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Dennis Heath

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Dennis Heath
Personal information
Full name Dennis John Heath[1]
Date of birth (1934-09-28)28 September 1934
Place of birth Chiswick, England
Date of death 28 September 2006(2006-09-28) (aged 72)[1]
Place of death Isleworth, England[2]
Position(s) Outside right
Youth career
Alexandra Villa
1949–1954 Brentford
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1954–1961 Brentford 123 (20)
1961 Bedford Town 19 (0)
Trowbridge Town
Dover
Chertsey Town
Managerial career
Chertsey Town (player-manager)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Dennis John Heath (28 September 1934 – 28 September 2006) was an English professional footballer and manager who made over 120 appearances as an outside right in The Football League for Brentford.

Playing career

Brentford

An outside right, Heath began his career at Acton, Brentford & Chiswick Schools' League club Alexandra Villa.[3] He was spotted by Brentford youth team manager Alf Bew at age 15.[3] Heath came through the youth ranks at Brentford and was a part of the youth team which reached the semi-finals of the 1952–53 FA Youth Cup.[4] After completing his National Service,[4] Heath made his debut at the age of 19 in a 6–4 Third Division South defeat to Southampton at The Dell on 21 August 1954.[5] Heath quickly established himself in the first team and made 39 appearances during the 1954–55 season.[5]

Heath's appearance-rate dropped off over the course of his career with the Bees (mainly due to a pierced lung suffered in a reserve match against Charlton Athletic during the 1956–57 season),[3] though he made 29 appearances during the 1958–59 season.[5] Heath's final appearance for the club came in a 4–2 defeat to Newport County at Griffin Park on 29 October 1960 and he was released at the end of the 1960–61 season.[4][5] He made 133 appearances and scored 20 goals during his seven-year spell with the Bees.[4]

Non-League football

After his release from Brentford, Heath dropped into non-League football and played for Bedford Town,[6][7] Trowbridge Town, Dover, Chertsey Town and veterans' team Eversheds.[4] He played for Eversheds until the age of 60.[3]

Management career

While with Chertsey Town, Heath acted as the club's player-manager.[4]

Personal life

Heath undertook his National Service at Catterick Garrison and served as a PT instructor.[3] Along with a number of other Brentford players, Heath appeared briefly in the 1953 film The Great Game.[3] Heath later entered the building trade and worked with his sons.[8] He died in 2006, on his 72nd birthday.[9] At the time of his death, he was living in Isleworth.[2]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brentford 1954–55[5] Third Division South 35 7 4 0 — 39 7
1955–56[5] 17 1 1 0 — 18 1
1956–57[5] 3 0 1 0 — 4 0
1957–58[5] 15 5 0 0 — 15 5
1958–59[5] Third Division 25 4 4 0 — 29 4
1959–60[5] 13 2 0 0 — 13 2
1960–61[5] 15 1 0 0 0 0 15 1
Career total 123 20 10 0 0 0 133 20

References

  1. ^ a b "Dennis Heath". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Bees Legend Passes Away". world.brentfordfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Lane, David (2005). Cult Bees & Legends: Volume Two. Hampton Hill: Legends Publishing. pp. 8–21. ISBN 0954368282.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. p. 74. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 383–386. ISBN 0951526200.
  6. ^ "Best Years Players F-H". bedfordoldeagles. 14 July 1948. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  7. ^ "1961/2 Summary". bedfordoldeagles. Archived from the original on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  8. ^ "Twickenham Builders – Builders in Twickenham – Interior renovation – Painting and Decorating – Kitchens – Loft Extensions". Twickenham Builders. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  9. ^ "Winger Heath mourned by Brentford". BBC Sport. 29 September 2006. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
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