Len Duquemin
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leonard Stanley Duquemin | ||
| Date of birth | 17 July 1924 | ||
| Place of birth | Cobo, Guernsey | ||
| Date of death | 20 April 2003 (aged 78) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| – | Vauxbelet | ? | (?) |
| 1946 | Colchester United | 1 | (0) |
| 1946–1957 | Tottenham Hotspur | 274 | (114) |
| 1958–1960 | Bedford Town | 64 | (52) |
| 1960–1961 | Hastings United | ? | (?) |
| 1961–1962 | Romford | ? | (?) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Leonard Stanley "Len" Duquemin (17 July 1924 – 20 April 2003) was a professional footballer most famous for playing for Tottenham Hotspur which he made his debut on March 1946.[1]
Career
Born in Cobo, Guernsey Duquemin was the first famous footballer to come from the Channel Islands. During the German Occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II, it is said that Duquemin hid in a Catholic monastery. During the war years, he made a single appearance for Colchester United in 1946.
Between 1946 and 1957 he made 307 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur and scored 134 goals.[2] He won the League Championship in 1951 having won the Second Division title the year before. Known as 'Reliable Len' for his hard work rather than for being a stylish player. His value was seen in his ability to create space for some of his more renowned team-mates, and he became a key member of Arthur Rowe's famous 'push and run' side which transformed the style of football played in the Post War period. He played alongside Alf Ramsey and Bill Nicholson
Duquemin made his last league appearance for Tottenham in the 1956-57 season. He played just one match, though it brought him the last of his goals for the club. He subsequently spent four seasons in non-league football, first with Bedford Town F.C., with whom he won a Southern League Championship medal in the 1958-59 season, then with Hastings United and Romford. He left the game in 1962.
After his retirement he ran a newsagents shop close to White Hart Lane in Northumberland Park and later became the landlord at the Haunch of Venison public house in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.[3]
Honours
Club
- Football League First Division Winner (1): 1950–51
- Football League Second Division Winner (1): 1949–50
- Southern Football League Winner (1): 1958–59[6]
References
- ^ Len Duquemin Debut THFC Official website - retrieved March 20 2008
- ^ Len Duquemin stats on THFC site- retrieved March 20 2008
- ^ Len Duquemin - Obituary - Bnet - retrieved March 20 2008
- ^ "Tier One (Premier League) Honours". Coludaybyday.co.uk.
- ^ "Tier Two (Championship) Honours". Coludaybyday.co.uk.
- ^ "Southern League Honours". Coludaybyday.co.uk.