Fred Barron

Who is Fred Barron?

Fred Barron was an English professional footballer who played primarily as a wing half. He made exactly 400 Football League appearances in thirteen seasons with Burnley.

Born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, Barron began his career with Northern League side Stockton St. Mary's in the late 1890s. Described as 'the best back in the Northern League', he was signed by newly promoted Football League First Division club Burnley in June 1898. At the start of the 1898–99 season, Barron was unable to displace David Beveridge from the right-half position. He made his debut for the club in the sixth match of the campaign, a 1–1 draw away at Sheffield United on 1 October 1898. Barron kept his place in the Burnley team for the remainder of the season, playing in 29 league matches and 2 FA Cup ties. He retained his starting berth for the majority of the 1899–1900 season, making 30 league appearances, but was dropped for the final two matches of the campaign in favour of Bill Jenkinson. The season ended in disappointment for Burnley as they were relegated to the Second Division after winning only 11 of their 34 fixtures.