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Arthur Longbottom (footballer)

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For other people named Arthur Longbottom, see Arthur Longbottom (disambiguation).

Arthur Longbottom
Personal information
Full name Arthur Longbottom[1]
Date of birth (1933-01-30)30 January 1933[1]
Place of birth Leeds, England[1]
Date of death 15 September 2023(2023-09-15) (aged 90)
Position(s) Inside-forward
Youth career
Methley United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1954–1961 Queens Park Rangers 201 (62)
1961–1963 Port Vale 52 (18)
1963 Millwall 10 (1)
1963–1964 Oxford United 34 (14)
1964–1965 Colchester United 33 (12)
1965–196? Scarborough
Total 330 (107)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Arthur Langley (né Longbottom; 30 January 1933 – 15 September 2023) was an English footballer. An inside-forward, he scored 118 goals in 360 league and cup appearances in an 11-year career in the bottom two divisions of the Football League. He changed his surname from Longbottom to Langley after he retired from football.

Longbottom spent 1954 to 1961 at Queens Park Rangers before he was sold on to Port Vale in May 1961 for a £2,000 fee. He was sold on to Millwall for another £2,000 in January 1963 before joining Oxford United in the summer. He transferred to Colchester United in October 1964 and then moved into non-League football with Scarborough in May 1965. Though he never won any honours and was never promoted, he finished as top-scorer in seasons at QPR, Port Vale, and Oxford United.

Career

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Longbottom signed for Jack Taylor's Queens Park Rangers from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in a 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955. QPR finished 15th in the Third Division South in 1954–55. They then posted an 18th-place finish in 1955–56. Taking over Conway Smith's mantle as the club's key attacker, Longbottom finished as the club's top-scorer in 1956–57 with 15 goals, helping the club to a top ten finish. He scored 18 goals in 1957–58 to become the club's top-scorer once again; another tenth-place finish ensured Rangers a place in the restructured Third Division the following season. He hit 20 goals in 1958–59, becoming the club's top-scorer for a third consecutive season. New manager Alec Stock's new signing Brian Bedford then took over as the club's main source of goals, as QPR finished eighth in 1959–60, before finishing third in 1960–61 – missing out on promotion by just one place and two points. Longbottom played at inside-left and scored 62 goals in 201 league appearances during his seven years at Loftus Road.

Longbottom transferred to Norman Low's Third Division Port Vale for a £2,000 fee in May 1961.[1] He scored in his debut on 19 August, in a 4–2 defeat to Shrewsbury Town at Gay Meadow.[1] He bagged 20 goals in 49 games in the 1961–62 season to become the club's joint-top-scorer (with Bert Llewellyn).[1] He scored twice in 11 games in 1962–63, but new boss Freddie Steele sold him on to league rivals Millwall in January 1963 for a £2,000 fee.[1] He scored one goal in ten league games for Ron Gray's "Lions", before leaving The Den in the summer.

Longbottom joined up with Fourth Division side Oxford United and finished as the club's top-scorer in the 1963–64 season with 14 goals in 34 games. This tally included two goals in six games as Oxford became the first Fourth Division side to reach the sixth round of the FA Cup.[2] Having performed well in Arthur Turner's team, he earned a move away from the Manor Ground and back into the Third Division. Longbottom joined Colchester United in October 1964 and went on to score 13 goals in 36 appearances in 1964–65 – one goal less than top-scorer Billy Stark.[3] The "U's" suffered relegation however, and manager Neil Franklin allowed Longbottom to leave Layer Road on a free transfer to Midland League club Scarborough in May 1965.[3]

Later life and death

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Following the end of his football career, he changed his surname via deed poll to Langley.[3] He had trained to be a hairdresser whilst a player at QPR in preparation for a career after his retirement as a player.[4] He settled in Scarborough with wife, Jean, with whom he had three children. Longbottom died on 15 September 2023 at the age of 90.[5]

Career statistics

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[6]
Club Season League FA Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Queens Park Rangers 1954–55 Third Division South 11 1 0 0 0 0 11 1
1955–56 Third Division South 12 0 0 0 0 0 12 0
1956–57 Third Division South 34 14 2 1 0 0 36 15
1957–58 Third Division South 40 17 3 1 0 0 43 18
1958–59 Third Division 41 20 2 0 0 0 43 20
1959–60 Third Division 37 6 3 2 0 0 40 8
1960–61 Third Division 26 4 1 1 0 0 27 5
Total 201 62 11 5 0 0 212 67
Port Vale 1961–62 Third Division 42 16 6 4 1 0 49 20
1962–63 Third Division 10 2 0 0 1 0 11 2
Total 52 18 6 4 2 0 60 22
Millwall 1962–63 Third Division 10 1 0 0 0 0 10 1
Oxford United 1963–64 Fourth Division 30 12 6 2 1 0 37 14
1964–65 Fourth Division 4 2 0 0 1 0 5 2
Total 34 14 6 2 2 0 42 16
Colchester United 1964–65 Third Division 33 12 3 0 0 0 36 12
Career total 330 107 26 11 4 0 360 118

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 176. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0. ASIN 0952915200.
  2. ^ "History – Oxford United". oufc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Player profile – Arthur Langley". coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  4. ^ Farr, Nixon (28 November 1959). "The 'crazy gang' at Loftus Road". Soccer Star. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  5. ^ "RIP Arthur Longbottom - 1933-2023". Queens Park Rangers F.C. 17 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  6. ^ Arthur Longbottom at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
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