 1.182 86.4 +8

 

Harold Fleming - Match Record - Tournament Matches
British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1908-09 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC 1909-10 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1 0 1 1.00 0.50 75.0 +1
BC 1910-11 2 2 0 0 5 1 +4 0 1 2.50 0.50 100.0 +2
BC 1911-12 1 1 0 0 6 1 +5 0 0 6.00 1.00 100.0 +1
BC 1912-13 2 2 0 0 5 3 +2 0 1 2.50 1.50 100.0 +2
BC 1913-14 1 0 0 1 1 3 -2 0 0 1.00 3.00 0.00 -1
BC All 9 7 1 1 21 9 +12 0 4 2.333 1.00 83.3 +6
All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 9 7 1 1 21 9 +12 0 4 2.333 1.00 83.3 +6
All 9 7 1 1 21 9 +12 0 4 2.333 1.00 83.3 +6

 

Harold Fleming - Match History
 Club: Swindon Town F.C. - 11 full appearances

F.A. International Select Committee - 11 full capsx

Age 21
- 99 13 February 1909 - England 4 Ireland 0, Horton Park Avenue, Bradford BC HW reserve
- 100 15 March 1909 - England 2 Wales 0, City Ground, Nottingham HW reserve
1 101 3 April 1909 - England 2 Scotland 0, Sports Arena, Crystal Palace HW Start ir
Age 22
2 102 29 May 1909 - Hungary 2 England 4, Millenáris Sportpálya, Buda-Pesth tour AW Start 42 ir
3 103 31 May 1909 - Hungary 2 England 8, Millenáris Sportpálya, Buda-Pesth AW Start 4, 44 ir
- 104 1 June 1909 - Austria 1 England 8, Hohe Warte Stadion, Wien AW reserve
4 105 12 February 1910 - Ireland 1 England 1, Solitude Ground, Belfast BC AD Start 51 ir
5 106 14 March 1910 - Wales 0 England 1, Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff AW Start ir
- 107 2 April 1910 - Scotland 2 England 0, Hampden Park, Glasgow AL reserve
Age 23
FA Tour of South Africa 29 June 1910 - South Africa 0 England 3, Durban, Natal Province tour AW reserve
23 July 1910 - South Africa 2 England 6, Wanderers Ground, Johannesburg AW Start
1, 68
ir
30 July 1910 - South Africa 3 England 6, Cape Town, Cape Province AW Start 65 ir
6 108 11 February 1911 - England 2 Ireland 1, Baseball Ground, Derby BC HW Start ir
7 109 13 March 1911 - England 3 Wales 0, The Den, New Cross HW Start ir
Age 24
8 111 10 February 1912 - Ireland 1 England 6, Dalymount Park, Dublin BC AW Start

12, 40, 64
ir
- 112 11 March 1912 - Wales 0 England 2, The Racecourse, Wrexham AW withdrawn
Age 25
9 115 17 March 1913 - England 4 Wales 3, Ashton Gate, Bristol BC HW Start 27 ir
10 116 5 April 1913 - England 1 Scotland 0, Stamford Bridge, Fulham HW Start ir
Age 26
11 119 4 April 1914 - Scotland 3 England 1, Hampden Park, Glasgow BC AL Start 18 ir

Notes

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CG