Duncan Welbourne
{{Short description|English footballer, coach, and manager (1940–2019)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2019}}
Duncan Welbourne (28 July 1940 – 14 January 2019) was an English professional football player, coach and manager.
Early life
Born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, he began his career as an amateur at Scunthorpe United.{{Hugman|20757|accessdate=14 January 2019}} He started his professional career at Grimsby, as a wing half. In November 1963 he transferred to Watford, for a fee of £1,300. At Watford he converted to a full back, when the club started playing in a 4–4–2 formation. Welbourne set what was then a Watford record of 457 competitive appearances, breaking the 35-year-old record previously held by Tommy Barnett. His 280 consecutive Football League games remains a record. After finishing third in the club's inaugural Player of the Season award in 1972–73, Welbourne left Watford on a free transfer at the end of the 1973–74 season. He joined Southport, where he finished his playing career. He also took on a coaching role, and managed the team between September 1975 and January 1976.
Welbourne died on the morning of 14 January 2019, as confirmed by Watford {{Cite web |url=https://www.watfordfc.co.uk/club/duncan-welbourne-club-legend-passes-away |title=Duncan Welbourne: Club Legend Passes Away | Watford Football Club |access-date=2019-01-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114210725/https://www.watfordfc.co.uk/club/duncan-welbourne-club-legend-passes-away |archive-date=2019-01-14 |url-status=dead }}
He won a Division Three championship medal; a fourth-place FA Cup medal but his most treasured possession was a testimonial present of a gold disc awarded for the song Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, presented by Elton John, then director, with the inscription: "To Duncan: something to keep you close to Watfordand myself."
References
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{{Southport F.C. managers}}
{{Watford F.C. Hall of Fame}}
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Category:Scunthorpe United F.C. players
Category:Grimsby Town F.C. players
Category:Southport F.C. players
Category:Southport F.C. managers
Category:English Football League players
Category:Footballers from Scunthorpe
Category:Men's association football fullbacks
Category:English men's footballers
Category:English football managers
Category:20th-century English sportsmen
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