Keith Fielding

Last updated

Keith Fielding
Personal information
Full nameKeith John Fielding
Born (1949-07-08) 8 July 1949 (age 75)
Birmingham, England
Playing information
Rugby union
Position Wing
Club
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
Loughborough
1968–73 Moseley
Total00000
Representative
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
1969–72 England 101003
Rugby league
Position Wing
Club
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
1973–83 Salford 32025313301025
Representative
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
1975 England 780024
1974–77 Great Britain 43009
1975 England tour games 790027
1977 GB tour games 6100030
1977–78 Lancashire 33009
1974 Other Nationalities 11003
Source: [1] [2] [3] [4]

Keith John Fielding (born 8 July 1949) is an English dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a winger. He played representative level rugby union for England, and at club level for Moseley Rugby Football Club before switching to rugby league in 1973, and went on to play representative level rugby league for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Salford. [2]

Contents

Rugby union career

Born in Birmingham, Fielding attended King Edward VI Five Ways school, where he began playing rugby union. In 1967, Fielding represented England Schools 19 Group. [5]

After leaving school, Fielding went on to play for Loughborough Colleges and Moseley. Fielding won his first cap for England on 8 February 1969, playing against Ireland. Later that month, he scored a try in his second appearance for England in a match against France. [1] In December 1969, he played in England's 11–8 win against South Africa, which was the team's first ever victory against the Springboks. [6]

In 1970, Fielding played a key role in Loughborough College's Middlesex Sevens victory, scoring 11 tries during the tournament, including four in the final against Edinburgh Wanderers. [7]

In 1971, Fielding was signed by Leicester Tigers, but returned to Moseley after playing only one first team game for the club. [8]

Fielding returned to the England squad in 1972, playing in all four matches of the 1972 Five Nations. He made the last of his 10 appearances for England in March 1972 against Scotland. [1]

Fielding scored 39 tries for Moseley in his final season at the club, the second highest total in Britain that year. [9] In April 1973, Fielding represented England in the first ever international rugby sevens tournament.

Rugby league career

Salford

In May 1973, Fielding was signed by rugby league club Salford for a fee of £8,500. [8]

Fielding played right wing in Salford's 9–19 defeat by Wigan in the 1973 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1973–74 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 13 October 1973, [10] played right wing, and scored a goal in the 2–6 defeat by Widnes in the 1974 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1974–75 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 2 November 1974, and played right wing in the 7–16 defeat by Widnes in the 1975 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1975–76 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 4 October 1975.

Fielding played right wing in Salford's 0–0 draw with Warrington in the 1974 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final during the 1974–75 season at The Willows, Salford on Tuesday 17 December 1974, and played right wing, and scored a try in the 10–5 victory over Warrington in the 1974 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final replay during the 1974–75 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Tuesday 28 January 1975.

International honours

Fielding won caps for England while at Salford in 1975 against France, in the 1975 Rugby League World Cup against France, Wales, New Zealand, Australia, Wales and France, in 1975 against Papua New Guinea (non-Test). [3]

He equalled the England national team's record for most tries by an individual in a match when he scored four against France at Parc Lescure, Bordeaux on Saturday 11 October 1975.

Fielding also won caps for Great Britain (RL) while at Salford in 1974 against France (2 matches), and in the 1977 Rugby League World Cup against France, and Australia. [4]

Superstars

Keith Fielding achieved fame by participating in the televised all-around sports competition Superstars, winning the 1977 French European Superstars Heat, the 1981 British Final and the 1981 Challenge of Champions. He also finished second in the 1977 European Final, fifth in the 1978 World Final, third in the 1981 International Final, fifth in the 1981 World Final and third in the 1982 British Final. [11]

Superstars record

YearEventPosition
1977French Heat1st
1977European Final2nd
1978World Final5th
1981Challenge of the Champions1st
1981British Final1st
1981International3rd
1981World Final5th
1982British Final3rd

Outside of rugby

Fielding was a teacher at Marple Hall School and Bramhall High School in Stockport. Fielding quit his role at the latter school in 2008 after declaring the job was too stressful. [12] Keith Fielding also taught at Alderman Newton's Grammar school in Leicester in the early 1970s before turning professional. He also taught at Shenley Court Comprehensive in the 1970s.

Related Research Articles

Alexander James Murphy OBE is an English former professional rugby league footballer, and coach of the mid to late 20th century. Known as 'Murphy the Mouth' and regarded as one of the greatest halfbacks in the history of the British game, he represented Great Britain in 27 Tests and his club career was played at three clubs, St. Helens, Leigh and Warrington. Murphy assumed a player-coach role of the last two clubs and expanded his coaching role toward the end of his playing career to include clubs such as Wigan, Salford and Huddersfield. He later returned to both Warrington and Leigh respectively as a football manager. He was the first player to captain three different clubs to victory in the Challenge Cup Final.

Eric Hughes is a retired English rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and coached rugby league in the 1980s and 1990s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for England (Under-15s), and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Widnes, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, St Helens and the Rochdale Hornets, as a wing, centre or stand-off, and coached at club level for Widnes, Rochdale Hornets, St Helens, Leigh and Wigan Warriors. He unwittingly added confusion to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs team as he was unrelated but played at the same time as the three Australian brothers named Hughes; Garry, Graeme and Mark.

