Stuart Fleetwood
Encyclopedia
Stuart Keith Fleetwood is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

-born Wales under-21
Wales national under-21 football team
The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...

 international footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 who plays as a striker for Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...

.

Early life

As a youngster Fleetwood was a talented rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 fly-half and was part of the Newent
Newent
Newent is a small market town about 8 miles north west of Gloucester City, on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean, and lying within the Forest of Dean Local Authority District. Its population at the 2001 census was 5,073...

 team that won the Gloucester Schools Cup. However he eventually decided that football was the better route after he scored 104 goals in one season for Newent youth. He qualifies to play for Wales due to his father Keith, who was born in St Mellons
St Mellons
St Mellons is a district and suburb of eastern Cardiff, the capital city of Wales.-History:St Mellons began as a small commercial centre in the historic county of Monmouthshire, relying heavily on rural agriculture, farming and travel...

, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

.

Cardiff City

Fleetwood started his career at Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...

 at the age of 12 when he joined the clubs youth programme, and eventually made just 1 first team appearances in two and a half seasons as a professional. On 3 October 2005 Fleetwood was involved in a car accident on his way back from a Cardiff reserve match against Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...

 along with fellow players Nicky Fish
Nicky Fish
Nicholas James "Nicky" Fish is a footballer currently without a club.-Career:A product of the Cardiff City youth team, alongside players such as Joe Ledley and Byron Anthony, Fish played for Wales at several youth levels and joined Cardiff at the age of ten years old, signing his first...

, Lloyd Jenkins and Anthony Taylor. The accident occurred on the A40
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...

 in Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....

 and all four players had to be cut out of the wreckage of their Vauxhall Corsa after being hit by an articulated lorry. He was later released with minor injuries. He fell out of favour with the club during the 2005–06 season
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...

 and was placed on the transfer list by the club. However at the time Fleetwood was still suffering the psychological effects of his car crash earlier in the season and he was arrested near Ninian Park
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...

 for drink-driving where he was found to be over by more than double the legal limit, he was banned from driving for twenty months and fined £455.

Hereford United

He signed for Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...

 in January 2006, who beat off competition from Hamilton Academical
Hamilton Academical F.C.
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Academical, or Accies, are a Scottish football club from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy. They remain the only professional club in British football to have...

, and made a good start, scoring four goals in five league games. He featured as a substitute in the Conference play-off final win over Halifax Town, and subsequently signed a new one year contract.

He made a promising start to the season by scoring Hereford's first Football League goal since 1997 and a further goal against Chester. In the League Cup
League Cup
In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...

 he scored a hat-trick against Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

 side Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

, becoming the first Hereford player to score a hat-trick in a League Cup tie. He was also called up to the Wales U21
Wales national under-21 football team
The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...

's. However his form escaped him after missing several matches due to contracting a virus, which caused him to lose nearly a stone in weight. On 31 January 2007 he was sent out on a month's loan to fellow League Two club Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....

. He made just three first team appearances after the turn of the year for the Bulls, and was released at the end of the season.

Forest Green Rovers

In June 2007 Fleetwood signed a two year deal at Conference side Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green Rovers F.C.
Forest Green Rovers Football Club is an English football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, currently the longest-serving members of the Conference National. The club is affiliated to the Gloucestershire County FA.-Early years:...

. He started the season in good form for Forest Green and started to attract interest from league scouts after just three months but he quickly moved to quash speculation by saying that he would be happy to see out his contract at the Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....

 club. His good form continued to be recognised when he was named as Conference Player of the month for September. In November and December he was a major factor in Forest Green causing an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

 upset when they knocked out Football League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

 side Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...

. The first tie finished 2–2 with Fleetwood scoring both goals before the club won the replay 3–0 with Fleetwood again on the score sheet with one goal. He then found the net once in the following round in a 3–2 defeat at the hands of Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

 side Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...

.

Fleetwood's form saw him linked with, among others, Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

 sides Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...

 and Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

. League One clubs Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...

 and Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...

 tabled bids for him in December.

This was soon followed up with a reported £200,000 offer from Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...

 On 20 January Forest Green Rovers announced that they had reached a financial agreement with Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

 and had allowed Fleetwood to enter into talks with the League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

 side. However, Fleetwood rejected the chance of a move and stated "I can honestly state that even if any other clubs come in with a late bid before the transfer window closes, I am not interested." He ultimately scored 28 goals in 41 league appearances in the 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...

 season as the club finished in their highest ever league placing. He was offered a new contract at the end of the season, but decided to leave.

