Len Barber

Len Barber
Personal information
Full name	Leonard Barber^[1]
Date of birth	(1929-07-03)3 July 1929^[1]
Place of birth	Stoke-on-Trent, England^[1]
Date of death	February 1988 (age 58)^[2]
Place of death	Stoke-on-Trent, England
Playing position	Forward
Youth career
	Bury
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1947–1955	Port Vale	47	(12)
	Northwich Victoria
	Wellington Town
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Leonard "Len" Barber (3 July 1929 – February 1988) was an English footballer who played as a forward for Port Vale in the Football League. He played a minor role in the club's Third Division North title winning campaign in 1953–54.

Playing career

Barber played for Bury before joining Port Vale in June 1947.^[1] He made five Third Division South appearances for Gordon Hodgson's "Valiants" in 1949–50, and scored his first senior goal on 29 October, in a 3–0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at The Old Recreation Ground.^[1] He played 14 games at the end of the 1950–51 season, scoring seven goals.^[1] He would have had a higher goal ratio if it wasn't for misfortune, as during a game against Crystal Palace on 9 April 1951 he managed to score four goals, but the game was abandoned after an hour's play due to excessive mud.^[3] It was speculated that Barber's natural ability to play in thick mud would have earned him even more goals during that particular game.^[3] He made 18 appearances in 1951–52, but only found the net twice.^[1] He played eight games in 1953–54, scoring two goals, as Freddie Steele's side won the Third Division North title.^[1] He featured twice in the Second Division in 1954–55, before he left Vale Park and was transferred to Cheshire County League side Northwich Victoria in July 1955.^[1] He later signed for Wellington Town.^[1]

Barber went on to run a pub called 'The Labour in Vain' in Milton, Staffordshire.^[4]

Sourced from Len Barber profile at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Port Vale	1949–50	Third Division South	5	1	0	0	5	1
	1950–51	Third Division South	14	7	0	0	14	7
	1951–52	Third Division South	18	2	0	0	18	2
	1952–53	Third Division North	0	0	0	0	0	0
	1953–54	Third Division North	8	2	0	0	8	2
	1954–55	Second Division	2	0	0	0	2	0
	Total		47	12	0	0	47	12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 17. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
↑ Sherwin, Phil (2013). Men of Steele. Hanley, Staffordshire: Pass. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-9926579-1-8.
1 2 "Mystery Sportsman: Vale striker whose four goals didn't count". The Sentinel. 29 August 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
↑ "Mystery sportsman: Goalkeeper kept a record 20 clean sheets for Stoke City". The Sentinel. 5 September 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2009.

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