Harold Fleming	Swindon Town FC 11 appearances, 9 goals P 11 W 9 D 1 L 1 F 33: A 13 86% successful 1909-14 captain: none minutes played: 990
Timeline
	Harold John Fleming
Birth	30 April 1887 in Duck Lane Cottage, Downton, Wiltshire [registered in Alderbury, June 1887]. Attended Sanford Street School and at theological College, Warminster.
Baptism	21 August 1887 in Downton
	According to the 1891 census, the three year old Harold is the youngest of three children to Frederick Henry and Jane (née Cove). They live at 14 Short Lane, Andover. His father is a grocer's assistant.
	According to the 1901 census, Harold is now just one of two children living with their parents at 8 Market Street in Swindon. His father is now a pork butcher. According to the Great Western Railway Employment Records, Fleming began working as a fifteen year-old clerk at The Engineer's Office, on 20 May 1902. He remained in their employment until 30 September 1907, when he also signed professional forms with Swindon Town FC.
	According to the 1911 census, Harold, now a professional footballer, is the only one still living with his parents, now at 5 Durham Street in Swindon. His father is a dairyman. The census also reveals that Harold is one of seven children, three had tragically died. According to Passenger Lists, Fleming was one of the Swindon Town team on board the LH Vandyke leaving Buenos Aires bound for Southampton on 3 August 1912. Fleming was injured and acted as the after-dinner speaker. According to the North Wiltshire directory's, as well as Kelly's Directory and the BT Phone Book's, F.H. was still living at 5 Durham Street in 1920, whereas H.J. was now in Wroughton Road.
Marriage	to Grace Haskins [registered in Cambridge, December 1918]. They had one child, Merial (b.23 April 1920, d January 1992).
	According to the 1921 census, Harold John, a boot manufacturer, is now married to Grace, and they have one daughter, Merial, and with his new wife's father, Walter Haskins, they live at 1 The Knoll, Wroughton Road in Swindon. According to the North Wiltshire directory's, as well as Kelly's Directory and the BT Phone Book's, F.H. was at 40 Croft Road, while his bootmaking and sports outfitters shop was based at 7 Fleet Street, Tel No. Swindon 284. From 1937, he was still living at Croft Street, whilst his shop was now at 24 Regent Circus. By 1940, he was living at The Knoll (tel no. Swi 2971), and still in his shop and Regents Circus (tel no. Swi 2813). Still available in 1959 edition.
	According to the 1939 register, Harold J., an athletic outfitter and owner of a boot factory, and Grace remain married, and they live at 40 Croft Road in Swindon, with their daughter Merial.
Death	23 August 1955 at 1 The Knoll, Croft Road in Swindon, aged 68 years 115 days [registered in Swindon, September 1955]. Left £13,118 4s 11d to his widow, Grace.
Source	Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &
Playing Career
	Club(s): Played junior football in Swindon, with St. Mark's FC, before having a trial with the town's professional team, and then signed for, Swindon Town FC, after impressing the secretary, Sam Allen, on 30 September 1907. Fleming settled to become club captain and to be an integral part of the team seeking election to the Football League. He missed most of 1912 after an FA Cup semi-final injury at Stamford Bridge, in what was a bruising encounter with Barnsley FC on March 30. After being constantly fouled, he was kicked in the groin and had to leave the field, he did not return for ten months. He returned to fitness, and despite an over-£3000 transfer to Newcastle United FC on 5 May 1914 failing to materialise, with agreements having been completed, he remained with Swindon until his retirement, completing 295 league appearances, scoring 182 goals, in August 1924.
	Club honours: Southern League Division One runners-up 1908-09, 1909-10, 1912-13, winners 1910-11, 1913-14; FA Cup semi-finalist 1909-10, 1911-12; Dubonnet Cup winners 1910; FA Charity Shield runners-up 1911;
	Individual honours: Southern League (six appearances, five goals)
	Distinctions: Fleming was a man of religious principle, he made a religious commitment to never play on a Good Friday or Christmas Day. Fleming's statue (left) was revealed on 2 May 1956, shortly after his death, scuplted by Carleton Attwood. It currently stands within the County Ground premises. Fleming Way (SN1) runs from Swindon's town centre running eastward toward the town's County Ground stadium.
Height/Weight	5' 10", 11st. 7lbs [1909].
	Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].
England Career
Player number	341st player to appear for England.
Position(s)	Inside-right
First match	No. 101, 3 April 1909, England 2 Scotland 0, a British Championship match at Sports Arena, Crystal Palace, Sydenham, London, aged 21 years 338 days.
Last match	No. 119, 4 April 1914, Scotland 3 England 1, a British Championship match at Hampden Park, Mount Florida, Glasgow, aged 26 years 339 days.
Major tournaments	British Championship 1908-09, 1910-11, 1911-12, 1912-13, 1913-14;
Team honours	British Championship winners 1908-09, 1910-11, 1912-13, shared 1911-12;
Individual honours	England's Joint-Top Goalscorer, three times (one 1910, three 1912, one 1914), FA Tour of South Africa 1910 (including the two tests)
Distinctions	The first Wiltshirian to represent England. most appearanced Englishman at Swindon Town. Died twelve days after Bert Freeman
Beyond England
Fleming became a successful businessman in Swindon. A proprietor of a football boot factory in the town. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.97/98.

