Tommy Fleming (soccer)
Encyclopedia
Thomas “Tommy” or "Whitey" Fleming (January 15, 1890 in Beith
, Scotland
– March 19, 1965 in Quincy, Massachusetts
) was a Scottish American
soccer outside forward
who began his career in Scotland and finished it in the United States. During his Hall of Fame
career, Fleming won five American Cup
s, four National Challenge Cups and at least eight league titles.
club Beith F.C.
when he was eleven. Three years later, he quit school to devote himself full time to his athletic career. In 1907, Beith F.C.
won the Ayrshire Cup
, but Fleming was becoming dissatisfied with the club. When it refused to raise his wages or release him from his contract, he decided to move to the United States.
and went to work in the Fore River Shipyard
, signing with the company team, Fore River
of the New England League. The team won the 1908 league and league cup titles. At some point, Fleming returned to Scotland where he signed with Greenock Morton. In 1913, he left Scotland for good to sign with Bethlehem Steel F.C.
of the amateur Allied American Football Association of Philadelphia. His move was again prompted by the issue of money. Bethlehem Steel offered players both $15 per week to play soccer and a position in the steel yard. The first game in which Fleming appears in a Bethlehem line up was a November 17, 1913 victory over Schuylkill Falls. In May, Bethlehem won the league cup. It also won the league title, giving Fleming a double. Over the next seven seasons, Fleming won four National Challenge Cups (1915, 1916, 1918, 1919). They also won the league cup in 1915. In 1917, the Steelmen joined the professional National Association Football League (NAFBL), winning the league’s last three titles (1919, 1920, 1921). They also won the defunct American Cup
in 1914
, 1916
, 1917
, 1918
and 1919
. The America Cup was the American Football Association
cup, played from 1884 to 1920.
In 1921, the American Soccer League
was created by the merger of teams from the NAFBL and the Southern New England Soccer League
in order to provide a more stable professional league. The Bethlehem Steel ownership decided for financial reasons to move the team to Philadelphia, renaming the team the Philadelphia Field Club
for the new league’s first season. Philadelphia won the first league championship. At the end of the season, Philadelphia returned to Bethlehem. In July 1922, Fleming, surprising the team management and fans, announced his intention to pursue other playing opportunities. He signed with J&P Coats soon after. That season, J&P Coats won the league championship as Fleming scored twenty-two goals. Many of Flemings goals came from the penalty spot as he was the team’s preferred penalty kick taker. This was in line with his time at Bethlehem when he made 39 of 40 penalty kicks. In August 1924, Fleming signed with the Boston Wonder Workers
. He spent the next five seasons in Boston, winning the 1928 league championship. In 1929, he played one league cup game with the Fall River Marksmen
.
inducted Fleming in 2005 as part of a process of recognizing significant pre-1950s players. According to the Hall of Fame, "We were aware that in the early decades of the Hall of Fame a number of outstanding players had slipped through the cracks of the selection process. In order to correct these oversights we established a Blue Ribbon panel consisting of historians Colin Jose, Roger Allaway and Hall of Famer Walter Bahr
, to review the credentials of all Veterans from the pre-NASL era. Out of a total of 150 players who met the eligibility criteria, the panel unanimously recommended, and the Board approved, the special induction of these five players." Fleming was among the five selected.
Beith
Beith is a small town situated in the Garnock Valley in North Ayrshire, Scotland approximately 20-miles south-west of Glasgow. The town is situated on the crest of a hill and was known originally as the "Hill o' Beith" after its Court Hill.-History:-Name:Beith's name is thought to emanate from...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
– March 19, 1965 in Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
) was a Scottish American
Scottish American
Scottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scots-Irish Americans, descendants of Ulster Scots, and communities emphasize and celebrate a common heritage...
soccer outside forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
who began his career in Scotland and finished it in the United States. During his Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
career, Fleming won five American Cup
American Cup
The American Cup was the first major U.S. soccer competition open to teams beyond a single league. It was first held in 1885. In the 1910s, it gradually declined in importance with the establishment of the National Challenge Cup...
s, four National Challenge Cups and at least eight league titles.
