Len Davies
Encyclopedia
- For the wrestling promoter, see Len Davies (wrestling promoter)
Leonard Stephen "Len" Davies (28 April 1899 - 1945) was a Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
professional footballer. Davies, born in the Splott
Splott
Splott is a district in the south of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales, just east of the city centre. It was built up in the late 19th century on the land of two farms of the same name: Upper Splott and Lower Splott Farms. Splott is characterised by its once vast steelworks and rows of tightly...
district of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, remains the record career goalscorer for Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
. 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
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
. He also represented Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
at international level.
Career
Davies began his career with Victoria Athletic before joining Cardiff CityCardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, 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
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
. Davies made a goalscoring debut for Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
on 4 February 1922 in a 2-1 win over Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
.
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
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
ensuring that Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman was an English association football player and manager. Though he had an undistinguished playing career, he went on to become one of the most successful and influential managers in early 20th century English football, before his sudden death in 1934.As a player, Chapman played for...
's Huddersfield Town won the title by 0.024 of a goal.
Davies played in the 1925 FA Cup final
1925 FA Cup Final
The 1925 FA Cup Final was contested by Sheffield United and Cardiff City at Wembley Stadium. Sheffield United won by a single goal, scored by Fred Tunstall....
defeat against Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
and in 1927 was part of the Cardiff side that beat Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
to take the FA Cup out of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
Davies left Cardiff in 1931, one year after finishing as the clubs top scorer for the fifth time in The Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, joining Thames
Thames A.F.C.
Thames Association Football Club were an English football club from Custom House, east London , who briefly played in the Football League between 1930 and 1932.-Name:...
. 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
Bangor City F.C.
Bangor City Football Club are a semi-professional Welsh football club from the City of Bangor. The club compete in the Welsh Premier League, being ever present since the league was founded in 1992....
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
Prescot
Prescot is a town and civil parish, within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. It is 8 miles to the east of Liverpool city centre and lies within the historic boundaries of Lancashire. At the 2001 Census, the population was 11,184 .Prescot marks the beginning of the...
in 1945.
International goals
- Results list Wales' goal tally first.
Goal Date Venue Opponent Result Competition 1. 4 February 1922 Racecourse Ground Racecourse GroundThe Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
, WrexhamWrexhamWrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
2–1 1922 British Home Championship 1922 British Home ChampionshipThe 1922 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played during the 1921–22 season between the British Home Nations. Scotland were victorious as part of a string of seven victories during the 1920s...2. 1 April 1922 Windsor Park Windsor ParkWindsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...
, BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
1–1 1922 British Home Championship 3. 16 February 1924 Ninian Park Ninian ParkNinian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
, CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales2–0 1924 British Home Championship 1924 British Home ChampionshipThe 1924 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played during the 1923–24 season between the British Home Nations...4. 12 February 1927 Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales 3–3 1927 British Home Championship 1927 British Home ChampionshipThe 1927 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1926–27 season. It was shared by England and Scotland after a series of high scoring draws in the opening matches left England, Wales and Ireland well behind with Scotland ahead,...5. 12 February 1927 Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales 3–3 1927 British Home Championship 6. 26 October 1929 Ninian Park, Cardiff, Wales 2–4 1929 British Home Championship 1929 British Home ChampionshipThe 1929 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1928–29 season. The competition was won by Scotland, who won all three matches with strong attacking football epitomised by Hughie Gallacher, who scored seven of his team's 12 goals...
As a player
Cardiff City- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winner - 1927 - FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
winner - 19271927 FA Charity ShieldThe 1927 Football Association Charity Shield was played on 12 October 1927. The game was played at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea, and was contested by the FA Cup holders Cardiff City and amateur side Corinthian... - Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
winner - 1922, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1930 - Division One runner-up - 1924
- Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
fnalist - 1929