Dennis Westcott

Dennis Westcott (2 July 1917 – 13 July 1960) was an English footballer, who played for New Brighton, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Chesterfield as a centre forward.

Dennis Westcott
Personal information
Full name Dennis Westcott[1]
Date of birth (1917-07-02)2 July 1917
Place of birth Wallasey, England
Date of death 13 July 1960(1960-07-13) (aged 43)[1]
Place of death Stafford, England
Playing position(s) Centre forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Wallasey Grocers
0000–1936 Leasowe Road Brickworks
1936 New Brighton 18 (10)
1936–1948 Wolverhampton Wanderers 128 (105)
1940–1941 → Liverpool (guest) 2 (6)
1943–1944 → Brentford (guest) 5 (6)
1948–1950 Blackburn Rovers 63 (37)
1950–1952 Manchester City 72 (37)
1952–1953 Chesterfield 40 (21)
1953–1957 Stafford Rangers
National team
1940–1943 England (wartime) 4 (5)
1947 Football League XI 1 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He was posthumously inducted into the Wolverhampton Wanderers Hall of Fame in 2017.[2]

Career

Westcott started his career at local clubs Wallasey Grocers and Leasowe Road Brickworks, before failing trials with Football League clubs Everton and West Ham United.[3] He then joined nearby New Brighton of the Third Division (North) in January 1936 and scored 10 goals in 18 league matches.[1] Wolverhampton Wanderers signed him in July 1936 and gave him a debut against Grimsby in an FA Cup tie.[4] Westcott scored one of the goals as Wolves won 6–2.[5] He scored 22 goals during the 1937–38 season, making him the club's top scorer.[5] The following season, he scored 43 goals in 43 appearances, setting a club record which stood for 50 years until it was broken by Steve Bull.[5] Westcott played in the 1939 FA Cup Final, but Wolves were beaten 4–1 by Portsmouth.[6]

In 1939 competitive football was then suspended due to World War II, depriving Westcott of several years in his prime.[5] During the war he played four wartime internationals for England and scored six goals in five games while guesting with Brentford.[7][8] When competitive football resumed in 1946, Westcott continued his goalscoring exploits, setting another club record with 38 goals in the 1946–47 season which made him top-scorer in the league.[5] He scored on his only appearance for the Football League XI in March 1947.[8] In 1948 he was released by Wolves and signed for Blackburn Rovers during the month prior to the club's relegation to the Second Division.[1] At Blackburn he scored 37 goals in 63 league appearances.[1] He then signed for Manchester City, where he scored 36 goals in 72 league appearances,[1] finishing as the club's top scorer in each of the two full seasons he played.[9][10] He then moved to Chesterfield and finished his career with Stafford Rangers.[5]

In 1946, Westcott became one of the first football players to be injected with slices of monkey testicle, a bizarre doping programme instigated by manager Major Frank Buckley.[11]

Personal life

He died from leukaemia in 1960 at the age of 43, one week and four days after his 43rd birthday.[5]

Honours

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Manchester City

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References
  1. "Dennis Westcott". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  2. Spiers, Tim (29 June 2017). "Report: Wolves welcome new Hall of Fame inductees". Express & Star. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  3. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 306. ISBN 190589161X.
  4. "Dennis Westcott". Spartacus Educational. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  5. "Dennis Wescott | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Club | Golden Oldies | Golden Oldies". Archived from the original on 30 August 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  6. "FA Cup Final 1939". Archived from the original on 3 March 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  7. TW8: Brentford Official Matchday Programme versus Port Vale 14/04/01. Charlton, London: Morganprint. 2001. p. 30.
  8. "Dennis Westcott". 11v11.com. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  9. "MCFC Matches By Season – Manchester City, Man City History – Bluemoon-MCFC". bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  10. "MCFC Matches By Season – Manchester City, Man City History – Bluemoon-MCFC". bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  11. "Andrei Arshavin's feat throws spotlight on ultimate case of monkey business". The Telegraph. 22 April 2009.
  12. "Dennis Westcott – MCFC Players – Manchester City, Man City History – Bluemoon-MCFC". bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  13. "Football Club History Database – Manchester City". fchd.info. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
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