George Spink Fleming (4 November 1859 – 1 April 1912) was a Scottish footballer. He was the first player to score for Everton in the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

, scoring twice in a 2–1 win against

Accrington Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, east of Preston, north of Manchester and is situated on the culverted River Hyndburn. Commonly abbreviated by locals to ...

on the competition's opening day. Described as a hard-running forward, able to occupy all five front-line positions, he produced his best form on the wing. Signed in August 1885 he scored 45 goals in 82 games before the

era began in 1888. George Fleming made his League debut on 8 September 1888, playing as a winger, at

Anfield Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...

, then the home of Everton. The home team defeated the visitors, Accrington 2–1 and George Fleming scored both goals scoring the first Everton League goal and the first Everton player to score two–in–a–League–match. When George Fleming played as a winger on 15 September 1888 against

Notts County Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League (division), National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 2 ...

he was 28 years 316 days old; that made him, on that second weekend of League football, Everton's oldest player. George Fleming appeared in four of the 22 League matches played by Everton in season 1888–89 and scored two League goals. Both his League goals were scored in the same match. (registration & fee required)

References

1859 births 1912 deaths Everton F.C. players English Football League players Footballers from Arbroath Scottish men's footballers Men's association football utility players Men's association football forwards Men's association football outside forwards {{Scotland-footy-forward-1850s-stub