Bill Bentley (footballer)

Bill Bentley
Personal information
Full name William John Bentley[1]
Date of birth (1947-10-21) 21 October 1947 (age 77)[1]
Place of birth Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England[2]
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[3]
Position(s) Left-back
Youth career
1962–1964 Stoke City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1964–1968 Stoke City 48 (1)
1968–1977 Blackpool 296 (11)
1977–1980 Port Vale 95 (0)
1980–1981 Stafford Rangers 20 (1)
Total 459 (13)
International career
England Youth
Managerial career
1979 Port Vale (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William John Bentley (born 21 October 1947) is an English former professional footballer who played as a left-back. He made 439 league appearances in a 15-year career in the Football League.

Beginning his career at Stoke City in 1964, he moved on to Blackpool in 1968. He spent the next nine years with Blackpool, helping them to win promotion out of the Second Division in 1969–70 and to lift the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1971. He spent 1977 to 1980 at Port Vale, also briefly serving the club as caretaker manager in 1979. He ended his career at non-League club Stafford Rangers in 1981.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference kent was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "The Bill Bentley Interview (Part 1)". The Vale Park Beano. 100.
  3. ^ Rollin, Jack (1980). Rothmans football yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 299. ISBN 0362020175. Retrieved 14 April 2020.