Fielding Bill Image 1 Manchester United 1947

Description

Broadhurst, Congleton, Cheshire born goalkeeper Bill Fielding began his football career with Broadbottom YMCA and played for Cheshire County League club Hurst in 1935, from where he was signed by Third Division (South) club Cardiff City in May 1936, making his Football League debut at Walsall the same August. A regular until December, when he lost his place to George Poland, he made a further 7 appearances for The Bluebirds in the spring of 1937 but was understudy to ever present Bob Jones in 1937-38, returning to the Cardiff City side in November 1938 after when he didn’t miss a match until the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 forced the abandonment of peacetime football, by when he had made 61 appearances for Cardiff City.

During the War, Fielding made guest appearances for Stockport County and Bolton Wanderers. He officially became a Bolton Wanderers player in June 1944, but never made a League appearance for them. In January 1947, Fielding signed for First Division club Manchester United as cover for the injured Jack Crompton in a deal which saw Billy Wrigglesworth move to Bolton. He made his debut in the club’s FA Cup Fourth Round defeat to Nottingham Forest on 25th January and played in 7 consecutive matches for United, culminating with a 4-3 away defeat to Derby County on 15th March before Crompton’s return. He never played for the club again after that, and having returned to Hurst (now called Ashton United) later in 1947, he retired from football in 1948.