Len Cantello

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Len Cantello

| image =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1951|9|11}}

| birth_place = Manchester, England

| height =

| position = Midfielder

| years1 = 1968–1979

| years3 = 1979–1982

| years2 = 1978

| years4 = 1982

| years5 = 1982–1983

| years6 = 1983–1985

| years7 = 1985–1986

| years8 = 1989

| years9 = 1989–1990

| years10 = 1990

| clubs1 = West Bromwich Albion

| clubs2 = → Dallas Tornado (loan)

| clubs3 = Bolton Wanderers

| clubs4 = Hereford United

| clubs5 = Bury

| clubs6 = SC Cambuur

| clubs7 = Eastern AA

| clubs8 = Calgary Strikers

| clubs9 = Radcliffe Borough

| clubs10 = London Lasers

| caps1 = 301

| caps2 = 19

| caps3 = 90

| caps4 = 1

| caps5 = 9

| caps6 = 33

| caps7 = ?

| caps8 = 11

| caps9 = 1

| caps10 = 1

| goals1 = 13

| goals2 = 1

| goals3 = 3

| goals4 = 0

| goals5 = 1

| goals6 = 1

| goals7 = ?

| goals8 = 0

| goals9 = 0

| goals10 = 0

| totalcaps = 466

| totalgoals = 19

| nationalyears1 = 1967 | nationalteam1 = England Schoolboys | nationalcaps1 = 6 | nationalgoals1 = 1

| nationalyears2 = 1970 | nationalteam2 = England Youth | nationalcaps2 = 4 | nationalgoals2 = 2

| nationalyears3 = 1972–1973

| nationalteam3 = England U23

| nationalcaps3 = 8

| nationalgoals3 = 0

}}

Len Cantello (born 11 September 1951) is a former football midfielder.

Career

Len Cantello played for England Schoolboys v Scotland at Wembley April 1967

=West Bromwich Albion: 1967–1979=

Cantello joined West Bromwich Albion as an apprentice in 1967.

At the age of 18, Cantello played in the 1970 League Cup Final, but finished on the losing side. He helped Albion win promotion back to the First Division in 1976.

Cantello scored ITV's goal of the season in December 1978, playing against Manchester United at Old Trafford in a memorable 5-3 win for the visitors. Albion finished third in the league that season and also reached the quarter finals of the FA Cup.

During his 12-year stay at the Hawthorns, Cantello made 371 appearances. In 1978, he played with the Dallas Tornado.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/soccer/stats/p-cantelen001|title=Len Cantello soccer Statistics|website=Statscrew.com|access-date=23 October 2021}}

Although signing for Bolton Wanderers in the summer of 1979 for a fee of £350,000, Cantello was awarded a testimonial match by West Bromwich Albion that saw a team of white players play against a team of black players.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37924448|title=The match that pitted white players against black players|date=17 November 2016|access-date=18 November 2016|author=Adrian Chiles|publisher=BBC}}

=Bolton Wanderers: 1979–1982=

In 1979, he moved to Bolton Wanderers, spending three years with them.

=Later career: 1982–1990=

In 1982, Cantello moved two divisions down on loan to Hereford United. He made just one appearance and then moved again on loan to Bury. In 1981, he went on loan to the Dallas Tornado of the North American Soccer League. In 1983, he was transferred to Dutch side SC Cambuur, before finishing with two seasons at Eastern AA. In 1989 and 1990, he played in the Canadian Soccer League with Calgary Strikers and London Lasers with a spell as manager of Radcliffe Borough in between.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorsoccer/stats/p-cantelen001|title=Len Cantello soccer Statistics|website=Statscrew.com|access-date=23 October 2021}}

Post-playing career

After retiring from professional sport, Cantello became the UK managing Director of FieldTurf, a Canadian-based brand of artificial turf playing surface. He currently resides in his home town of Manchester.{{Cite web|url=http://www.oldbaggies.com/len-cantello/|title = LEN CANTELLO – Old Baggies|website=Oldbaggies.com}}

References

External links

{{NeilBrownPlayers|player/lencantello}}
[http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=16475 Len Cantello (West Brom) at Sporting-heroes.net]
[http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=16476 Len Cantello (Bolton Wanderers) at Sporting-heroes.net]
[http://nasljerseys.com/Players/C/Cantello.Len.htm NASL stats]

Category:1951 births

Category:Living people

Category:English men's footballers

Category:Footballers from Manchester

Category:West Bromwich Albion F.C. players

Category:Bolton Wanderers F.C. players

Category:Hereford United F.C. players

Radcliffe Borough players

Category:Bury F.C. players

Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players

Category:Dallas Tornado players

Category:Eastern Sports Club footballers