Gordon Fearnley
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 January 1950 | ||
| Place of birth | Bradford, England | ||
| Date of death | 25 June 2015 (aged 65) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward, defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1968–1970 | Sheffield Wednesday | 0 | (0) |
| 1970–1977 | Bristol Rovers | 121 | (21) |
| 1976 | → Toronto Metros-Croatia (loan) | 1 | (1) |
| 1976 | → Miami Toros (loan) | 20 | (3) |
| 1977–1978 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 22 | (2) |
| 1978–1979 | Cleveland Force (indoor) | 4 | (1) |
| 1980–1981 | Chicago Horizons (indoor) | 14 | (10) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1978 | Cleveland Force | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Gordon Fearnley (25 January 1950 – 25 June 2015) was an English footballer who spent time in the Football League, North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League.
In 1968, Fearnley signed with Sheffield Wednesday. In 1970, he moved to the Bristol Rovers.[1] In 1976, the Rovers sent him on loan to the Toronto Metros-Croatia of the North American Soccer League. After just one game, he was sent south to the Miami Toros. In 1977, Bristol sold his contract to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. In 1978, he left the NASL to play for the Cleveland Force in Major Indoor Soccer League. After one season, he played for the Chicago Horizon.
In May 1978, Fearnley was hired as the head coach of the Birmingham Bandits, a team in the newly created Super Soccer League.[2] However, financial irregularities prevented the league from ever beginning operations and Fearnley was released. During the few months he worked with the Bandits, he met Alaina Jones, the team's director of public relations. The two eventually married.[3] In the fall of 1978, he was hired as the head coach of the Cleveland Force of the newly established Major Indoor Soccer League. He took the team to a 2–4 record and resigned. After retirement he studied Physiotherapy & Law, and later worked as an attorney in Florida.[1][4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Gordon Fearnley: A Footballer's Journey from England to America". The Sports Campus. 13 August 2011. Archived from the original on 15 January 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ Alred, John (21 June 1978). "State gets soccer team". The Gadsden Times. Gadsden, AL. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Birmingham Bandits history". Birmingham Pro Sports. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Former Bristol Rovers player Gordon Fearnley dies". Bristol Post. Archived from the original on 7 August 2015.
External links
[edit]- 1950 births
- 2015 deaths
- Footballers from Bradford
- English men's footballers
- Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players
- Bristol Rovers F.C. players
- Toronto Blizzard (1971–1984) players
- Miami Toros players
- Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983) players
- Cleveland Force (original MISL) players
- Chicago Horizons players
- English Football League players
- North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
- Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players
- Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) coaches
- English expatriate men's footballers
- Men's association football forwards
- English expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
- English expatriate sportspeople in Canada
- Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada
- English football managers
- 20th-century English sportsmen