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Players Index Page Last Updated
29 December 2022
 
 

Harry Bedford

Blackpool FC

2 appearances, 1 goal

P 2 W 2 D 0 L 0 F 7: A 3
100% successful

1923-24

captain: none
minutes played:
180

Timeline

  Harry Bedford
Birth 15 October 1899 in Calow, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire [registered as Harry Bedford in Chesterfield, December 1899].
Grew up in Bonds Main.
 

According to the 1901 census, living on Windmill Hill in Calow, Harry is the youngest of seven children to George and Mary Jane (née Loveridge). His father is a coal miner.

 

According to the 1911 census, Harry now has a younger sister, and they are two of six children living at 65 Bonds Main Cottages in Temple Normanton, near Chesterfield. His father is now unemployed.

  According to the 1921 census, Harry is now a professional footballer (for Blackpool FC) and is a visitor at the home of the Sims family at 90 Holgate Road in The Meadows area of Nottingham.
Marriage to Mabel Elizabeth Frettingham [registered in Chesterfield, December 1933]. They had one daughter, Shirley A. (b.1935)
  According to the 1939 register, Harry, the licensee, is now married, and they live at The Grapes Inn, on South View on the Old Hall Road in Shardlow.
"DISPUTE OVER A BET IN DERBY
"An ex-Derby County footballer, Harry Bedford, was concerned in an action at Derby County Court to-day over a wager on a darts championship.
"Bedford, now licensee of the Grapes Inn, Green-lane, Derby, [left] stated that he placed a stake of 5s. with a bookmaker, Frank Beresford, of Cambridge-street, to win £4 if the Grapes Inns darts team were successful in the Pountain Charities Cup competition, His team from the inn won the cup, and when applied to for payment Beresford refused it, on the ground that the team had drawn on the matches played and had won only on points.
"There was no defence and Beresford did not appear.
"Judge E. H. Longson said there was a point for argument, but in any case the stake must be recovered. A defence under the Gaming Act had not been pleaded, and therefore, he wished to be satisfied by legal argument that he had power to deal with the matter. The darts cup had actually been won and presented, and this made the argument as to whether it was won on points immaterial. It was obvious that the bet had been won.
"His Honour reserved judgement until tomorrow."
- Wednesday, 27 September 1939, The Nottingham Evening Post.

 "HARRY BEDFORD LOSES CLAIM FOR WINNINGS
 "Harry Bedford failed in his action at the County Court for payment on a bet of £4 to 5s. He, however, secured the return of his stake.
"Judge Longson delivered his reserved decision in Chambers to-day. He held that he was bound to take cognisance of the Gaming Act, whether it was pleaded or not, and that therefore he had no jurisdiction to order payment of the winnings; but he directed the repayment of the 5s.
"No appearance had been entered by the defendant, Horace Beresford, commission agent, Cambridge-street, who had been sued for breach of contract or alternatively for the return of 5s."
- Thursday, 28 September 1939, The Nottingham Evening Post.
Death 24 June 1976 in Derby, aged 76 years 253 days [registered as Harry Bedford, in Derby, June 1976].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &

Playing Career

Club(s) Started his career playing with the Boy Scouts (Bonds Main) FC, and then, alongside his brother, Walter, with Grassmoor Ivanhoe FC in the Chesterfield League. Both were invited by Harold Wightman for trials with Nottingham Forest FC in 1916, and Harry played twice during the war for Forest and once for Huddersfield Town AFC. After the war, Forest signed Harry as a professional in August 1919. He scored eight goals, in fourteen league appearances when Blackpool FC paid £1200 for him on 8 March 1921, where he went on to score 114 goals, in 169 league appearances. Derby County FC signed him for £3900 on 25 September 1925, and in another 204 league appearances, he scored 142 goals. Joined Newcastle United FC in a swap deal involving Eric Keen and £4000 on 12 December 1930. After seventeen goals in thirty league appearances, he joined rivals Sunderland AFC for £3000 on 13 January 1932, and after only seven league appearances and two goals, Bradford City FC signed him on 12 May 1932, and he made 32 league appearances, scoring fifteen goals, before he returned home to Chesterfield FC on 15 June 1933 and he produced twelve goals in 25 league appearances. He was placed on the transfer list in June 1934 and so he became the player-coach of Heanor Town FC on 9 August. Also became a F.A. coach.
Club honours None
Individual honours Football League (two appearances); FA Charity Shield winners with Professionals 1924;
Distinctions Blackpool FC Hall of Fame Inducted April 2006
Height/Weight 5' 9½", 11st. 10lbs [1921]. 5' 8", 12st. 4lbs [1925].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].

England Career

Player number One of seven who became the 451st players (456) to appear for England.
Position(s) Centre-forward
First match No. 135, 21 May 1923, Sweden 2 England 4, an end-of-season tour match at Stockholms Olympiastadion, Stockholm, aged 23 years 218 days.
Last match No. 142, 22 October 1924, England 3 Ireland 1, a British Championship match at Goodison Park, Walton, Liverpool, aged 25 years 7 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1924-25;
Team honours None
Individual honours None
Distinctions None

Beyond England

After retiring from playing, Bedford had a spell as coach at Newcastle United FC from October 1937. He became a part-time masseur on 25 May 1938 at Derbyshire Cricket Club. He returned to Heanor Town FC in 1956, having a spell as manager. Later became a licensee in Temple Normanton, Chesterfield, and then the Vulcan Arms' on St. Thomas Road, Derby (left), from 26 November 1934, and then Grapes Inn, Green Lane, also in Derby, from at leats 1939. He also worked as a fireman at the local Rolls-Royce factory in Derby. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.30/31.

 

Harry Bedford - Career Statistics
Squads Apps comp. apps Mins. Goals goals ave.min comp. goals Capt. Disc.
3 2 1 180 1 90 min 1 none none
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors.

 

Harry Bedford - Match Record - All Matches
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Away 2 2 0 0 7 3 +4 0 0 3.50 1.50 100.0 +2
All 2 2 0 0 7 3 +4 0 0 3.50 1.50 100.0 +2

 

Harry Bedford - Match Record - By Type of Match
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
British Championship 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 0 0 3.00 1.00 100.0 +1
Friendly 1 1 0 0 4 2 +2 0 0 4.00 2.00 100.0 +1
All 2 2 0 0 7 3 +4 0 0 3.50 1.50 100.0 +2

 

Harry Bedford - Match Record - Tournament Matches
British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1923-24 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 0 0 3.00 1.00 100.0 +1
BC All 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 0 0 3.00 1.00 100.0 +1
All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 0 0 3.00 1.00 100.0 +1
All 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 0 0 3.00 1.00 100.0 +1

 

Harry Bedford - Match History
 Club: Blackpool F.C. - 2 full appearances

F.A. International Select Committee - 2 full capsx

Age 23
1 135 21 May 1923 - Sweden 2 England 4, Stockholms Olympiastadion, Stockholm Fr AW Start cf
- 136 24 May 1923 - Sweden 1 England 3, Stockholms Olympiastadion, Stockholm AW reserve
Age 25
2 142 22 October 1924 - England 3 Ireland 1, Goodison Park, Liverpool BC AW Start 60 cf

Notes

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CG