Frederick Spiksley (25 January 1870 – 28 July 1948) was an English footballer and coach, who played as a forward for Sheffield Wednesday and England. He also played for Gainsborough Trinity, Glossop North End, Leeds City, Watford. After retiring as a player in 1906, he worked as a coach and won national league titles in Sweden, Mexico and Germany. During the First World War he was arrested but escaped from a German Police prison.
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Frederick Spiksley | ||
| Date of birth | 25 January 1870 | ||
| Place of birth | Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England | ||
| Date of death | 28 July 1948 (aged 78) | ||
| Place of death | Goodwood Racecourse, England | ||
| Position(s) | Outside Left | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1883-c.1886 | Holy Trinity School, Gainsborough | ||
| c. 1884 | Eclipse | ||
| 1887 | Gainsborough Jubilee Swifts | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1886 | Gainsborough Working Men's Club | ||
| 1886 | Gainsborough Wednesday | ||
| 1887–1891 | Gainsborough Trinity | ||
| 1891–1903 | Wednesday | 293 | (100) |
| 1904 | Glossop North End | 3 | (1) |
| 1905 | Leeds City | 7 | (0) |
| 1905–1906 | Southern United | ? | (?) |
| 1906 | Watford | 11 | (5) |
| International career | |||
| 1893–1898 | England | 7 | (7) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1910 | IFK Norrköping | ||
| 1911 | AIK Stockholm | ||
| 1911 | Sweden | ||
| 1911–1912 | MTV Munich 1879 | ||
| 1912–1914 | 1. FC Nürnberg | ||
| 1922–1924 | Reforma AC | ||
| 1922–1924 | Real Club España | ||
| 1926–1927 | 1. FC Nürnberg | ||
| 1928 | Lausanne Sports | ||
| 1931 | CF Badalona | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Early life and family
editSpiksley was born in Gainsborough, the son of a boilermaker.[1] His father Edward worked at the Britannia Ironworks in Gainsborough. Edward had been married to Frederick's mother Sarah for five years by the time he was born.[2] Frederick had a younger sister named Florence Maud, who died on 18 December 1875, at the age of nearly five weeks.[3]
At the time of the 1881 census, Spiksley's father was recorded as working as a Publican in Gainsborough. Frederick had an older brother named John Edward, and a younger brother named William.[4]
Playing career
edit.jpg)
After playing for local teams in Gainsborough, including Gainsborough Trinity (for whom he had scored 131 goals in 126 appearances), he signed for Wednesday in 1891.[1] His later career was marred by injury (including a serious knee injury in 1903) and he played for Leeds City, Southern United and Watford.[1]
He was also an England international, scoring hat-tricks for his country on both his debut against Wales and second appearance against Scotland, both in 1893.[1][5][6]
Coaching career
editAfter retiring as a player Spiskley joined the Fred Karno Company, and worked in a theatre with Charlie Chaplin.[1] He then became a football coach who worked in Sweden, Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, the United States, Peru and Mexico, as well as in England.[1]
After World War I broke out, he was coaching in Germany and was held in police prison for three days along with his son.[1] His wife managed to secure their release, and the family moved to Switzerland.[1] He then returned to England but was deemed unfit to serve in the War due to his earlier knee injury, which Spiksley exacerbated by dislocating his knee at will to fool the medical examiner.[1] He spent the war working in Sheffield as a munitions inspector,[7] resuming his coaching career after the war ended.[1]
He ended his career coaching at the King Edward VII School in Sheffield.[1]
Playing style
editSpiksley was a "slight and silky winger" who was described as the "fastest man in football" by his England international team-mate Billy Bassett.[1]
Personal life
editHe was married to Ellen with a son, Fred Jr.[1] He and Ellen later divorced in 1928 due to his adultery.[1][3] Spiksley was also a gambler who suffered heavy losses and was made bankrupt in 1909.[1] Spiksley married Rose Reichel, on 3 June 1929, at Paddington Register Office.[3]
Later life and death
editHe died from a heart attack at the age of 78 whilst attending Ladies' Day at Goodwood Racecourse in 1948.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Fred Spiksley: The remarkable life of a forgotten England star". BBC Sport. 13 November 2019.
- ^ Metcalf, Mark (2021). The Remarkable Story of Fred Spiksley: The First Working-Class Football Hero. Barnsley: Pen and Sword History. p. 9. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c "England Players - 209. Fred Spiksley". 12 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2024 – via englandfootballonline.com.
- ^ "Fredk Spikesley, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England in England and Wales Census, 1881, database". 10 March 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via FamilySearch.
- ^ "England Match No.48 - Wales - 13 March 1893". 15 May 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024 – via englandfootballonline.com.
- ^ "England Match No.49 - Scotland - 1 April 1893". 6 May 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024 – via englandfootballonline.com.
- ^ "The forgotten story of … Fred Spiksley, wing wizard, film star and POW escapee | Simon Burnton". The Guardian. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
External links
edit- Fred Spiksley at Englandstats.com
- Fred Spiksley at England Football Online
