Harry Bedford (footballer)

Harry Bedford

Personal information
Full name	Henry Bedford
Date of birth	(1899-10-15)15 October 1899
Place of birth	Calow, England
Date of death
Place of death	Derby, England
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
0000–1919	Grassmoor Ivanhoe
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1919–1921	Nottingham Forest	18	(8)
1921–1925	Blackpool	169	(112)
1925–1930	Derby County	203	(160)
1930–1932	Newcastle United	30	(17)
1932	Sunderland	7	(2)
1932–1933	Bradford Park Avenue	33	(15)
1933–1934	Chesterfield	25	(12)
Total		485	(326)
International career
1923–1924	England	2	(1)
Managerial career
	Heanor Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Henry "Harry" Bedford (15 October 1899 – 24 June 1976) was an English professional football player. He scored 326 league goals in 485 games.

Club career

Bedford, a striker, began his career at Nottingham Forest in 1919, and it was after his performance against Blackpool at the City Ground that the promotion-seeking Seasiders, under the guidance of new manager Bill Norman, signed him in March 1921 for a fee of £900.

He made his debut for the Seasiders in a 1–0 league defeat at South Shields on 12 March 1921, and scored his first goal for the club in the return match at Bloomfield Road seven days later.

Bedford scored seven goals in his first ten league games for Blackpool. In 1921–22 he scored 11 goals in 32 games, and the following season, 1922–23, he played in all 42 league games and scored 32 goals and was the country's leading goalscorer. In 1923–24 he was again the country's top scorer with 34 goals, a feat which only Jimmy Hampson equalled. In 1924–25, Bedford's goals helped Blackpool reach the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time and he scored 24 goals in 40 league games. He scored six goals in seven games at the start of the 1925–26 season, but was transferred to Derby County on 24 September 1925, for a fee of £3,500. He scored 142 goals in 203 league games for Derby.

In December 1930 he was transferred to Newcastle United, playing 30 league games and scoring 17 goals up to January 1932, when he moved to Sunderland, a move which only lasted for a short time. On 12 May 1932, he moved to Bradford Park Avenue where he scored 15 goals in the 1932–33 season. And in June 1933 he joined Chesterfield, where he scored 12 goals in the 1933–34 season. However, he then refused new contract terms with Chesterfield and the club released him. In August 1934 he joined non-League club Heanor Town, where he ended his playing career.

Blackpool F.C. Hall of Fame

Parkinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield in April 2006. Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Bedford is in the pre-1950s.

International career

Bedford was capped twice for England. He made his debut against Sweden on 21 May 1923 in a match which England won 4–2. His only other England cap came against Ireland on 22 October 1924, at Anfield, scoring England's second goal in a 3–1 victory.

Managerial career

In the late 1930s Bedford joined Newcastle United's coaching staff, before joining Derby County where he became the club's masseur in 1938. After World War II he became manager of Heanor Town, a position he held until he resigned in 1955. He died in Derby on 24 June 1976.

External links

• Profile on Bedford at Blackpool F.C.'s official website
• England profile at the FA.com
• Profile at EnglandFC.com
• Pool Legends – Blackpool F.C.'s official website
• Bedford in the Blackpool Supporters Association Hall of Fame