Charlton Athletic

He joined Charlton Athletic on a three-year deal in June 2008. On 26 September 2008 he joined Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

 side Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...

 on a one-month loan deal. He managed two league goals in his spell at Cheltenham, one coming in a 4–3 victory over Colchester and the other in a 2–2 draw with Stockport despite confessing to being a lifelong Gloucester City AFC supporter, Cheltenham's biggest rivals.

On 30 October 2008 Fleetwood agreed to join League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

 side Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....

 on loan, initially for one-month. He made his Brighton debut against the 4–1 win over Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...

 on 1 November where he came on as a substitute in the 89th minute. He returned to Charlton on 30 January 2009 having scored 2 goals in 11 league appearances.

On 18 March 2009, Fleetwood signed on loan to Football League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

 side Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...

 until the end of the 2008–09 season, where he impressed, scoring three goals in eight appearances.

Following promotion to League one, Exeter City have given an undisclosed offer to Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...

 for Stuart Fleetwood. Rumours are that a deal was about to go through, however, the new consortium at Charlton banned all transfers, and so the deal was halted. Fleetwood made his long-awaited debut for Charlton Athletic away to Hereford United in the 2010 Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

 First Round, entering the field of play in the 82nd minute. As of 9 June 2010, it is his only appearance for the Addicks.

On 1 September 2009 on transfer deadline day, Fleetwood returned to Exeter City on a season-long loan deal.

Hereford United

On 2 July 2010 it was announced that Fleetwood had re-joined Hereford United on a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee. He finished the season as the Bulls top scorer with 18 goals, helping the club to survive relegation from the Football League.

On 16 May 2011 Fleetwood met with the chairman of local Herefordshire outfit Woolhope Allstars, who play their football in league 2 of the Herefordshire Sunday League. Fleetwood has taken on an assistant manager post but will continue to play professional football.

Luton Town

Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

 side Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...

 completed the signing of Fleetwood from Hereford on 31 August 2011. Fleetwood put pen-to-paper on a two-year contract after the two clubs agreed an undisclosed fee.
He made his debut on 2 September as a substitute in a 1–1 draw with Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...

, hitting the post in the final minute. The next week he made his full debut at home to Darlington; Luton won the game 2–0 with Fleetwood scoring one and setting up Danny Crow
Danny Crow
Daniel Stephen "Danny" Crow is a footballer currently playing for Luton Town. He has previously played for Cambridge United, Norwich City, Northampton Town and Peterborough United.-Career:...

 for the other.

International career

Fleetwood has won several caps for the Wales under-21
Wales national under-21 football team
The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...

 side, making his debut in 2004 against Latvia U21
Latvia national under-21 football team
The Latvia national under-21 football team represents the under-21s of Latvia and is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body of football in Latvia. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...

. His last call up was at Hereford although manager Graham Turner
Graham Turner
Graham John Turner is an English former footballer who became a manager. He is currently manager of League Two club Shrewsbury Town. His son Mark was also a professional footballer....

 criticised the Welsh FA over the handling of the call up as Hereford did not find out he would be playing for the under-21 side until Fleetwood was already travelling to join the squad and was therefore unavailable for their clash with Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...

. He has also played for Wales at various other youth levels.

On 30 October 2007 he was called up to the Wales semi-professional under-23 squad to face Italy in the European challenge trophy.

Career statistics

As of 1 December 2011.
Club Performance
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...

2003–04 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0
2004–05 6 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 8 0
2005–06 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 0
Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...

2005–06 16 5 0 0 0 0 3 0 19 5
2006–07 28 3 2 0 2 3 1 0 33 6
Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....

 (loan)
2006–07 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green Rovers F.C.
Forest Green Rovers Football Club is an English football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, currently the longest-serving members of the Conference National. The club is affiliated to the Gloucestershire County FA.-Early years:...

2007–08 41 28 3 4 0 0 5 4 49 36
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...

2008–09 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...

 (loan)
2008–09 6 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 7 2
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....

 (loan)
2008–09 4 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 7 0
Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...

 (loan)
2008–09 9 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 3
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...

2009–10 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...

 (loan)
2009–10 27 4 2 0 0 0 1 1 30 5
Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...

2010–11 43 14 5 4 1 0 0 0 49 18
2011–12 5 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 8 0
Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...

2011–12 16 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 16 4
Total 206 62 15 9 11 3 13 5 245 79

External links

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