Youth
Nickname “Whitey” due to his white hair, Fleming began his career as an apprentice with Scottish Football League Third DivisionScottish Football League Third Division
The Scottish Football League Third Division is the lowest division of the Scottish Football League and the fourth overall in the Scottish football league system....
club Beith F.C.
Beith F.C.
Beith F.C. were a Scottish football club based at Bellsdale Park in Beith. The club were members of the Scottish Football League from 1923 to 1926.The club was initially formed in 1875 but closed down in 1883 and did not re-emerge fully until 1888...
when he was eleven. Three years later, he quit school to devote himself full time to his athletic career. In 1907, Beith F.C.
Beith F.C.
Beith F.C. were a Scottish football club based at Bellsdale Park in Beith. The club were members of the Scottish Football League from 1923 to 1926.The club was initially formed in 1875 but closed down in 1883 and did not re-emerge fully until 1888...
won the Ayrshire Cup
Ayrshire Cup
The Ayrshire Cup is an annual Scottish association football regional competition. The cup competition is a knockout tournament between football clubs in the historic county of Ayrshire in south-west Scotland and has led to a rivalry between the two largest and most successful football clubs in...
, but Fleming was becoming dissatisfied with the club. When it refused to raise his wages or release him from his contract, he decided to move to the United States.
Professional
In September 1907, Fleming arrived in Quincy, MassachusettsQuincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
and went to work in the Fore River Shipyard
Fore River Shipyard
The Fore River Shipyard of Quincy, Massachusetts, more formally known as the Fore River Ship and Engine Building Company, was a shipyard in the United States from 1883 until 1986. Located on the Weymouth Fore River, the yard began operations in 1883 in Braintree, Massachusetts before being moved...
, signing with the company team, Fore River
Fore River (soccer)
Fore River was an amateur U.S. soccer team which had its origins as the Fore River Shipbuilding company team of Quincy, Massachusetts.-History:...
of the New England League. The team won the 1908 league and league cup titles. At some point, Fleming returned to Scotland where he signed with Greenock Morton. In 1913, he left Scotland for good to sign with Bethlehem Steel F.C.
Bethlehem Steel F.C.
Bethlehem Steel Football Club was one of the most successful early American soccer clubs. Known as the Bethlehem Football Club from 1911 until 1915 when it became the Bethlehem Steel Football Club, the team was sponsored by the Bethlehem Steel corporation and played their home games first at East...
of the amateur Allied American Football Association of Philadelphia. His move was again prompted by the issue of money. Bethlehem Steel offered players both $15 per week to play soccer and a position in the steel yard. The first game in which Fleming appears in a Bethlehem line up was a November 17, 1913 victory over Schuylkill Falls. In May, Bethlehem won the league cup. It also won the league title, giving Fleming a double. Over the next seven seasons, Fleming won four National Challenge Cups (1915, 1916, 1918, 1919). They also won the league cup in 1915. In 1917, the Steelmen joined the professional National Association Football League (NAFBL), winning the league’s last three titles (1919, 1920, 1921). They also won the defunct American Cup
American Cup
The American Cup was the first major U.S. soccer competition open to teams beyond a single league. It was first held in 1885. In the 1910s, it gradually declined in importance with the establishment of the National Challenge Cup...
in 1914
1914 American Cup
The 1914 American Cup was the annual open cup held by the American Football Association. Forty-one teams entered the tournament. The Bethlehem Steel team debuted in and won the tournament playing ten games through six rounds.-American Cup Bracket:...
, 1916
1916 American Cup
The 1916 American Cup was the annual open cup held by the American Football Association. The 1916 edition included 37 of the top eastern teams. The title was won by Bethlehem Steel with a 3-0 win over the Scottish Americans courtesy of a hat trick by Neil Clarke making Bethlehem the first team to...
