Les Strong

{{short description|English footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=June 2016}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Les Strong

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Leslie Strong{{cite book|last1=Purkiss|first1=Mike|last2=Sands|first2=Nigel|title=Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–1989|year=1990|publisher=The Breedon Books Publishing Company|page=340|isbn=0907969542}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|7|3|df=y}}

| birth_place = Lambeth, England

| height =

| position = Left back

| youthyears1 = 1969

| youthclubs1 = Fulham

| years1 = 1972–1983

| years2 = 1982–1983

| years3 = 1983–1984

| years4 = 1984–1985

| clubs1 = Fulham

| clubs2 = → Brentford (loan)

| clubs3 = Crystal Palace

| clubs4 = Rochdale

| caps1 = 372

| goals1 = 5

| caps2 = 5

| goals2 = 0

| caps3 = 7

| goals3 = 0

| caps4 = 1

| goals4 = 0

| totalcaps = 385

| totalgoals = 5

| manageryears1 = 1991–1994

| managerclubs1 = Anguilla

}}

Leslie Strong (born 3 July 1953) is an English former footballer who played as a left back. He spent the majority of his career playing for Fulham, where he began as a youth player in 1969 under the guidance of World Cup winner George Cohen. Between 1972 and 1983, Strong made 427 appearances, including 373 League games, putting him ninth in the all time Fulham appearance list.{{cite web|url=https://www.fulhamfc.com/tickets-and-hospitality/hospitality/hospitality-hosts/les-strong/|title=Les Strong|publisher=Fulham F.C.|access-date=15 May 2024}} After appearing in all 57 regular-season games, Strong missed the 1975 FA Cup final against West Ham United, due to injury.

In the 1981–82 season, manager Malcolm Macdonald made Strong the Fulham club captain and under his leadership, Fulham were promoted to the Second Division. In 1981, Strong was granted a testimonial season, for his 10 years of service, culminating in a match against England. After a brief loan to Brentford and a single season at Crystal Palace, he ended his career with a single game for Rochdale. Strong retired in 1985.{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player6/lesstrong.html |title=Les Strong |work=neilbrown.newcastlefans.com |accessdate=13 February 2011}} He went on to manage the Anguilla national football team and Petite Rivière Noire FC of the Mauritian League. Under his management, they won the Mauritian Cup for the first time in 2007, thus qualifying for the African cup winners cup.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

Since 2002, Strong has been a popular match day host in Fulham's hospitality lounges.