Kenneth William Horne (25 June 1926 – 3 September 2015) was an English professional footballer and coach, best remembered for his 11 years in the Football League with Brentford, for whom he made over 220 appearances. He was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in 2015.

Ken Horne
Personal information
Full name Kenneth William Horne[1]
Date of birth 25 June 1926
Place of birth Burton-upon-Trent, England
Date of death 3 September 2015(2015-09-03) (aged 89)[2]
Place of death Richmond, England[1]
Position(s) Right half, full back
Youth career
Stapenhill
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 (0)
1947–1950 Blackpool 0 (0)
1950–1961 Brentford 223 (1)
1961–1964 Dover
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

edit

Early years

edit

A right half, Horne began his career as an amateur with First Division club Wolverhampton Wanderers, failing to make a first team appearance and moving to fellow top-flight club Blackpool in 1947.[3] Despite being described as "a player of great promise", an abundance of right halves at the club saw Horne right down the pecking order and he failed to make a first team appearance for the Tangerines.[4] He departed the club in 1950.[3]

Brentford

edit

Horne signed for Second Division club Brentford in 1950 and made his debut in a 0–0 draw with Leicester City at Griffin Park on 18 November 1950.[3][5] He made 20 appearances during the second half of the 1950–51 season and was converted into a full back.[5][6] He established himself in the team during the 1951–52 season and made 38 appearances.[5] Horne scored his only league goal for the club in a 3–3 draw with Luton Town on 1 March 1952, after being named in the team as a centre forward.[5]

Horne made just 10 appearances in each of the 1952–53 and 1953–54 seasons, before the Bees' relegation to the Third Division South saw him regain a regular place in the team and he made 41 appearances during the 1954–55 season.[5] Horne and teammates Billy Sperrin, George Bristow and Reg Newton were rewarded for their loyalty to the Bees with a testimonial against an International Managers XI in 1956.[3]

Horne switched to the left back position during the 1958–59 season and made a career-high 48 appearances.[5] Horne moved to across to right back during the 1959–60 season (making way for Ken Coote) and made 22 appearances in what was to be his penultimate season at Griffin Park.[5] Horne failed to appear at all during the 1960–61 season and departed the club at the end of the campaign, having made 239 appearances and scored one goal during his 11 years with Brentford.[3]

Dover

edit

Horne joined Southern League First Division club Dover in 1961 and ended his career with a three-year spell.[3]

Coaching career

edit

Horne held youth coaching positions at Queens Park Rangers and Brentford and also undertook scouting work for the latter club.[3][7][8]

Personal life

edit

Horne was married to Joyce and during his early years with Brentford,[6] he worked in the town's market.[9] He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at age 65 and underwent surgery which prolonged his life.[10] Horne died on 3 September 2015, aged 89.[11]

Career statistics

edit
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brentford 1950–51[5] Second Division 20 0 0 0 20 0
1951–52[5] 34 1 4 0 38 1
1952–53[5] 10 0 0 0 10 0
1953–54[5] 10 0 0 0 10 0
1954–55[5] Third Division South 35 0 6 0 41 0
1955–56[5] 7 0 0 0 7 0
1956–57[5] 5 0 0 0 5 0
1957–58[5] 37 0 1 0 38 0
1958–59[5] Third Division 45 0 3 0 48 0
1959–60[5] 20 0 2 0 22 0
Career total 223 1 16 0 239 1

Honours

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Ken Horne". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Ken Horne". www.footballdatabase.eu. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. pp. 81–82. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  4. ^ "David William Malcolm Frith 1929–2011". blackpool-mad.co.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 381–385. ISBN 0951526200.
  6. ^ a b Bruzon, Nick. "Where Are They Now? Ken Horne – Part 2". Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  7. ^ Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. p. 29. ISBN 978-1906796709.
  8. ^ Croxford, Lane & Waterman 2011, p. 357.
  9. ^ "All Brentford's Players Sign For New Season". The Brentford & Chiswick Times. 20 July 1956.
  10. ^ Bruzon, Nick. "Where Are They Now? Ken Horne – Part 1". Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  11. ^ Chapman, Mark. "Ken Horne 1926–2015". Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  12. ^ Chapman, Mark. "Ken Horne inducted into Brentford FC Hall of Fame". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 3 August 2015.