| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francis Gordon Atherton | ||
| Date of birth | 18 June 1934 | ||
| Place of birth | Horwich, England | ||
| Position(s) | Right Half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1955–1964 | Bury | 327 | (14) |
| 1964–1965 | Swindon Town | 31 | (0) |
| 1965–1966 | Bury | 7 | (0) |
| 1966–1967 | Drumcondra | ||
| Total | 365 | (14) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Francis Gordon Atherton (born 18 June 1934[1]) is an English former footballer who played as a right half in the Football League.
Atherton played for Bury, Swindon Town and Drumcondra.
He signed professional forms with Bury in 1956 and has been a regular first-team choice ever since gaining his place in his initial season. Was an ever-present when Bury won promotion to Div 2 in 1960–1961.[1] He was described as "An attacking wing-half who gets through a tremendous amount of work".[1]
Atherton played for Swindon Town from 1964 to 1965, then back to Bury from 1965 to 1966 before playing for Drumcondra in Dublin from 1966 to 1967.