Les Bennett
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Les Bennett
| image =
| fullname = Leslie Donald Bennett
| height =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1918|1|10||df=y}}
| birth_place = Wood Green, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1999|4|29|1918|1|10|df=y}}
| death_place = Hackney, England
| position = Inside forward
| years1 = 1946–1954 |clubs1 = Tottenham Hotspur |caps1 = 272 |goals1 = 104
| years2 = 1954–1955 |clubs2 = West Ham United |caps2 = 26 |goals2 = 3
| years3 = 1956 |clubs3 = Clacton Town |caps3 = ? |goals3 = ?
| years4 = 1959–1960 |clubs4 = Romford |caps4 = 3 |goals4 = 0
}}
Leslie Donald Bennett (10 January 1918 – 29 April 1999) was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward for Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.{{cite book |editor1-last=Hugman |editor1-first=B. J. |title=The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946-2005 |year=2005 |isbn=1-85291-665-6 }}
Football career
Bennett joined Tottenham as a junior in May 1939. He spent much of the Second World War years serving his country with the Devon Regiment{{cite web|title=On this day 10 January|url=http://www.whufc.com/articles/20120110/on-this-day-10-january_2236884_1514814|publisher=whufc.com|accessdate=10 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421173307/http://www.whufc.com/articles/20120110/on-this-day-10-january_2236884_1514814|archive-date=21 April 2012|url-status=dead}} in Burma, India and Egypt, before making his Football League debut against Birmingham City on 31 August 1946. The quick- thinking, energetic inside forward was an important part of the push and run side of the 1950s. He made 294 appearances and scored on 124 occasions in all competitions for the club between 1946 and 1954. Bennett transferred to West Ham in December 1954 playing another 26 matches and scoring three goals. In August 1956 he became player–coach for Clacton before finishing his football career at Romford in 1959–60.{{cite web |url=http://archive.mehstg.com/fact_bennett_les.htm |title=Biography |accessdate=19 September 2008 }}
Honours
Tottenham Hotspur
- Football League Second Division winner: 1949–50
- Football League First Division winner: 1950–51
- Football League First Division runner-up: 1951–52
Post-football career
Bennett managed a caravan site in Clacton and was employed as a security guard at the University of Essex before retiring. He came out of retirement in 1964 to play in a "Push and Run" XI for the John White memorial fund.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/history/history_azofplayers.html Tottenham Hotspur F.C A-Z of players] Retrieved 29 November 2012 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415215517/http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/history/history_azofplayers.html |date=15 April 2009 }}
- {{NeilBrownPlayers|player2/lesbennett}}
- [https://www.theguardian.com/news/1999/jun/14/guardianobituaries.brianglanville Guardian newspaper obituary] Retrieved 13 May 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Les}}
Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Haringey
Category:People from Wood Green
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football inside forwards
Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players
Category:West Ham United F.C. players
Category:Military personnel from the London Borough of Haringey
Category:English Football League players
Category:English football managers
Category:F.C. Clacton managers
Category:British Army personnel of World War II