| Fred Appleyard | |
| Fullname: | Fred Appleyard |
| Birth Date: | 13 June 1909 |
| Birth Place: | Norden, England |
| Death Date: | March 1995 (aged 85) |
| Death Place: | Ulverston, England |
| Height: | [1] |
| Position: | Left-half / Inside-left[2] |
| Clubs1: | Norden St James |
| Years2: | 1928–1932 |
| Clubs2: | Rochdale |
| Caps2: | 6 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 1933–193? |
| Clubs3: | Norden Congregationalists |
| Years4: | 1935–19?? |
| Clubs4: | Rochdale St Clement's |
Fred Appleyard (13 June 1909 – March 1995) was an English professional footballer who played as a left-half or inside-left in the Football League for Rochdale, and in non-League football for Norden St James, Norden Congregationalists and Rochdale St Clement's.
Fred Appleyard was born on 13 June 1909 in Norden, Rochdale, Lancashire.[3] He was the second son of George Appleyard, a domestic coachman, and his wife Sarah, and had an older brother, Willie.[4]
Appleyard played in non-League football for Norden St James[5] before signing for Third Division North club Rochdale on amateur forms in January 1928.[3] He made his debut on 9 March 1929 in a 5–1 defeat away to Tranmere Rovers in the league, which proved to be his only appearance of the 1928–29 season.[5] He turned professional in 1930,[3] and made his next first-team appearance in November of that year. He appeared in four matches in the 1930–31 season, three in the league and one in the FA Cup.[5] Having finished in 21st place, Rochdale had to apply for re-election, and with the club's future uncertain, Appleyard was one of just six players offered terms for the 1931–32 season.[6] Their application was successful, and Appleyard made two more league appearances. His last, in January 1932, was as stand-in for Rochdale's regular left half, George Ward, in a 3–2 defeat at home to Crewe Alexandra.[5] [7] After leaving Rochdale he returned to playing in non-League with Norden Congregationalists, which he joined in June 1933, and Rochdale St Clement's from September 1935.[3]
The 1939 Register finds Appleyard living in Rochdale with his parents and a younger sister and employed as a production process worker in textile bleaching and dyeing.[8] He died in Ulverston, Cumbria, in March 1995 at the age of 85.[5] [9]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Rochdale | 1928–29 | Third Division North | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1930–31 | Third Division North | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1931–32 | Third Division North | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |||