Peter Stringfellow (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Peter Stringfellow is an English
former professional association football player. He played for Oldham Athletic
, Gillingham
and Chesterfield
between 1958 and 1965, making more than 100 appearances in the Football League
, but his professional career came to an end after he was involved in a car crash which killed a team-mate.
in Lancashire
and began his career playing for local team Walkden Town. He had a short spell with Manchester City
but never played a match for the club. He moved to nearby Oldham Athletic in December 1958. An inside forward
, he spent two seasons with the club, playing 54 times in the Football League
and scoring 16 goals. He was the team's top scorer during the 1959–60 season
with 11 goals, but was then forced to leave the club when he was posted to Malaya
with the Royal Air Force
.
He later played for the non-league
club GKN Sankey
, based in Wellington, Shropshire
, and then, upon leaving the Air Force, joined Gillingham
in December 1962. He made his debut for the club the following April in a home match against Newport County
. In the 1963–64 season
he made 25 appearances and helped the club to win the championship of the Football League Fourth Division
. At the end of the season, however, manager Freddie Cox
decided that Stringfellow would not feature in his plans at the higher level, and the player moved to Chesterfield
in an exchange deal which saw Charlie Rackstraw
move in the opposite direction. Stringfellow made 28 appearances for the "Spireites", scoring seven goals, but in December 1964 he was involved in a car crash in which team-mate Ralph Hunt
(the brother of Stringfellow's former Gillingham team-mate Dennis Hunt
) was killed and two other players injured. Stringfellow had been driving the car which crashed, but no responsibility was attached to him for the accident. Nonetheless, following the accident, his form dramatically declined and he was allowed to leave Saltergate at the end of the season. He chose to emigrate to Australia
, and no details are known of his subsequent life.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former professional association football player. He played for Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
, Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
and Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
between 1958 and 1965, making more than 100 appearances in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, but his professional career came to an end after he was involved in a car crash which killed a team-mate.
Career
Stringfellow was born in WalkdenWalkden
Walkden is a town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester....
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and began his career playing for local team Walkden Town. He had a short spell with Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
but never played a match for the club. He moved to nearby Oldham Athletic in December 1958. An inside forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
, he spent two seasons with the club, playing 54 times in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
and scoring 16 goals. He was the team's top scorer during the 1959–60 season
1959-60 in English football
The 1959–60 season was the 80th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:17 November 1959: Phil Taylor resigns as manager of Liverpool after three years as manager, with all three of his seasons in charge ending with a narrow failure to win promotion to the First...
with 11 goals, but was then forced to leave the club when he was posted to Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
He later played for the non-league
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
club GKN Sankey
GKN Sankey F.C.
GKN Sankey F.C., previously known as Sankeys of Wellington F.C., was an English association football club based in Wellington, Shropshire, which was incorporated into the new town of Telford in the 1960s...
, based in Wellington, Shropshire
Wellington, Shropshire
Wellington is a town in the unitary authority of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England and now forms part of the new town of Telford. The population of the parish of Wellington was recorded as 20,430 in the 2001 census, making it the third largest town in Shropshire if...
, and then, upon leaving the Air Force, joined Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
in December 1962. He made his debut for the club the following April in a home match against Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
. In the 1963–64 season
1963-64 in English football
The 1963–1964 season was the 84th season of competitive football in England, from August 1963 to May 1964:-Overview:* Liverpool won the League Championship.* West Ham United won the FA Cup.* Leicester City won the League Cup.-Diary of the season:...
he made 25 appearances and helped the club to win the championship of the Football League Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
. At the end of the season, however, manager Freddie Cox
Freddie Cox
Frederick James Arthur "Freddie" Cox DFC was an English football player and manager.Born in Reading, Berkshire, Cox signed as an 18-year-old for Tottenham Hotspur in 1938. A tricky and talented winger who usually played on the right, he made his Spurs debut in a Second Division match against...
decided that Stringfellow would not feature in his plans at the higher level, and the player moved to Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
in an exchange deal which saw Charlie Rackstraw
Charlie Rackstraw
Charles "Charlie" Rackstraw is an English former professional association football player. Born in Sheffield, his clubs included Chesterfield, Bradford City and Gillingham.-References:...
move in the opposite direction. Stringfellow made 28 appearances for the "Spireites", scoring seven goals, but in December 1964 he was involved in a car crash in which team-mate Ralph Hunt
Ralph Hunt
Ralph Arthur Robert Hunt was an English footballer.-Playing career:Hunt began his career at his hometown club Portsmouth, where he only made five appearances. After a spell at Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic he moved on to Norwich City...
(the brother of Stringfellow's former Gillingham team-mate Dennis Hunt
Dennis Hunt
Dennis Perrior Hunt is an English former Association football player and manager.A defender, Hunt joined Gillingham in 1958 after being discovered whilst playing football for the army...
) was killed and two other players injured. Stringfellow had been driving the car which crashed, but no responsibility was attached to him for the accident. Nonetheless, following the accident, his form dramatically declined and he was allowed to leave Saltergate at the end of the season. He chose to emigrate to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and no details are known of his subsequent life.