Fred Colling

Fred Colling (23 November 1897 – 15 April 1973) was an English footballer who made 16 appearances in the Football League playing as a forward for Darlington and Durham City. He also played non-league football for Darlington Railway Athletic, Shildon and Chopwell Institute.

Fred Colling
Personal information
Full name Fred Colling[lower-alpha 1]
Date of birth (1897-11-23)23 November 1897[4]
Place of birth Crook, County Durham, England
Date of death 15 April 1973(1973-04-15) (aged 75)[4]
Place of death Crook, County Durham
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
19??–1921 Darlington Railway Athletic
1921–1922 Darlington[lower-alpha 2] 2 (1)
1922–1923 Durham City 14 (4)
Shildon
Chopwell Institute
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Football career

Colling was born in Crook, County Durham,[1] one of several children of Henry Colling, a coal miner, and his wife Sarah Jane.[6] He played Northern League football for Darlington Railway Athletic,[1][7] before joining North-Eastern League club Darlington in the second half of the 1920–21 season.[8] After Darlington's election to the newly formed Northern Section of the Football League's third tier, Colling began the 1921–22 season in the club's reserve team, which took the place of the senior team in the North-Eastern League.[9] He made his Football League debut in the fourth match of the campaign, on 17 September away to Chesterfield, replacing Bill Hooper at inside right. Darlington won 3–0; "the third goal, which came in the last minute, was scored by Collings [sic], who sent in a long, fast shot which deceived Mitchell".[10] Hooper resumed for the next match,[11] and Colling played only once more for Darlington in the League.[1]

He signed for another Northern Section club, Durham City, in June 1922.[12] He impressed in pre-season practice,[13] and played regularly at inside right at the beginning of the campaign. He scored his first goal for Durham in their first win of the season, on 23 September against Accrington Stanley,[14] and scored twice more in the next few matches,[15] but played little in the latter part of the season and finished his Durham career with four goals from fourteen league appearances.[1]

After leaving Durham City, Colling appeared for clubs including Shildon and Chopwell Institute.[3] His application for a permit to resume amateur status was successful. While a permit player, he was caught up in the 1928 illegal payments crisis, in which several hundred amateur players registered to clubs under the auspices of the Durham County Football Association were suspended and deemed professionals for receiving "tea money" – payments, often very small, over and above reimbursement of the minimal legitimate expenses allowed.[16] In evidence to the inquiry, Colling admitted that Darlington Railway had paid him up to £1 10s per match, and that as an amateur with Darlington he had received a minimum of 15s per match plus travelling expenses.[17]

Colling was living in Crook at the time of his death in 1973 at the age of 75.[4]

Notes
  1. Joyce's 2004 Football League Player Records lists the player as Frederick Collinge rather than Colling,[1] but that spelling does not occur in contemporary newspaper sources. The only person of a similar name whose birth was registered in the Auckland district, which included his birth place of Crook, in the relevant timeframe was Fred (not Frederick) Colling,[2] and the English National Football Archive gives that as the player's full name.[3]
  2. Infobox appearances and goals only include those in the Football League.[1] Colling scored four goals in the 1920–21 North-Eastern League,[5] but no source for his appearances in that league has yet been supplied.

References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  2. "Index entry". FreeBMD. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  3. "Player search". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  4. "Index entry". FreeBMD. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
    "Find a will: Colling, 1973". Probate Calendar. Probate Service. p. 1772. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  5. Tweddle, Frank (2000). The Definitive Darlington F.C. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 22. ISBN 978-1-899468-15-7.
  6. "Fred Colling in household of Henry Colling, Crook And Billy Row, Durham, England". 1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census. Sub-district: Hamsterley. Archive reference: RG13. Page: 58. Retrieved 28 December 2018 – via FamilySearch.org.
  7. "Northern League". Yorkshire Post. 6 December 1920. p. 4.
  8. "Darlington v. Rochdale". Yorkshire Post. 14 February 1921. p. 4. Near half-time Darlington scored, Collins [sic], a new centre forward, putting on two goals in quick succession
  9. "North-Eastern League". Yorkshire Post. 5 September 1921. p. 4.
  10. Candid Critic (17 September 1921). "Another crushing defeat". Derbyshire Courier. p. 8.
    Candid Critic (24 September 1921). "Another defeat". Derbyshire Courier. p. 8.
  11. "Darlington v. Nelson". Yorkshire Post. 26 September 1921. p. 4. Both sides were at full strength, Hooper returning to the Darlington forward line.
  12. "Darlingtonian signs for Durham City". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 28 June 1922. p. 5.
  13. "Durham City strong in defence". Yorkshire Post. 21 August 1922. p. 4. The outstanding players were Parsons and Gilmore (full backs), Harrison (half), and Atkinson and Colling (forwards) for the Stripes.
  14. "Durham City v. Accrington. Player ordered off". Yorkshire Post. 25 September 1922. p. 4.
  15. "Halifax surprised". Athletic News. Manchester. 9 October 1922. p. 7.
    "Honours even". Athletic News. Manchester. 16 October 1922. p. 7.
  16. "Stamping out sham amateurism. F.A.'s drastic action. Wholesale suspensions and fines in Durham". Yorkshire Post. 30 June 1928. p. 9. F. Colling, formerly of Darlington F.C. and Darlington Railway F.C., who was granted a permit to play as an amateur without remuneration after having formerly played for Darlington F.C. as a professional, was suspended for next season. His permit was withdrawn, and will not be granted again.
    Taylor, Matthew (2013). The Association Game: A History of British Football. Abingdon: Routledge. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-582-50596-4.
  17. Hunt, Brian (1989). Northern Goalfields. Official Centenary History of the Northern League 1889–1989. Skol Northern League Management Committee. p. 409. ISBN 0-9514597-1-6.
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