George Fleming (footballer, born 1859)

George Spink Fleming (4 November 1859 – 1 April 1912) was a Scottish footballer. He was the first player to score for Everton in the Football League, scoring twice in a 2–1 win against Accrington on the competition's opening day.[1][2]

George Fleming
Personal information
Full name George Spink Fleming
Date of birth 4 November 1859
Place of birth Arbroath, Scotland
Date of death 1 April 1912(1912-04-01) (aged 52)
Place of death Waterloo, Liverpool, England
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1887–1888 Everton 4 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Described as a hard-running forward, able to occupy all five front-line positions, he produced his best form on the wing. Signed in August 1885 he scored 45 goals in 82 games before the Football League era began in 1888.[3]

George Fleming made his League debut on 8 September 1888, playing as a winger, at Anfield, then the home of Everton. The home team defeated the visitors, Accrington 2–1 and George Fleming scored both goals scoring the first Everton League goal and the first Everton player to score two–in–a–League–match. When George Fleming played as a winger on 15 September 1888 against Notts County he was 28 years 316 days old; that made him, on that second weekend of League football, Everton's oldest player. George Fleming appeared in four of the 22 League matches played by Everton in season 1888–89 and scored two League goals. Both his League goals were scored in the same match.[4]

References
  1. "George Fleming". Everton Former Players' Foundation. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  2. "George Fleming". www.evertonfc.com. Everton F.C. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  3. Matthews, Tony (2004). Who's Who of Everton. Mainstream Publishing. pp. 88–89. ISBN 1 84018 819 7.
  4. "English National Football Archive". Retrieved 29 January 2018. (registration & fee required)


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