Len Stephenson

Robert Leonard Stephenson (14 July 1930 – 29 September 2014) was an English footballer. A centre-forward, he scored 26 goals in 93 league games in a seven-year career in the Football League for Blackpool, Port Vale, and Oldham Athletic.

Playing career

Stephenson began his professional career with Joe Smith's Blackpool in November 1948. It wasn't until just over two years later, on 20 January 1951, that he made his debut, in a 2–2 league draw with Sunderland at Bloomfield Road. He scored the hosts' second goal in what was his only appearance of the 1950–51 campaign. He made three First Division appearances during the following season, before injury struck, and sat out the entire 1952–53 term, at the climax of which Blackpool won the FA Cup.

Stephenson returned to the Blackpool line-up two-thirds of the way through 1953–54, scoring their first goal in a 3–2 home league victory over Aston Villa on 23 January. He made seven further league appearances that season, scoring another three goals in the process. He also scored in the FA Cup, in Blackpool's third-round replay victory over Luton Town at Molineux Stadium.

He scored five goals in his eleven league appearances during 1954–55, including the only goal of the game in a victory over West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on 11 December. He made his final appearance for the "Seasiders" on 15 January, in a 2–0 defeat at home to Wolves.

Stephenson joined Port Vale on 10 March 1955 for £5,000. He scored his first goal for the "Valiants" on 19 March, in a 2–1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Vale Park. He made a further nine Second Division appearances, without scoring any further goals, in the 1954–55 season.

With 14 goals in 33 appearances, he was the club's top scorer in the 1955–56 season; however, he lost his place in January 1957 after manager Freddie Steele resigned from his post. The club were relegated under new boss Norman Low, and Stephenson was transferred to Oldham Athletic for £1,025 in June 1957. He made eight Third Division North appearances for Ted Goodier's "Latics" in 1957–58, before departing Boundary Park to finish his career with Cheshire County League side Witton Albion.

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