Len Davies

For the wrestling promoter, see Len Davies (wrestling promoter)
Len Davies
Personal information
Full nameLeonard Stephen Davies
Date of birth28 April 1899
Place of birthSplott, Cardiff, Wales
Date of death1945
Place of deathPrescot, England
Playing positionForward
Youth career
Victoria Athletic
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1920–1931Cardiff City305(128)
1931–1932Thames27(12)
1932–1935Bangor City10(2)
Total342(142)
National team
1922–1929Wales23(6)
Teams managed
1932–1935Bangor City
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Leonard Stephen "Len" Davies (28 April 1899 - 1945) was a Welsh professional footballer. Davies, born in the Splott district of Cardiff, remains the record career goalscorer for Cardiff City. His involvement with the club coincided with their greatest period, a term in which Cardiff consolidated their position in the First Division and in which they regularly did well in the FA Cup. He also represented Wales at international level.

Career

Davies began his career with Victoria Athletic before joining Cardiff City, playing for Cardiff in their first ever season in the Football League. He scored 17 times in the 1921-22 season, including Cardiff's first hat-trick in the Football League on 21 January 1922 during a 6-3 victory over Bradford City.[1] Davies made a goalscoring debut for Wales on 4 February 1922 in a 2-1 win over Scotland.[2]

Davies scored 19 league goals the following season, with 23 in 1923-24 and 19 in 1924-25, going on to score 128 goals for the Bluebirds in 305 league matches for the club (115 in the First Division between 1921 and 1928) Unfortunately, Davies' place in history is for his part in the closest League Championship finish in history. On the final day of the 1923-24 season with Cardiff City needing to win to take the title, Davies missed a penalty kick at Birmingham ensuring that Herbert Chapman's Huddersfield Town won the title by 0.024 of a goal.

Davies missed out on a place in the team for the 1925 FA Cup final defeat against Sheffield United but in 1927 was part of the Cardiff side that beat Arsenal to take the FA Cup out of England for the first, and so far, only time.

Davies played 23 times for the Welsh national side, scoring six times and helping Wales to Home Championship titles in 1924 and 1928. His last game for Wales came on 20 November 1929 against England.[3]

Davies left Cardiff in 1931, one year after finishing as the club's top scorer for the fifth time in The Football League, joining Thames. Thames finished bottom of the Third Division South in the 1931-32 season and the club was wound up at the end of the season. Davies became manager of Bangor City for the 1932-33 season, staying with the club until 1935. He eventually became a school sports coach at Mostyn House School, Parkgate. He died of pneumonia in Prescot in 1945.[4]

International goals

Results list Wales' goal tally first.
Goal Date Venue Opponent Result Competition
1. 4 February 1922 Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales  Scotland 2–1 1922 British Home Championship
2. 1 April 1922 Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland  Ireland 1–1 1922 British Home Championship
3. 16 February 1924 Ninian Park, Cardiff, Wales  Scotland 2–0 1924 British Home Championship
4. 12 February 1927 Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales  England 3–3 1927 British Home Championship
5. 12 February 1927 Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales  England 3–3 1927 British Home Championship
6. 26 October 1929 Ninian Park, Cardiff, Wales  Scotland 2–4 1929 British Home Championship

Honours

As a player

Cardiff City

References

  1. ↑ "The roaring twenties". Cardiff City F.C. 2004-11-17. Retrieved 2013-09-09.
  2. ↑ "Wales 2-1 Scotland". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
  3. ↑ "England 6-0 Wales". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  4. ↑ Davies, Gareth; Garland, Ian (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. Bridge Books. p. 39. ISBN 1-872424-11-2.