# Fred Donaldson

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{{Short description|English footballer (1937–2018)}}
{{distinguish|text =the Anglican priest, [Frederic Lewis Donaldson](/source/Frederic_Lewis_Donaldson)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name           = Fred Donaldson
| image          = 
| caption        = 
| fullname       = Frederick Lewis Donaldson<ref name="kent"/>
| birth_date     = {{birth date|1937|04|07|df=y}}<ref name="kent"/>
| birth_place    = [Stoke-on-Trent](/source/Stoke-on-Trent), England<ref name="kent"/>
| death_date     = {{death date and age|2018|07|24|1937|04|07|df=y}}<ref name="trib"/>
| height         = {{convert|1.82|m|order=flip}}<ref name="trib"/>
| position       = [Right-back](/source/Defender_(association_football)); [inside-forward](/source/inside-forward); [right-half](/source/Midfielder)
| youthyears1    = | youthclubs1 = [Port Vale](/source/Port_Vale_F.C.)
| years1         = 1954–1960| clubs1 = [Port Vale](/source/Port_Vale_F.C.)                | caps1 =  47| goals1 =  4
| years2         = 1960–1961| clubs2 = [Exeter City](/source/Exeter_City_F.C.)            | caps2 =  36| goals2 =  6
| years3         = 1961–1962| clubs3 = [Chester](/source/Chester_City_F.C.)               | caps3 =  21| goals3 =  0
| years4         = 1962–1966| clubs4 = [Macclesfield Town](/source/Macclesfield_Town_F.C.)| caps4 = 172| goals4 = 34
| years5         = 1966–19??| clubs5 = [Stafford Rangers](/source/Stafford_Rangers_F.C.)  | caps5 =    | goals5 = 
| totalcaps      = 276| totalgoals  = 44
}}

'''Frederick Lewis Donaldson''' (7 April 1937 – 24 July 2018) was an English [footballer](/source/Association_football) who played as a [full-back](/source/Defender_(association_football)) for [Port Vale](/source/Port_Vale_F.C.), [Exeter City](/source/Exeter_City_F.C.), [Chester](/source/Chester_City_F.C.), [Macclesfield Town](/source/Macclesfield_Town_F.C.) and [Stafford Rangers](/source/Stafford_Rangers_F.C.). He won the [Fourth Division](/source/Football_League_Fourth_Division) title with Port Vale in 1958–59.

==Career==
===Port Vale===
Donaldson was born in [Stoke-on-Trent](/source/Stoke-on-Trent) and graduated through the junior squad at local club [Port Vale](/source/Port_Vale_F.C.) to sign first-team forms in July 1954.<ref name="kent">{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Jeff|title=Port Vale Personalities|publisher=Witan Books|page=87|year=1996|isbn=0-9529152-0-0}}</ref> He made his senior debut on 4 May 1955, in a 1–0 win over [Lincoln City](/source/Lincoln_City_F.C.) at [Sincil Bank](/source/Sincil_Bank) on the last day of the [1954–55](/source/1954%E2%80%9355_Port_Vale_F.C._season) season.<ref name="kent"/> However, he had to wait until the start of the [1957–58](/source/1957%E2%80%9358_Port_Vale_F.C._season) campaign before he played another game; by this time the "Valiants" had been [relegated](/source/promotion_and_relegation) from the [Second Division](/source/Football_League_Second_Division) to the [Third Division South](/source/Football_League_Third_Division_South), and [Norman Low](/source/Norman_Low) had replaced [Freddie Steele](/source/Freddie_Steele_(footballer)) as [manager](/source/Manager_(association_football)).<ref name="kent"/> Donaldson played 27 league games at right-back throughout the campaign, but featured only 11 times in the [1958–59](/source/1958%E2%80%9359_Port_Vale_F.C._season) season as Vale won the [Fourth Division](/source/Football_League_Fourth_Division) title.<ref name="kent"/> He featured just eight times in the [Third Division](/source/Football_League_Third_Division) in the [1959–60](/source/1959%E2%80%9360_Port_Vale_F.C._season) season, but claimed four goals against [Colchester United](/source/Colchester_United_F.C.), [Accrington Stanley](/source/Accrington_Stanley_F.C._(1891)) (2), and [Newport County](/source/Newport_County_A.F.C.).<ref name="kent"/> He left [Vale Park](/source/Vale_Park) in August 1960, when he was sold to [Exeter City](/source/Exeter_City_F.C.) for a £2,000 fee.<ref name="kent"/>

===Later career===
Donaldson made his debut for the "Grecians" in a 0–0 draw with [Carlisle United](/source/Carlisle_United_F.C.) at [St James Park](/source/St_James_Park_(Exeter)) on the opening day of the [1960–61](/source/1960%E2%80%9361_Exeter_City_F.C._season) season.<ref name="grecian">{{cite web |title=The Grecian Archive - Donaldson, Frederick |url=https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/1426 |website=grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk |access-date=1 August 2018}}</ref> He went on to score six goals in 36 Fourth Division games as [Glen Wilson](/source/Glen_Wilson_(footballer))'s finished 21st in the Fourth Division, before departing at the end of the campaign after remaining on the [transfer](/source/Transfer_(association_football))-list for four months.<ref name="grecian"/> He then played 20 Fourth Division games for [Chester](/source/Chester_City_F.C.) in the [1961–62](/source/1961%E2%80%9362_Chester_F.C._season) campaign, as the "Seals" finished bottom of the [English Football League](/source/English_Football_League). He then left the [Deva Stadium](/source/Deva_Stadium) and later played for [Cheshire County League](/source/Cheshire_County_League) sides [Macclesfield Town](/source/Macclesfield_Town_F.C.) and [Stafford Rangers](/source/Stafford_Rangers_F.C.).

