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Bill Bentley
	Bill Bentley
Personal information
Full name	William John Bentley
Date of birth	21 October 1947 (age 62)
Place of birth	Stoke-on-Trent, England
Playing position	Defender (retired)
Senior career1
Teams managed
1979	Port Vale (caretaker-manager)
	1 Senior club appearances and goals; counted for the domestic league only.; * Appearances (Goals)

For the American Unitarian minister, see William Bentley.

William John "Bill" Bentley (born 21 October 1947 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire) is an English former professional football player. He played as a left-back.

[edit] Career

Bentley, a former England Youth international was known for being a tough-tackling defender. He began his career with Stoke City, signing as a professional with the club in October 1964, and went on to make 48 league appearances for the Potters.^[1]^[2] The young defender's physique and temperament had caused for him to be likened to John Charles.^[3]^[4]

In January 1969, five months into the 1968–69 season, he joined Blackpool for £30,000. He made his debut for the club on 11 January 1969, in a 3–2 home defeat by Charlton Athletic. The following season he helped the Seasiders win promotion to the First Division. After they returned whence they had come, he was part of the Blackpool team that won the Anglo-Italian Cup beating Bologna in the final in Rome. He also played as Blackpool were losing finalists to Roma in the 1972 Anglo-Italian Cup final. He also helped the club reach the quarter-finals of the League Cup in 1972–73.^[2]^[5]

Bentley remained at Bloomfield Road for eight years, his final appearance came on 7 May 1977, in a 1–1 draw at Hereford United. He made almost 300 league appearances and scored ten goals for Blackpool where he was mostly used as a left-back, but also had times playing in midfield.^[1]

In July 1977 he was sold to Port Vale, for whom he made 106 appearances over three seasons. He was placed in temporary charge of team affairs in December 1979 after Alan Bloor resigned and before a replacement in John McGrath was found. Despite this he was given a free transfer in May 1980 and moved on to Stafford Rangers, with whom he finished his professional career in 1981. After Rangers he became the player-manager of Fenton British Legion and Foley.^[6]

In 2008 Bentley said of his time with Blackpool:^[1]

“

It was close to eight years I spent with the club. It was brilliant. When I put the tangerine shirt on I grew another foot. I wasn't bothered about anyone else. The Blackpool supporters really took me to heart. Even when I go back now I'm always made very, very welcome. That's always stayed with me and it's something special.

”

[edit] Post-retirement

Bentley is now a window cleaner in the Trentham area of his hometown of Stoke-on-Trent.^[1]^[5]

[edit] Honours

Blackpool

Anglo-Italian Cup winner: 1971

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "One for the tackle". Up The Pool (Blackpool: Blackpool F.C.) 2008-09 season (Blackpool vs Swansea City): 74–75. 20 December 2008.
^ ^a ^b "Whatever Happened To?". Blackpool F.C.. 5 October 2006. http://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~907499,00.html. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
^ "Mystery Sportsman: Stoke City defender was a genial Welsh giant". The Sentinel. June 13, 2009. http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/nostalgia/Mystery-Sportsman-Stoke-City-defender-genial-Welsh-giant/article-1073850-detail/article.html. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
^ "Mystery Sportsman: Can you identify Port Vale's marathon man?". The Sentinel. June 20, 2009. http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/nostalgia/Mystery-Sportsman-identify-Port-Vale-s-marathon-man/article-1093393-detail/article.html. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
^ ^a ^b Pagett, Marc (24 October 2004). "Caught in Time: Blackpool win promotion to the First Division, 1970". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article498209.ece. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
^ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 27. ISBN 0952915200. http://www.amazon.ca/Port-Vale-Personalities-Jeff-Kent/dp/0952915200.

[edit] Further reading

Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887-1992. Breedon Books Sport. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.

[edit] External links

[BFC-programme-0] "One for the tackle". Up The Pool (Blackpool: Blackpool F.C.) 2008-09 season (Blackpool vs Swansea City): 74–75. 20 December 2008.

[bfc907499-1] "Whatever Happened To?". Blackpool F.C.. 5 October 2006. http://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~907499,00.html. Retrieved 2008-12-20.

[2] "Mystery Sportsman: Stoke City defender was a genial Welsh giant". The Sentinel. June 13, 2009. http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/nostalgia/Mystery-Sportsman-Stoke-City-defender-genial-Welsh-giant/article-1073850-detail/article.html. Retrieved 2009-06-13.

[3] "Mystery Sportsman: Can you identify Port Vale's marathon man?". The Sentinel. June 20, 2009. http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/nostalgia/Mystery-Sportsman-identify-Port-Vale-s-marathon-man/article-1093393-detail/article.html. Retrieved 2009-06-20.

[times498209-4] Pagett, Marc (24 October 2004). "Caught in Time: Blackpool win promotion to the First Division, 1970". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article498209.ece. Retrieved 2008-12-20.

[5] Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 27. ISBN 0952915200. http://www.amazon.ca/Port-Vale-Personalities-Jeff-Kent/dp/0952915200.

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