Born 24 November 1932 in Somers Town, London he was educated at William Ellis School, Highgate, London, Fred was in his school's first XI by the age of 13, and when 16 he wrote too Lord's, the ground being close to his home, to ask for a trial. He was accepted onto the ground-staff after bowling only a few balls, and in June 1949 he made his 1st class cricket debut for Middlesex against Somerset, at the age of 16 years and 213 days, Middlesex's youngest cricketer ever at that point. His first class cricket career, was mostly for Middlesex with a shortish stint for Surrey, it spanned five decades.

Fred joined Chelsea FC at the beginning of the 1949/50 season to join the Youth team from the Lords Ground staff where he'd already made his debut for the 1st XI. Our information of his time at Chelsea is a little sparse. We know he played at least one Youth game but unfortunately the home programmes that season weren't great at listing selected teams for any Reserve or Youth games. Also there was no Handbook for this season or 1950/51.
He may have moved onto Watford for a short period at the end of the 1949/50 season.

He was the fourth man after W.G Grace, Wilfred Rhodes and George Hirst to take 2,500 wickets and make 20,000 runs in first-class cricket. Although he was best known for his off spin, he was an accomplished lower-order batsman who deserved to be called an all rounder, even opening the batting for England on six occasions.
A fine display for MCC against the South Africans in May 1955, where he took 8–43, brought Fred his England debut for the second Test at Lord's, but he took only one wicket and failed twice with the bat; and had a worse time in the third Test at Old Trafford, making 0 and 19 and taking 0–51. He was dropped, but he went on a non-Test tour to Pakistan with MCC that winter.
From 1956 to 1962 inclusive, he achieved the double in every year except 1958, but a place in the Test team still eluded him. 1961 was his best year with the bat, as he scored 1,703 runs at a fine average of 37.02, including 14 half-centuries; he passed 50 more than a hundred times in the course of his first-class career.
His form in 1962, 136 wickets and 1,238 runs, led to him being recalled to Test cricket, and he played in the third and fourth Tests against Pakistan. For his performances that year he was made one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in the 1963 edition of the Almanack. Fred went to Australia for the 1962/63 Ashes series and made his highest first-class century of 137 not out vs South Australia. He played in all five Tests, and took more wickets than any other English bowler; 21 at 29.33, including a Test career best 7 for 79 in the Third Test and 5 for 103 in the Fifth, both at Sydney, and making 59 not out in the Fourth Test at Adelaide.
Fred was appointed vice-captain for the Tour of the West Indies in 1967/68, but his run came to an end in Barbados on that same tour. He was involved in an accident shortly before the Third when, whilst swimming, he caught his foot in the propeller of a boat. He lost four toes, and for a time there was a doubt whether he would play again. He received a paltry £90 compensation from the MCC's insurance policy; which, at least, had the effect of ensuring a complete overhaul of insurance cover for England cricketers playing overseas. By May 1968 he was once again bowling as normal for Middlesex, and doubts about his fitness were dispelled as he claimed 111 victims that season and topped Middlesex's batting averages, though averaging under 26 an innings.
Freds batting gradually became less effective, and from 1969 onwards he passed 50 only six more times, Until 1976 he took at least 57 first-class wickets in every year.
He created a Middlesex appearance record of 642, and took 2,361 wickets, another county record, in addition to racking up in excess of 20,000 runs.
Fred died 23 March 2011 after a long illness.
Never forgotten