Ted Hemsley
Encyclopedia
Edward John Orton Hemsley (born September 1, 1943, in Stoke-on-Trent
, England
) was a professional footballer
, playing at left-back
for Sheffield United
and Shrewsbury Town
. He was also a first-class cricketer
for Worcestershire
.
appearances for the Shrews
with 21 league goals.
In 1968, the manager of Sheffield United was Arthur Rowley
- who had spent the previous 10 years as manager of Shrewsbury Town, and his first signing was to be Hemsley. Hemsley had been club captain at Shrewsbury.
He was given his chance in the starting line-up at left-back and soon made the position his own. His debut for Sheffield United was against Blackburn Rovers
at Bramall Lane
on November 1, 1969 in a 4-0 victory. He was an ever present in the team over the next few years and played 40 matches in season 1970-71. On April 28, 1971, he was as a member of the Blades squad that clinched promotion to the First Division
.
He played for Sheffield United for 9 years; his final appearance for the Blades was at Ewood Park
against Blackburn Rovers on March 5, 1977. In total, he made 247 league appearances for Sheffield United with 8 goals in that period.
He finished his footballing career with Doncaster Rovers
, spending 2 seasons with Rovers
and making 41 league appearances.
He played first-class cricket
for Worcestershire between 1968-1982. He was mentioned as a possible England batsman when he helped Worcestershire, for whom he played 243 first-class games and 219 one-dayers, to the County Championship
in 1974. In total, Hemsley scored 9740 first-class
runs for Worcestershire.He also (uniquely) played cricket on his home football ground,Worcs v Yorkshire at Bramall Lane
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) was a professional footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, playing at left-back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
and Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
. He was also a first-class cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
for Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
.
Football career
Hemsley was still a schoolboy when he signed professional terms with Shrewsbury Town in 1961. He made 235 leagueEnglish football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
appearances for the Shrews
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
with 21 league goals.
In 1968, the manager of Sheffield United was Arthur Rowley
Arthur Rowley
George Arthur Rowley, , nicknamed "The Gunner" because of his explosive left-foot shot, was an English football player and cricketer. He holds the record for the most goals in the history of English league football, scoring 434 from 619 league games. He was the younger brother of Manchester United...
- who had spent the previous 10 years as manager of Shrewsbury Town, and his first signing was to be Hemsley. Hemsley had been club captain at Shrewsbury.
He was given his chance in the starting line-up at left-back and soon made the position his own. His debut for Sheffield United was against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
on November 1, 1969 in a 4-0 victory. He was an ever present in the team over the next few years and played 40 matches in season 1970-71. On April 28, 1971, he was as a member of the Blades squad that clinched promotion to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
.
He played for Sheffield United for 9 years; his final appearance for the Blades was at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
against Blackburn Rovers on March 5, 1977. In total, he made 247 league appearances for Sheffield United with 8 goals in that period.
He finished his footballing career with Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
, spending 2 seasons with Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
and making 41 league appearances.
Cricket career
Hemsley was a Right-hand batsman. As a bowler he was a Right-arm medium pace.He played first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for Worcestershire between 1968-1982. He was mentioned as a possible England batsman when he helped Worcestershire, for whom he played 243 first-class games and 219 one-dayers, to the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
in 1974. In total, Hemsley scored 9740 first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
runs for Worcestershire.He also (uniquely) played cricket on his home football ground,Worcs v Yorkshire at Bramall Lane