Fred Wheldon
![]() Wheldon in Aston Villa colours in 1897 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | George Frederick Wheldon | ||
Date of birth | 1 November 1869 | ||
Place of birth | Langley Green, England | ||
Date of death | 13 January 1924 | (aged 54)||
Place of death | Worcester, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1] | ||
Position(s) |
Inside left | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
Rood End White Star | |||
188?–1890 | Langley Green Victoria | ||
1890–1896 | Small Heath | 155 | (96) |
1896–1900 | Aston Villa | 123 | (68) |
1900–1901 | West Bromwich Albion | 26 | (3) |
1901–1902 | Queens Park Rangers | 14 | (6) |
1902–1904 | Portsmouth | ||
1904–1907 | Worcester City | ||
Total | 318 | (173) | |
International career | |||
1894–1898 | The Football League XI | 4 | (4) |
1897–1898 | England | 4 | (6) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
George Frederick Wheldon (1 November 1869 – 13 January 1924) was an English sportsman. In
After retiring from sport, he became a publican in Worcester, where he died at the age of 54.
Personal life
George Frederick Wheldon was born on 1 November 1869 in Langley Green, which was then in Worcestershire.[1] He was the youngest of ten children of Eliza and Joseph Wheldon, who worked his way up to become manager of Albright and Wilson's phosphorus works at Langley Green, and attended Chance's infant school and Langley St Michael's school.[2][1][3] Commonly known as Fred or Freddie,[4] he completed a seven-year engineering apprenticeship at Albright and Wilson's,[5] and was working as a steam engine fitter before becoming a full-time professional footballer.[1] He was twice married and had at least five children.[1] He went into the licensed trade while still a footballer, and continued after his retirement from the game.[1] During the First World War, he was employed in munitions work.[5] He died at home, the Farriers Arms pub in Worcester, on 13 January 1924 at the age of 54.[1]
Club career
Wheldon played football for Oldbury-based club Rood End White Star,
Small Heath
Despite a mutual admiration between club and player, Wheldon did not join the
Wheldon's and Small Heath's first Football League goal opened the scoring in a 5–1 win against
In October 1894, Small Heath played West Bromwich Albion in a
Aston Villa
On 4 June 1896, Wheldon signed for League champions Aston Villa, reportedly the only club to meet Small Heath's valuation.[29] The fee was initially undisclosed at the buyers' request, but was confirmed by Small Heath's chairman at the club's annual general meeting as £100 up front, £250 from the takings at a match to be played between the two clubs, and half of any excess taken over that figure. The £350 was believed to be a transfer record, and Wheldon would receive wages "considerably in advance" of the £150 a year he earned at Small Heath.[30]
In
Wheldon, a professional cricketer with
West Bromwich Albion
At the end of that season, Wheldon asked Villa's permission to take a
He was appointed captain,
Later career
He then joined Southern League side Queens Park Rangers for £400 in 1901 and then moved to his third club in as many years, as one of manager Bob Blyth's reinforcements at 1901–02 Southern League title-holders Portsmouth.[45] Over the next two seasons he made 63 appearances in all competitions,[46] and then signed as club captain of Worcester City, where he played out the rest of his career,[1] scoring at least 39 goals in the Birmingham and District League.[47] He retired from football, aged 37, in January 1907.[28]
One of the select few who have won fame both at cricket and football. At one period of his long and brilliant career, Fred Wheldon's services would have been accepted by any club in the country. When at his best, he was undoubtedly the finest inside left forward England possessed. His command of the ball, his adaptability to prevailing conditions, combined with his dodging, his swerving, and his deadly shooting, made him a great player in the highest company. Brilliant with head and foot alike, he has always been an ornament to the game.
