Chris Hemming

Chris Hemming
Personal information
Full name Christopher Andrew John Hemming[1]
Date of birth (1966-04-13) 13 April 1966 (age 58)[1]
Place of birth Newcastle-under-Lyme, England[1]
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1981–1983 Stoke City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1983–1989 Stoke City 93 (2)
1988 → Wigan Athletic (loan) 4 (0)
1989–1991 Hereford United 41 (3)
1991–1992 Merthyr Tydfil 21 (0)
1992 Macclesfield Town
1992–1994 Stafford Rangers 76 (2)
Total 235 (7)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Christopher Andrew John Hemming (born 13 April 1966) is a former footballer who played in the Football League for Stoke City and Wigan Athletic.[1][3] He is known as the first professional footballer to play whilst having a pacemaker.[1]

Career

Hemming was a product of Stoke's youth system and he made his professional debut in the 1983–84 season which came in a 1–0 defeat away at Tottenham Hotspur on 3 March 1984.[1] He played in the awful 1984–85 season which saw Stoke relegated to the Second Division with a record low points tally.[1] Hemming became a useful member of Mick Mills' squad but he made the national sporting headlines when he was fitted with a pacemaker and still managed to continue playing professional football.[1] He played in 106 games for Stoke before joining Wigan Athletic on loan then permanently to Hereford United in 1989.[1] He later went on to play for non-league Merthyr Tydfil,[4] Macclesfield Town and Stafford Rangers.[1]

Career statistics

Source:[5]

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Stoke City 1983–84 First Division 3 0 0 0 0 0 — 3 0
1984–85 First Division 16 1 0 0 1 0 — 17 1
1985–86 Second Division 24 0 1 0 1 0 1[a] 0 27 0
1986–87 Second Division 22 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 24 0
1987–88 Second Division 24 1 0 0 2 0 1[a] 0 27 1
1988–89 Second Division 4 0 0 0 2 0 1[a] 0 7 0
Total 93 2 1 0 8 0 3 0 105 2
Wigan Athletic (loan) 1988–89 Third Division 4 0 0 0 0 0 2[b] 0 6 0
Hereford United 1989–90 Fourth Division 35 2 4 0 2 0 4[b] 2 45 4
1990–91 Fourth Division 6 1 2 0 0 0 2[b] 0 10 1
Total 41 3 6 0 2 0 6 2 55 5
Career total 138 5 7 0 10 0 11 2 166 7
  1. ^ a b c Appearances in Full Members' Cup
  2. ^ a b c Appearances in Football League Trophy

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 348. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  3. ^ Lowe, Simon (2000). Stoke City The Modern Era – A Complete Record. Desert Island Books. ISBN 1-874287-39-2.
  4. ^ Harman, John (2005). Alliance to Conference. Tony Williams Publications. p. 457. ISBN 978-1-869833-52-7.
  5. ^ Chris Hemming at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)