|
|
|
Fred
Spiksley |
Wednesday FC
7 appearances, 7 goals
hattrick
on his debut
P 7 W 5 D
2 L 0 F 23: A 7
86% successful
1892-98
captain: none
minutes played: 630 |
|
 |
|
Timeline |
| |
Frederick Spiksley |
,%20Fred.JPG) |
Spiksley
was such a well-known footballer that it seems odd to find his name
invariably spelt Spikesley in match reports and some census returns. Frederick's own hand
even confused the matter (left). However, as supplied by Clive Nicholson,
his birth certificate, baptism record, marriage certificates and death
certificate, all provide ample evidence that he was a Spiksley all along. |
|
Birth |
Tuesday, 25 January 1870 at 3 Willoughby Street,
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. |
|
|
registered in Gainsborough January-March 1870. |
|
Baptism |
Thursday, 24 February 1870 at Holy Trinity Church,
Gainsborough, by Reverend R.W. Charteris. |
|
Education |
Attended Holy Trinity Church School in
Gainsborough. |
|
|
According to the 1871 census,
Frederick is the youngest of three children, all sons, to Edward and
Sarah (née Porter), living at 3 Willoughby Street in Gainsborough. His father is a boiler
maker at the nearby Britanna Ironworks.
Frederick's younger sister, Florence Maud, was born on 12 November
1875, but she tragically died on 18 December |
|
|
According to the 1881 census,
Fredk is still the youngest of the three living at home with their parents
at The Crown and Anchor Inn (since 1878) on the corner of Bridge Street in
Gainsborough, with one servant, where his father is now a publican. |
|
|
According to the 1891 census,
Frederick is a compositor printer, still one of two living at home with
their parents at 14-16 Boulevard Crescent in Gainsborough. His father is
once again, a boiler maker. |
|
First marriage |
to Ellen Robinson,
on Thursday, 5 September 1895 at Sheffield Register Office, Sheffield West
Riding of Yorkshire, by Reverend R.W. Charteris. |
|
|
registered in Sheffield July-September 1895. |
|
Children |
Fred and Nellie Spiksley had two sons together.
Frederick Walter (b&d. January 1896) and
Frederick Hayward (b. late-1897) |
"AN INTERNATIONAL
FOOTBALLER'S BORROWINGS
"At Gainsborough County-court, on Thursday.
J.W. Nash sued Fred Spiksley, the International football player, for £10
1s. 6d. money lent. A special defence was sent up under the Gaming Act
that the money was advanced for the purpose of betting transactions. Mr
Tweed, plaintiff's solicitor, said that the amount was not for the purpose
of gaming. There was no doubt that the parties had gaming transactions,
but these were all settled. The Judge made an order for payment of the
money at the rate of 10s a month." - The
Daily Mail, Friday, 12 October 1900.
Within a
year, Spiksley was also taking Nash to court, who was pocketing his
repayments. And although Fred won the case, Nash was soon to be filing for
bankruptcy himself. |
|
|
According to the 1901 census,
Frederick is a professional footballer now married to Ellen and with one
son, Fred H. They live at 57 Gordon Street in Gainsborough.
In
1906, he was living at 148 Moorsgate in Retford; |
"INTERNATIONAL
FOOTBALLER FINED FOR BETTING
"Fred Spiksley, of Moorgate, Retford, was
charged at London Police Court on Monday with having loitered on the City
Football Ground on Saturday at the Lincoln Bycycle Sports, for the purpose
of betting. Police-Constable Jewels said he had the defendant under
observation for 20 minutes, and saw him receive and pay out bets. He
arrested him and found in his possession a sports programme, which he had
used as a memorandum for his bets. Mr G.E.B. Padley, who appeared for the
defendant, said his client was not a professional bookmaker, and only had
a few bets with his friends. He maintained that defendant attended the
sports to see the races, and was therefore not guilty of loitering.
Defendant said that up to August Bank holiday he had not attended any
sports meeting for five years and had not betted with a stranger on
Saturday. He and a few friends started originally with betting for cigars,
and used to toss up to see who was to have the choice of taking the bets.
