SOUTHALL Football Club’s most famous former goalkeeper, Ted Bennett, sadly passed away in 2018 after a prolonged illness, just one day after his 93rd birthday.
Born and raised in Kilburn, Ted started playing football while at school as a winger. Ted was still on the wing when he played in the Civil Defence Cup Final at Wembley for the Dorset Regiment during World War II.
After the war Ted joined the newly formed Willesden FC, who at that time only fielded locally born players. Now playing as a goalkeeper, Ted’s Willesden side won the Spartan League two seasons running. Naturally this feat didn’t go unnoticed by scouts from higher levels and Ted attracted the attentions of Queens Park Rangers amongst others.
Ted signed amateur forms for QPR and played in 16 reserve team matches in the 1947-48 season and 2 first team and 18 reserve games the following season. QPR offered Ted a professional contract but he turned the offer down as he held ambitions of representing England at amateur level and possibly making the Great Britain Olympic team.
These ambitions led to Ted signing for Southall, then of the Athenian League, in 1949. Ted’s decision to remain amateur was proven to be the correct one as while at Southall he represented The Athenian League, Middlesex County FA, Middlesex Wanderers (England touring team) and England.
Ted was selected for the GB Olympic football team for the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics, quite a feat for a chap who started out on the wing! Unhappily for Ted and the British team their Olympics was to only last 1 game as they went out to Luxembourg in the Preliminary Round after extra time. The score was 1-1 after 90 minutes but unfortunately their opponents scored 3 quick goals early in extra time and Luxembourg ran out winners by 5 goals to 3.
In the 1952/53 season Ted and his Southall side reached the semi-final of the FA Amateur Cup. At this stage they were drawn against Pegasus, the famous gentleman university team, for the tie at Highbury. The match ended 1-1 and Pegasus won through in the replay at Craven Cottage by 2 goals to 1.
Ted maintained that the defeat in the replay was the worst moment of his footballing career. He strongly felt that Southall were cheated in the first match at Highbury when a blatant last minute penalty wasn’t given. It seemed to him, and no doubt to his team-mates, that Southall would not have been allowed through to the final instead of the “gentlemen” whatever happened.
Pegasus went on to win the final by 6 goals to nil, which goes to prove that the Southall boys had given them a serious run for their money (which they presumably had plenty of).
Ted’s successful career carried on with The ‘All until, eventually, Ted’s employer informed him in no uncertain terms that he would be sacked if he kept touring with England and playing representative matches in far flung corners of the country (Ted was a welder at the time) – and sacked he duly was!
Ted then reluctantly decided to turn professional and left Southall for Watford in December 1953 as a replacement for Dave Underwood who had been snapped up by Liverpool.
Southall played a friendly at Western Road against Watford in honour of Ted on 20th April 1955 in front of a healthy crowd of 6,000. Being in the visitors changing room must have been an odd experience for Ted, but both ‘keepers must have been happy enough with the way things went as the match ended 0-0.
After arriving at Vicarage Road Ted played in 81 of the next 82 Watford matches before a serious finger injury effectively ended his Watford career. He then joined Gravesend but after only a few games decided to call it a day and put an end an illustrious footballing career.
After saying goodbye to football Ted had his own greengrocery shop. He kept active in his spare time too as he liked fishing and golf as well as horse and greyhound racing.
Ted was also a fine cricketer and topped the batting averages 2 seasons running for Kilburn Old Boys as wicketkeeper/batsman.
In 1988 he joined his son, Ted junior, in following Fulham Football Club. Clearly not a man to do things by halves, Ted watched them home and away, became the club’s kit man for 2 seasons and ended up running the bar in the Directors Guest Lounge!
Ted never left his native Kilburn and was rightly proud of his sporting achievements as are his family. A true legend of Southall Football Club.
Rest in Peace Ted Bennett.
Remembering Edward Ernest “Ted” Bennett – 22nd August 1925 – 23rd August 2018
By Gary Drew
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