— The Villa News and Record, 1 September 1906[48]
International career
Wheldon was first selected for the
Wheldon won four England caps whilst at Villa, scoring six goals. He won his first England cap against Ireland at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on 20 February 1897. Wheldon netted a debut hat-trick as England cruised to a 6–0 victory. Some reports however, say Wheldon's free kick took a deflection off teammate Ernest Needham for 2-0 and also a James Barron own goal made it 4–0. He then played in two further internationals, against Ireland in Belfast, England winning 3–2, and then scored twice in a 3–0 victory against Wales in Wrexham. His last cap came against Scotland at Celtic Park, in which Steve Bloomer became England's record scorer. Wheldon scored after only 3 minutes, Bloomer then scored the other two to break the record set by Tinsley Lindley, as England won 3–1.[1]
Career statistics
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Small Heath | 1889–90[10] | Football Alliance | 2 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | ||
1890–91[11] | Football Alliance | 22 | 8 | 2 | 3 | — | 24 | 11 | ||
1891–92[12] | Football Alliance | 22 | 21 | 7 | 8 | — | 29 | 29 | ||
1892–93[18] | Second Division | 22 | 25[a] | 1 | 0 | 2[b] | 1 | 25 | 26 | |
1893–94[18] | Second Division | 28 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 1[b] | 1 | 30 | 24 | |
1894–95[18] | First Division | 29 | 11 | 1 | 0 | — | 30 | 11 | ||
1895–96[18] | First Division | 30 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4[b] | 3 | 35 | 10 | |
Total | 155 | 96 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 175 | 113 | ||
Aston Villa | 1896–97[18] | First Division | 30 | 18 | 7 | 4 | — | 37 | 22 | |
1897–98[18] | First Division | 26 | 23 | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 23 | ||
1898–99[18] | First Division | 33 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 35 | 16 | |
1899–1900[18] | First Division | 34 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 1[c] | 0 | 40 | 13 | |
Total | 123 | 68 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 139 | 74 | ||
West Bromwich Albion | 1900–01[18] | First Division | 26 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | 29 | 3 | |
Queens Park Rangers | 1901–02[52] | Southern League Division One | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 11[d] | 2 | 25 | 8 |
Career total | 218 | 173 | 30 | 18 | 20 | 7 | 368 | 198 |
- ^ Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) lists Wheldon as having scored a divisional best 24 goals in the 1892–93 Second Division,[16] but Matthews (2010) assigns him 25,[17] as does the English National Football Archive.[18]
- ^ a b c Appearance(s) in test matches
- ^ a b Appearance(s) in Sheriff of London Charity Shield
- ^ Five appearances in Western League, six appearances and two goals in London League
Cricket career
Wheldon played cricket for Langley Green and, having impressed with both bat and ball playing against them in 1892, moved on to Dudley of the
Wheldon played in Worcestershire's maiden first-class game, against Yorkshire in May 1899. He made a useful 49 not out in the first innings, and held two catches in Yorkshire's second.[58][59] Wheldon played in 14 matches in total that season, scoring 541 runs at an average of 33.81 including three half-centuries.[60]
Wheldon passed 900 runs again in 1904; he also collected 40 catches, by far the most in a season in his career,[60] and scored a century before lunch on the second day of the match against Leicestershire.[64][65] Thereafter his form fell away rapidly, and in 1905 he recorded a disastrous aggregate of 237 runs in 18 innings,[60] dropping out of the team in late July.[66] He did return for 1906, but again his form was poor and though he made an unbeaten 89 batting at number nine against Warwickshire (out of 633; again Wheldon kept wicket) his next highest score was 31 and he played no more first-class cricket after the end of the season.[60][67] He did appear in the Minor Counties Championship for Worcestershire Second XI in 1907 and for Carmarthenshire in 1910.[56]
Wheldon's grandson John Spilsbury played a single first-class match for Worcestershire in 1952.[68][69]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "England Players – Fred Wheldon". England Football Online. Chris Goodwin & Glen Isherwood. 20 November 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ a b Matthews (2000), p. 237.
- ^ "The fatal lift accident at Langley". Birmingham Daily Post. 18 July 1888. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ ""Bee"'s Sports Notes. Fred Wheldon dead". Liverpool Echo. 15 January 1924. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c H.J.H. (23 July 1949). "Peeps into the past. When Villa won the best-ever final". Sports Argus. Birmingham. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Birmingham Junior Cup ties. Langley Green Victoria v. Harborne". Birmingham Daily Post. 28 November 1887. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Football Notes". Birmingham Daily Mail. 13 January 1890. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Jingle (16 October 1915). "Boys of the Old Brigade. "Freddy" Wheldon's association with Small Heath F.C., and how he helped to make history". Sports Argus. Birmingham. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Football Notes". Birmingham Daily Mail. 17 February 1890. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Blakeman, Brown & Warsop (2009), p. 25.
- ^ a b Blakeman, Brown & Warsop (2009), p. 37.
- ^ a b Matthews (2010), pp. 228–229.
- ^ "The Football League". Manchester Courier. 14 May 1892. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "1892–93 Football League". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- ^ Matthews (2010), p. 79.
- ^ a b Ross, James M. (15 June 2022). "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- ^ Matthews (2010), p. 231.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Player search: Wheldon, GF (Fred)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ "Small Heath v. Newton Heath". Derby Daily Telegraph. 24 April 1893. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "League Test Match. Newton Heath v. Small Heath". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 28 April 1893. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Matthews (2010), pp. 232–233.
- ^ "League Test Matches. Small Heath v. Darwen". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 30 April 1894. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "West Bromwich Albion v. Small Heath". Birmingham Daily Post. 9 October 1894. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Matthews (2010), pp. 234–235.
- ^ Matthews (2010), pp. 226–237.
- ^ "Notes on Sport. An exciting game at Small Heath". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 11 February 1895. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Matthews (2010), pp. 14, 236.
- ^ a b Matthews (2010), p. 171.
