Bunny Larkin
Encyclopedia
Bernard Patrick "Bunny" Larkin (born January 11, 1936) is a former English
professional footballer who played at inside-forward
or wing-half
. He played in the First Division
of the Football League
and in European competition for Birmingham City
.
, Birmingham
. He joined local club Birmingham City
as a 16-year-old wing-half
, signing professional forms at 18.
He made his debut at inside-left
in October 1956 when he was nearly 21; the club had a big squad in those days, and it was not unusual for a player to be well into his twenties before getting into the first team on a regular basis.
He scored on debut, but still only played another six games that season.
He played more frequently the following season, filling in at right-half for Johnny Watts
. He took part in both legs of the semi-final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1955-58
against Barcelona
, though he missed the replay.
His career changed in November 1958, when he was selected at inside-left in place of the ageing Peter Murphy
. Between then and the end of the season he scored 23 goals in all competitions, including four goals in the early rounds of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1958-60
, which made him the club's top scorer for 1958–59
. He attributed his goalscoring success to being two-footed:
He contributed another goal in the Fairs Cup semi-final, but by the time the final against Barcelona came round, he had lost form and left the club, transferred to Norwich City
for a fee of £
10,000.
An incident in which he overslept and missed the flight to a European away game did not help his cause.
He spent two seasons at Norwich, then went on to Doncaster Rovers
, Watford
, Lincoln City
and several non-league
clubs.
He had the distinction of being the first Lincoln City player ever to be substitute
d in the Football League.
After retiring from football he settled in the Norwich
area and became a salesman for a bakery firm.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional footballer who played at inside-forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
or wing-half
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. He played in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
of the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
and in European competition for Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
.
Biography
Larkin was born in DigbethDigbeth
Digbeth is an area of Birmingham, England. Following the destruction of the Inner Ring Road, Digbeth is now considered a district within Birmingham City Centre. As part of the Big City Plan, Digbeth is undergoing a large redevelopment scheme that will regenerate the old industrial buildings into...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. He joined local club Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
as a 16-year-old wing-half
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, signing professional forms at 18.
He made his debut at inside-left
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
in October 1956 when he was nearly 21; the club had a big squad in those days, and it was not unusual for a player to be well into his twenties before getting into the first team on a regular basis.
- "When I joined the club the staff was bigger than is normal nowadays. We even had pros playing for the fifth team and by the time you reached the 'A' team there were some very good players indeed."
He scored on debut, but still only played another six games that season.
He played more frequently the following season, filling in at right-half for Johnny Watts
Johnny Watts
John William "Johnny" Watts was an English footballer who made more than 200 appearances in the Football League for Birmingham City playing as a right half....
. He took part in both legs of the semi-final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1955-58
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1955-58
The first Inter-Cities Fairs Cup took place over three seasons from 1955 to 1958. The competition began with a group stage with each team playing home and away against each other. Due to the competition rules which stated only one side from each city was allowed to compete, many cities with several...
against Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, though he missed the replay.
His career changed in November 1958, when he was selected at inside-left in place of the ageing Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy (footballer born 1922)
Peter Murphy , often referred to as "Spud" Murphy, was an English footballer who played as an inside left. He played professionally for three clubs, Coventry City, Tottenham Hotspur and Birmingham City...
. Between then and the end of the season he scored 23 goals in all competitions, including four goals in the early rounds of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1958-60
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1958-60
The second Inter-Cities Fairs Cup took place between 1958 and 1960 and was won by Barcelona for the second consecutive time in a two-legged final against Birmingham City. Once again, a number of countries sent a representative team for one of their main cities, although London sent Chelsea instead...
, which made him the club's top scorer for 1958–59
1958-59 in English football
The 1958–59 season was the 79th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:August 1958: The Football League season begins with the new national Third and Fourth divisions that have been created from the old Third Division North and Third Division South.September 1958: Manchester...
. He attributed his goalscoring success to being two-footed:
- "I'd always scored goals wherever I'd played. I had the advantage of being able to use both feet to shoot. That meant that you didn't have to change your position when the ball came to you. There don't seem to be many players around nowadays that can do that."
He contributed another goal in the Fairs Cup semi-final, but by the time the final against Barcelona came round, he had lost form and left the club, transferred to Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
for a fee of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
10,000.
An incident in which he overslept and missed the flight to a European away game did not help his cause.
He spent two seasons at Norwich, then went on to Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
, Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
, Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
and several non-league
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
clubs.
He had the distinction of being the first Lincoln City player ever to be substitute
Substitute (football)
In association football, a substitute is a player who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. Substitutions are generally made to replace a player who has become tired or injured, or who is not performing well; there may also be tactical reasons such as...
d in the Football League.
After retiring from football he settled in the Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
area and became a salesman for a bakery firm.