Dale Bennett
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{use British English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Dale Bennett
| image = Dale Bennett 2013.jpg
| image_size = 200
| caption = Bennett playing for Forest Green Rovers in 2013.
| fullname = Dale Owen Bennett{{Cite book |title=The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10 |publisher=Mainstream Publishing |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-84596-474-0 |editor-last=Hugman |editor-first=Barry J.}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|1|6|df=y}}
| birth_place = Enfield, England
| height = {{height|m=1.81|precision=0}}
| position = Defender
| currentclub =
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = 2004–2008 | youthclubs1 = Watford
| years1 = 2008–2013 | clubs1 = Watford | caps1 = 32 | goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2008 | clubs2 = → Wealdstone (loan) | caps2 = 10 | goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2008–2009 | clubs3 = → Kettering Town (loan) | caps3 = 17 | goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2011 | clubs4 = → Brentford (loan) | caps4 = 1 | goals4 = 1
| years5 = 2012 | clubs5 = → Brentford (loan) | caps5 = 4 | goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2012 | clubs6 = → AFC Wimbledon (loan) | caps6 = 5 | goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2012 | clubs7 = → Yeovil Town (loan) | caps7 = 1 | goals7 = 0
| years8 = 2013–2018 | clubs8 = Forest Green Rovers| caps8 = 180 | goals8 = 5
| years9 = 2018–2019 | clubs9 = Sutton United | caps9 = 49 | goals9 = 0
| club-update =
}}
Dale Owen Bennett (born 6 January 1990) is an English retired professional footballer, who played as a defender. Dale is now a registered FIFA Football Agent, representing both men and women professional footballers.
Career
{{quote box|width=335px|align=left|quote=If players go to training everyday and show attitude and application in reserve and first team games alike they are going to get picked. That's why Dale Bennett is in the first team.|source=Malky Mackay, September 2009{{cite web|url=http://www.watfordfc.com/page/PostMatchReaction/0,,10400~1795230,00.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922223812/http://www.watfordfc.com/page/PostMatchReaction/0%2C%2C10400~1795230%2C00.html|archivedate=22 September 2009|title=Post match reaction|publisher=Watford F.C|accessdate=25 November 2009|date=15 September 2009|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}}}Bennett began his career at English Football League Championship side Watford in the side's academy system. He captained the U-18 side, and signed professionally in March 2008. He made his first-team debut for Watford as a 71st-minute substitute in a 1–0 victory over West Ham United in the League Cup on 23 September 2008.
In November 2008 Bennett joined Conference National side Kettering Town on a month-long loan, which was later extended to the rest of the season.{{cite web|url=http://www.northantset.co.uk/sport/Beardsley-leaves-Poppies--but.4741297.jp|title=Beardsley leaves Poppies – but Rawle and Bennett arrive|publisher=Johnston Press|work=Northants Evening Telegraph|accessdate=25 November 2009|date=27 November 2008}} Bennett made his first Football League appearance for Watford in their 1–0 win against Barnsley in September 2009, following an injury to captain Jay DeMerit.{{cite web|url=http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/4626085.Watford_skipper_ruled_out_of_Barnsley_clash/|title=Dale Bennett gets big opportunity as Jay DeMerit sidelined|publisher=Newsquest|work=Watford Observer|author=Anthony Matthews|accessdate=25 November 2009|date=12 September 2009}} Bennett's attitude in training and matches was praised by his manager Malky Mackay, and he retained his place in the team for the following game against Plymouth Argyle, where the team again won 1–0.