All around him were bookmakers with clerks. Alderman Harrison—What
are these entries in the programme? There are probably nearly 100 amounts
down here from 1s to 2s 6d. Defendant—One fancied one thing and one
another. It was merely a sweepstake between us. A fine of £2,
including costs, was imposed. The chairman remarked that it was a great
pity that English games should be vitiated by pernicious principle of
betting." - The Aberdeen Daily Journal, Wednesday, 2
September 1908. |
"FOOTBALLER'S
DEBTS. Fred Spiksley's Story.—HOW HE LIVES NOW
"'Accident while playing football in the season
1903-4,' was the cause Frederick Spiksley, an old International football
player, gave for his financial failure. The debtor, who was in the
Sheffield Wednesday team for many years, appeared to undergo his first
public examination at Lincoln, yesterday. He was described as a journalist
and a printer, of 148, Moorgate, Retford. The liabilities were expected to
rank at £81 5s. 2d., and there were no assets. Debtor, who is 39 years
old, questioned by the Official Receiver, said he was a professional
footballer for about 18 years, but he had not played now for two or three
years. He was also a journalist, and served his time to that. When he was
21 he started playing football for Sheffield Wednesday.
"The Official
Receiver: Were these debts incurred when you are a footballer or a
journalist?—They were incurred in the last year
I played football with Sheffield Wednesday.
"Debtor further said he
lived with his wife, who had a house of her own. They had been married
nearly 14 years. What furniture there was left belonged to her. She had
been tenant of the house the last five or six years. He had had several
County Court proceedings taken against him, and an attempt was made to put
a bailiff in possession on one occasion, but they could not, because it
was his wife's house.
"The Official Receiver: When did you cease paying
people?—I have been paying up to now practically, as far as I could. I
should say at the time I got married I owed nearly £400, and I have
reduced that to about £80, I paid as long as I could, and then I filed my
petition. I am doing nothing at all now.
"How do you live?—A good deal
on charity and friends, father and mother and so on.
"You beg a bit
from friends?—No, I don't beg. I never did in my life.
"I don't mean
stand at street corners with your hat. Do you solicit from your
friends?—No, I don't.
"You don't object to take something?—I earn a bit
now and again.
"What was your pay as a footballer?—I had a pretty good
salary. Four pounds a week, I daresay. That was before I had my accident,
in the season 1903-4. I was then anticipating a second benefit, which
would have been worth about £300, and if I had got that my debts would
have been paid.
"Have you played since?—I have tried a time or two, but
my leg would not stand.
"What are you getting a week now?—I may get an
order occasionally to send some people an article on football.
"You are
the man who orders the players, and sends them round?—No, but if I see a
good player anywhere, there's a market for him. They give as much as
£1,000 for a player now.
"But they don't pay that to you?—No; I wish
they did. (Laughter.) The examination was adjourned for debtor to sign the
notes" - The Yorkshire
Telegraph and Star, Friday, 5 March 1909. |
|
|
According to the 1911 census,
Frederick is now a journalist living with his wife and son, Fred 'Haywood',
at 29 Alma Road in Retford. |
"HOW FAMOUS FOOTBALLER ESCAPED FROM
[RUHLEBEN] GERMANY
"Fred Spiksley, the famous international
footballer, who was employed as football coach at Nuremberg, reached
Sheffield on Tuesday. With his wife and son he was arrested on August 10
but released later.
"At Lindau he was again stopped, but managed to get
a military doctor's certificate by a subterfuge. Years ago, it appears,
Spiksley suffered an injury to his right knee. By applying hot water to
the joint he was able to again dislocate his knee, and on that score was
granted a certificate stating that he was unfit for military service. The
party reached Paris on the day the bombs had been dropped in the city" -
The Midland Daily Telegraphy Saturday, 5
September 1914
"BANKRUPT FOOTBALLER
"DISCHARGE SUSPENDED FOR FIVE YEARS
"At the
Lincoln County Court to-day, Frederick Spiksley, who had been a printer,
journalist and an international football player, applied for his discharge
from bankruptcy.
