Players - George Fleming

George Fleming
Birthdate: 20 May 1869
Birthplace: Bannockburn, Scotland
Date of death: 12 August 1922
Other clubs: Cardross Swifts, Broxburn, East Stirlingshire (1893-94), Wolverhampton Wanderers (1894-1901)
Signed from: Wolverhampton Wanderers
Signed for LFC: 02.05.1901
Liverpool debut: 21.09.1901
Last appearance: 11.09.1905
Debut goal: 08.02.1902
Last goal: 16.04.1904
Contract expiry: 1906
Win ratio: 46.99% W:39 D:12 L:32
Honours: Second Division 1904/05
Total games/goals opposite LFC: 11 / 0
League games / goals: 79 / 5
Total games / goals: 83 / 6

Player Profile

After featuring in 187 matches for first division Wolves from 1894-1901, Fleming was five years at Liverpool when the club's contrasting fortunes were quite dramatic. When Fleming played his first game Liverpool were defending their first Football League Championship and yet would be relegated just three years later. Liverpool bounced straight back by winning the Second and then the First Division in successive seasons. Fleming played in a number of different positions, making him the utility player of his time, but he preferred the centre-half position.

Fleming had his best season in 1904/05 when after missing the opening five second division fixtures he played in the remaining 29. He started the 1905/06 championship season in the first team but lost his place after three matches to newcomer James Bradley. The joint Everton/Liverpool programme in 1904 captured the essence of Fleming: "The old wolf. Never a star, but ever a worker. Can still do good service if called upon. Never gives up."

After losing his place Fleming, now well into his thirties, became assistant trainer at the club. He remained in the role until he was no longer able to work due to his sickness a year before his untimely death at 1 Elise Road, close to the Anfield ground. He was buried in Anfield Cemetery.
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 79 4 0 0 0 83
1901-1902 25 2 0 0 0 27
1902-1903 4 0 0 0 0 4
1903-1904 18 0 0 0 0 18
1904-1905 29 2 0 0 0 31
1905-1906 3 0 0 0 0 3
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
5 450 Aston Villa
5 450 Everton
5 450 Grimsby Town
4 360 Sheffield United
4 360 Derby
4 360 Bolton Wanderers
3 270 Newcastle United
3 270 Manchester City
3 270 Blackburn Rovers
3 270 Nottingham Forest
3 270 Sunderland
3 270 Notts County
3 270 Wolves
3 270 Birmingham City
3 270 Sheffield Wednesday
2 180 Port Vale
2 180 Doncaster Rovers
2 180 Barnsley
2 180 Blackpool
2 180 Gainsborough Trinity
2 180 Bristol City
2 180 Manchester United
2 180 Leicester City
2 180 WBA
2 180 Burnley
1 90 Arsenal
1 90 Bury
1 90 Southampton
1 90 Lincoln City
1 90 Stoke City
1 90 Burton United
1 90 Glossop North End
1 90 Chesterfield
1 90 Bradford City
Total Venue
42 Home
41 Away
Total Competition
79 League
4 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
83 39 12 32 47% Tom Watson
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 5 1 0 0 0 6
1901-1902 1 1 0 0 0 2
1902-1903 0 0 0 0 0 0
1903-1904 4 0 0 0 0 4
1904-1905 0 0 0 0 0 0
1905-1906 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Total Competition
5 League
1 FA Cup
Total Goal origin
5 Open play
1 Penalty
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 21.09.1901 Sunderland Roker Park League
50 01.10.1904 Leicester Fosse Anfield League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 81 08.02.1902 Southampton The Dell FA Cup
Related Articles
A costly penalty miss

Report from Sheffield Daily Telegraph on Sheffield United – Liverpool on 14 November 1903.

Related Quotes

"Geordie Fleming is acting in the capacity of trainer. When his playing days were over he had such a regard for Anfield that he could not leave the place. The officials also had a notion of George for he was a good servant to the club from the day he was transferred from the Wolves. George looks after the young players at Anfield and they could not have a more efficient master. “Geordie” has forgotten more about football than most players will ever learn. He was a good half in his day and I cannot understand why he was never chosen to represent the country of his birth. He was certainly worth a trial in a representative game."

Alex Raisbeck on George Fleming in 1915

Scrapbook
Biography in Liverpool match programme on 12 November 1904
Biography in Liverpool match programme on 12 November 1904
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Cardross Athletic N/A N/A N/A N/A
Broxburn Scotland N/A N/A N/A N/A
East Stirlingshire 1891-1892 Scotland N/A N/A N/A N/A
Wolves 1894-1895 England First Division 16 4 20 4
Wolves 1895-1896 England First Division 7 1 7 1
Wolves 1896-1897 England First Division 17 0 19 0
Wolves 1897-1898 England First Division 30 0 32 0
Wolves 1898-1899 England First Division 34 1 37 1
Wolves 1899-1900 England First Division 34 0 36 0
Wolves 1900-1901 England First Division 33 1 36 1
Total 171 7 187 7