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.[1]

Les Bennett
Personal information
Full name Leslie Donald Bennett
Date of birth (1918-01-10)10 January 1918
Place of birth Wood Green, England
Date of death 29 April 1999(1999-04-29) (aged 81)
Place of death Hackney, England
Position(s) Inside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1946–1954 Tottenham Hotspur 272 (104)
1954–1955 West Ham United 26 (3)
1956 Clacton Town ? (?)
1959–1960 Romford 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Football career

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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[2] 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.[3]

Honours

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Tottenham Hotspur

Post-football career

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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.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Hugman, B. J., ed. (2005). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946-2005. ISBN 1-85291-665-6.
  2. ^ "On this day 10 January". whufc.com. Archived from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Biography". Retrieved 19 September 2008.
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