Len Newcombe
{{short description|Welsh footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Len Newcombe
| fullname = Bernard John Newcombe
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1931|2|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = Swansea, Wales
| death_date = {{d-da|March 1996|February 1931}}{{Hugman|id=14515|accessdate=8 January 2017}}
| death_place = Swansea, Wales
| position = Outside forward
| youthyears1 = 1947–1948
| youthclubs1 = Fulham
| years1 = 1948–1956
| clubs1 = Fulham
| caps1 = 23
| goals1 = 3
| years2 = 1948
| clubs2 = → Margate (loan)
| caps2 = 1
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 1956–1959
| clubs3 = Brentford
| caps3 = 85
| goals3 = 8
| years4 = 1959–1960
| clubs4 = Guildford City
| caps4 =
| goals4 =
| years5 = 1960–1961
| clubs5 = Sittingbourne
| caps5 =
| goals5 =
}}
Bernard John Newcombe (28 February 1931 – March 1996) was a Welsh professional footballer who played in the Football League for Brentford and Fulham as an outside forward. He later returned to Fulham as a scout.
Club career
= Fulham =
Newcombe was spotted playing youth football in Wales by former Fulham goalkeeper Ossie Evans, who recommended the young outside forward to his former club.{{Cite web |title=Len Newcombe |url=https://www.margatefootballclubhistory.com/players-profile/?profile=990&player=Len_Newcombe |access-date=27 November 2014 |website=margatefchistory.com}} Newcombe transferred to the Second Division club in 1947. He joined high-flying Kent League First Division club Margate on loan in January 1948, but made just one appearance during his spell.
By the time Newcombe made his professional debut in a 1–0 defeat to Burnley on the final day of the 1950–51 season, the Cottagers were members of the First Division. He was always on the fringes of the first team at Craven Cottage and left the club in April 1956, having made 23 appearances and scored three goals.{{Cite book |last=Haynes |first=Graham |title=Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 |last2=Coumbe |first2=Frank |publisher=Yore Publications |year=2006 |isbn=978-0955294914 |location=Harefield |page=63}}
= Brentford =
In April 1956, Newcombe transferred to Third Division South club Brentford and played in the final three games of the 1955–56 season. He established himself in the team in the 1956–57 season, making 46 appearances and he was a regular again the following year.{{Cite book |title=100 Years Of Brentford |publisher=Brentford FC |year=1989 |isbn=0951526200 |editor-last=White |editor-first=Eric |pages=383–385}} Newcombe's professional career was effectively ended by a broken collarbone suffered in a match versus Torquay United in April 1958. Brentford were forced to play the rest of the match with 10 men and the resulting 1–0 defeat saw the Bees finish as runners-up in the Third Division South and miss out on promotion to the Second Division.
Newcombe made just one appearance during the 1958–59 season and departed the club at the end of the campaign. He made 89 appearances and scored eight goals during three years at Griffin Park.
= Non-League football =
Newcombe ended his career with spells at Southern League clubs Guildford City and Sittingbourne.
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" |Total |
| Division
!Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals |
|---|
| Fulham
|1951–52{{WorldFootball.net|id=len-newcobe}} |5 |1 |0 |0 |5 |1 |
| Margate (loan)
|1 |0 | colspan="2" |— |1 |0 |
| rowspan="5" |Brentford
|3 |1 | colspan="2" |— |3 |1 |
| 1956–57
|Third Division South |43 |3 |3 |0 |46 |3 |
| 1957–58
|Third Division South |37 |4 |1 |0 |38 |4 |
| 1958–59
|2 |0 |0 |0 |2 |0 |
| colspan="2" |Total
!85 !8 !4 !0 !89 !8 |
| colspan="3" |Career total
!91 !9 !4 !0 !95 !9 |
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newcombe, Len}}
Category:Footballers from Swansea
Category:Welsh men's footballers
Category:Brentford F.C. players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Date of death missing
Category:Southern Football League players
Category:Guildford City F.C. players
Category:Sittingbourne F.C. players
Category:Fulham F.C. non-playing staff