"Mr. F. C. Brogden, the Official Receiver, said the
receiving order was made against the applicant in January 1909. The
liabilities estimated to rank for dividend amounted to £81 5s. 2d.,
the assets being nil. No dividend had or could be paid, as the
assets were not sufficient to pay the expenses incidental to bankruptcy.
The bankrupt had committed no misdemeanor under the Acts. He has played
football for some years for the Gainsborough Trinity Club, and afterwards
at Sheffield. During 1903-4 he was able to earn £4 a week, but he
had an accident in the field, and after that earned about £75 a year
as a journalist. He then got into debt. Recently he worked on munitions,
and earned 34s. a week. He had been in the army, and was interned in
Germany, being liberated on account of his injured knee.
"The Judge
granted the discharge, to be suspended for five years. The applicant asked
that the period of suspension be reduced. The Judge: If you had not been
fighting for your country I should have refused it altogether." -
Nottingham
Evening post, Tuesday, 10 October 1916.
"FRED SPIKSLEY
SUMMONED
"Fred Spiksley, the famous Wednesday and English
International outside-left was before the Sheffield Magistrates this week
on a charge of deserting his wife. From the evidence it appeared that he
had not contributed to the maintenance of his wife since August 16.
Letters were read from a woman in Newark, New Jersey, U.S.A., which spoke
of Spiksley in terms of endearment. Spiksley said home life had been very
unpleasant for four or five years, and there had been frequent quarrels.
His son had been the cause of the trouble, and if it were not for him he
would have returned to his wife. The Bench made an order for £2 a week,
with costs. " -
Green 'Un, Saturday, 27 November 1920. |
|
|
Cannot be found on 1921
census, presumably overseas. |
|
Divorce |
13 March 1928.
Fred and Nellie divorced after he had frequently committed many acts of adultery.
The decree nisi was granted and made absolute |
|
|
"FRED
SPIKSLEY TO MARRY.
"Notice has been entered at
Paddington Register Office of the forthcoming marriage of Fred Spiksley,
athletic coach, aged 59, Beaumont Hotel, Princess Square, Paddington, to
Miss Rosa Reichel, aged 39, also of Princess Square" -
Sheffield Daily Telegraph, Wednesday, 29 May 1929 |
|
Second marriage |
to Rose Reichel, on Monday, 3 June 1929 at Paddington Register Office,
London |
|
|
registered in Paddington April-June 1929. |
|
Children |
Fred and Rose Spiksley had one son together, Fred H. |
|
|
According to the 1939 census, Fred is a
divorced and retired athletic coach living at 88 Brunswick Street in
Rotherham. Ellen, and their son, Fred H. are living at 118 Broomspring
Lane in Rotherham. |
|
Death |
Wednesday,
28 July 1948 at Tattersall's enclosure at Goodwood Racecourse, Singleton,
West Sussex, from
coronary thrombosis. |
|
aged
78 years 185 days |
registered in Chichester
July-September 1948. |
|
"Four heat wave deaths occurred yesterday. Mr
Fred Spikesley, the former international footballer, was overcome by the heat and fell dead in the
Tattersall's enclosure at Goodwood yesterday."
- Yorkshire Post and Leeds Mercury,
Thursday, 29 July 1948 |
|
Probate |
"SPIKSLEY
Frederick of Loftus Hotel Templeton-place
London S.W.5 died
28 July 1948 at Goodwood Racecourse Sussex Administration
London
27 September to
Rosa Spiksley widow.
Effects £477 12s. 3d."
[2019 equivalent: £17,474] |
|
Source |
 Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990], Clive Nicholson & |
|
Biographies |
Twenty
Years of Professional Football - Fred Spiksley.
Flying
Over an Olive Grove: The Remarkable Story of Fred Spiksley: A Flawed
Football Hero - Clive Nicholson, Ralph Nicholson and Mark Metcalf (Red
Axe Books, October 2016). |
|
Playing Career |
Club(s) |
Began his playing
career with his school team, Holy Trinity FC, during which time he began to
assist Gainsborough Working Mens' FC in 1883, and Horncastle FC. He
was also turning out for Trinity Institute FC in 1885, and also playing
for Gainsborough Wednesday FC. In March 1887, Spiksley stepped in as an
emergency eleventh man for Gainsborough Trinity FC. The following month,
he accepted an invitation to play with Jubilee Swifts FC. He then signed
with the Trinity club as a professional in the summer. Blackburn Rovers FC attempted to sign him in 1890.