- ^ a b "Wheldon signed by Aston Villa". Birmingham Daily Mail. 5 June 1896. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Football player's transfer. Extraordinary terms". Staffordshire Sentinel. 30 June 1896. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
The Aston Villa had decided to give them £100 cash down and to play Small Heath a match on September 1st, probably at Perry Barr. They had guaranteed no less a sum that £250 from this, and Small Heath were also to have half any amount taken in excess of the guarantee. This would mean a gain to Small Heath of about £500. Wheldon was having £150 a year, and he (the chairman) understood his wages with Aston Villa would be considerably in advance of that amount.
- ^ a b "Clubs: Aston Villa: 1896/97". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
Reports differ on the scorers. For Villa, Wheldon's goal is also credited to Cowan and Campbell, and Crabtree's to Wheldon or Devey. Everton`s goals may have come from Hartley, Spencer (og) or "scrimmage". We have followed the Complete Record books for both clubs.
- ^ "Aston Villa and their players. Wheldon suspended". Birmingham Daily Mail. 23 August 1898. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wheldon's suspension". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 26 August 1898. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Argus Junior (5 May 1900). "Football Gossip. Aston Villa". Sports Argus. Birmingham. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Aston Villa and their players". Birmingham Daily Post. 4 May 1900. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Football. Aston Villa and Wheldon". Birmingham Daily Post. 13 June 1900. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Matthews (1996), p. 35.
- ^ "West Bromwich Albion league performance history: League Division One table after close of play on 25 October 1900". 11v11.com. Association of Football Statisticians. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ Mavis (27 October 1900). "Blackburn Rovers v. West Bromwich Albion". Sports Argus. Birmingham. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Argus Junior (10 November 1900). "Football Gossip. West Bromwich Albion". Sports Argus. Birmingham. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Half-Back (15 December 1900). "Shots for goal. The Albion astonish their supporters". Birmingham Weekly Post. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Football League 1900–01". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ "West Bromwich Albion". Lancashire Daily Post. 24 August 1901. p. 2.
- ^ "Sports and Pastimes. The transfer of footballers". Walsall Advertiser. 27 July 1901. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hayes (1997), p. 16.
- ^ Hayes (1997), p. 29.
- ^ "Worcester City all time player statistics: All time goalscorer statistics". Worcester City FC Archive. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011.
- ^ The Villa News and Record. 1 September 1906., quoted at "Wheldon, Fred". Aston Villa Player Database. Jörn Mårtensson. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ "Fred Wheldon: Club stats: Football League". 11v11.com. Association of Football Statisticians. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- ^ "Irish League v. English League". Manchester Courier. 12 February 1894. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "England v. Scotland". Manchester Guardian. 23 April 1894. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Westerberg, Kenneth. "1901/02". QPRnet. Ron Norris. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ "Dudley v. Langley". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 18 July 1892. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Brooke & Goodyear (1990), p. 200.
- ^ "Cricket. Warwickshire Club and Ground v. Worcestershire Club and Ground". Birmingham Daily Post. 26 June 1893. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Frederick Wheldon". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
- ^ "A brief history of Worcestershire CCC". Worcestershire CCC. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
- ^ "First-class matches played by Worcestershire". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ "Worcestershire v Yorkshire County Championship 1899". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "First-class batting and fielding in each season by Frederick Wheldon". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ "Hampshire v Worcestershire County Championship 1900". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ "Worcestershire v Somerset County Championship 1903". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ "Worcestershire v Yorkshire County Championship 1903". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ Brooke & Goodyear (1990), p. 234.
- ^ "Leicestershire v. Worcestershire". Evening Standard. London. 28 June 1904. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "First-class matches played by Frederick Wheldon". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ "Worcestershire v Warwickshire County Championship 1906". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ "John Spilsbury". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ Brooke & Goodyear (1990), p. 183.
Sources
- Brooke, Robert; Goodyear, David (1990). A Who's Who of Worcestershire County Cricket Club. London: Robert Hale. ISBN 978-0-7090-4023-1.
- Blakeman, Mick; Brown, Tony; Warsop, Keith, eds. (2009). The Football Alliance Match by Match: 1889/90 to 1891/92. Nottingham: SoccerData. ISBN 978-1-905891-19-1.
- Freddi, Cris (1991). The England Football Fact Book. Enfield: Guinness. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-85112-991-4.
- Hayes, Dean (1997). Portsmouth F.C. An A–Z. Seaford: S.B. Publications. ISBN 978-1-85770-148-7.
- Matthews, Tony (1996). The A–Z of West Bromwich Albion. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-064-2.
- Matthews, Tony (2000). The Encyclopedia of Birmingham City Football Club 1875–2000. Cradley Heath: Britespot. ISBN 978-0-9539288-0-4.
- Matthews, Tony (2010). Birmingham City: The Complete Record. Derby: Derby Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-853-2.
External links
- Fred Wheldon at ESPNcricinfo
- Fred Wheldon at CricketArchive (subscription required)
- Fred Wheldon at Englandstats.com