Harold Fleming - Career Statistics
Squads	Apps	comp. apps	Mins.		goals ave.min	comp. goals	Capt.	Disc.
16	11	9	990	9	110 min	6	none	none
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors.

Harold Fleming - Match History
Club: Swindon Town F.C. - 11 full appearances F.A. International Select Committee - 11 full capsx
Age 21
-	99	13 February 1909 - England 4 Ireland 0, Horton Park Avenue, Bradford	BC	HW	reserve
-	100	15 March 1909 - England 2 Wales 0, City Ground, Nottingham		HW	reserve
1	101	3 April 1909 - England 2 Scotland 0, Sports Arena, Crystal Palace		HW	Start	ir
Age 22
2	102	29 May 1909 - Hungary 2 England 4, Millenáris Sportpálya, Buda-Pesth	tour	AW	Start 42	ir
3	103	31 May 1909 - Hungary 2 England 8, Millenáris Sportpálya, Buda-Pesth		AW	Start 4, 44	ir
-	104	1 June 1909 - Austria 1 England 8, Hohe Warte Stadion, Wien		AW	reserve
4	105	12 February 1910 - Ireland 1 England 1, Solitude Ground, Belfast	BC	AD	Start 51	ir
5	106	14 March 1910 - Wales 0 England 1, Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff		AW	Start	ir
-	107	2 April 1910 - Scotland 2 England 0, Hampden Park, Glasgow		AL	reserve
Age 23
FA Tour of South Africa		29 June 1910 - South Africa 0 England 3, Durban, Natal Province	tour	AW	reserve
		23 July 1910 - South Africa 2 England 6, Wanderers Ground, Johannesburg		AW	Start 1, 68	ir
		30 July 1910 - South Africa 3 England 6, Cape Town, Cape Province		AW	Start 65	ir
6	108	11 February 1911 - England 2 Ireland 1, Baseball Ground, Derby	BC	HW	Start	ir
7	109	13 March 1911 - England 3 Wales 0, The Den, New Cross		HW	Start	ir
Age 24
8	111	10 February 1912 - Ireland 1 England 6, Dalymount Park, Dublin	BC	AW	Start 12, 40, 64	ir
-	112	11 March 1912 - Wales 0 England 2, The Racecourse, Wrexham		AW	withdrawn
Age 25
9	115	17 March 1913 - England 4 Wales 3, Ashton Gate. Bedminster	BC	HW	Start 27	ir
10	116	5 April 1913 - England 1 Scotland 0, Stamford Bridge, Fulham		HW	Start	ir
Age 26
11	119	4 April 1914 - Scotland 3 England 1, Hampden Park, Glasgow	BC	AL	Start 18	ir

Notes

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