==Later life==
Donaldson became a sales rep after retiring as a player, selling carpets and floorings.<ref name="trib"/> He married Iris and had two children, Linda and David.<ref name="trib"/> He remained a keen [crown green bowler](/source/Bowls) from his teenage years up until his death following a short illness on 24 July 2018.<ref name="trib"/>

==Style of play==
Port Vale teammate [Colin Askey](/source/Colin_Askey) described Donaldson as "a nice footballer, someone who liked to get the ball down and play", able to play in various positions from his preferred spot at right-back as well as inside-forward and right-half.<ref name="trib">{{cite news |last1=Baggaley |first1=Michael |title=Tributes paid to former Port Vale player Fred Donaldson |url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/tributes-paid-former-port-vale-1848502 |access-date=1 August 2018 |work=Stoke Sentinel |date=1 August 2018}}</ref>

==Career statistics==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>{{ENFA}}</ref>
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
!colspan="2"|[FA Cup](/source/FA_Cup)
!colspan="2"|Other
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="7"|[Port Vale](/source/Port_Vale_F.C.)
|[1954–55](/source/1954%E2%80%9355_Port_Vale_F.C._season)
|[Second Division](/source/Football_League_Second_Division)
|1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|[1955–56](/source/1955%E2%80%9356_Port_Vale_F.C._season)
|Second Division
|0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|[1956–57](/source/1956%E2%80%9357_Port_Vale_F.C._season)
|Second Division
|0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|[1957–58](/source/1957%E2%80%9358_Port_Vale_F.C._season)
|[Third Division South](/source/Football_League_Third_Division_South)
|27||0||0||0||0||0||27||0
|-
|[1958–59](/source/1958%E2%80%9359_Port_Vale_F.C._season)
|[Fourth Division](/source/Football_League_Fourth_Division)
|11||0||0||0||0||0||11||0
|-
|[1959–60](/source/1959%E2%80%9360_Port_Vale_F.C._season)
|[Third Division](/source/Football_League_Third_Division)
|8||4||0||0||0||0||8||4
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!47!!4!!0!!0!!0!!0!!47!!4
|-
|[Exeter City](/source/Exeter_City_F.C.)
|[1960–61](/source/1960%E2%80%9361_Exeter_City_F.C._season)
|Fourth Division
|36||6||2||0||2||0||40||6
|-
|[Chester](/source/Chester_City_F.C.)
|[1961–62](/source/1961%E2%80%9362_Chester_F.C._season)
|Fourth Division
|21||0||2||0||2||0||25||0
|-
|rowspan="6"|[Macclesfield Town](/source/Macclesfield_Town_F.C.)
|[1961–62](/source/1961%E2%80%9362_in_English_football)<ref>{{cite web|title=Stats|url=http://www.silkmenarchives.org.uk/season_stats/Cheshire_league/1961_62.html|website=silkmenarchives.org.uk|access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref>
|[Cheshire County League](/source/Cheshire_County_League)
|11||4||0||0||0||0||11||4
|-
|[1962–63](/source/1962%E2%80%9363_in_English_football)<ref>{{cite web|title=Stats|url=http://www.silkmenarchives.org.uk/season_stats/Cheshire_league/1962_63.html|website=silkmenarchives.org.uk|access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref>
|Cheshire County League
|40||7||2||0||5||3||47||10
|-
|[1963–64](/source/1963%E2%80%9364_in_English_football)<ref>{{cite web|title=Stats|url=http://www.silkmenarchives.org.uk/season_stats/Cheshire_league/1963_64.html|website=silkmenarchives.org.uk|access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref>
|Cheshire County League
|39||6||5||1||11||2||55||9
|-
|[1964–65](/source/1964%E2%80%9365_in_English_football)<ref>{{cite web|title=Stats|url=http://www.silkmenarchives.org.uk/season_stats/Cheshire_league/1964_65.html|website=silkmenarchives.org.uk|access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref>
|Cheshire County League
|42||10||5||2||5||2||52||14
|-
|[1965–66](/source/1965%E2%80%9366_in_English_football)<ref>{{cite web|title=Stats|url=http://www.silkmenarchives.org.uk/season_stats/Cheshire_league/1965_66.html|website=silkmenarchives.org.uk|access-date=12 July 2016}}</ref>
|Cheshire County League
|40||7||3||1||6||0||49||8
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!172!!34!!15!!4!!27!!7!!214!!45
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total{{efn|name=not|Statistics for [Stafford Rangers](/source/Stafford_Rangers_F.C.) not known.}}
!276!!44!!19!!4!!31!!7!!326!!55
|}
{{notelist}}

==Honours==
'''Port Vale'''
*[Football League Fourth Division](/source/Football_League_Fourth_Division): [1958–59](/source/1958%E2%80%9359_Port_Vale_F.C._season)<ref name="Kent5859">{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Jeff|title=The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale|publisher=Witan Books|year=1990|pages=171–196|chapter=Fame and Fortune (1950–1959)|isbn=0-9508981-4-7}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donaldson, Fred}}
Category:1937 births
Category:2018 deaths
Category:Footballers from Stoke-on-Trent
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football full-backs
Category:Men's association football wing halves
Category:Men's association football inside forwards
Category:Port Vale F.C. players
Category:Exeter City F.C. players
Category:Chester City F.C. players
Category:Macclesfield Town F.C. players
Category:Stafford Rangers F.C. players
Category:English Football League players
Category:20th-century English sportsmen

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fred Donaldson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Donaldson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Donaldson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.