Diamond Fred - new book tells the story of a man who played top class football and cricket

FRED Wheldon was an outstanding inside forward of the 1890s. He was an English international who scored a hat-trick on his international debut and was in the Aston Villa team that achieved the League/FA Cup “double” in the 1896-97 season.

- By DOUGLAS GORMAN

Wheldon started his top flight career with Small Heath (today's Birmingham City) and finished it with West Bromwich Albion. He was also an accomplished cricketer who played for Worcestershire County Cricket Club as they earned elevation to the First Class County Championship.

Now, a new book tells Fred's story from the beginning, with him being born into a sporting family in the Black Country. Playing for local teams, he displayed early talent at both sports. This brought him to the attention of top clubs and he went on to successfully combine professional careers in both games.