Len Newcombe

Len Newcombe
Personal information
Full name Bernard John Newcombe[1]
Date of birth (1931-02-28)28 February 1931
Place of birth Swansea, Wales
Date of death March 1996 (aged 65)[1]
Place of death Swansea, Wales
Playing position Outside forward
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 (28 February 1931 – March 1996) was a Welsh professional football outside forward who appeared in the Football League for Brentford and Fulham.[2] 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.[3] 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.[3] 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.[2]

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.[3]

Brentford

Newcombe signed for Division Three South side Brentford in 1956, appearing in the final three games of the 1955–56 season.[2] He established himself in the team in the 1956–57 season, making 46 appearances and he was a regular again the following year.[4] Newcombe's professional career was effectively ended by a broken collarbone suffered in a match versus Torquay United in April 1958.[2] Brentford were forced to play the rest of the match with 10 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.[2] Newcombe made just one appearance during the 1958–59 season and departed the club at the end of the campaign.[2][4] He made 89 appearances and scored eight goals during three years at Griffin Park.[2]

Non-league football

Newcombe closed out his career with spells at Southern League sides Guildford City and Sittingbourne.[2]

Career statistics

Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Margate (loan) 1947–48[3] Kent League 1 0 — 1 0
Brentford 1955–56[4] Third Division South 3 1 — 3 1
1956–57[4] 43 3 3 0 46 3
1957–58[4] 37 4 1 0 38 4
1958–59[4] Third Division 2 0 0 0 2 0
Total 85 8 4 0 89 8
Career total 86 8 4 0 90 8

References

  1. 1 2 "Barry Hugman's Footballers – Len Newcombe". hugmansfootballers.com. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 63. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Len Newcombe". margatefchistory.com. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 383–385. ISBN 0951526200.
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