Dennis Heath
{{short description|English footballer and manager}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Dennis Heath
| fullname = Dennis John Heath{{Hugman|8669|accessdate=18 October 2015}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|9|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = Chiswick, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2006|9|28|1934|9|28|df=y}}
| death_place = Isleworth, England
| position = Outside right
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Alexandra Villa
| youthyears2 = 1949–1954
| youthclubs2 = Brentford
| years1 = 1954–1961
| clubs1 = Brentford
| caps1 = 123
| goals1 = 20
| years2 = 1961
| clubs2 = Bedford Town
| caps2 = 19
| goals2 = 0
| years3 =
| clubs3 = Trowbridge Town
| caps3 =
| goals3 =
| years4 =
| clubs4 = Dover
| caps4 =
| goals4 =
| years5 =
| clubs5 = Chertsey Town
| caps5 =
| goals5 =
| manageryears1 =
| managerclubs1 = Chertsey Town (player-manager)
}}
Dennis John Heath (28 September 1934 – 28 September 2006) was an English professional footballer and manager who made over 120 appearances as an outside right in The Football League for Brentford.
Playing career
= Brentford =
An outside right, Heath began his career at Acton, Brentford & Chiswick Schools' League club Alexandra Villa.{{Cite book |last=Lane |first=David |title=Cult Bees & Legends: Volume Two |publisher=Legends Publishing |year=2005 |isbn=0954368282 |location=Hampton Hill |pages=8–21}} He was spotted by Brentford youth team manager Alf Bew at age 15. Heath came through the youth ranks at Brentford and was a part of the youth team which reached the semi-finals of the 1952–53 FA Youth Cup.{{Cite book |last1=Haynes |first1=Graham |title=Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 |last2=Coumbe |first2=Frank |publisher=Yore Publications |year=2006 |isbn=978-0955294914 |page=74}} After completing his National Service, Heath made his debut at the age of 19 in a 6–4 Third Division South defeat to Southampton at The Dell on 21 August 1954. Heath quickly established himself in the first team and made 39 appearances during the 1954–55 season.
Heath's appearance-rate dropped off over the course of his career with the Bees (mainly due to a pierced lung suffered in a reserve match against Charlton Athletic during the 1956–57 season), though he made 29 appearances during the 1958–59 season. Heath's final appearance for the club came in a 4–2 defeat to Newport County at Griffin Park on 29 October 1960 and he was released at the end of the 1960–61 season. He made 133 appearances and scored 20 goals during his seven-year spell with the Bees.
= Non-League football =
After his release from Brentford, Heath dropped into non-League football and played for Bedford Town,{{Cite web |date=14 July 1948 |title=Best Years Players F-H |url=https://sites.google.com/site/bedfordoldeagles/best-years-introduction-page/introduction/best-years-players-f-h |access-date=27 July 2014 |website=bedfordoldeagles}}{{Cite web |title=1961/2 Summary |url=https://sites.google.com/site/bedfordoldeagles/best-years-introduction-page/commentary-season-by-season-1950-67/1961-2-summary |access-date=27 July 2014 |website=bedfordoldeagles |archive-date=1 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201082526/https://sites.google.com/site/bedfordoldeagles/best-years-introduction-page/commentary-season-by-season-1950-67/1961-2-summary |url-status=dead }} Trowbridge Town, Dover, Chertsey Town and veterans' team Eversheds. He played for Eversheds until the age of 60.
Management career
While with Chertsey Town, Heath acted as the club's player-manager.
Personal life
Heath undertook his National Service at Catterick Garrison and served as a PT instructor. Along with a number of other Brentford players, Heath appeared briefly in the 1953 film The Great Game. Heath later entered the building trade and worked with his sons.{{Cite web |title=Twickenham Builders – Builders in Twickenham – Interior renovation – Painting and Decorating – Kitchens – Loft Extensions |url=http://www.twickenhamroadbuilders.com/index.php |url-status=dead |access-date=14 June 2015 |website=Twickenham Builders |archive-date=29 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129082802/http://www.twickenhamroadbuilders.com/index.php }} He died in 2006, on his 72nd birthday.{{Cite news |title=Winger Heath mourned by Brentford |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/brentford/5393140.stm |access-date=14 June 2015 |website=BBC Sport|date=29 September 2006 }} At the time of his death, he was living in Isleworth.{{Cite web |title=Bees Legend Passes Away |url=http://world.brentfordfc.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0,,10421~904759,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212201947/http://world.brentfordfc.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0,,10421~904759,00.html |archive-date=12 February 2018 |access-date=12 February 2018 |website=world.brentfordfc.co.uk}}
Career statistics
| 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"|Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals
!Apps !Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="7" |Brentford
|1954–55{{Cite book |title=100 Years Of Brentford |publisher=Brentford FC |year=1989 |isbn=0951526200 |editor-last=White |editor-first=Eric |pages=383–386}} | rowspan="4" |Third Division South |35 |7 |4 |0 | colspan="2" |— |39 |7 | ||||||
| 1955–56
|17 |1 |1 |0 | colspan="2" |— |18 |1 | ||||||
| 1956–57
|3 |0 |1 |0 | colspan="2" |— |4 |0 | ||||||
| 1957–58
|15 |5 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |— |15 |5 | ||||||
| 1958–59
| rowspan="3" |Third Division |25 |4 |4 |0 | colspan="2" |— |29 |4 | ||||||
| 1959–60
|13 |2 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |— |13 |2 | ||||||
| 1960–61
|15 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |15 |1 | ||||||
| colspan="3" |Career total
!123 | 20 | 10 | 0
!0 !0 | 133 | 20 |
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heath, Dennis}}
Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Hounslow
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Brentford F.C. players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Bedford Town F.C. players
Category:Trowbridge Town F.C. players
Category:Southern Football League players
Category:Men's association football outside forwards
Category:Chertsey Town F.C. players
Category:Chertsey Town F.C. managers