*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.
Ron Bennett
Appearances: 85 Goals: 28
Date / Year of birth: 8th May 1927
Position: Winger
Season of first appearance: 1956/57
Season of last appearance: 1958/59
Also played for: Wolverhampton Wanderers (0), Portsmouth (8,1), Crystal Palace (27,5), Brighton & Hove Albion (3,0), Tonbridge, Folkestone Town, Chatham Town, Ashford Town, Deal Town and Hastings United
Much-travelled left winger born in Hinckley who began his senior career with 1st Division giants Wolves, joining them in January 1945. Ron didn't make the first team at Molineux and in July 1948 he moved on to Portsmouth.
He made eight senior appearances for Pompey during the 1949/50, 1950/51 and 1951/52 seasons, all of them in the 1st Division.
In January 1952 Ron was transferred to 3rd Division South club Crystal Palace and he went on to make 27 first team appearances for the Eagles during 1951/52 and 1952/53.
He was on the move again in July 1953, this time joining Brighton.
In the summer of 1954 Ron dropped into non-league football to join Tonbridge. He went on to make 93 appearances for the Angels and scored 23 goals during 1954/55 and 1955/56.
Ron signed for Margate in the summer of 1956 and made his debut in a 4-1 win over Whitstable in the Kent League at Hartsdown Park on 18.8.56. It was the opening day of the 1956/57 campaign. He went on to enjoy an excellent first season with the club, scoring 16 goals in 38 appearances, and proved himself to be a skilful wingman who was full of tricks. On 17.11.56 Ron scored as Margate beat Dunstable 3-1 at Hartsdown Park in the FA Cup 1st Round.
During the 1957/58 season he missed only a handful of matches and made 43 appearances. On 16.11.57 Ron played as Margate lost 3-2 to visitors Crystal Palace in the FA Cup 1st Round. He scored 11 goals during the campaign and two of them came from direct free-kicks - Ron was something of a dead ball specialist. He was also known for his powerful shooting and in a game at Snowdown on 11.1.58 managed a strike so powerful that it created a crack in the crossbar and rebounded all the way back to the halfway line. Snowdown had to purchase a new set of goal posts as a result.
With the arrival of Ken Tucker at Hartsdown Park Ron found himself in the reserves at the start of the 1958/59 season but he got back into the first team when the former West Ham man was injured. Ron played four times during the first two months of the campaign and scored once, in a 2-1 Kent League Cup win over Ramsgate at Hartsdown on 4.9.58. However it proved to be his last goal for the club as in October 1958 Ron signed for Folkestone. A big factor in his departure was the fact that he'd recently been constantly barracked by Margate supporters, unfairly in the opinion of the local press.
In later years Ron went on to play for Chatham and Ashford and then spent the 1960/61 season with Deal. He then joined Hastings for the 1961/62 season.
After retiring Ron settled in Tonbridge and was living and working there in 1975.
He died in 1997.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1956/57 (MFC) |
38 (47) |
N/A |
16 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (8TH OF 17) |
2R |
1R |
SF |
SF |
|
Played and
scored in FA Cup 1st Round (17.11.56 - beat Dunstable 3-1 at
home). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1957/58 (MFC) |
43 (48) |
N/A |
11 |
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) |
4 (51) |
N/A |
1 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (5TH OF 18) |
1R |
3R |
RU |
1R |
GR |