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Alan Bennett (footballer, born 1931)

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Full name
  
Alan Bennett

Playing position
  
Left-winger

Name
  
Alan Bennett


Date of birth
  
(1931-11-05)5 November 1931

Place of birth
  
Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England

Date of death
  
17 January 2006(2006-01-17) (aged 74)

Height
  

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 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.

Contents

Playing career

Bennett graduated from the Port Vale juniors to sign his first professional contract with the club in 1949. He made his senior debut on 26 March 1949, in a 2–0 defeat to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic at The Old Recreation Ground. He played ten Third Division South games for Gordon Hodgson's "Valiants" in 1949–50. 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.

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. He scored three goals in 29 games in 1952–53, as Vale went on to finish second in the Third Division North. 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. He played four Second Division games in 1954–55, and then featured seven times in 1955–56 and just twice in 1956–57. Having failed to revive his career under new manager Norman Low, Bennett was transferred to Maurice Lindley's Crewe Alexandra in September 1957. The "Railwaymen" finished bottom of the 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.

Post-retirement

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

Statistics

  • Sourced from Alan Bennett profile at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  • Honours

    with Port Vale
  • Football League Third Division North champion: 1953–54
  • References

    Alan Bennett (footballer, born 1931) Wikipedia


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