Len Newcombe
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bernard John Newcombe[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 28 February 1931 | ||
| Place of birth | Swansea, Wales | ||
| Date of death | August 1996 (aged 64–65) | ||
| Place of death | Swansea, Wales | ||
| Playing position | Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1947–1948 | Fulham | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1948–1956 | Fulham | 23 | (3) |
| 1948 | → Margate (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 1956–1959 | Brentford | 85 | (8) |
| 1959–1960 | Guildford City | ||
| 1960–1961 | Sittingbourne | ||
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Bernard John "Len" Newcombe was a Welsh professional football winger who appeared in the Football League for Brentford and Fulham.[1] 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 winger to his former club.[2] Newcombe joined the Division Two club in 1947. 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 in Division One.[2] He was always on the fringes of the first team at Craven Cottage and left the club in 1956, having made 23 appearances and scored three goals.[1]
Margate (loan)
Newcombe joined high-flying Kent League Division One side Margate on loan in January 1948. He made just one appearance before returning to Fulham.[2]
Brentford
Newcombe signed for Division Three South side Brentford in 1956, appearing in the final three games of the 1955/56 season.[1] He established himself in the team in the 1956/57 season, making 46 appearances and he was a regular again the following year.[1][3] 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 ten men and the resulting 1-0 defeat saw the Bees finish as runners-up in the Division Three South and miss out on promotion to Division Two.[1] Newcombe made just one appearance during the 1958/59 season and departed the club at the end of the campaign.[1][3] He made 89 appearances and scored eight goals during three years at Griffin Park.[1]
Non-league football
Newcombe closed out his career with spells at Southern League sides Guildford City and Sittingbourne.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920-2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 63. ISBN 978-0955294914.
- 1 2 3 "Len Newcombe". margatefchistory.com. Archived from the original on 2014-12-05. Retrieved 2014-11-27.
- 1 2 "Brentford Football Club History". brentfordfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-11-27.