Noel Kinsey facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Noel Kinsey | ||
| Date of birth | 24 December 1925 | ||
| Place of birth | Treorchy, Glamorgan, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 20 May 2017 (aged 91) | ||
| Playing position | Inside right | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Treorchy Amateurs | |||
| Cardiff City | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1947–1953 | Norwich City | 223 | (57) |
| 1953–1958 | Birmingham City | 149 | (48) |
| 1958–1961 | Port Vale | 72 | (6) |
| Total | 444 | (111) | |
| National team | |||
| 1951–1955 | Wales | 7 | (0) |
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Noel Kinsey (born December 24, 1925 – died May 20, 2017) was a talented Welsh footballer. He played as an inside right, which is a type of forward player. During his 14-year career in the Football League, he played in 444 league games and scored 111 goals. He also represented his country, Wales, seven times.
Noel started his professional journey with Norwich City in 1947. He helped them achieve second place in the Third Division South in the 1950–51 season. Later, in 1953, he moved to Birmingham City. There, he helped the team win the Second Division title in 1954–55. A big moment in his career was scoring in the 1956 FA Cup Final, though his team lost 3–1 to Manchester City.
In 1958, Noel joined Port Vale. He helped them win the Fourth Division title in 1958–59. After his playing days, he became a player-coach at Vale Park. He also played for non-league teams like King's Lynn and Lowestoft Town. In 2003, he was honored by being added to the Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame.
Contents
Noel Kinsey's Club Career
Playing for Norwich City
Noel Kinsey began his football journey with local teams, Treorchy Amateurs and Cardiff City. He then joined Norwich City in 1947. In his first season, 1947–48, Norwich City finished near the bottom of the Third Division South.
However, the team improved, and Noel became their top scorer in the 1949–50 season, netting 17 goals. The "Canaries," as Norwich City is known, came in second place in 1950–51. They were just behind the champions, Nottingham Forest. Noel played 223 league games for Norwich City and scored 57 goals.
Time at Birmingham City
In 1953, Noel Kinsey moved to Birmingham City. The team finished seventh in the Second Division in his first season. The next year, 1954–55, Birmingham City won the Second Division title! It was a very close race.
Noel had a great 1955–56 season, scoring 17 goals in 40 games. This included three goals in one match against Everton. Birmingham City finished sixth in the First Division that year, which was their best finish ever. They also reached the 1956 FA Cup Final at Wembley. Noel scored an early goal in the final, but Manchester City won the game 3–1. Noel played a total of 173 games for Birmingham City, scoring 55 goals.
Joining Port Vale
In February 1958, Noel Kinsey joined Port Vale for £5,000. This move brought him back with his old manager, Norman Low. He quickly made an impact, scoring two goals in a big 5–0 win against Watford.
In the 1958–59 season, Port Vale won the first-ever Fourth Division championship. Noel played 37 games and scored three goals that season. He later became a player-coach for Port Vale in May 1960. His contract ended in April 1962, and he then played for non-league teams like King's Lynn and Lowestoft Town.
Noel Kinsey's International Career
Noel Kinsey played for the Wales national team seven times between 1951 and 1955. These appearances are called "caps." He even played in a qualifying match for the 1954 FIFA World Cup against Northern Ireland in 1954.
Life After Football and Legacy
After retiring from professional football, Noel Kinsey ran a pub for a while. He then worked at Norwich Union Insurance.
In 2003, Noel was honored by being included in the first group of players inducted into the Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame. This shows how important he was to the club's history.
Noel Kinsey passed away in May 2017 at the age of 91.
Career statistics
Club statistics
Source:
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Norwich City | 1947–48 | Third Division South | 36 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 3 |
| 1948–49 | Third Division South | 22 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 12 | |
| 1949–50 | Third Division South | 37 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 17 | |
| 1950–51 | Third Division South | 46 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 14 | |
| 1951–52 | Third Division South | 44 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 12 | |
| 1952–53 | Third Division South | 38 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 7 | |
| Total | 223 | 57 | 20 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 243 | 65 | ||
| Birmingham City | 1953–54 | Second Division | 37 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 10 |
| 1954–55 | Second Division | 35 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 14 | |
| 1955–56 | First Division | 34 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 17 | |
| 1956–57 | First Division | 28 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 38 | 9 | |
| 1957–58 | First Division | 15 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 5 | |
| Total | 149 | 48 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 173 | 55 | ||
| Port Vale | 1957–58 | Third Division | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
| 1958–59 | Fourth Division | 36 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 3 | |
| 1959–60 | Third Division | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| 1960–61 | Third Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | |
| Total | 72 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 77 | 7 | ||
| Career total | 444 | 111 | 42 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 493 | 127 | ||
International statistics
| Wales national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1951 | 4 | 0 |
| 1952 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954 | 1 | 0 |
| 1955 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 7 | 0 |
Honours
Individual
- Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame: 2003 inductee
Birmingham City
- Football League Second Division: 1954–55
- FA Cup runner-up: 1956
Port Vale
- Football League Fourth Division: 1958–59
See also
In Spanish: Noel Kinsey para niños
