Career
Eccles played for Middleport, before joining Burslem Portuguese Vale in June 1893. He played six Second Division games in the 1893-1894 season. He featured once in the and made 27 league appearances in the 1894-1895 season, claiming one goal in a 4–4 draw with Newcastle United at the Athletic Ground on 6 October.
On 26 February, when heading for a match against N ottinghamshire County at Trent Bridge, he misread the train timetables and selected a non-existent train that only ran on market days, thereby missing the game.
He was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers for a "considerable" fee in May 1896. "Wolves" finished tenth and third in the First Division in 1896-1897 and 1897-1898.
Eccles scored one goal in 36 league games during his two years at Molineux, and then moved on to league rivals Everton. The "Toffees" finished fourth, eleventh, and seventh in 1898-1899, 1899–1900, and 1900-1901.
He played 56 league games during his three seasons at Goodison Park, before switching to Preston North End.
He did not feature in the Second Division for the "Lambs" in 1901-1902, and instead transferred to West Ham United. The "Hammers" finished tenth and twelfth in the Southern League in 1902-1903 and 1903-1904, with Eccles playing 59 league games at the Memorial Grounds. with Bolton Wanderers.