| Vivian Simpson | |
| Fullname: | Vivian Sumner Simpson |
| Birth Date: | 1883 |
| Birth Place: | Sheffield, England |
| Death Date: | 13 |
| Death Place: | Outtersteene, Belgium |
| Position: | Forward |
| Years1: | 1900 |
| Clubs1: | Sheffield |
| Years2: | 1900–1906 |
| Clubs2: | The Wednesday |
| Caps2: | 30 |
| Goals2: | 8 |
| Clubs3: | Sheffield |
| Years4: | 1907 |
| Clubs4: | Norwich City |
| Clubs5: | Northern Nomads |
| Years6: | –1909 |
| Clubs6: | Sheffield |
Vivian Sumner Simpson MC (1883 – 13 April 1918) was an English amateur footballer who played in the Football League for The Wednesday as a forward.[1] [2] He is most notable for his time in non-League football with Sheffield, for whom he scored over 100 goals in over 200 appearances.[3]
Simpson attended Wesley College, Sheffield and later worked for his father as a solicitor.[4] He served in the York and Lancaster Regiment during the First World War and was awarded the Military Cross and mentioned in dispatches in September 1917:[5] [6]
Between November 1916 and February 1917, Simpson was promoted from a temporary second lieutenant to acting captain, while commanding his company.[7] [8] He was promoted to acting captain and to command his company again in April 1917.[9] In September 1917, Simpson was invalided back to Britain after suffering wounds and was posted to a role training junior officers in Sunderland. He later returned to the front and was killed by a sniper "while selflessly dashing through the darkness to check on his comrades" on 13 April 1918 at Outtersteene, near Ploegsteert, Belgium.[10] He was buried in Outtersteene Communal Cemetery Extension.
| Season | League | FA Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| The Wednesday | 1901–02[11] | First Division | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | |
| 1902–03 | First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1903–04 | First Division | 7 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 5 | ||
| 1904–05 | First Division | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1905–06 | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1906–07 | First Division | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 30 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 38 | 11 | |||
Sheffield