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Roy Bentley

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This article is about the English football player. For the article about the American poet, see Roy G Bentley.

Roy Bentley
Personal information
Full name Roy Thomas Frank Bentley
Date of birth (1924-05-17)17 May 1924
Place of birth Shirehampton, England
Date of death 20 April 2018(2018-04-20) (aged 93)
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1939–1946 Bristol City 0 (0)
1946–1948 Newcastle United 48 (22)
1948–1956 Chelsea 324 (130)
1956–1960 Fulham 142 (23)
1960–1962 Queens Park Rangers 45 (0)
Total 559 (175)
International career
1949–1955 England 12 (9)
Managerial career
1963–1968 Reading
1969–1972 Swansea City
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Roy Thomas Frank Bentley (17 May 1924 – 20 April 2018) was an English football player and manager.

A former forward, Bentley played 367 games for Chelsea and captained the club to their first League Championship in the 1954–55 season. He also won 12 caps for the England national side.

Personal life

Bentley was born in Shirehampton, Bristol, Gloucestershire and attended Portway Boys Secondary School.[1]

He married Violet M. Upton in 1946.[1]

Club career

Early years

Bentley served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and afterwards played for both Bristol City and Bristol Rovers before signing for Newcastle United in 1946. He was with the club for less than two years, but formed a key part of a forward line which also included Jackie Milburn, Len Shackleton and Charlie Wayman. He reached an FA Cup semi-final with the club in the 1946–47 season, but they were defeated 4–0 by eventual winners Charlton Athletic.[2]

Chelsea

In January 1948 Bentley signed for London side Chelsea for £11,000,[3] He captained Chelsea to their first League title, in 1954–55.[4]

Having scored 150 goals in 367 appearances, Bentley was Chelsea's top goalscorer and, at the time of his death in 2018, was fifth in Chelsea's all-time goalscorers list behind Bobby Tambling, Frank Lampard, Kerry Dixon and Didier Drogba.[4]

International career

Bentley was an England international for six years, playing at the 1950 FIFA World Cup.[3]

Management

Following his retirement from playing, Bentley moved into management. He took over at Reading and later Swansea City, winning promotion to the old Third Division with the latter. He returned to Reading in 1977, this time as club secretary.

Retirement and death

Bentley lived in Chigwell, Essex during the late 1980s before relocating to Reading, Berkshire where he lived in 2014. At his death in April 2018, he was the last surviving player from England's 1950 World Cup squad.[3]

Career statistics

Playing statistics

Club

Source:[5]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bristol City 1945–46 – 0 0 6 1 0 0 6 1
Newcastle United 1946–47 Second Division 36 19 6 3 0 0 42 22
1947–48 Second Division 12 3 0 0 0 0 12 3
Total 48 22 6 3 0 0 54 25
Chelsea 1947–48 First Division 14 3 1 0 0 0 15 3
1948–49 First Division 40 21 3 2 0 0 43 23
1949–50 First Division 39 17 6 5 0 0 45 22
1950–51 First Division 38 8 5 3 0 0 43 11
1951–52 First Division 32 12 9 5 0 0 41 17
1952–53 First Division 37 12 7 5 0 0 44 17
1953–54 First Division 41 21 1 0 0 0 42 21
1954–55 First Division 41 22 3 0 0 0 44 22
1955–56 First Division 38 14 7 1 1 1 46 16
1956–57 First Division 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Total 324 130 42 21 1 1 367 152
Fulham 1956–57 Second Division 32 14 2 1 0 0 34 15
1957–58 Second Division 31 7 7 1 0 0 38 8
1958–59 Second Division 35 0 4 0 0 0 39 0
1959–60 First Division 29 2 2 0 0 0 31 2
1960–61 First Division 15 0 0 0 1 0 16 0
Total 142 23 15 2 1 0 158 25
Queens Park Rangers 1961–62 Third Division 29 0 4 0 1 0 34 0
1962–63 Third Division 16 0 2 0 0 0 18 0
Total 45 0 6 0 1 0 52 0
Career total 559 175 75 27 3 1 637 203

International

England national team
Year Apps Goals
1949 1 0
1950 5 2
1951 0 0
1952 2 1
1953 0 0
1954 2 4
1955 2 2
Total[6] 12 9

Managerial statistics

Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record Ref
P W D L Win %
Reading 1 January 1963 1 February 1969 321 136 79 106 042.4 [5]
Swansea City 7 August 1969 16 October 1972 173 66 49 58 038.2 [5]
Total 494 202 128 164 040.9

References

  1. ^ a b "England players: Roy Bentley". englandfootballonline. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Charlton Athletic v Newcastle United". 11v11.com. 29 March 1947. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "Roy Bentley: Last surviving member of England's 1950 World Cup squad dies aged 93". BBC Sport. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  4. ^ a b Khan, Shebab (20 April 2018). "Roy Bentley dead: Chelsea legend who led club to first ever trophy dies, aged 93". The Independent. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Roy Bentley at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  6. ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Roy Bentley". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 21 April 2018.

Bibliography

  • Cheshire, Scott (1998). Chelsea: An Illustrated History. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-143-5.
  • Mears, Brian (2004). Chelsea: A 100-year History. Mainstream Sport. ISBN 1-84018-823-5.
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