Roy
|
|
|  |
"Chelsea Legend"
Male
84 years old
Reading,
United Kingdom
Last Login:3/7/2008
|
|
|
|
View My:
Pics
| Videos
|
|
 |
|
|
http://www.myspace.com/roy_bentley |
|
|
|
Roy's Interests
|
| General |
I'm Roy's grandson and I'll be the one managing this page for him. Please feel free to message any questions you might have and I'll pass them onto him. He'll try to answer as many as possible but it may take a little while before you get a response. If you're interested in a signed photo or memorabilia, please contact me and I'll let you know what's available and the prices. I'll be putting some examples up on this page when I get the chance and the official website will be up and running shortly... |
|
|
Roy's Details
|
| Status: | Married | | Hometown: | Reading | | Zodiac Sign: | Taurus | | Children: | Proud parent | | Occupation: | Retired |
|
|
![]() |
Roy is in your extended network
|
|
|
Roy's Blurbs |
About me:
I started playing football for my school from 1933-35 at the age of 9. We were called Shirehampton Juniors and I played as a forward, Wing Half and Centre Half as captain.
I continued onto senior school, Portway Boys School, playing as captain for three years. I also started playing for my town Bristol with great success and enjoyment, and I was captain until 1938. From 14 years old I went straight from school to my first Pro club - Bristol Rovers at GBP 1-10-00 a week with no expenses. They had bad times and were very short on the money side. We never saw a ball at any time during the day. Our time was spent working on the ground or cleaning the stand. Our coaching was done in playing games and talking about the performances with the senior pros who would help out anytime. But then, after my wages were cut down to 1 pound a week my father said I couldn't stay under those conditions.
Luckily for me Bristol City asked me to come over with them at 2 pounds per week so off I went. The coaching wasn't much better, but again the senior pros would always give us their time and advice. I was just about settling down when the war started in 1939.
The football league stopped, though football continued with about 8 or 9 clubs in each small league and also playing for a War-Time Cup. Not many good things came out of the war, but I was very lucky to have about the best apprenticeship for my football. Most pros were called up and joined one of the services and were allowed to play for the nearest team they were stationed to, so here I was, a 16-16 1/2 year old playing for the Citys first team. My apprenticeship came from the 3 or sometimes more Internationals I found myself playing with every Saturday. They were always willing to give me advice. Billy Mitchell trained with us and he took me under his wing as it were. Every opportunity he had, he would take me to one side and show me how to look after myself on the field of play. For half hour he put me through my paces. He also made it very clear that he was doing this because he considered I would have a great future in football, but only if I looked after myself. He would often say, it doesn't matter one bit about how much skill one has if your body isn't fit enough to produce on the day.'
Billy was some player and played 17 games for Ireland. No matter how I performed he would come up and say 'Well done Roy', relating to the fact I had played the whole game without injuring any one, only shaken them up. You must remember that when playing football during the war you had to know how to look after yourself. Believe me it was a tough old game.
Come 1942 I joined the Navy. I served until 1946 and played football whenever I could.
After that I went on a Denmark tour with Bristol City. When I came back I found out that I had been transferred to Newcastle Utd For GBP 8500; the highest fee for a 3rd division player at that time.
In my short time at Newcastle 95% of it was great. The Utd supporters were something out of this world. While I was there the club doctor informed me and the board that the North East climate didn't agree with me and after the effort of getting 100% fit, plus the effort given on the field of play, it left me weak and tired. I was advised that I should move back down South. The board were very good and reluctantly let me leave.
In January 1948 I joined Chelsea after being told Arsenal, Liverpool and several more were also interested. Chelsea were always my first choice as they were my school boy team, along with Arsenal.
The Chelsea period in my life was all about putting all my hard work together and it gave me the thrill of my life. The only achievement we didn't make while I was there (January 1948 to 1956) was the FA Cup but that wasn't for the lack of trying. We had 4 Semi Finals (2 plus 2 replays) but no trophy. It was at Chelsea that I got my first England cap.
From Chelsea I went to Fulham 1956 and moved back to Centre-half. I had 5 very happy years with a very good team, getting promotion back to the 1st Division and also playing in 2 more Semi-Finals v Manchester Utd.
After that I Left Fulham to join QPR. I was with the manager Alec Stock for only 1 1/2 years but it was a great experience as assistant as well as Captain. Alec was the master of man management.
I left QPR to join Reading as Manager from 1963-1969 and we gained promotion by one point. The club never had the money for me to get the players I wanted but over-all enjoyed my time at Reading.
Following that, it was 4 years with Swansea and we got promoted the first season. I left Swansea 1973/4 season. The reason I was given was problems on the board. They didn't agree on most matters and had started to go over my head with the players and what the team needed.
About a year later I went back to Reading as club Secretary. That lasted 7 years and was most enjoyable. then it was over to Aldershot as Secretary. Ron Harris was Manager and the Chairman a Chelsea fan. They asked me to join them. This was just the job I wanted, until I had time to look at the situation regards share of the club. We then had the same situation as I had at Reading and also several other clubs at that time, looking at their Share Register, if they had one that is. I left after a season and a half, thank God for that. Following Aldershot, I joined Ron Harris as secretary and book keeper at a Golf Club. That lasted for three years. Then it was sold and Ron took over a fishing village. I enjoyed it very much. But the two days with the work I took home started to tell on me, and I started to think about retirement.
I miss the job and all the people I've worked with. But in all these years I've never lost the thrill of going up to the Bridge when I can.
The day I signed, January 1948, I was taken out on the pitch by the then manager, Mr W Birrell. He said you know Roy, we get 40,000 or more on that bank on a good day. The first game I ran out I was met by this mass of faces and the atmosphere all around me. It's stayed with me for all these years. When I look over the ground these days with all the wonderful changes, I can see those faces of years ago, January 1948. The atmosphere created by the generations of fans is still there.
|
Who I'd like to meet:
|
|
| Roy's Friend Space (Top 7) |
|
![]()
|
