Reg Freeman

Reginald Fidelas Vincent Freeman (20 December 1893 – 4 August 1955) was an English football player and manager.

Reg Freeman

Personal information
Full name	Reginald Fidelas Vincent Freeman[1]
Date of birth	(1893-12-20)20 December 1893[1]
Place of birth	Birkenhead, England[2][3]
Date of death	4 August 1955(1955-08-04) (aged 61)[3]
Place of death	Wickersley, England[4]
Position(s)	Full back[1]
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1919–1920	Northern Nomads
1920–1921	Liverpool	0	(0)
1921–1923	Oldham Athletic	101	(0)
1923–1930	Middlesbrough	179	(0)
1930–1934	Rotherham United	95	(3)
Total		375	(3)
Managerial career
1934–1952	Rotherham United
1952–1955	Sheffield United
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Player

Freeman played 104 times for Oldham Athletic, making his debut in January 1921 against Bolton Wanderers.^[5] Freeman joined Middlesbrough from the Latics in May 1923 for £3,600.^[2] Whilst playing left-back for Middlesbrough, the team won the Second Division title in 1926–27 in impressive fashion, scoring 122 goals in 42 league games.^[2] He made 29 league appearances that season.^[2] Freeman missed the majority of the following season through injury as Middlesbrough were relegated from the First Division, but he would win another Second Division title in 1928–29 with the club.^[5] In total Freeman spent seven seasons playing at Ayresome Park before leaving for Rotherham United for £150 in 1930, where he became player-manager in 1934.^[2] He played war-time football for Liverpool as well.^[5]

Manager

Freeman was manager for Rotherham United from 1934 to 1952. Rotherham finished as runners-up three time in succession between 1947 and 1949 and then were champions of the Third Division North in 1950–51. He was appointed as manager of Sheffield United for the 1952–53 season, and immediately led the club to the Second Division title.^[6] United narrowly avoid relegation in 1953–54, finishing 20th in the First Division.^[6] Other season highlights include the debut of goalkeeper Alan Hodgkinson, plus the first floodlit game at Bramall Lane since the 19th century.^[6] Two big defeats early in the 1954–55 season caused concern, but United completed the league double over Steel City derby rivals Wednesday on their way to a 13th-place finish.^[6] However Freeman was taken ill and died before the start of the 1955–56 season.^[6]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition^[1]

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Liverpool	1920–21	First Division	0	0	0	0	0	0
Oldham Athletic	1920–21	First Division	20	0	0	0	20	0
	1921–22	First Division	42	0	2	0	44	0
	1922–23	First Division	39	0	1	0	40	0
	Total		101	0	3	0	104	0
Middlesbrough	1923–24	First Division	40	0	1	0	41	0
	1924–25	Second Division	33	0	1	0	34	0
	1925–26	Second Division	39	0	2	0	41	0
	1926–27	Second Division	29	0	2	0	31	0
	1927–28	First Division	4	0	0	0	4	0
	1928–29	Second Division	28	0	2	0	30	0
	1929–30	First Division	6	0	0	0	6	0
	Total		179	0	8	0	187	0
Rotherham United	1930–31	Division Three North	29	0	1	0	30	0
	1931–32	Division Three North	24	2	0	0	24	2
	1932–33	Division Three North	33	0	1	0	34	0
	1933–34	Division Three North	9	1	1	0	10	1
	Total		95	3	3	0	98	3
Career total			375	3	14	0	389	3

Honours

Player

Middlesbrough

• Football League Second Division champions: 1926–27, 1928–29

Manager

Rotherham United

• Football League Third Division North champions: 1950–51

Sheffield United

• Football League Second Division champions: 1952–53