Henry Bentley (13 August 1891 – 1970) was an English professional footballer who played as a full back or half back in the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

for The Wednesday, Brighton & Hove Albion and Swindon Town.

Life and career

Bentley was born in Sheffield where he attended Lowfield Council School. He captained the Sheffield Boys football team that faced London Schools in the inaugural

English Schools' Football Association The English Schools' Football Association was founded in 1904 and is the governing body of schools' football in England. It is responsible for the running and development of schools competitions and festivals at primary and secondary school age ...

(ESFA) championship in 1905, and received a glowing profile the following year in the '' Yorkshire Telegraph & Star'', highlighting his "fine turn of speed" and claiming that "it is not a reckless prophecy to suggest that he will, before many years have elapsed, be appearing in distinguished company, for he has all the attributes of a successful player." He played for Heeley Friends before joining First Division club The Wednesday in 1910. He eventually made his first appearance for the senior team in April 1914, and took his chance the following season. In November, the ''

Star Green 'Un The ''Green 'Un'' ("Green One" in slang) is a sports website. Originally a Saturday sports paper published on Saturday evenings in Sheffield, England, it moved online in 2013. The name derives from the light green newsprint on which it was tradit ...

'' commented that despite Wednesday's history of sound recruitment, they might not have realised how good Bentley would become. Coming into the side because of injury to the long-serving

Tom Brittleton John Thomas Brittleton (23 April 1882 – 22 February 1955) was a professional footballer. He was one of the pioneers of the long throw-in. With a career spanning over 30 years, including 24 seasons in the Football League, he is the oldest pers ...

, he retained the

right half A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundari ...

position even after Brittleton's return to fitness, having "continued to play a very clever, brainy game. He tackles well, and, what's more, makes it his business to place the ball where it will be of advantage to his forwards." He made 34 appearances out of a possible 41 in 1914–15, at the end of which competitive football closed down for the duration of the First World War. Bentley enlisted in the

Royal Field Artillery The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It came into being when created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of t ...

, and was soon promoted to lance corporal. He returned to Wednesday for the first post-war campaign, during which he played in 17 First Division matches. Bentley then signed for Brighton & Hove Albion, newly admitted to the

, and club historian Tim Carder wrote that "his experience was invaluable" to a struggling team. He made 64 appearances over two years, either at full back or wing half, and moved on to another Third Division South club, Swindon Town, for a £350 fee£100 more than Brighton had paid for his services. He made 11 appearances over the next two seasons, by which time he was well into his thirties. He returned to Yorkshire and played

non-league football Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to de ...

for Maltby Main. Bentley died in Sheffield in 1970 at the age of 78.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bentley, Harry 1891 births 1970 deaths Footballers from Sheffield English men's footballers Men's association football fullbacks Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players Swindon Town F.C. players Maltby Main F.C. players English Football League players Royal Field Artillery soldiers People from Heeley British Army personnel of World War I