John Tennant (footballer, born 1939)

{{short description|English footballer}}

{{use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}

{{use British English|date=November 2016}}

{{Infobox football biography

|name = John Tennant

|image =

|image_size =

|caption =

|fullname = John Graham Tennant

|birth_date = {{birth date|1939|8|1|df=y}}

|birth_place = Darlington, England

|death_date = {{death-date and age|December 1985|August 1939}}

|death_place = County Durham, England

|height =

|position = Goalkeeper

|youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 =

|years1 = 1957–1959 |clubs1 = Darlington |caps1 = 8 |goals1 = 0

|years2 = 1959 |clubs2 = Chelsea |caps2 = 0 |goals2 = 0

|years3 = 1959–1962 |clubs3 = Southend United |caps3 = 2 |goals3 = 0

|years4 = 1962–1964 |clubs4 = Ashford Town |caps4 = 50 |goals4 = 0

|years5 = – |clubs5 = Canterbury City |caps5 = |goals5 =

}}

John Graham Tennant (1 August 1939 – December 1985) was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Darlington and Southend United.{{Hugman|19397|accessdate=22 November 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player11/johntennant.htm |title=John Tennant |website=Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database |publisher=Neil Brown |accessdate=22 November 2016}}

Tennant was born in Darlington, County Durham, in 1939. He made his debut for Darlington F.C. as a 17-year-old, in a 1–0 defeat away to Halifax Town in the Fourth Division on 19 April 1957. He played twice more in what remained of the season, and made a further five appearances early in the 1957–58 season, conceding 14 goals.{{cite book |last=Tweddle |first=Frank |title=The Definitive Darlington F.C. |publisher=SoccerData |location=Nottingham |year=2000 |pages=53–54 |isbn=978-1-899468-15-7}} Given a free transfer by Darlington, Tennant joined up with First Division club Chelsea in August 1959 for a month's trial,{{cite news |title=Knight gets debut test |first=Bob |last=Pennington |newspaper=Daily Express |location=London |date=18 August 1959 |page=12 |quote=Another give-away boy hoping to jump straight into the First Division is 20-year-old goalkeeper John Tennant, who reports to Stamford Bridge today for a month's trial with Chelsea. Fourth Division Darlington have given him a free transfer.}} during which he made five appearances for their Metropolitan League team.{{cite web |url=http://thechels.info/wiki/1959-60_Metropolitan_League |title=1959–60 Metropolitan League |website=TheChels.info |accessdate=22 November 2016}} The trial came to nothing, and in October he joined Southend United. In three years with the club, he played only twice in the Third Division and twice in the League Cup.{{cite web |url=http://sufcdb.co.uk/profile.php?p=385 |title=John Tennant |website=Southend United Football Club database |publisher=Robin Michel |accessdate=22 November 2016}} He then moved into Southern League football with Ashford Town,{{cite web |url=http://www.nutsandboltsarchive.co.uk/player-Profile.php?ID=586 |title=John Tennant player profile |website=www.nutsandboltsarchive.co.uk |accessdate=30 June 2022}} and Canterbury City.

Tennant died in County Durham in 1985 at the age of 46.