 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Edward Benjamin Ambrose Fenton[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1914-11-07)7 November 1914 | ||
| Place of birth | Forest Gate,Essex, England | ||
| Date of death | 12 July 1992(1992-07-12) (aged 77) | ||
| Place of death | England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Wing-half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1932–1946 | West Ham United | 166 | (18) |
| 1946–1948 | Colchester United | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1946–1948 | Colchester United | ||
| 1950–1961 | West Ham United | ||
| 1961–1965 | Southend United | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Edward Benjamin Ambrose Fenton (7 November 1914 – 12 July 1992) was an Englishfootball player and manager. Awing-half, he spent almost his entire playing career atWest Ham United and went on to manage the club between 1950 and 1961.
A prolific goal scorer as a schoolboy Fenton joined West Ham schoolboys eleven and won an England schoolboys eleven cap against Scotland, atIbrox Park, in 1929. He made his West Ham debut in 1932 and played regularly until the outbreak ofWorld War II. He joinedthe Army and served as aPT instructor inNorth Africa andBurma.[3]Mainly as a wing half, but also as a utility player, Fenton made 179 appearances and scored 19 goals in first class games for the Hammers. He also made 204 appearances and scored 44 goals during World War II fixtures.[4]
At the end of the war Fenton went on to become player-manager atSouthern League teamColchester United.[5]
He returned toUpton Park in 1948 to become assistant manager toCharlie Paynter before becoming manager of West Ham in 1950.[3] Fenton's greatest achievement was in winningThe Hammers the Division Two championship in the 1957–58 season and thereby securing the club top flight football for the first time since 1932.[6] The 1957–58 and 1958–59 seasons sawThe Hammers achieve two goalscoring records; 1957–58 101 league goals[6] in a season and 1958–59, 59 home league goals in a season which was even more remarkable being the season following promotion to Division One.
During his time Fenton was responsible for establishing "The Academy" and the development of youth teams[3] that reached the F.A. Youth Cup Final twice in three Years over the period 1956–59. With the help of chairmanReg Pratt he was also responsible for encouraging as many players as possible in taking their FA Coaching Badges to ensure the players had something to fall back on when their playing days were over. Fenton's departure from West Ham in March 1961 has never been fully explained by the club. Under strain and on sick-leave and with West Ham's league position suffering he left the club under circumstances which both he and the club decided would remain confidential.[7] He was succeeded as manager in 1961 byRon Greenwood.
Seven of theWest Ham 1964FA Cup winning team had either been signed by Ted Fenton from other clubs, or had worked their way up fromthe Academy during his time as manager.
Following his exit from West Ham, Fenton had four undistinguished years as manager ofSouthend United before his dismissal in May 1965. He never returned to football following his sacking by Southend.[8]
His brotherBenny Fenton was also a West Ham United player and later managed Millwall.
On 4 July 1992, he was injured in a car crash inLeicestershire, and died in hospital seven days later from his injuries.[9]
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Colchester United | 15 April 1946 | 31 May 1948 | 88 | 48 | 17 | 23 | 054.5 |