Roy Bentley
Encyclopedia
Roy Thomas Frank Bentley (born 17 May 1924) is a retired English
football
player who played most notably for Chelsea
and the England national side
. He later became a manager. Bentley was, for a time, one of England's top centre forwards.
during the Second World War and afterwards briefly played for both Bristol City
and Bristol Rovers
before signing for Newcastle United in 1946. He was with the club for less than two years, but formed a key part of one of the most impressive forward lines of the era, alongside Jackie Milburn
, Len Shackleton
and Charlie Wayman
. He reached an FA Cup
semi-final with the club in the 1946–47
season, but they were beaten 4-0 by eventual winners Charlton Athletic
.
side Chelsea for £12,500, partially because he had been advised by his doctor
that a move south would be a remedy for the lung problems he occasionally suffered from. He arrived at Chelsea as a replacement for Tommy Lawton
- who, coincidentally, also moved to Chelsea in search of a cure for lung trouble - and was initially compared unfavourably with his predecessor. His Chelsea career took off slowly as he struggled to adapt to an unfamiliar style of play. They lost 2-4 at home to Huddersfield Town
on his debut and he scored just three goals in his first four months with the club.
From there, however, Bentley's fortunes changed. He was an early exponent of the deep-lying centre forward position, an unorthodox tactic which often unsettled opposing defenders. This, combined with a strong heading ability and a powerful shot, saw him score 23 goals in his first full season with Chelsea, making him the club's top scorer, for which he also earned his first England
call-up. Though Chelsea's league form during his time there was often patchy, he played a key part in their first major FA Cup run for almost two decades in 1950. He scored two goals in a 3-0 fifth round win against Chesterfield
while in the quarter-final against Manchester United
his thunderous shot from 30 yards clinched a 2-0 win. Chelsea were eventually knocked out in the semi-finals by Arsenal
, despite Bentley giving them a 2-0 lead. During his time at Chelsea, he was picked for the London XI
in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
.
After another semi-final loss in 1952, again to Arsenal, Ted Drake
arrived as Chelsea's new manager. Within three years, Bentley had achieved one of the highlights of his playing career, captaining Chelsea to their first League
title, in 1954–55
. In addition to being captain, he scored 21 league goals during the season, including a hat-trick against Newcastle and two crucial strikes in a 4-3 win against principal rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers
. Bentley remained with Chelsea for only one more season and was one of the first to leave as the ageing championship-winning side was gradually broken up by Drake.
Having scored 150 goals in 367 appearances, Bentley is currently joint fourth in Chelsea's all-time goalscorers list, level with Peter Osgood
as Frank Lampard topped the goal tally on the 27th of March 2010. He was top scorer at the club in each of his eight full seasons there.
Fulham
in 1956. At Fulham, Bentley was successfully converted into a centre-half, and they reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1958, where he was once again on the losing side. In 1960 he left Fulham but again stayed in West London, this time moving to Queens Park Rangers
, where he saw out the remainder of his playing career.
international for six years. He made his debut against Sweden
and played for his country at the 1950 FIFA World Cup
, including the infamous 1-0 defeat to the USA
. He scored the winning goal against Scotland
in qualifying for that tournament to deny the Scots a place, for which he was dubbed "the man who robbed Scotland of Rio." In November 1954 he scored a hat-trick against Wales
. He earned twelve England cap
s and scored nine goals.
England's goal tally first.
and later Swansea City
, winning promotion to the old Third Division
with the latter. He returned to Reading in 1977, this time as club secretary.
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...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player who played most notably for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and the England national side
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. He later became a manager. Bentley was, for a time, one of England's top centre forwards.
Early years
Bentley served in the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
during the Second World War and afterwards briefly played for both Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
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....
before signing for Newcastle United in 1946. He was with the club for less than two years, but formed a key part of one of the most impressive forward lines of the era, alongside Jackie Milburn
Jackie Milburn
John Edward Thompson 'Jackie' Milburn, , also known to fans as Wor Jackie and 'the first World Wor' in reference to his global fame, was a football player for Newcastle United and England...
, Len Shackleton
Len Shackleton
Leonard Francis Shackleton, was an English footballer of the post-World War II period. Known as the Clown Prince of Football, he is generally regarded as one of English football's finest ever entertainers....
and Charlie Wayman
Charlie Wayman
Charles Wayman was an English footballer.Wayman, who was born in Chilton, Bishop Auckland, was a prolific centre-forward in the first decade after the Second World War. Newcastle United signed him from Spennymoor United in September 1941, while he was working as a miner at Chilton Colliery...