Bennett's next run of regular first-team football came in April 2010, when he played in all six games, initially in place of DeMerit, and later Lloyd Doyley. Mackay commented that Bennett was improving as he gained experience.{{cite web|url=http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/8095975._Bennett_now_looks_ready_/|title=Watford boss believes Dale Bennett 'now looks like he deserves to be at this level'|publisher=Newsquest|work=Watford Observer|accessdate=25 January 2011|date=13 April 2010|last=Smith|first=Frank}} His contract was subsequently extended until the end of the 2010–11 season.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/watford/8720304.stm|title=Watford deals for Liam Henderson and Dale Bennett|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=25 January 2011|date=3 June 2010}} At the end of Watford's 2010–11 campaign, the club exercised its option and signed Bennett through the 2012–2013 season.{{cite web|url=http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/9017999.Bennett_handed_contract_extension/|title=Watford centre-back Dale Bennett handed new two-year contract|publisher=Watford Observer|accessdate=10 May 2011|date=10 May 2011}} On 27 October 2011, Bennett joined Brentford on a month's loan. He scored his first career goal on his Brentford debut, the winner in a 2–1 win over Chesterfield on 29 October 2011. This proved to be his only appearance for the Bees as injury ruled him out of all other games during his loan spell. Once recovered from his injury, Bennett re-joined Brentford on loan on 1 January 2012 for 28 days. He made four appearances before returning to Watford. Bennett made his first start for Watford in the 2011–12 season away to West Ham United on 7 March 2012.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espnfc.com/player/121476/dale-bennett?season=2011|title=Dale Bennett Player Profile – ESPN FC|website=www.espnfc.com|access-date=2019-07-23}} He had to be stretchered off in the second half due to a clash of heads with John Eustace leaving him concussed and not able to continue.
On 31 August 2012, he signed a one-month loan deal with AFC Wimbledon, this was extended for another month on 5 October.{{cite news|url=http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11749/8141071/Dons-extend-loan-stars-stay|title=Dons extend loan stars' stay|work= Sky Sports}} AFC Wimbledon manager Neal Ardley announced on 28 October that he would be releasing Bennett on account of injury. On 22 November 2012, Bennett joined League One side Yeovil Town on loan until January 2013.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20445328 |title=Dale Bennett leaves Watford for Yeovil Town on loan |publisher=BBC Sport |date=22 November 2012 |accessdate=22 November 2012 }} He made his Yeovil Town debut as a substitute in their 3–1 defeat against Carlisle United but this was Bennett's only appearance for the club as he returned to Watford on 8 December due to a back injury.
On 24 January 2013, Bennett joined Forest Green Rovers on a two-and-a-half-year deal, linking up with former teammate, Eddie Oshodi.{{cite web|url=http://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/sport/10183896.Hockaday_swoops_for_Watford_star/|title=Hockaday swoops for Watford star|website=Stroud News and Journal}} After overcoming an injury that he arrived with, he made his Forest Green debut on 9 February 2013 in a 1–1 draw at Kenilworth Road against Luton Town. He scored his goal for Forest Green with a dramatic stoppage time equaliser in a 3–3 home draw against Lincoln City on 1 November 2014, Lincoln had led 3–0 with less than half an hour to go.{{Soccerway|id=63906|accessdate=24 July 2019}} On 5 March 2015, he agreed a new one-year contract with Forest Green that would keep him at the club until the summer of 2016.{{cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31754297 |title=Forest Green Rovers defender signs new contract |publisher=BBC Sport |date=5 March 2015 |accessdate=1 April 2015}} His second goal for the club came in a 3–1 away win over Barnet on 7 March 2015. His next goal for Forest Green saw him find the net in a 3–1 home win over Macclesfield Town on 11 April 2015.
He was a part of a Forest Green side who reached the Conference National play-offs for the first time at the end of the 2014–15 season, playing in both legs of a semi-final defeat against Bristol Rovers. The following 2015–16 campaign saw him make his hundredth league appearance for Forest Green in a 1–1 away draw at Tranmere Rovers on 19 March 2016.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35792374 |title=Tranmere Rovers 1–1 Forest Green Rovers |publisher=BBC Sport |date=19 March 2016 |accessdate=10 April 2016}} He ended the season playing in the 2015–16 National League play-off final at Wembley Stadium, but ended up on the losing side, suffering a 3–1 defeat against Grimsby Town.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36244418 |title=Forest Green 1–3 Grimsby |publisher=BBC Sport |date=15 May 2016}} The following season he played again in the 2016–17 National League play-off final, helping Forest Green earn promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history with a 3–1 win over Tranmere Rovers.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39850996 |title=Tranmere Rovers 1–3 Forest Green Rovers |publisher=BBC Sport |date=14 May 2017}}
