Fred Pepper
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Frederick Pepper | ||
Date of birth | 1887 | ||
Place of birth | Netherfield, Nottinghamshire, England | ||
Date of death | 12 June 1950 (aged 62–63) | ||
Place of death | Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, United States | ||
Position(s) | Inside forward | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1908–1912 | Notts County | 5 | |
1913–1914 | Hamilton Lancashire | ||
1914–1920 |
Bethlehem Steel | ||
1920–1921 | Tebo Yacht Basin | ||
1921–1922 | Harrison S.C. | 21 | (3) |
1922–1923 | Fall River F.C. | 13 | (1) |
1923–1924 | New York Giants | 6 | (3) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Frederick "Chiddy"
Pepper saw much success in playing for Bethlehem; after unimpressive beginnings, he went on to play a major role in securing many titles for the side, including four
Early life
Frederick Pepper was born in 1887, one of nine children in
Playing career
Joining in the 1908–09 campaign, Pepper briefly played with
Appearances in the 1914–15 campaign, akin to his time at Notts County, were sporadic in nature, seeing time in only six games and scoring a mere three goals. However, Pepper, a talented
Joining the
Moving to
Later life
Pepper settled with his wife in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania in retirement, home to Bethlehem Steel and its eponymous football club. Remaining prominent in the local area's sporting culture, he served as a referee in the Pennsylvania Eastern League, eventually becoming president of the Lehigh Valley Soccer Referees Association. Frederick also held the positions of vice-president at the Eastern Pennsylvania District Soccer Association and as treasurer of the Lehigh Valley Soccer League; he disassociated with the latter in August 1929 due to disagreements over league policy. This prompted regret among the local media, which subsequently described him as "one of the greatest halfbacks that ever played in this country".[2]
Maintaining certain friendships following his playing days, Pepper liaised with the likes of Bethlehem manager William Sheridan, and teammates Johnny Rollo and Robert Morrison well into the 1940s; the latter, according to Morrison's nephew, identified Pepper by his "ugly little mug".[21] Alike his time in England, Frederick was also involved in trade union business, becoming a leading member of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC) by at least 1937; he is known to have recruited successfully, given that Bethlehem suffered particular economic depravity during the Great Depression, an event that affected public attendance to matches throughout the 1920s.[21][22] Following this, he worked as a self-employed corn merchant until his death on June 12, 1950; he was survived by his 20-year old adoptive daughter, his wife died several years before him.[1]
References
Notes
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d "Death Of An Old Notts. County Player Mr. Fred (Chiddy) Pepper". Nottingham Evening Post. 13 June 1950. p. 6. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b "Fred Pepper resigns from soccer league". The Bethlehem Globe. 21 August 1929. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "DServe Archive Catalog Show". Nottinghamshire County Council. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ^ "Men's Ontario Cup Champions". Ontario Soccer Association. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Pioneer Pepper joined Stars and Stripes". Nottingham Post. 8 June 2012. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Bethlehems again wins soccer title". The Bethlehem Globe. 3 May 1915. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Bethlehem Team Wins American Cup". (June 12, 1916). The Allentown Leader, p.10 col.4
- ^ "Bethlehem retains U.S. Soccer title". The Bethlehem Globe. 8 May 1916. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Bethlehem Steel loses championship". The Bethlehem Globe. 7 May 1917. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Bethlehem Steel lands the American championship". The Bethlehem Globe. 14 May 1917. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Despite the rough tactics by Rovers victory comes here". The Bethlehem Globe. 27 May 1918. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ Brown, Julian "The Rise and Fall of the Bethlehem Steel Football Club". Philly Sports Live. 27 February 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Bethlehem Steel Soccer Team wins American Cup". The Bethlehem Globe. 20 May 1918. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Another soccer title comes to the city of Bethlehem". The Bethlehem Globe. 28 April 1919. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Another soccer championship for this city". The Bethlehem Globe. 21 April 1919. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "A Swing Along Athletic Row". The Bethlehem Globe. 16 May 1921. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ "Sport has Banner Year during 1921". The New York Times. 25 December 1921. p. 19.
- ^ Jose 1998, p. 19
- ^ Jose 1998, p. 37
- ^ Jose 1998, p. 62
- ^ a b Zeitlin, Dave "Ghosts of Bethlehem Steel still linger in Philadelphia soccer lore". Major League Soccer. 16 September 2014. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
- ^ "Interview with John S. Wadolny for In the Age of Steel: Oral Histories from Bethlehem Pennsylvania" (PDF). Lehigh University. 11 March 1975. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
Bibliography
- Jose, Colin (1998). The American Soccer League: The Golden Years of American Soccer 1921-1931. Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-1-4617-1612-9.