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Jimmy Fletcher

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Jimmy Fletcher
Personal information
Full name James Alfred Fletcher
Date of birth (1931-11-10)10 November 1931
Place of birth Wouldham, England
Date of death 22 November 2020(2020-11-22) (aged 89)
Position(s) Inside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Wouldham
Chatham Town
Faversham Town
Maidstone United
1957–1958 Gillingham 23 (8)
1958–1959 Southend United[1] 00 (0)
1959–1960 Gravesend & Northfleet
1960–1962 Dartford
1962–1963 Margate
1963–1964 Dover
International career
England Amateur 02 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

James Alfred Fletcher (10 November 1931 - 22 November 2020) was an English former footballer of the 1950s and 1960s, who played professionally for Gillingham and as a semi-professional for various clubs in Kent. After retiring from football he became a successful breeder of racing greyhounds.[2]

Football career

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Born in the village of Wouldham in Kent, Fletcher began his career with the local team before joining Chatham Town of the Kent League. He subsequently played for other Kent-based non-league clubs Faversham Town and Maidstone United, where he was a leading goalscorer in the Corinthian League and was twice chosen to play for the England national amateur team.[3]

In 1957 he turned professional with Gillingham of the Football League Third Division South and made his debut in the first game of the 1957–58 season, partnering Ron Saunders in attack.[4] He failed to gain a regular place in the Gills' first team and left the club at the end of the season to join Southend United.[3] He spent six months at Roots Hall but never played for the club's first team.[1] In January 1959 he returned to the non-league scene, joining Gravesend & Northfleet of the Southern Football League, and later played for Dartford, Margate and Dover.[3]

Post-football career

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After retiring from football in 1964, Fletcher became a successful breeder of racing greyhounds and went on to win large amounts of money betting on his dogs. His greatest success came in 1991, when his consortium won £200,000 on a high-profile race at Wimbledon Stadium.[3] In 2001, he lived in Sutton Valence near Maidstone and still regularly attended greyhound races.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Hugman, Barry J. (1984). Canon League Football Players' Records 1946–1984. Newnes Books. p. 159. ISBN 0-600-37318-5.
  2. ^ "Jimmy Fletcher". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing Ltd. p. 116. ISBN 0-7524-2243-X.
  4. ^ Brown, Tony (2003). The Definitive Gillingham F.C.: A Complete Record. Soccerdata. p. 67. ISBN 1-899468-20-X.