, 1917
1917 American Cup
The 1917 American Cup was the annual open cup held by the American Football Association. Thirty-six teams entered the competition however none of the major Massachusetts teams entered. A new rule that season made by the Southern New England FA forbade their clubs from entering more than one...
, 1918
1918 American Cup
The 1918 American Cup was the annual open cup held by the American Football Association. Twenty nine teams began the tournament which culminated in Bethlehem's third straight championship.-American Cup Bracket:-Final:...
and 1919
1919 American Cup
The 1919 American Cup was the annual open cup held by the American Football Association.-American Cup Bracket:protested, replayed at Pawtucket-Final:...
. The America Cup was the American Football Association
American Football Association
American Football Association was the first attempt in the United States to form an organizing soccer body. It is best known for being the second oldest sports league to form, behind Major League Baseball in 1876, as well as being the oldest soccer league in the United States. The Association was...
cup, played from 1884 to 1920.
In 1921, the American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
was created by the merger of teams from the NAFBL and the Southern New England Soccer League
Southern New England Soccer League
The Southern New England Soccer League was a semi-professional soccer league based in New England which was established in 1914 and collapsed in 1921. During its short existence, it featured some of the top teams in the northeast United States...
in order to provide a more stable professional league. The Bethlehem Steel ownership decided for financial reasons to move the team to Philadelphia, renaming the team the Philadelphia Field Club
Philadelphia Field Club
Philadelphia Field Club is a name used by four soccer teams based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All four versions of Philadelphia F.C. competed in the first American Soccer League, but none were in any way related to the other three teams which shared its name.-Philadelphia F.C.:The Philadelphia...
for the new league’s first season. Philadelphia won the first league championship. At the end of the season, Philadelphia returned to Bethlehem. In July 1922, Fleming, surprising the team management and fans, announced his intention to pursue other playing opportunities. He signed with J&P Coats soon after. That season, J&P Coats won the league championship as Fleming scored twenty-two goals. Many of Flemings goals came from the penalty spot as he was the team’s preferred penalty kick taker. This was in line with his time at Bethlehem when he made 39 of 40 penalty kicks. In August 1924, Fleming signed with the Boston Wonder Workers
Boston Wonder Workers
The Boston Soccer Club was a member of the American Soccer League. They were renamed the Boston Bears for the Fall 1929 ASL season.In 1925, the ASL and the St. Louis Soccer League boycotted the National Challenge Cup, now known as the U.S. Open Cup. The "Wonder Workers", as they were dubbed, had...
. He spent the next five seasons in Boston, winning the 1928 league championship. In 1929, he played one league cup game with the Fall River Marksmen
Fall River Marksmen
Fall River Marksmen was a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. They originally played as Fall River United before becoming known as the Marksmen after their owner, Sam Mark. During the 1920s and early 1930s they were one of the most successful soccer clubs in the United...
.
Coaching
When he retired from playing professionally, Fleming became a coach with Quincy High School.National Soccer Hall of Fame
The U.S. National Soccer Hall of FameNational Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
inducted Fleming in 2005 as part of a process of recognizing significant pre-1950s players. According to the Hall of Fame, "We were aware that in the early decades of the Hall of Fame a number of outstanding players had slipped through the cracks of the selection process. In order to correct these oversights we established a Blue Ribbon panel consisting of historians Colin Jose, Roger Allaway and Hall of Famer Walter Bahr
Walter Bahr
Walter Alfred Bahr is a retired American soccer player, considered one of the greatest ever in his country. He was the long-time captain of the U.S. national team and played in the 1950 FIFA World Cup when the U.S...
, to review the credentials of all Veterans from the pre-NASL era. Out of a total of 150 players who met the eligibility criteria, the panel unanimously recommended, and the Board approved, the special induction of these five players." Fleming was among the five selected.