*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Dennis Yeomans
Appearances: 73 Goals: 51
Date / Year of birth: 1932
Position: Striker
Season of first appearance: 1957/58
Season of last appearance: 1959/60
Also played for: Clacton Town and Southend United (0)
Talented opportunist goalscorer born in Rochford, Essex who played for Clacton Town during the 1953/54 season, helping them to second place in the Eastern Counties League.
Dennis later had a spell with Southend before embarking on his National Service and in March 1957 he joined Margate, immediately after being demobbed from the army.
Dennis spent the remainder of the 1956/57 campaign in the reserves and helped them to win the Kent League Division 2 and two cup competitions.
The 1957/58 season was an excellent one for Dennis. He made his first team debut against Ramsgate in a Kent League game at Hartsdown Park on 31.8.57 and scored the winner in a 1-0 victory. He went on to score 32 goals in just 38 appearances during the campaign, making him the club's top scorer. Dennis was rated as one of the best youngsters in the Kent League during the season and he was watched by Tottenham scouts on four separate occasions. On 19.9.57 Dennis bagged four goals in a 5-0 home win over Dover in the Kent Senior Shield and on 5.10.57 he was concussed during a game at Deal. Dennis stayed on the field and after the match he had no idea that Margate had won 5-1 or that he'd scored two of the goals. He suffered concussion again later in the campaign.
On 16.11.57 Dennis played as Margate lost 3-2 to visitors Crystal Palace in the FA Cup 1st Round and on 4.1.58 he once again scored four goals as Margate beat Faversham 8-2 at Hartsdown Park. Dennis then notched a hat-trick in a 4-1 win at Snowdown in the Kent Senior Cup on 15.2.58 but on 29.3.58 he was bizarrely sent off as Margate drew 0-0 with visitors Canterbury. Dennis went over to help an injured City player and was dismissed for reasons that nobody present at Hartsdown Park was able to fathom. He added two further hat-tricks before the end of the season - in a 6-2 win at Folkestone on 4.4.58 and in a 3-1 home win over Bexleyheath & Welling on 21.4.58.
The 1958/59 campaign wasn't such a good one for Dennis, he scored 17 times in 29 appearances, including both goals in a 3-2 defeat at Headington in the FA Cup 1st Round on 15.11.58, but never really recaptured his electric form of the previous season. He was dropped to the reserves several times and the local press described Dennis as being "out of touch" and "a dull replica of the man that once attracted Crystal Palace". However his goalscoring record was hardly unimpressive and it included another hat-trick - in a 9-5 Kent League win over Chatham at Hartsdown Park on 4.10.58. Dennis also scored with a stunning diving header in a 5-1 win at Ramsgate on 11.10.58 His last goal of the season came in the Kent League Cup Final on 7.5.59 as Margate went down 3-2 to Sittingbourne.
During the 1959/60 campaign Dennis rarely played for the first team and only made six appearances, scoring twice. One of his outings in the senior side was in an FA Cup 2nd Round replay at Crystal Palace on 9.12.59 that Margate lost 3-0. However Dennis was a leading light in the reserves and scored more than 20 goals for them. At the end of the season he was released.
Dennis worked as a mechanic during his time with Margate.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1957/58 (MFC) |
38 (48) |
N/A |
32 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (2ND OF 18) |
1R |
SF |
RU |
SF |
|
|
Played in FA Cup 1st Round
(16.11.57 - lost 3-2 to Crystal Palace at
home).
Played in Kent League Cup Final (10.05.58 - lost 3-0 to Deal Town). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
TMC |
|
1958/59 (MFC) |
29 (51) |
N/A |
17 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (5TH OF 18) |
1R |
3R |
RU |
1R |
GR |
|
Played and scored
twice in FA Cup 1st Round (15.11.58 - lost 3-2 at Headington
United).
Played and scored in Kent League Cup Final (07.05.59 - lost 3-2 to Sittingbourne). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
|
|
1959/60 (MFC) |
6 (57) |
N/A |
2 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (7TH OF 22) |
2R |
1R |
RU |
SF |
|
|
Played in FA Cup 2nd Round replay
(09.12.59 - lost 3-0 at Crystal
Palace). | |||||||||