Arthur Fitzsimons

Who is Arthur Fitzsimons?

Arthur Fitzsimons is an Irish former professional football player and manager.

Originally from Penrose Street just off the Ringsend Road and almost in the shadow of Shelbourne Park, the stadium named after the club and which was then their home ground, Arthur signed for Shels from the famous schoolboy nursery club, Johnville F.C.

Already well known for his talent at underage 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's almost forgotten that he played for Shels for only one season, 1948/49, before being transferred across-channel. But it's no coincidence that that season was one of the best in the club's history, being in contention until the very 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 he was transferred to Middlesbrough F.C. in the English first Division. He went on to play with them 223 times scoring 49 goals His teammates included Brian Clough and Wilf Mannion.

His coaching career took him to Libya where he spent five and a half years in Tripoli in the 60s before Muammar Gaddafi appeared on the scene and Fitzsimons was advised to leave.