William Leonard Dunderdale (6 February 1915 – 11 January 1989) was an English

association footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

who played as a

centre forward Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...

Playing career

Born in Lincolnshire, Dunderdale started his career at

Goole Town Goole Association Football Club is a semi-professional football club in Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds. History The club was established by Mike Norman i ...

in the East Riding of Yorkshire. He joined Sheffield Wednesday as a 19-year-old amateur in March 1934, turning professional at the end of the season. After being released in June 1935, he joined Walsall the following year. During his first full season for the club, he scored seven goals in one reserve game. In his second, he scored a hat-trick in Walsall's 3–1 win over Watford on 23 October 1937. Dunderdale was sold to Watford in 1938, for a fee of £1,000. His spell at Vicarage Road was a short one; he played 33 games in all competitions, and ended up being the club's top scorer with 21 goals, including a hat-trick in his final game. However, Dunderdale did not actually finish the season at Watford; in March 1939 the club accepted a £3,750 bid for his services from Leeds United. His competitive Leeds career was cut short by the Second World War. During this time he made wartime appearances for Grimsby Town,

Mansfield Town Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they ...

, Lincoln City and Watford. After the war he returned to Watford, although he was less successful than before. He had put on considerable weight, and became unpopular with supporters, eventually being granted a free transfer in 1948. He joined Kent League outfit Sittingbourne for the 1948–49 season, before retiring as a player.

Later career

Following his retirement, Dunderdale fulfilled coaching and scouting roles at various clubs, including Berkhamsted Town, Sun Sports and Watford. He died in

Saxilby Saxilby is a large village in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, about north-west from Lincoln, on the A57 road at the junction of the B1241. It is part of the civil parish of Saxilby and Ingleby, which includes the village of ...

, Lincolnshire on 11 January 1989, aged 73.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunderdale, Len 1915 births 1989 deaths People from Willingham by Stow English men's footballers English Football League players Goole Town F.C. players Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players Walsall F.C. players Watford F.C. players Leeds United F.C. players Grimsby Town F.C. wartime guest players Lincoln City F.C. wartime guest players Mansfield Town F.C. wartime guest players Watford F.C. wartime guest players Watford F.C. non-playing staff Sittingbourne F.C. players Men's association football forwards Footballers from Lincolnshire