. He reached an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final with the club in the 1946–47
1946-47 in English football
The 1946–47 season was the 67th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The 1946–47 season was the first to feature a full football programme since the 1938–39 campaign. Eighty-eight teams competed over four divisions. Liverpool went top of the First Division with a 2–1 away win over...
season, but they were beaten 4-0 by eventual winners Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
.
Chelsea
In January 1948, Bentley signed for LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
side Chelsea for £12,500, partially because he had been advised by his doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
that a move south would be a remedy for the lung problems he occasionally suffered from. He arrived at Chelsea as a replacement for Tommy Lawton
Tommy Lawton
Thomas "Tommy" Lawton was an English association footballer who rose to fame a short time before the outbreak of the Second World War and enjoyed a successful career which lasted until well into the 1950s....
- who, coincidentally, also moved to Chelsea in search of a cure for lung trouble - and was initially compared unfavourably with his predecessor. His Chelsea career took off slowly as he struggled to adapt to an unfamiliar style of play. They lost 2-4 at home to Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
on his debut and he scored just three goals in his first four months with the club.
From there, however, Bentley's fortunes changed. He was an early exponent of the deep-lying centre forward position, an unorthodox tactic which often unsettled opposing defenders. This, combined with a strong heading ability and a powerful shot, saw him score 23 goals in his first full season with Chelsea, making him the club's top scorer, for which he also earned his first England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
call-up. Though Chelsea's league form during his time there was often patchy, he played a key part in their first major FA Cup run for almost two decades in 1950. He scored two goals in a 3-0 fifth round win against Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
while in the quarter-final against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
his thunderous shot from 30 yards clinched a 2-0 win. Chelsea were eventually knocked out in the semi-finals by Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, despite Bentley giving them a 2-0 lead. During his time at Chelsea, he was picked for the London XI
London XI
The London XI was an association football representative team, specially created to take part in the 1955-58 edition of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the precursor of today's UEFA Europa League although not recognized by UEFA....
in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...
.
After another semi-final loss in 1952, again to Arsenal, Ted Drake
Ted Drake
Edward Joseph "Ted" Drake was an English football player and manager. As a player, he first played for Southampton but made his name playing for Arsenal in the 1930s, winning two league titles and an FA Cup, as well as five caps for England. He was also a cricketer, but only ever played sparingly...
arrived as Chelsea's new manager. Within three years, Bentley had achieved one of the highlights of his playing career, captaining Chelsea to their first League
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....
title, in 1954–55
1954-55 in English football
The 1954–1955 season was the 75th season of competitive football in England, from August 1954 to May 1955:-Overview:* Chelsea win the League Championship for the first time.* Newcastle United win the FA Cup....
. In addition to being captain, he scored 21 league goals during the season, including a hat-trick against Newcastle and two crucial strikes in a 4-3 win against principal rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. Bentley remained with Chelsea for only one more season and was one of the first to leave as the ageing championship-winning side was gradually broken up by Drake.
Having scored 150 goals in 367 appearances, Bentley is currently joint fourth in Chelsea's all-time goalscorers list, level with Peter Osgood
Peter Osgood
Peter Leslie Osgood was an English footballer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s. He is best remembered for representing Chelsea and Southampton at club level, and was also capped four times by England in the early 1970s.-Chelsea:Born in a small road named Kentons Lane in Windsor, Osgood...
as Frank Lampard topped the goal tally on the 27th of March 2010. He was top scorer at the club in each of his eight full seasons there.
Fulham & QPR
Bentley signed for Chelsea's West London neighboursWest London derby
The West London Derby is the name given to a football derby played between any two of Brentford, Chelsea, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers.The West London derby is less prominent than other such derbies in English football, owing to the teams often being in separate divisions. Chelsea did not face...
Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in 1956. At Fulham, Bentley was successfully converted into a centre-half, and they reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1958, where he was once again on the losing side. In 1960 he left Fulham but again stayed in West London, this time moving to Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
, where he saw out the remainder of his playing career.
International career
Bentley was an EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
international for six years. He made his debut against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
and played for his country at the 1950 FIFA World Cup
1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
, including the infamous 1-0 defeat to the USA
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. He scored the winning goal against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
in qualifying for that tournament to deny the Scots a place, for which he was dubbed "the man who robbed Scotland of Rio." In November 1954 he scored a hat-trick against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
. He earned twelve England cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
s and scored nine goals.