In January 1891, after 126 appearances
and 131 goals for Trinity, Accrington Stanley FC tried to buy
him, offering a higher wage, but on 26 January, he was signed by the Wednesday club, effective from the end of the current season.
He missed the 1903-04 season because of a knee injury in
August 1903, and on 1 May 1904, he was informed his contract had been
terminated.
Wednesday still expected £250 for any release. So Spiksley attended the
Football League AGM to plead his case, and won. He
signed with Archie Goodall's Glossop North End FC on 1 September 1904.
despite failing a medical test.
He was dismissed by Glossop for failing to relocate. Again, he was
granted a free transfer following League intervention. Spiksley joined Leeds City FC on 2 February 1905 on a
'pay as you play' deal,
making seven exhibition appearances.
He made another appearance for Glossop the following month. As
Leeds joined the Football League, in April 1905, Spiksley applied to
join
Southern United AFC of Nunhead, a club in the South-Eastern League Second
Division, as player-secretary-manager. His application was successful,
starting on 2 June, being
sacked on 22 January 1906. He also spent the duration and subsequent years
scouting for Chelsea FC. From February 1906 season, John Goodall convinced
Spiksley to sign with Watford FC,
making eleven Southern League appearances, scoring five
goals. Even Goodall came out of
retirement to play alongside him once again. Spiksley was not offered a
new playing contract at the end of the season, and so he retired form
playing. |
League History
297 appearances, 101 goals
one expulsion |
Wednesday FC 1892-1903
293 appearances, 101 goals
debut: 3 September 1892 Notts County FC 0
Wednesday FC 1.
Glossop North End FC 1904-05 four
appearances
debut (second division): 3 September 1904 Liverpool FC 2
Glossop North End FC 2.
last (second division):
25 March 1905 Grimsby Town FC 3 Glossop
North End FC 0. |
|
Club honours |
Gainsborough News
Charity Cup winners 1887-88, 1889-90 (having
fielded an ineligible player in the final, Trinity were awarded the
winners medals, but Notts Rangers were awarded the trophy);
Lincolnshire County Challenge Cup winners 1889-90, runners-up
1890-91;
Midlands League winners 1890-91;
FA Cup winners
1895-96 (6ᵃ 4ᵍ);
Football League Division Two
winners 1899-1900 (21ᵃ 10ᵍ);
League Champions
1902-03 (32ᵃ 8ᵍ), 1903-04 (0ᵃ injured); |
|
Individual honours |
Lincolnshire FA
(three appearances);
Sheffield & Hallamshire FA;
Football League
(two appearances, one goal) |
Distinctions |
Spiksley is the
scorer of the quickest goal in an FA Cup Final ("less
than twenty seconds had passed.").
A prize-winning
runner over 440 yards and an oarsman of note.
He played for a Corinthians
scratch team on 15 April 1907 that is deemed unofficial, if that is how
the match against Tottenham Hotspur FC is classified, then Spiksley is
most certainly the only unofficial professional to play for them, and
score.
Spent the 1908-09 season as a referee in the Midland Counties
League. |
|
Height/Weight |
5'
7", 10st.
0lbs [1903]. |
|
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & Clive Nicholson. |
|
England Career |
|
Player number |
One of four who became the 206th
players (209) to appear for England. |
|
Position(s) |
Outside-left |
|
First match |
No. 48, 13 March 1893, England 6 Wales
0, a British Championship match at Victoria Park, Boothen, Stoke-on-Trent, aged
23 years
47 days.
 |
Last match
5 years 20 days |
No. 64, 2 April 1898, Scotland 1
England 3, a British Championship match at Celtic Park, Kerrydale Street,
Parkhead, Glasgow, aged 28 years 67 days. |
|
Major tournaments |
British
Championship 1892-93, 1893-94, 1895-96, 1897-98; |
|
Team honours |
British
Championship winners 1892-93, 1897-98; |
|
Individual honours |
England's Top Goalscorer six 1893.
