Brian Henderson (English footballer)

Brian Charles Henderson (12 June 1930 – 7 November 2001) was an English footballer who made 423 appearances in the Football League playing as a full back for Darlington in the 1950s and 1960s. He was previously on the books of Newcastle United and Carlisle United, but played for neither in the League.[2]

Brian Henderson
Personal information
Full name Brian Charles Henderson[1]
Date of birth (1930-06-12)12 June 1930[2]
Place of birth Hexham, Northumberland, England
Date of death 7 November 2001(2001-11-07) (aged 71)[3]
Place of death Darlington, County Durham, England
Playing position(s) Full back
Youth career
– Newcastle United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1950–1952 Carlisle United 0 (0)
1952–1964 Darlington 423 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Henderson was born in Hexham, Northumberland, later moving to nearby Allendale. As a young boy, he was unable to walk for a year because of a paralytic illness. He began his football career as a junior with Newcastle United before signing for Carlisle United in 1950.[4] He played for Carlisle's reserves in the North-Eastern League,[5] but never played first-team football for them, and signed for Third Division North club Darlington in 1952.[1]

He made his senior debut for Darlington on 17 September 1952, against Carlisle United,[3] but after Ernie Devlin arrived from West Ham United in 1953 and was named captain, he played less frequently than in his first season.[6] When Cliff Mason's departure for Sheffield United in 1955 left a vacancy at full-back,[7] Henderson became a permanent fixture in the position.

He was a member of the Darlington team that caused an upset in the 1957–58 FA Cup by eliminating Chelsea, who had won the league title only three seasons before, to reach the last 16 of the competition. He injured his neck in the first match, in which Chelsea came back from 3–0 down at Stamford Bridge to draw 3–3, but had recovered in time for the replay four days later at Darlington's Feethams ground. The score after 90 minutes was 1–1. In the first nine minutes of extra time, Darlington scored three times to take the match 4–1.[8] He helped Darlington eliminate Crystal Palace and West Ham in the first two rounds of the 1960–61 League Cup before facing Bolton Wanderers, whose team contained five international players, in the third. Darlington took the lead, with a 25-yard (23 m) shot from Joe Rayment, Bolton equalised in the second half against the run of play with a free kick from distance, and Henderson cleared off the line from both Nat Lofthouse and Doug Holden before the latter finally scored a winner seconds from time. The attendance, of 21,023, remains a club record.[9]

He captained the club,[10] and earned a reputation as a hard man.[11] According to the club's historian, "he seemed to have no fear, a crash, bang wallop defender who'd win the ball and set attacks away",[4] and he was reported to have played for six weeks with cotton wool in his boots to ease the pain from a broken ankle.[11][12] On 4 January 1964, Henderson's right leg was broken in two places during a match against Stockport County.[13] He had to be carried off the field on a canvas toolbag because his partner at full-back, Bobby Whitehead, was already occupying the only stretcher having also suffered a broken leg. Neither man played professionally again.[4][12] A Darlington XI played a strong Sunderland side in a testimonial match for Henderson at the end of the season.[14] Henderson made 463 senior appearances for Darlington over twelve-and-a-half seasons – 423 in the Football League, 32 in the FA Cup and 8 in the League Cup – which at the time placed him top of the club's all-time appearance list, since overtaken by Ron Greener and John Peverell.[15]

While a Darlington player, Henderson had worked in sales for the club chairman's car company.[16] In later life he made occasional appearances in local football.[17] He settled in Darlington, and died there in 2001 at the age of 71.[4][1] He had a son, Tim, and grandchildren.[4]

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References
  1. "Brian Henderson". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  2. "Brian Henderson". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  3. "Brian Henderson 1952–1964". Darlington F.C. 18 May 2007. Archived from the original on 18 November 2008.
  4. Amos, Mike (8 November 2001). "Tough-tackling Henderson". The Northern Echo. Darlington. p. 24 – via Newsbank.
  5. "Ashington's revenge certainly sweet". Morpeth Herald. 23 February 1951. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. 'Sentinel' (27 August 1954). "Willetts ends four years run. Devlin absent". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. p. 20 – via British Newspaper Archive. Darlington will be without their skipper, Ernie Devlin, for the game at Chesterfield. Devlin's father has died. Brian Henderson will take over in the Darlington defence.
    "Quakers reshuffle in bid for punch". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 31 December 1954. p. 9 – via British Newspaper Archive. Right-back Devlin is rested and Henderson plays in his place.
  7. "Sheffield United captain Cliff dies at age of 83". The Star. Sheffield. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  8. "Doherty appointed manager of Bristol City". Manchester Guardian. 29 January 1958. p. 9. Henderson, their right back, ricked his neck on Saturday but is expected to be fit.
    Amos, Mike (29 January 2008). "The day Greener's Darlington made FA Cup clowns of Chelsea". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
    "Tricky Scots wide man Moran who brought Chelsea to their knees". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. 19 February 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  9. "Bolton leave it late". The Guardian. Manchester. 15 November 1960. p. 4.
    "Can we afford to lose 120 years of history?". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 27 January 2004. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
    Amos, Mike (14 October 2008). "Legion comes up for air". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  10. "Brian Henderson obituary". Darlington F.C. and Perform Group. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  11. Cameron, Neil (3 June 2012). "North's top 25 football hardmen revealed". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle upon Tyne. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  12. Simpson, Ray; Wilkinson, Andrew (2002). Farewell to Feethams – A Collection of Darlington FC Memories. Newsquest (North East). ISBN 978-0954051846., quoted at "Books and debate: On home ground". Darlington Supporters Trust. 2002. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  13. "How Jock broke hearts of Magpies and Quakers". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 6 January 2004. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  14. "1964-65: Testimonial Match". The StatCat. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  15. "Club Honours & Records". Darlington F.C. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  16. "Wintry walk? Sno' worry alongside broken neck". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 23 January 2001. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  17. "How Hendy of Hurworth hotted up the derby". The Northern Echo. Darlington. 13 November 2001. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
    Amos, Mike (27 November 2001). "Non-league men prove real SWOTs". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
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