Chris Hemming
Christopher Andrew John Hemming (born 13 April 1966) is a former footballer who played in the Football League for Stoke City and Wigan Athletic.[1][2] He is known as the first professional footballer to play whilst having a pacemaker.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christopher Andrew John Hemming[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 13 April 1966[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Newcastle-under-Lyme, England[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1981–1983 | Stoke City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1983–1989 | Stoke City | 93 | (2) |
| 1988 | → Wigan Athletic (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 1989–1991 | Hereford United | 41 | (3) |
| 1991–1992 | Merthyr Tydfil | 21 | (0) |
| 1992 | Macclesfield Town | ||
| 1992–1994 | Stafford Rangers | 76 | (2) |
| Total | 235 | (7) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Career
Hemming was a product of Stoke's youth system and he made his professional debut in the 1983–84 season which came in a 1–0 defeat away at Tottenham Hotspur on 3 March 1984.[1] He played in the awful 1984–85 season which saw Stoke relegated to the Second Division with a record low points tally.[1] Hemming became a useful member of Mick Mills' squad but he made the national sporting headlines when he was fitted with a pacemaker and still managed to continue playing professional football.[1] He played in 106 games for Stoke before joining Wigan Athletic on loan then permanently to Hereford United in 1989.[1] He later went on to play for non-league Merthyr Tydfil,[3] Macclesfield Town and Stafford Rangers.[1]
Career statistics
Source:[4]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Stoke City | 1983–84 | First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| 1984–85 | First Division | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | ||
| 1985–86 | Second Division | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| 1986–87 | Second Division | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| 1987–88 | Second Division | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 27 | 1 | |
| 1988–89 | Second Division | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 93 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 105 | 2 | ||
| Wigan Athletic (loan) | 1988–89 | Third Division | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Hereford United | 1989–90 | Fourth Division | 35 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[lower-alpha 2] | 2 | 45 | 4 |
| 1990–91 | Fourth Division | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
| Total | 41 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 55 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 138 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 166 | 7 | ||
- Appearances in Full Members' Cup
- Appearances in Football League Trophy
References
- Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
- Lowe, Simon (2000). Stoke City The Modern Era – A Complete Record. Desert Island Books. ISBN 1-874287-39-2.
- Harman, John (2005). Alliance to Conference. Tony Williams Publications. p. 457. ISBN 978-1-869833-52-7.
- Chris Hemming at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
External links
- Chris Hemming at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
- Chris Hemming profile at thisnorthernsoul.co.uk