Alan Bennett (footballer, born 1931)

Alan Bennett (5 November 1931 – 17 January 2006) was an English footballer who played on the left-wing. He made 133 league appearances in a nine-year career in the English Football League. He played for Port Vale between 1949 and 1957, and was a member of the Third Division North winning side in 1953–54. He retired in 1958, following one season with Crewe Alexandra.

Alan Bennett
Personal information
Full name Alan Bennett[1]
Date of birth (1931-11-05)5 November 1931[1]
Place of birth Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England[1]
Date of death 17 January 2006(2006-01-17) (aged 74)
Height Stoke-on-Trent, England
Playing position(s) Left-winger
Youth career
Grove Youth Club
Port Vale
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1949–1957 Port Vale 123 (8)
1957–1958 Crewe Alexandra 10 (0)
Total 133 (8)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Port Vale

Bennett graduated from the Port Vale juniors to sign his first professional contract with the club in 1949.[1] He made his senior debut on 26 March 1949, in a 2–0 defeat to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic at The Old Recreation Ground.[1] He played ten Third Division South games for Gordon Hodgson's "Valiants" in 1949–50.[1] He featured 31 times in 1950–51, and scored his first senior goal on 30 September, in a 2–1 home win over Swindon Town.[1] Bennett scored three goals in 40 appearances in 1951–52, after retaining his first team place at Vale Park despite the transition of manager from Hodgson to Ivor Powell and then to Freddie Steele.[1] He scored three goals in 29 games in 1952–53, as Vale went on to finish second in the Third Division North.[1] He lost his first team place in December 1952, and featured only five times in 1953–54, as Vale won the league title and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup.[1] He played four Second Division games in 1954–55, and then featured seven times in 1955–56 and just twice in 1956–57.[1] Having failed to revive his career under new manager Norman Low, Bennett was transferred to Maurice Lindley's Crewe Alexandra in September 1957.[1]

Crewe Alexandra

The "Railwaymen" finished bottom of the English Football League in 1957–58, and Bennett then announced his retirement, aged just 27.

Style of play

A skilful and speedy winger, he required the protection of his teammates to prevent opposition hatchet men taking him out of the game.[2]

Later life

After leaving the game, Bennett took up the greengrocer trade, later becoming a coal merchant.[3]

Statistics

Source:[4]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Port Vale 1948–49 Third Division South 100010
1949–50 Third Division South 10000100
1950–51 Third Division South 28231313
1951–52 Third Division South 39310403
1952–53 Third Division North 27320293
1953–54 Third Division North 500050
1954–55 Second Division 400040
1955–56 Second Division 700070
1956–57 Second Division 200020
Total 1238611299
Crewe Alexandra 1957–58 Third Division North 10000100
Career total 1338611399

Honours
Port Vale
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gollark: Become a cryomemetic cryoapioform!
gollark: Although it'll probably converge increasingly slowly on bigger numbers.

References
  1. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 25. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. Kent, Jeff (December 1991). Port Vale Tales: A Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories. Witan Books. p. 234. ISBN 0-9508981-6-3.
  3. Sherwin, Phil (2013). Men of Steele. Hanley, Staffordshire: Pass. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-9926579-1-8.
  4. Alan Bennett at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  5. Sherwin, Phil; Askey, Steve (2013), Men of Steele: The story of Port Vale's stunning 1953/54 season, Pass Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9926579-1-8
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