England's goal tally first.
| International appearances and goals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition | Goal |
| |
13 May 1949 | Råsunda Stadium Råsunda Stadium Råsunda Fotbollstadion, also Råsundastadion, Råsunda Stadium or just Råsunda, is a Swedish national football stadium. It is located in Solna Municipality in Metropolitan Stockholm and named after Råsunda, a zone of Solna.-History:... , Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... |
|
International Match | ||
| |
25 May 1950 | Hampden Park Hampden Park Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland... , Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... |
|
1950 BHC 1950 British Home Championship 1950 British Home Championship was one of the most significant competitions of the British Home Championship football tournament. This year saw the competition doubling up as Group 1 in the qualifying rounds for the 1950 FIFA World Cup. It was the first time that either England, Wales, Scotland or... |
1 | |
| |
14 May 1950 | Estádio Nacional Estádio Nacional The Estádio Nacional , also known as Estádio do Jamor, is the Portuguese national football ground. It is located in the Jamor sports complex, in Oeiras, near Lisbon. It was designed by Jacobetty Rosa and the building works started in 1939, with its inauguration happening on 10 June 1944 by the... , Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban... |
|
International Match | ||
| |
18 May 1950 | Heysel Stadium King Baudouin Stadium The King Baudouin Stadium is a sports ground in north-west Brussels, Belgium. It was inaugurated on 23 August 1930 as the Stade du Jubilé or Jubelstadion in the presence of Prince Leopold. It was built to embellish the Heysel plateau in view of the Brussels International Exposition... , Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... |
|
International Match | 1 | |
| |
25 June 1950 | Estádio do Maracanã Estádio do Maracanã The Estádio do Maracanã , officially Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Owned by the Rio de Janeiro State Government, it is named after the Maracanã neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro. It was opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup, and in the final... , Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th... |
|
1950 FIFA World Cup 1950 FIFA World Cup The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II... |
||
| |
19 June 1950 | Estádio Independência Estádio Independência The Estádio Raimundo Sampaio, usually known as Estádio Independência, is in the neighborhood of Horto in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil and was opened in 1950 for the FIFA World Cup held in Brazil that year. Initially with capacity for 30,000 people, currently has capacity for 25,000 people... , Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country... |
England v United States (1950) On 29 June 1950, at the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the United States defeated England 1–0 in a group match. This unexpected result has led to the match being described as the "Miracle on Grass", in reference to the 1980 Miracle on Ice, in which the US ice hockey team beat the Soviet Union. The... |
1950 FIFA World Cup 1950 FIFA World Cup The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II... |
||
| |
12 November 1952 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
|
1953 BHC 1953 British Home Championship The 1953 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations throughout the 1952–53 football season. The tournament saw a last minute goal by Lawrie Reilly in the final game at Wembley which salvaged a draw and thus a share in the trophy for Scotland... |
1 | |
| |
26 November 1952 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
|
International Match | ||
| |
10 November 1954 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
|
1955 BHC 1955 British Home Championship The 1955 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1954–55 football season. It was won by a strong England side which included players such as Johnny Haynes and Nat Lofthouse as well as future manager Don Revie... |
3 | |
| |
1 December 1954 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
|
International Match | 1 | |
| |
18 May 1955 | Santiago Bernabéu Santiago Bernabéu Stadium The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators.... , Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... |
|
International Match | 1 | |
| |
22 May 1955 | Estádio das Antas Estadio das Antas The Estádio das Antas was the third stadium of the Portuguese football side FC Porto. It was in use from 1952 to 2004, replacing the earlier Campo da Constituição and later replaced by Estádio do Dragão. As well the stadium, it had an indoor arena and three training grounds... , Porto Porto Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes... |
|
International Match | 1 | |
Playing statistics
| Season | Club | Division | League | FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
Charity Shield FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition... |
Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| 1947–48 | Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
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.... |
14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 |
| 1948–49 | 40 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 21 | ||
| 1949–50 | 39 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 23 | ||
| 1950–51 | 38 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 11 | ||
| 1951–52 | 32 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 17 | ||
| 1952–53 | 32 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 17 | ||
| 1953–54 | 41 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 21 | ||
| 1954–55 | 41 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 21 | ||
| 1955–56 | 38 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 46 | 16 | ||
| 1956–57 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Chelsea total | 324 | 128 | 42 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 367 | 150 | ||
Management
Following his retirement from playing, Bentley moved into management. He took over at ReadingReading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
and later Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
, winning promotion to the old 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...
with the latter. He returned to Reading in 1977, this time as club secretary.