Maurice Charles Rees Richards is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby footballer. A wing, he was part of the 1968 British Lions tour to South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Morley</span> Welsh rugby union and rugby league footballer

John Cuthbert Morley was a Welsh international rugby wing who played rugby union for Newport and rugby league with Wigan. He won 14 caps for Wales in union, and five caps for Wales in rugby league, and was the first player to tour Australia and New Zealand for both union, and league British teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Gee</span> Great Britain and England international rugby league footballer

Kenneth Gee was an English rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. He played at representative level for Great Britain winning 17 caps between 1946 and 1951, England winning 18-caps between 1943 and 1951, and Lancashire, and at club level for Wigan and Oldham, as a prop. He is an inductee of the Wigan Hall of Fame, having featured in Wigan's Rugby Football League Championship wins of 1945–46, 1946–47 and 1949–50 as well as their Challenge Cup victories of 1948 and 1951. He also won Lancashire Cup winner's medals seven times.

Christopher Hesketh was an English World Cup winning professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Lancashire as a centre, and at club level for Wigan and Salford, as a centre, or stand-off.

Colin J. Dixon was a Welsh rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and coached in the 1970s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Cardiff International Athletic Club, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and Wales, and at club level for Halifax (captain), Salford and Hull Kingston Rovers. He played as a centre, second-row or loose forward, and coached club level rugby league (RL) for Salford, and is a Halifax Hall of Fame Inductee.

Harold Paul Charlton is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and coached in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England, Cumberland and Cumbria, and at club level for Kells ARLFC, Workington Town, Salford and Blackpool Borough, as a fullback, and coached at club level for Workington Town. He was part of the Great Britain squad which won the 1972 World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Chisnall (rugby league)</span> Great Britain and England international rugby league footballer

David Chisnall was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Leigh, Warrington (captain), Swinton, St. Helens and Barrow, as a prop.

Raymond "Ray" F. Dutton is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and coached in the 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Runcorn ARLFC, Widnes Rovers ARLFC, Widnes and Whitehaven, as a right-footed toe-end style goal-kicking fullback, and coached at club level for Whitehaven and Widnes Tigers ARLFC.

David Eckersley is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Leigh, St Helens, Widnes, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Fulham RLFC, as a goal-kicking fullback, centre or stand-off.

Keith Elwell, also known by the nicknames of "The Mole" or "Chiefy", is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Lancashire, and at club level for Widnes and on loan to Barrow, as a hooker.

Dennis O'Neill is a World Cup winning former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and Lancashire, and at club level for Widnes and Oldham, as a stand-off.

Kenneth Gill was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Salford, Widnes and Barrow, as a stand-off.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emlyn Jenkins</span> Welsh rugby league footballer and coach (1910–1993)

Emlyn Jenkins was a Welsh cinema manager, trainee teacher, landlord of a public house, rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s, and coached rugby league in the 1950s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Treorchy RFC, and Cardiff RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain, Wales and England, and at club level for Salford, Wigan and St Helens, Leigh, as a fullback, wing, centre, stand-off, or scrum-half, and coached club level rugby league (RL) for Leigh and St Helens.

Robert A. Irving was an English World Cup winning professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s. A Great Britain and England international, and Yorkshire representative second-row, he played at club level for Oldham, Wigan, Salford, Barrow, Blackpool Borough and Swinton.

William Lloyd Francis was an English-born professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, Wales and Yorkshire, and at club level for Wigan, St. Helens, Oldham and Salford, as a fullback, wing, centre or stand-off.

John Denis Gray is an English cricketer, rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played cricket for Warwickshire and Marylebone Cricket Club, as a left-hand bat, and right-arm medium-fast bowler, playing representative rugby union (RU) for England (7s), and at club level for Coventry R.F.C., as a Hooker and representative rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Wigan, North Sydney Bears and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles as a round the corner style goal-kicking prop, hooker, second-row or loose forward.

Alfred "Alf" Middleton was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Salford, as a second-row.

Stuart Wright is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Lancashire, and at club level for Wigan and Widnes, as a wing.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Statistics at en.espn.co.uk". en.espn.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. 1 2 "England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. ↑ "Fielding keeps his place". Birmingham Post. 11 April 1967. p. 13 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "A last-gasp winner and a hijacked bus". ESPN. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  7. ↑ "Loughborough are the new Sevens champions". Sunday Mercury. Birmingham. 3 May 1970. p. 34 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. 1 2 "Fielding returns to Moseley - in the seconds". Birmingham Post. 5 October 1971. p. 15 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ "Fielding quits Moseley for Rugby League and £8,500". Birmingham Post. 30 May 1973. p. 17 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ "1973-1974 Lancashire Cup Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  11. ↑ "Superstars roll of honour". BBC. 5 November 2004. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  12. ↑ "Ex-rugby star's teaching hell". Manchester Evening News. 10 April 2005.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.