On this day in 1997 Charlie Fleming sadly passed away, the Scottish forward was nicknamed “Cannonball” because of his impressive shooting ability.
Scoring 71 goals in just 122 appearances, Fleming is one of the most lethal strikers in Sunderland’s history. The Scotsman signed for £20,000 plus Tommy Wright from East Fife in 1955, at 27 years old. He scored his first goal for the club in an FA Cup draw away to Swansea, heading home Billy Bingham’s cross.
In another FA Cup tie, Fleming scored a hat trick. This was the first of his career, as well as the first of any Sunderland player post-war as Third Division side Norwich City were beaten 4-2. Despite Fleming’s goals, Sunderland were eventually relegated from the top flight for the first time since joining the Football League in 1890.
“Cannonball” was phased out by new manager Alan Ball, scoring his last goal in red and white against Aston Villa. He then played his last match for the club against Everton, before joining Bath City in the Southern League where he scored 216 goals in 300 appearances. He played with Tony Book, who had also played alongside the likes of Francis Lee, Colin Bell and Rodney Marsh. However, Ball later claimed he had "never seen anyone time the ball as well as Fleming”.