The Whites
(one appearance March 1894)
The Professionals
(one appearance March 1896) |
|
Distinctions |
The first England player to score two hat-tricks, and the
first to score a hat-trick against Scotland. |
|
Beyond England |
An accomplished pianist, having been
a member of the Gainsborough Music Society as a thirteen year old. Despite
this, he harboured ambitions to become an apprentice horse jockey while
working as a stable boy at Pellinger's Livery Stables. He left school to
become an office boy with the local Gainsborough News. A job he soon lost
after missing work to watch his beloved horse-racing at Lincoln
racecourse. He learned his trade of compositor as an apprentice while he
played with Trinity and Wednesday.
After retiring from the game, he
signed up with Fred Karno's theatre sketch show, and also applied to become
the new
manager at Queen's Park Rangers FC in November 1906, unsuccessfully. An
application for the managerial post at Tottenham Hotspur FC in April 1907
was also turned down. He was also interviewed for the vacant managerial
position at Watford FC in the summer of 1910. But his reluctance to give
up horse-racing ensured the position went to Harry Kent. Afterwhich, he
subsequently became a football coach to the Swedish national team from 20
May until September 1911. He was coaching TSV 1860 München in 1912. By
April 1914, he was headhunted by 1FC Nuremberg, and was interned at the outbreak of war,
but he and his family made it back home by the September. He became a munitions inspector
at Vickers during the war. When the war
was over, Spiksley had coaching engagements in Pennsylvania, United States, in
January 1921, and RC Espana OD in Mexico City in February 1921 and onto
Peru. After he spent the last decade freelancing his expertise also in
Belgium, France and Switzerland, he returned to coach Fulham FC on 17 October 1924
on a two-year contract and then
back to 1FC Nuremberg in 1926 and then Lausanne Sports in 1928. He settled back in England in 1932.
He taught football at King Edward VII School in Sheffield from September
1933 until November 1936. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.232./Flying Over an Olive
Grove. Clive Nicholson (2016). Red Axe. |
|
The Numbers |
|
parties |
Apps |
comp. apps |
minutes |
| goals ave.min |
comp. goals |
 |
captain |
|
8 |
7 |
7 |
630 |
7 |
90
min |
7 |
4 |
none |
|
The minutes here given
can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only an
approximation. |
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
7 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
23 |
7 |
+16 |
0 |
3 |
3.286 |
1 |
85.7 |
+5 |
|
All of his matches were played in the British Championship |
Venue Record
|
Venue |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
Home |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
2 |
+9 |
0 |
1 |
5.50 |
1.00 |
100.0 |
+2 |
|
Away |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
12 |
5 |
+7 |
0 |
2 |
2.40 |
1.00 |
80.0 |
+3 |
Tournament Record
|
British Championship Competition |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
BC 1891-92 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
=0 |
|
BC 1892-93 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
2 |
+9 |
0 |
1 |
5.50 |
1.00 |
100.0 |
+2 |
|
BC 1893-94 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
=0 |
0 |
0 |
2.00 |
2.000 |
50.0 |
=0 |
|
BC 1895-96 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
+2 |
0 |
1 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
100.0 |
+1 |
|
BC 1897-98 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
1 |
+5 |
0 |
1 |
3.00 |
0.50 |
100.0 |
+2 |
|
BC
All |
7 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
23 |
7 |
+16 |
0 |
3 |
3.286 |
1.00 |
85.7 |
+5 |
|
All Competition |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
BC |
7 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
23 |
7 |
+16 |
0 |
3 |
3.286 |
1.00 |
85.7 |
+5 |
|
7 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
23 |
7 |
+16 |
0 |
3 |
3.286 |
1 |
85.7 |
+5 |
Match History
|
apps |
match |
match details |
comp |
res. |
rundown |
pos |
Fred Spiksley
"It is always sad to hear of a former football experiencing hard times.
Fred Spiksley, probably the finest outside left who ever kicked a ball for
England, is out of a job.
"He it was who performed the "hat trick" for
his country in his first two international matches, and he is the only
Englishman to do the feat against Scotland."
- Daily Herald, 15 January 1932
|
|
