Fred Forbes


Frederick James "Fred" Forbes was a Scottish footballer who played as a forward. He made 271 appearances in the Football League for Everton, Plymouth Argyle, Bristol Rovers and Northampton Town.

Life and career

Born in Leith, now a district of Edinburgh, Forbes could play as an inside or outside forward on the right and as a centre forward. He began his career with his local club, Leith Athletic, where his performances earned him a transfer to Heart of Midlothian in 1920. In his first full season with the club, he scored 23 league goals in 14 appearances as they finished third in the First Division. He scored a further 11 goals in six appearances the following season before moving to England to play for Everton in 1922. He was restricted to 14 league appearances in three years at Goodison Park, scoring four goals. In 1925, he was transferred to Plymouth Argyle, alongside teammate Jack Cock, where he played regularly for the next four years. He scored 53 goals in all competitions for the club in 166 appearances, including a four in the first match of the 1927–28 season.
Forbes joined Bristol Rovers in 1929, where he scored 10 goals in 63 league appearances during his year with the club. He returned to Leith Athletic in 1930 and spent a further two years with his local club. He joined Northampton Town in 1932 and made a further 35 appearances in the Football League. He finished his career back in Scotland with Airdrieonians.