Harry Bedford (footballer)

Henry Bedford (15 October 1899 – 24 June 1976) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. He scored 326 league goals in 485 games.

Harry Bedford
Personal information
Full name Henry Bedford
Date of birth (1899-10-15)15 October 1899
Place of birth Calow, England
Date of death 24 June 1976(1976-06-24) (aged 76)
Place of death Derby, England
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
0000–1919 Grassmoor Ivanhoe
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1919–1921 Nottingham Forest 18 (8)
1921–1925 Blackpool 169 (112)
1925–1930 Derby County 203 (160)
1930–1932 Newcastle United 30 (17)
1932 Sunderland 7 (2)
1932–1933 Bradford Park Avenue 33 (15)
1933–1934 Chesterfield 25 (12)
Total 485 (326)
National team
1923–1924 England 2 (1)
Teams managed
Heanor Town
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Bedford, a striker, began his career at Nottingham Forest in 1919, and it was after his performance against Blackpool at the City Ground that the promotion-seeking Seasiders, under the guidance of new manager Bill Norman, signed him in March 1921 for a fee of £900.[1]

He made his debut for the Seasiders in a 1–0 league defeat at South Shields on 12 March 1921, and scored his first goal for the club in the return match at Bloomfield Road seven days later.

Bedford scored seven goals in his first ten league games for Blackpool. In 1921–22 he scored 11 goals in 32 games, and the following season, 1922–23, he played in all 42 league games and scored 32 goals and was the country's leading goalscorer. In 1923–24 he was again the country's top scorer with 34 goals,[1][2] a feat which only Jimmy Hampson equalled. In 1924–25, Bedford's goals helped Blackpool reach the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time and he scored 24 goals in 40 league games.[2] He scored six goals in seven games at the start of the 1925–26 season, but was transferred to Derby County on 24 September 1925, for a fee of £3,500. He scored 142 goals in 203 league games for Derby.[2]

In December 1930 he was transferred to Newcastle United, playing 30 league games and scoring 17 goals up to January 1932, when he moved to Sunderland, a move which only lasted for a short time. On 12 May 1932, he moved to Bradford Park Avenue where he scored 15 goals in the 1932–33 season. And in June 1933 he joined Chesterfield, where he scored 12 goals in the 1933–34 season. However, he then refused new contract terms with Chesterfield and the club released him. In August 1934 he joined non-League club Heanor Town, where he ended his playing career.[2]

International career

Bedford was capped twice for England. He made his debut against Sweden on 21 May 1923 in a match which England won 4–2. His only other England cap came against Ireland on 22 October 1924, at Anfield, scoring England's second goal in a 3–1 victory.[2]

Managerial career

In the late 1930s Bedford joined Newcastle United's coaching staff, before joining Derby County where he became the club's masseur in 1938. After World War II he became manager of Heanor Town, a position he held until he resigned in 1955.[2] He died in Derby on 24 June 1976.

Blackpool F.C. Hall of Fame

Parkinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield in April 2006.[1] Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Bedford is in the pre-1950s.[3]

Career statistics

Club statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[4]
Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Nottingham Forest 1919–20 Second Division 53000053
1920–21 1352100156
Total 1882100209
Blackpool 1920–21 Second Division 1160000116
1921–22 321111003312
1922–23 423110004331
1923–24 403221004233
1924–25 392474004628
1925–26 76000076
Total 17111011600182116
Derby County 1925–26 Second Division 312741003528
1926–27 First Division 332224003526
1927–28 382731004128
1928–29 412733004430
1929–30 423031004531
1930–31 1890000189
Total 203142151000218152
Newcastle United 1930–31 First Division 231221002513
1931–32 75000075
Total 301721003218
Sunderland 1931–32 First Division 72000072
Bradford Park Avenue 1932–33 Second Division 3315000072
Chesterfield 1933–34 Third Division North 2512001[lower-alpha 1]02612
Career total 487306301810518324
  1. Appearance in the Football League Third Division North Cup

International statistics
Appearances and goals by national team and year[5]
National teamYearAppsGoals
England 192310
192411
Total21

International goals
Scores and results list England's goal tally first. Score after each Bedford goal is shown in bold with asterisk.[6]
List of international goals scored by Harry Bedford
No.DateVenueOpponentCapMinuteScoreResultCompetition
122 October 1924Goodison Park, Liverpool, England Ireland260'2*–13–11924–25 British Home Championship

References
  1. Singleton, Steve, ed. (2007). Legends: The great players of Blackpool FC (1 ed.). Blackpool: Blackpool Gazette. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-84547-182-8.
  2. "Blackpool Legends". Blackpool F.C. 2 August 2007. Archived from the original on 1 February 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2008.
  3. "The Hall of Fame – pre 1950s". Blackpool Supporters Association. Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  4. Harry Bedford at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  5. Bedford, Harry at National-Football-Teams.com
  6. "Player Info: Harry Bedford". England Stats. Retrieved 25 January 2021.

Further reading
  • Calley, Roy (20 October 1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992. Breedon Books Publishing Co Ltd. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.
  • Singleton, Steve, ed. (2007). Legends: The great players of Blackpool FC (1 ed.). Blackpool: Blackpool Gazette. ISBN 978-1-84547-182-8.
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