Bert Freeman

Lore & Background

Freeman was born in Handsworth, Staffordshire, and attended Gower Street School in Aston. He signed professionally for Aston Villa in April 1904 but failed to make an impact, transferring to Woolwich Arsenal in November 1905. He scored on his Arsenal debut and netted 24 goals in 49 appearances across three seasons. In April 1908 he joined Everton for £350, making his debut in a goalless draw away to Liverpool on 17 April 1908. In his first full season he scored 38 league goals, breaking the record for most Football League goals in a season. He formed a partnership with former Arsenal teammate Tim Coleman. Freeman won his first England cap on 15 March 1909 against Wales, scoring England's second goal in a 2–0 victory. He left Everton in 1911, joining Burnley for £800. At Burnley he was the league's top scorer in 1911–12 and 1912–13, helping the club gain promotion to the First Division in 1912–13. His England career ended with three goals in five appearances.

In Their Own Story

The rain had been falling since half-time, a fine North West drizzle that turned the Wembley turf to mud and made every tackle a gamble. Freeman stood in his box, boots caked, and watched the Sheffield Wednesday striker line up the ball for a free kick twenty-five yards out. He could feel the crowd behind him—thousands of Everton colours, a sea of blue and white, breathing as one. The striker struck. The ball left the boot with a sound like a crack, rising high, spinning, aimed at the top corner. Freeman did not think. He simply went. Arms wide, body horizontal, fingers stretching—time dilated into that slow, golden stretch where the world is nothing but the seam of the ball and the tip of his middle finger. He caught it. Cradled it. Stood up slowly, mud dripping from his gloves, and looked back at the goal line. The net was empty. Goodison, transplanted to Wembley in a hundred thousand throats, erupted. He turned, raised both fists, and the noise that hit him was not sound but pressure, a physical force that pushed him back a step. He grinned. He always grinned. That was the Bert Freeman way.

Reader's Guide

Freeman is a classic centre forward known for prolific goal-scoring. In Everton history, he is remembered for his record-breaking 38 league goals in 1908–09, which made him the First Division's top scorer. He also scored hat-tricks against Sheffield United and Sunderland that season. His time at Everton was relatively short (1908–1911), but his goals return was outstanding: 67 goals in 94 appearances. He later helped Burnley secure promotion and won the FA Cup with Burnley in 1913–14 (though the source does not detail that cup win).

Did You Know?

• Freeman scored 38 league goals in the 1908–09 season, breaking the previous record of 31 set by Liverpool's Sam Raybould.
• He scored in 10 successive league appearances between 10 October and 12 December 1908, netting 17 goals in that run.
• Freeman's transfer from Arsenal to Everton was later described in Arsenal Who's Who as 'one of the great transfer blunders of those early years'.
• He scored on his debut for both Arsenal and Burnley.