Shinton Fred Image 1 West Bromwich Albion 1905

Description

Wednesbury, Staffordshire born centre forward Fred Shinton started his football career in local football playing with Hawthorn Villa in 1900, Moxley White Star in 1901, Wednesbury Old Athletic in 1902 and Hednesford Town in 1904 before joining Second Division club West Bromwich Albion, for whom he made his Football League debut against Bolton Wanderers in April 1905. He helped West Brom to two 4th placed finishes in 1905-06 and 1906-07 being the club’s second top scorer with 18 goals in the former, which included a hat-trick in a win over Bradford City, and their top scorer with 28 goals (in only 30 matches) in the latter season, his goal tally including 4 goal hauls on three occasions between October and Christmas Day 1906 (against Clapton Orient, Glossop and Grimsby Town) and a further hat-trick in a win at Gainsborough Trinity.

In November 1907, after 46 goals in 68 appearances for The Baggies, he was signed by Leicester Fosse for £150, helping them to promotion as Second Division runners up in his first season at Filbert Street when he scored 10 goals, although they were relegated immediately in 1908-09, before firing 33 goals for The Fossils in 1909-10, including 4 more hat-tricks in wins over Oldham Athletic, Leeds City, Gainsborough Trinity nad Derby County.

Such scoring feats that brought him to the attention of Bolton Wanderers, who signed him for £1,000 in August 1910 after 54 goals in 85 appearances. However he didn’t settle at Burnden Park scoring once in 7 appearances for The Trotters and he returned to Leicester Fosse for £750 in January 1911, scoring 5 times in 16 more appearances for The Fossils before re-joining Birmingham & District League club Wednesbury Old Athletic in the summer of 1911. He featured in the club’s Wednesbury Charity Cup winning side against Darlaston in March 1912, but although captain of the side at the start of the following season, he appears to have made no further appearances after October 1912.