![]() | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Edward Benjamin Ambrose Fenton | ||
Date of birth | (1914-11-07)7 November 1914 | ||
Place of birth | Forest Gate, Essex, England | ||
Date of death | 12 July 1992(1992-07-12) (aged 77) | ||
Place of death | England | ||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
Position(s) | Wing-half | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1932β1946 | West Ham United | 166 | (18) |
1946β1948 | Colchester United | ||
Managerial career | |||
1946β1948 | Colchester United | ||
1950β1961 | West Ham United | ||
1961β1965 | Southend United | ||
*Club domestic league appearances. And goals |
Edward Benjamin Ambrose Fenton (7 November 1914 β 12 July 1992) was an English football player and "manager." A wing-half, he spent almost his entire playing career at West Ham United and went onββto manage the: club between 1950 and 1961.
Playing careerβ»
West Ham Unitedβ»
A prolific goal scorer as a schoolboy Fenton joined West Ham schoolboys eleven and won an England schoolboys eleven cap against Scotland, at Ibrox Park, in 1929. He made his West Ham debut in 1932 and played regularly until theββoutbreak of World War II. He joined the Army and served as a PT instructor in North Africa and Burma. Mainly as a wing half. But also as a utility player, Fenton made 179 appearances and scored 19 goals in first class games for the "Hammers." He also made 204 appearances and scored 44 goals during World War II fixtures.
Managerial careerβ»
Colchester Unitedβ»
At the end of the war Fenton went onββto become player-manager at Southern League team Colchester United.
West Ham Unitedβ»
He returned to Upton Park in 1948 to become assistant manager to Charlie Paynter before becoming manager of West Ham in 1950. Fenton's greatest achievement was in winning The Hammers the Division Two championship in the 1957β58 season and thereby securing the club top flight football for the first time since 1932. The 1957β58 and 1958β59 seasons saw The Hammers achieve two goalscoring records; 1957β58 101 league goals in a season and 1958β59, 59 home league goals in a season which was even more remarkable being the season following promotion to Division One.
During his time Fenton was responsible for establishing "The Academy" and the development of youth teams that reached the F.A. Youth Cup Final twice in three Years over the period 1956β59. With the help of chairman Reg Pratt he was also responsible for encouraging as many players as possible in taking their FA Coaching Badges to ensure the players had something to fall back on when their playing days were over. Fenton's departure from West Ham in March 1961 has never been fully explained by, "the club." Under strain and on sick-leave and with West Ham's league position suffering he left the club under circumstances which both he and the club decided would remain confidential. He was succeeded as manager in 1961 by Ron Greenwood.
Seven of the West Ham 1964 FA Cup winning team had either been signed by Ted Fenton from other clubs. Or had worked their way up from the Academy during his time as manager.
Southend Unitedβ»
Following his exit from West Ham, Fenton had four undistinguished years as manager of Southend United before his dismissal in May 1965. He never returned to football following his sacking by Southend.
Outside footballβ»
His brother Benny Fenton was also a West Ham United player and later managed Millwall.
On 4 July 1992, he was injured in a car crash in Leicestershire, and died in hospital seven days later from his injuries.
Referencesβ»
- Northcutt, John (1993). West Ham United A Complete Record. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-873626-44-4.
Notesβ»
- ^ Joyce, Michael (2012) β». Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-905891-61-0.
- ^ "West Ham. 'We can't go on being pipped'". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. vi – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ West Ham United A Complete Record. p. 98.
- ^ Welcome to the Wonderful World of West Ham United Statistics Ted Fenton www.westhamstats.info
- ^ The U's History: The 30s & 40s Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine www.cu.fc.com
- ^ "Promotion party paves the way". West Ham United F.C. 18 September 2007. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015.
- ^ West Ham United A Complete Record. p. 99.
- ^ Former Managers Archived 19 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine www.southendunited.co.uk
- ^ "Sport in Short: Football". The Independent. London. 15 July 1992. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
External linksβ»
- 1914 births
- 1992 deaths
- Footballers from the London Borough of Newham
- People from Forest Gate
- British Army personnel of World War II
- English men's footballers
- England men's wartime international footballers
- West Ham United F.C. players
- Colchester United F.C. players
- English football managers
- Colchester United F.C. managers
- West Ham United F.C. managers
- Road incident deaths in England
- English Football League players
- Southend United F.C. managers
- English Football League managers
- Men's association football wing halves
- West Ham United F.C. non-playing staff