Arthur Fitzsimons

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Arthur Fitzsimons

| birth_date = {{birth date|1929|12|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Dublin, Ireland

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2018|05|09|1929|12|16}}

| death_place =

| position = Inside forward

| years1 = 1946–1949

| clubs1 = Shelbourne

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1949–1959

| clubs2 = Middlesbrough

| caps2 = 223

| goals2 = 49

| years3 = 1958–1959

| clubs3 = Lincoln City

| caps3 = 7

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1959–1961

| clubs4 = Mansfield Town

| caps4 = 62

| goals4 = 23

| years5 = 1961–1964

| clubs5 = Wisbech Town

| caps5 =

| goals5 =

| years6 = 1967–1969

| clubs6 = Drogheda

| caps6 = 24

| goals6 = 5

| nationalyears1 = 1949–1959

| nationalteam1 = Republic of Ireland

| nationalcaps1 = 26

| nationalgoals1 = 7

| manageryears1 = 1967–1969

| managerclubs1 = Drogheda

| manageryears2 = 1967

| managerclubs2 = League of Ireland XI

| manageryears3 = 1969

| managerclubs3 = Shamrock Rovers

}}

Arthur Fitzsimons (16 December 1929 – 9 May 2018) was an Irish professional football player and manager. An inside forward, he notably made over 200 appearances for Middlesbrough.

Career

Originally from Penrose Street, in the shadow of Shelbourne Park, the stadium named after Shelbourne, their then home ground, Arthur signed with 'the Shels' from the famous schoolboy nursery club, Johnville.

Already well known for his talent at junior level, the scouts were anxious to see how he would perform at this higher level. So well did he perform with 'the Reds', that it is almost forgotten he played for them only one season, 1948{{ndash}}49, before being transferred over the water. But it was no coincidence that that season was one of the best in the club's history, being in contention until the last match in all four available competitions, finally winning two of them, and finishing runner-up in the others. At the end of the season, he was part of a two-player deal when transferred (with Peter Desmond) to Middlesbrough F.C. in the English First Division. He went on to play in 223 games, scoring 49 goals.{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player1/arthurfitzsimons.html |title=Arthur Fitzsimons }} His teammates included Brian Clough and Wilf Mannion.

In the 1960s, his coaching career took him to Libya, where he spent five and a half years in Tripoli until Colonel Gaddafi came to power, when he was advised to leave.

In August 1967, he signed for Drogheda as player-coach, a position he shared with Theo Dunne.{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1967/0825/Pg003.html#Ar00302:A27738A5A7529826DBA126F8 |newspaper=The Irish Times |title=Unknown title and date |format=PDF }} In April 1969, his contract was terminated.{{cite web |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1969/0417/Pg003.html#Ar00303:0D61DB1011F00942EB0C03010995730BF58909A09A1430F214809E1620F615A0A22320FA10D1DD1531F20C728810D29D0D12ED1133020CE573111589 |newspaper=The Irish Times |title=Unknown title and date |format=PDF }}

In June 1969, he was appointed manager of Shamrock Rovers, taking over from Liam Tuohy.{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1969/0603/Pg003.html#Ar00307:3C38283F083D3F3A7040AA8640BA70422A86391B243A3B373A4B223ABB373ABB243B4B373B6B233CCB383CBB253D8B38 |title=Unknown title and date |newspaper=The Irish Times |format=PDF }} Despite beating FC Schalke 04 in a 1969-70 European Cup Winners' Cup first leg tie, he was fired two months later.

He also played 26 times for the Republic of Ireland national team, scoring 7 goals.{{cite web |url=http://www.soccerscene.ie/sssenior/player.php?id=123 |title=Statistics: Republic of Ireland |website=soccerscene.ie }}

Later life and death

In 2009, Fitzsimons was inducted into the Football Association of Ireland Hall of Fame.{{cite web |url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2009/0208/eircomawards.html |title=Doyle named eircom Player of the Year |website=rte.ie }}

He died aged 88 on 9 May 2018.{{cite news |last1=Byrne |first1=Peter |title=Former Ireland international Arthur Fitzsimons (88) dies |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/former-ireland-international-arthur-fitzsimons-88-dies-1.3489291 |access-date=10 May 2021 |work=Irish Times |date=9 May 2018}}