Ken Boyes
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Cecil Boyes was an English footballer who played a small number of games as a professional for Southampton
and Bristol Rovers
in the era just after World War I
, before a long career in local non-league football
.
and on leaving school was a member of the Hampshire County Cricket Club
's ground staff at the County Ground, Southampton
.
In 1914, he was taken on by Southampton Football Club as an amateur, but failed to reach the first team before the outbreak of war. During the war, he represented his battalion at both cricket and football, and was also the regimental sprinting champion. At the end of the war, he returned to the "Saints" and was signed as a professional in October 1919. He made his first team debut, in a Southern League
fixture at Reading
, when he took the place of inside-left Jimmy Moore for two matches. In January, he made a further two appearances, this time at outside-left as a replacement for Fred Foxall
.
In 1920 Southampton, along with most Southern League clubs, joined the new Football League Third Division
, but Boyes was unable to get into the team past Moore and Foxall who were both ever-present as Saints finished their inaugural season in the Football League
second in the table, missing out on the only available promotion place. Boyes eventually made his Football League debut as replacement for Foxall against Norwich City
on 15 October 1921, followed by three games in April, this time replacing Henry Johnson
.
In June 1922, Boyes was given a free transfer to Bristol Rovers
where he made two first-team appearances before returning to the south coast
, joining Poole for their first season in the Western League
, followed by a season with Weymouth
. In 1928, he became Pirelli General
's groudsman at Dew Lane, Eastleigh
; he continued to turn out for the club on occasions until 1940, but remained the groundsman until he retired in 1960.
was a cricketer who played over 500 matches for Hampshire County Cricket Club
and the MCC
between 1921 and 1939.
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
and Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
in the era just after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, before a long career in local non-league football
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...
.
Football career
Boyes was born in SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and on leaving school was a member of the Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
's ground staff at the County Ground, Southampton
County Ground, Southampton
The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season...
.
In 1914, he was taken on by Southampton Football Club as an amateur, but failed to reach the first team before the outbreak of war. During the war, he represented his battalion at both cricket and football, and was also the regimental sprinting champion. At the end of the war, he returned to the "Saints" and was signed as a professional in October 1919. He made his first team debut, in a Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
fixture at Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
, when he took the place of inside-left Jimmy Moore for two matches. In January, he made a further two appearances, this time at outside-left as a replacement for Fred Foxall
Fred Foxall
Frederick Howard Foxall was an English professional footballer who played as a winger for various clubs in the 1920s.-Playing career:...
.
In 1920 Southampton, along with most Southern League clubs, joined the new Football League Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
, but Boyes was unable to get into the team past Moore and Foxall who were both ever-present as Saints finished their inaugural season in 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...
second in the table, missing out on the only available promotion place. Boyes eventually made his Football League debut as replacement for Foxall against 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...
on 15 October 1921, followed by three games in April, this time replacing Henry Johnson
Henry Johnson (footballer)
Henry Edward Johnson was an English footballer who played as a forward in the 1920s for Southampton and Queens Park Rangers.-Football career:...
.
In June 1922, Boyes was given a free transfer to Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
where he made two first-team appearances before returning to the south coast
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
, joining Poole for their first season in the Western League
Western Football League
The Western Football League is a football league in the south west of England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and parts of South Wales...
, followed by a season with Weymouth
Weymouth F.C.
Weymouth F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Weymouth, who currently play in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:Weymouth Football Club were founded in 1890 and played their first game on 24 September of that year...
. In 1928, he became Pirelli General
Pirelli General F.C.
Pirelli General were a long running and highly successful works football club based in Eastleigh, Hampshire. They played in the Hampshire League for many years until their demise in 2003.-Club history:...
's groudsman at Dew Lane, Eastleigh
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
; he continued to turn out for the club on occasions until 1940, but remained the groundsman until he retired in 1960.
Family
His younger brother, StuartStuart Boyes
George Stuart Boyes was an English first class cricketer who played with Hampshire.Boyes was a slow left-arm bowler with a high action, taking 1415 wickets for Hampshire. He twice took a hattrick, one of them when he took his career best figures of 9 for 57 against Somerset at Yeovil in 1938...
was a cricketer who played over 500 matches for Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
and the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
between 1921 and 1939.