| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1940-09-02)2 September 1940 | ||
| Place of birth | Southampton, England | ||
| Date of death | 5 June 2020(2020-06-05) (aged 79) | ||
| Place of death | Las Vegas,Nevada, U.S. | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Charlton Athletic | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1957–1960 | Charlton Athletic | 5 | (3) |
| 1960–1963 | Southend United | 61 | (24) |
| 1963–1966 | Bradford Park Avenue | 101 | (38) |
| 1966–1967 | Southport | 39 | (15) |
| 1967 | Torquay United | 27 | (11) |
| 1967–1968 | Stockport County | 44 | (28) |
| 1968–1970 | Blackburn Rovers | 37 | (5) |
| 1970–1971 | Oldham Athletic | 76 | (40) |
| 1971–1974 | Southport | 108 | (24) |
| 1973 | →Philadelphia Atoms (loan) | 18 | (7) |
| 1974 | Philadelphia Atoms | 20 | (8) |
| 1974 | Stockport County | 1 | (1) |
| 1974–1975 | Torquay United | 4 | (0) |
| 1975 | Hartford Bicentennials | 6 | (1) |
| 1975 | Philadelphia Atoms[1] | 5 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1977 | Las Vegas Quicksilvers | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
James Fryatt (2 September 1940 – 5 June 2020) was an Englishfootballer who played as astriker. During his playing career he was nicknamedPancho.[2]
A regular scorer for all of his club sides, the stockily built forward was the archetypaljourneyman, spending most of his career switching between lower league sides. However whilst appearing forBradford Park Avenue againstTranmere Rovers on 25 April 1964 Fryatt established aFootball League record by scoring after only four seconds, thefastest goal in the competition's history.[3] Fryatt was well regarded for his time atStockport County, where his strike partnership withBill Atkins was so formidable that the two have been inducted into the club's Hall of Fame as a unit.[4] Fryatt signed forOldham Athletic fromBlackburn Rovers for a sum of £8,000 in 1970 and although he only spent 21 months atBoundary Park, he became an instant hit and legend among supporters for scoring 42 goals in 81 appearances in all competitions.[5]
Like many of his contemporaries Fryatt appeared in theNorth American Soccer League during the summer months, first appearing in the1973 season with the title winningPhiladelphia Atoms, for whom he scored in the play-offs againstToronto Metros.[6] He returned to the club thefollowing year before finishing his career in the1975 season initially withHartford Bicentennials and then back in Philadelphia.
After retiring as a player, Fryatt served briefly as the assistant manager of the originalLas Vegas Quicksilvers before settling permanently inLas Vegas where he worked at casinos before becoming a mechanic for agolf course.[7] He was the father of professional golferEd Fryatt.[8] He died 5 June 2020 in Las Vegas.[9]