Fitton Arthur Image 1 West Bromwich Albion 1930

Description

Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire born outside left Arthur Fitton began his football career with Kinver Swifts after the First World War and played for Cookley St Peter’s in 1920, joining Birmingham and District League club Kidderminster Harriers in 1921, from where he was signed by First Division club West Bromwich Albion in 1922, his Football League debut coming at Manchester City in November that year. Never a regular at West Bromwich Albion, and despite their relegation in 1927, he reached 20 appearances only once in nine seasons at The Hawthorns, during Albion’s first season in the Second Division in 1927-28. He made 6 appearances as The Baggies finished runners up in the League Championship in 1924-25, and his final appearance, and only one that season, came in Albion’s 1930-31 promotion season when they finished runners up in the Second Division.

Having scored 11 goals in 99 appearances for West Bromwich Albion, Fitton joined Second Division club Manchester United in the 1931 close season but was mainly a reserve at Old Trafford, scoring twice in 12 appearances before a transfer to Preston North End in December 1932. He saw more regular football during his time at Deepdale and returned to top flight football by helping them win promotion in 1933-34 as Second Division runners up, Although not selected for Preston at the start of the following season, he came into the team in December and helped them consolidate a respectable mid table finish.

Fitton then signed for Third Division (South) club Coventry City in the 1935 close season after 20 goals in 70 appearances for Preston North End, and he had arguably the most successful season of his career at Highfield Road in 1935-36, scoring 12 goals as Coventry won the Third Division (South) Championship. He remained a regular in Coventry’s Second Division team during 1936-37 but lost his place in October 1937 and re-joined Kidderminster Harriers in 1938 having scored 21 goals in 59 appearances for The Sky Blues, his career then effectively ended by the outbreak of the Second World War.

He also played cricket for Staffordshire in the Minor Counties Championship, where as a left-handed batsman and occasional wicket-keeper, he played from 1927 to 1934, making 25 appearances.