Len Duquemin
Leonard Stanley Duquemin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Cobo, Guernsey |
| Died | April 20, 2003 (aged 78) |
| Other names | The Duke |
| Occupation | Professional footballer |
| Years active | 1946–1962 |
| Known for | Tottenham Hotspur footballer, part of "push and run" squad |
Leonard Stanley Duquemin (17 July 1924 – 20 April 2003) was a professional footballer from Britain, most prominently recognized for his period at Tottenham Hotspur. Known by the moniker The Duke, he made his first appearance for Spurs in March 1946 and played a crucial role in Arthur Rowe's acclaimed "push and run" squad that clinched the league championship in 1951.
Career
Hailing from Cobo, Guernsey, Duquemin holds the distinction of being the first prominent footballer originating from the Channel Islands. During the German occupation of the Channel Islands amid World War II, he represented the title-winning Vauxbelets Old Boys Association. In 1946, he featured once for Colchester United.
Duquemin marked his Spurs debut with a goal during a commanding 5–1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at White Hart Lane in August 1947, competing in the old Second Division. Throughout a decade-long spell, he accumulated 307 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur and netted 134 goals. He was part of the squad that secured the League Championship in 1951, following their Second Division triumph the year before. Dubbed 'Reliable Len' for his dedication and industriousness rather than flamboyance, his primary contribution was in creating opportunities for fellow players. Alongside teammates such as Alf Ramsey and Bill Nicholson, he was instrumental in Rowe's 'push and run' strategy.
His final league outing for Tottenham occurred during the 1956–57 season, where he scored in his only match that campaign. Subsequently, Duquemin spent four years competing in non-league football with Bedford Town F.C., where he earned a Southern League Championship medal in 1958–59. Later, he had periods with Hastings United and Romford, before retiring from professional play in 1962.
Following retirement from football, Duquemin ran a newsagent’s shop close to White Hart Lane and eventually became the landlord of the Haunch of Venison pub located in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.
Honours
Tottenham Hotspur
- Football League First Division: 1950–51
- Football League Second Division: 1949–50
Bedford Town
- Southern Football League: 1958–59
External links
- Colchester United F.C. players
- Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players
- Chelmsford City F.C. players
- Bedford Town F.C. players
- Hastings United F.C. (1948) players
- Romford F.C. players
- 1924 births
- 2003 deaths
- English Football League players
- English men's footballers
- Guernsey men's footballers
- Men's association football forwards
- People from the Bailiwick of Guernsey
- British publicans
- 20th-century English sportsmen