Harry Kent (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 22 October 1879 | ||
| Place of birth | Bedworth, England | ||
| Date of death | 22 December 1948 (aged 69) | ||
| Place of death | Watford, England | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Notts County | |||
| Ilkeston Town | |||
| Heanor Town | |||
| Newark | |||
| 1905–1908 | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
| 1908–1909 | Middlesbrough | 6 | (0) |
| 1909–1912 | Watford | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| 1910–1926 | Watford | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Henry Kent, often known as Harry Kent (22 October 1879 – 22 December 1948) was an English football player and manager. He managed Watford for 16 years, leading them to a Southern League Championship in the 1914–15 season, and into the Football League for the first time in 1920.
Described as 'a man of few words' by the Watford Observer, Kent never smoked, drank or swore. A 'model professional' as a player, he was well respected by his players as a manager. When coaching his team Kent insisted on high fitness levels.
Kent was born in Bedworth, Warwickshire. He played as a centre-half, beginning his playing career at Notts County but never broke into the first team. He became a professional at Ilkeston Town in 1900 before moving to Heanor Town in 1901 and then Newark in 1902.
In May 1905 he signed for Brighton & Hove Albion, with whom he stayed for three years. He then signed for Middlesbrough in April 1908 who were at that point playing in the top tier of English football, the First Division. He stayed in the North-East for just over a year, before signing for Southern League side Watford in August 1909. He went on to make 72 appearances for the club.
Following an unsuccessful 1909–10 season Watford dismissed manager John Goodall. Kent, the club's captain, was put in his place, as player-manager. Early in his career as manager Kent would submit his team to the club's board on a Friday before a game, although in later seasons he was able to make the final decision. In his first season at the helm Kent kept the club from relegation—finishing 14th—and halved the previous season's losses to £475. However, at the end of the campaign, due to a tight budget, he was made to sell or release several players at the board's insistence. This would become the most touchy thing he would do during Kent's reign, and each season Kent would scout out new players from the non-leagues in order to replace them. This meant that Kent's sides often featured players from the local area.
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