In June 2018, he returned to the National League, signing a two-year contract with Sutton United.{{Cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44404875 |title=Dale Bennett: Sutton United sign ex-Forest Green defender on two-year deal |publisher=BBC Sport |date=7 June 2018 |accessdate=7 June 2018}} At the end of his first season with the club he won a clean sweep of awards as Club Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year and Supporters' Player of the Year.{{Cite web | url=https://www.suttonunited.net/player/dale-bennett-2/ |title=Dale Bennett - Sutton United |publisher=Sutton United F.C. |accessdate=29 July 2019}} On 17 October 2019 the club confirmed, that injuries had forces 29-year old Bennett to retire immediately.[https://www.suttonunited.net/injury-forces-dale-bennett-to-call-time-on-career/ Injury forces Dale Bennett to call time on career], suttonunited.net, 17 October 2019
Personal life
Bennett is of Trinidadian, Grenadian and Jamaican descent through his grandparents, and declared interest in representing the Trinidad and Tobago national football team.{{cite web|url=http://www.socawarriors.net/mens-u20/10985-watfords-bennett-wants-to-play-for-tat.html|title=Watford's Bennett wants to play for T&T|first=Shaun Fuentes|last=(TTFF)|publisher=}}
Dale has recently turned vegan following his return from his honeymoon in June 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ecotricity.co.uk/news/news-archive/2017/dale-bennett-on-being-vegan|title=Dale Bennett on being vegan|website=www.ecotricity.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-05-09}}
Bennett was also in the process of obtaining the required documentation to represent the Grenadian National Football Team.{{Cite news|url=https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6410861989563895809/|title=Cheney Joseph on LinkedIn: "Right-back Dale Bennett has agreed…|work=LinkedIn|access-date=2018-06-12|language=en}}
Dale is now a registered FIFA Football Agent representing both men and woman professional footballers.
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 22 April 2019}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="5"|Watford
|2008–09{{soccerbase season|49979|2008|accessdate=14 July 2017}} |rowspan="4"|Championship |0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2009–10{{soccerbase season|49979|2009|accessdate=20 March 2012}}
|10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11{{soccerbase season|49979|2010|accessdate=20 March 2012}}
|10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12{{soccerbase season|49979|2011|accessdate=20 March 2012}}
|2 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 2 | 0 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2" |—
!25 | 0 | |||
| Kettering Town (loan)
|17 |0 |2 |0 | colspan="2" |— |0 |20 |0 | ||||||||||
| Brentford (loan)
|5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | ||
| AFC Wimbledon (loan)
|2012–13{{soccerbase season|49979|2012|accessdate=14 July 2017}} |5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 1Appearances in Football League Trophy | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Yeovil Town (loan)
|League One |1 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 1 | 0 | ||||
| rowspan="7" |Forest Green Rovers
| rowspan="3" |Conference Premier |8 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 8 | 0 | ||||
| 2013–14
|32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15
|23 | 3 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 2 | 0 | 27 | 3 | ||
| 2015–16
| rowspan="2" |National League |42 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 3Appearances in Conference Premier/National League play-offs | 0 | 48 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17
|42 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 74 appearances in FA Trophy, 3 appearances in National League play-offs | 0 | 50 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18{{soccerbase season|49979|2017|accessdate=6 September 2017}}
|League Two |33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |
| colspan="2" |Total
!180 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 200 | 5 | |
| rowspan="3" |Sutton United
| rowspan="2" |National League |41 |0 |3 |0 | colspan="2" |— |32 appearances in FA Trophy, 1 appearance in Scottish Challenge Cup |0 |47 |0 | ||||||||||
| 2019–20
|5 |0 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |— |0 |0 |5 |0 | ||||||||||
| colspan="2" |Total
!46 !0 !3 !0 ! colspan="2" |— !3 !0 !52 !0 | ||||||||||
| colspan="3" |Career totals
!276 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 309 | 6 |
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerbase}}
- {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918231443/http://www.watfordfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0%2C%2C10400~43898%2C00.html |date=18 September 2008 |title=Profile on Watford website }}
- {{ESPN FC|121476}}
- [http://www.skysports.com/football/player/13000/dale-bennett Profile on Sky Sports]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Dale}}
Category:English men's footballers
Category:English people of Trinidad and Tobago descent
Category:Sportspeople of Trinidad and Tobago descent
Category:English people of Grenadian descent
Category:Sportspeople of Grenadian descent
Category:English people of Jamaican descent
Category:Sportspeople of Jamaican descent
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Wealdstone F.C. players
Category:Kettering Town F.C. players
Category:Brentford F.C. players
Category:AFC Wimbledon players
Category:Yeovil Town F.C. players
Category:Forest Green Rovers F.C. players
Category:Sutton United F.C. players
Category:English Football League players
Category:National League (English football) players