Diminutive right winger Fred Hoyland broke into senior forbal February 1920, joining the Vetch Field staff during their last campaign as a Southern League club, but he didn’t make the first eleven until the ‘Swans’ joined the newly created Football League Division Three the following season.
After just nine League appearances for the Welsh side in two seasons, Fred was transferred to Second Division Bury for a £75 fee in May 1922, but he wasn’t a great success at Gigg Lane either and quickly drifted into non-League football for a brief spell with Glossop until joining Birmingham in August 1923.
After playing in six First Division matches for the ‘Blues’ during 1923-24, Charlie Webb secured his services for the Albion in August 1924. Fred remained at the Goldstone for two seasons but, with Jack Nightingale occupying the outside right berth to great effect, he had little chance of a run in the Third Division team and left the Football League circuit on his release in May 1926.
Fred played 5 matches for the Seagulls between 1924 and 1926.