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Len Newcombe

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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 (1996-04) (aged 65)[1]
Place of death Swansea, Wales
Position(s) Outside forward
Youth career
1947–1948 Fulham
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1948–1956 Fulham 23 (3)
1948Margate (loan) 1 (0)
1956–1959 Brentford 85 (8)
1959–1960 Guildford City
1960–1961 Sittingbourne
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Bernard John Newcombe (28 February 1931 – March 1996) was a Welsh professional footballer who played in the Football League for Brentford and Fulham as an outside forward. He later returned to Fulham as a scout.

Club career

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Fulham

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Newcombe was spotted playing youth football in Wales by former Fulham goalkeeper Ossie Evans, who recommended the young outside forward to his former club.[2] Newcombe transferred to the Second Division club in 1947.[2] He joined high-flying Kent League First Division club Margate on loan in January 1948, but made just one appearance during his spell.[2]

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 members of the First Division.[2] He was always on the fringes of the first team at Craven Cottage and left the club in April 1956,[1] having made 23 appearances and scored three goals.[3]

Brentford

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In April 1956, Newcombe transferred to Third Division South club Brentford and played in the final three games of the 1955–56 season.[1][3] 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.[3] 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 Third Division South and miss out on promotion to the Second Division.[3]

Newcombe made just one appearance during the 1958–59 season and departed the club at the end of the campaign.[3][4] He made 89 appearances and scored eight goals during three years at Griffin Park.[3]

Non-League football

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Newcombe ended his career with spells at Southern League clubs Guildford City and Sittingbourne.[3]

Career statistics

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Fulham 1951–52[5] First Division 5 1 0 0 5 1
Margate (loan) 1947–48[2] 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 91 9 4 0 95 9

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Len Newcombe". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Len Newcombe". margatefchistory.com. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  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. p. 63. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  4. ^ a b c d e f White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 383–385. ISBN 0951526200.
  5. ^ Len Newcombe at WorldFootball.net