Kenneth Cyril Tewkesbury (10 April 1909 – 20 November 1970) was an English professional footballer who made 102 appearances in the Football League playing as a goalkeeper for Birmingham, Notts County, Aston Villa, Bradford Park Avenue and Walsall.[2] Before turning professional he won six caps for the England national amateur football team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kenneth Cyril Tewkesbury | ||
| Date of birth | 10 April 1909 | ||
| Place of birth | Hove, England | ||
| Date of death | 20 November 1970 (aged 61) | ||
| Place of death | Birmingham, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1928–1932 | Birmingham University | ||
| 1929–1931 | Birmingham | 5 | (0) |
| 1931 | Casuals | ||
| 1931–1932 | Aston Villa | 0 | (0) |
| 1932–1933 | Notts County | 7 | (0) |
| 1933–1935 | Aston Villa | 1 | (0) |
| 1935–1936 | Bradford Park Avenue | 14 | (0) |
| 1936–1939 | Walsall | 75 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1930–1932 | England (amateur) | 6 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| Falmouth Town | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club football edit
While a student at the University of Birmingham, Tewkesbury played for the university football club, and joined Football League club Birmingham as an amateur in October 1929.[1] Deputising for Harry Hibbs who was absent on England international duty, he made his debut in the First Division on 2 April 1930, in an away game against Newcastle United which finished as a 1–1 draw.[3] He played four more first-team games over the next couple of years; his performance in a 4–2 defeat by Arsenal in September 1930 was described by The Times as "brilliant and entertainingly unorthodox".[4]
Tewkesbury's League performances and caps for the England amateur team led to approaches from 'touring clubs' Corinthian and Bedouins, but he decided to play for Casuals in two Isthmian League games against Clapton and Wimbledon in December 1931.[5] He joined Aston Villa at the end of that month,[6] but moved on to Notts County a few months later without having appeared for Villa's first team.[7] After seven Second Division games for Notts County,[2] Tewkesbury returned to Aston Villa in January 1933, signing professional forms for the first time in his career.[1] He played only one first-team game for Villa, and spent the 1935–36 season with Bradford Park Avenue, for whom he appeared in 14 Second Division games. He finished his Football League career with three seasons at Walsall, playing 75 Third Division South matches before retiring from the game in August 1939.[2][1]
Representative football edit
Tewkesbury played for the Combined Universities from 1929,[8] captaining the team in 1930,[9] and frequently appeared for Amateur F.A. XIs in matches against the Oxford and Cambridge University clubs.[10] In 1931 he turned out for leading amateur club Casuals.[11]
Tewkesbury made his international debut for the England amateur team on 15 November 1930 in Belfast against the Irish amateurs.[12] Ireland won 3–1, but The Times' correspondent absolved him from blame for the goals.[13] In the summer of 1931, he went on the Football Association's tour of Canada.[14] Tewkesbury's sixth and last appearance for England, in March 1932, was also a 3–1 defeat, this time against Scotland's amateurs, and despite his saving a penalty.[15]
Personal life edit
Tewkesbury was born in Hove, Sussex, in 1909. He studied for a BSc degree at the University of Birmingham. He married the daughter of Birmingham F.C. director W. H. Bull, and went on to work for many years in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter.[1]
Tewkesbury moved to Cornwall and took up residence at Roscarrack House, Budock, near Falmouth, where he took up his hobby in horticulture. He then volunteered his services to the newly formed Falmouth Town and was a pivotal figure in the club's early days and he was the team manager for the club's first three seasons in senior football. His granddaughter Sarah Newton was elected as the local M.P. for the Truro and Falmouth constituency at the 2010 General Election.[citation needed]
He returned to Birmingham and died in the city in 1970 at the age of 61.[7]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
- ^ a b c Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 256. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
- ^ Matthews, p. 172.
- ^ "Association Football Arsenal's Fine Record, A Victory at Birmingham". The Times. London. 29 September 1930. p. 6.
Arsenal were having more of the game now, and Tewkesbury, who was brilliant and entertainingly unorthodox in goal, saved a high shot from Hulme which seemed certain to score from the moment it left his boot.
- ^ Cavallini, Rob (1995). A Casual Affair. Dog N Duck Publications. p. 276. ISBN 978-0-9550496-2-0.
- ^ "Aston Villa's new goalkeeper". Midland Daily Telegraph. Coventry. 24 December 1931. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Tewkesbury, Kenneth". Jörn Mårtensson. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
- ^ "Association Football. F.A. Amateur XI. v. Combined Universities". The Times. London. 7 February 1929. p. 6.
...only the brilliant work of Tewkesbury in the Inter-University goal saved his side from a much heavier defeat.
- ^ "Universities' Team". The Times. London. 24 January 1930. p. 7.
- ^ "Association Football Oxford Beaten". The Times. London. 24 October 1930. p. 7.
"Association Football Oxford Beaten". The Times. London. 23 October 1931. p. 6.
"Cambridge v. A.F.A. Team". The Times. London. 1 December 1931. p. 7. - ^ "Association Football To-day's Amateur Matches". The Times. London. 5 December 1931. p. 5.
- ^ "Association Football English Amateur Team". The Times. London. 4 November 1930. p. 6.
- ^ "International Match England Beaten". The Times. London. 17 November 1930. p. 6.
After an indifferent start, Tewkesbury saved well, and could not be blamed for any of the goals scored against him.
- ^ Morrison, Neil (8 May 2009). "British "FA XI" Tours". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 3 June 2009.
- ^ "Amateur International Match Scotland's Sound Victory". The Times. London. 21 March 1932. p. 6.