Fred Wheldon was a former footballer who operated as an inside-forward. The Englishman was known for his footwork and eye for goal at the time. Wheldon played for several English club's during career as a football, with his most prominent stints being at Small Heath and Aston Villa.
He was involved in cricket as well, playing as a right-handed batsman and occasional wicket-keeper for Worcestershire.
Let us now look back at the peak of his football career, which was with Aston Villa.
The transfer to Villa
It was on 4th June 1896 that Wheldon signed for League champions Aston Villa, who were the only club willing to pay Small Heath's valuation of the player. Although The fee was initially undisclosed at the buyers' request, it was later revealed by Small Heath's chairman that a £100 up front with an additional £250 to be settled later. This total fee of £350 was believed to be a transfer record, with Wheldon receiving the same £150 a year he made at Small Heath as a player.
A bright start
Wheldon got off to a glorious start at Villa, scoring 22 goals (18 - league, 4 - FA Cup) to become the club's top scorer that season. Those feats were vital for the club, as it helped them achieve a historic League and Cup double in the 1896–97 campaign.
In addition to his consistent goalscoring form in the league, Wheldon was instrumental in the FA Cup as well. The match ended in a 3-2 victory for Villa over Crystal Palace, with the English inside left being one of the goalscorers.
Another interesting fact regarding the player is that he kept a notebook detailing his appearances and goals, which included two goals he scored in that final.
Wheldon's fine form continued in the 1897–98 season as well, which he began by scoring 2 consecutive hat-tricks against Sheffield Wednesday and West Bromwich Albion. He managed to finish that campaign as league top scorer with 21 goals.
The cricket controversy and continued excellence
Wheldon was playing as a professional cricketer during the summer months, and this led to him failing to report for training ahead of the 1898–99 football season. This event saw Aston Villa secretary-manager George Ramsay contact the player, who requested an extension till the end of August for completing his cricket season. The club however, only granted him a leave until August 20th.
The Villa inside left disobeyed the club, and did not return back in time. He thus took part in Worcestershire’s match against Surrey Second XI on the 23rd. Aston Villa responded by suspending the player, and asking him for an explanation.
Wheldon expressed regret for his absence, explaining he thought playing cricket was an adequate alternative to pre-season football training. After 2 weeks of suspension and only missing a single competitive match, he returned back to training.
The rest as they say is history, as he was involved in 27 goals over the next two seasons to help Villa win back-to-back league titles. Those feats meant that Villa won 3 league titles in four seasons. Wheldon was instrumental for Villa’s period of domination, scoring 68 goals from 123 First Division matches.
Departure
After Villa's successful season, Wheldon requested the club's permission to acquire a pub called the Railway Tavern at Langley Green. Aston Villa denied the request, citing it as against their principle of opposing any involvement by their players in the licensed trade.
Although the club wanted to retain the player, Wheldon was insistent on purchasing the player and was eventually put for sale by the club. This eventually led to the player being signed by West Bromwich Albion for a fee of £100. Thus, it spelled the end of Wheldon's historic 4 years at Villa Park.
