| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Fred Poland | ||
| Place of birth | Dundee, Scotland | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1885 | Dundee Our Boys | ? | (?) |
| 1886 | Burnley | ||
| 1887 | Newton Heath | ||
| 1888 | Burnley | 9 | (5) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Fred Poland was a professional association footballer who played as a centre forward. He was signed by Burnley in April 1888. He had played football in Scotland for Dundee Our Boys.
Career
Pre-Football League
Poland moved to Lancashire from Scotland in search of work. He let it be known around Burnley that he was a footballer, having played at senior level in Scotland, and also that he was both a goalscorer and a goalkeeper. The football club heard about him and invited him to play in a friendly match against Newton Heath at Turf Moor. He played at centre-forward, exceeding expectations by scoring two goals in a 7-1 victory. He continued to play well and score goals as the 1887–1888 season drew to a close, and was retained by Burnley for the forthcoming inaugural Football League season.
1888-1889
Poland made his league début on 8 September 1888, as a forward, against Preston North End at Deepdale. The home team defeated Burnley 5–2, Poland scoring his team's second. He made nine appearances, from a possible 22 league games played by Burnley in season 1888–89, and scored five league goals.
References
- "English National Football Archive". Retrieved 6 January 2018. (registration & fee required)
- "English National Football Archive". Retrieved 6 January 2018. (registration & fee required)
- Metcalf, Mark (2013). The Origins of the Football League. Amberley. pp. 192–193. ISBN 978-1-4456-1881-4.
- "English National Football Archive". Retrieved 6 January 2018. (registration & fee required)
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