Harry Dennison 53 (4th November 1894 – 16th
December 1947)
Stalybridge Celtic Football Club
Equally at home playing inside left or centre forward, Bradford
born Harry started his career at Blackburn Trinity, a club he returned to and
guested for during WW1. He was signed by Blackburn Rovers FC in 1910 and he had
the distinction of becoming the youngest player to appear for Rovers aged 16
yrs and 155 days when he played against Bristol City FC in a Football League
Division 1 (equivalent to today's Premiership) fixture on Saturday 8th April
1911. However he made only three League appearances during his time at Ewood
Park and in 1920 was signed by Rochdale FC, members of the Central League. The
following season Rochdale FC became founder members of the Football League
Division 3 (North). Dennison was a prolific goal scorer during that 1921/22
season netting 17 goals in 33 league matches and finishing the season as the
Spotland club's leading scorer.
The following season, 1922/23, he arrived at Springfield
Park where he made 30 Football League Division 3 (North) appearances for Wigan
Borough hitting the net 13 times, to again finish the club's top league goal scorer.
In fact during his Football League debut for Wigan on 26th August 1922 he
rattled in four goals in a 6-1 defeat of Ashington FC at home.
On Saturday 3rd March 1923 Wigan Borough beat Lincoln City
FC 9-1 at home, in front of 8,000
spectators, this was Borough's biggest ever Football League victory. The
Lincoln City FC goalkeeper, Jack Kendall, was stretchered off the field
unconscious after a fierce shot from Harry Dennison rebounded off the upright
and struck Kendall on the back of the head, the ball fell to Dennison's
colleague Billy Glover who scored Wigan's opening goal. There were of course no
substitutes in those days and the game was a rout. Harry left Springfield Park
at the end of the 1922/23 season after also scoring another three goals in six
cup tie appearances before signing for Stalybridge Celtic FC. A teacher
by profession he studied at a London college where he won the 100 yards sprint
and the 1/4 mile championships.
Celtic started the 1923/24 season as members of the
Cheshire League, replacing their own reserve team, after having resigned from
the Football League Division 3 (North) at the end of the previous season.
Dennison made his Celtic debut on 25th August 1923 versus
Nantwich FC away and ended the season scoring 55 goals in 43 appearances for
the Bower Fold club as Celtic finished fourth in the league.
There was a feeling among Celtic supporters that some
recognition should be shown for the remarkable feat accomplished by centre
forward Harry Dennison in becoming the first Celtic player to score over 50
goals in a season.
With this in mind a small committee from the Supporters
Club was formed. Mr. J.F Wood as Chairman, Councillor G.L Flint, J.P, Treasurer,
and Councillor G. Potts and Mr. F.G Webb joint Secretaries organised a
collection during the Celtic versus Crewe match at Bower Fold on Saturday 26th
April 1924 so as to make Dennison a suitable presentation. It was decided by
the committee that subscriptions would not exceed one shilling, less would be
acceptable, and it was hoped that as many of the centre forward's admirers as
possible would contribute.
The collection realised £17 and both Mr and Mrs Dennison expressed
a wish that the present should take the form of a rose bowl. The present
consisted of a silver rose bowl. On it is a silver plate bearing the
inscription ‘Presented to Harry Dennison by Stalybridge Celtic supporters in
recognition of his splendid performance in scoring 55 goals - 51 Cheshire
League, four in cup ties - season 1923-24'.
At the end of the season Dennison was transferred to
Football League club Stockport County FC, but his stay at Edgeley Park was
brief due to injury and after making only 11 appearances, scoring three goals,
during the 1924/25 season he returned to Bower Fold at the beginning of March
1925 and scored 19 goals in 13 appearances for the Celts.
Amazingly, on the last day of the season, 2nd May 1925,
Celtic played two matches on the same day. They drew away against Whitchurch
2-2 in the afternoon, Dennison scoring the equaliser. Then on the way home beat
Sandbach in the evening 2-1, Dennison scoring the winner. The Sandbach game had
been abandoned in early January after 76 minutes due to darkness and could not
be played until the end of the season.
During his time at Celtic, 1923-28, Dennison scored 20 hat
tricks and scored four goals on 12 occasions, including four in three consecutive
matches over the Xmas period in 1926, Mossley FC away on Xmas Day, Macclesfield
Town FC at home on Boxing Day and away on New Year's Day, five on three
occasions and once scored eight goals in a match, 27th April 1926 versus
Manchester North End at home in a 16-2 win giving him the distinction of
holding the club's individual goal scoring record for one game. In addition he
scored a brace of goals on 38 occasions.
The 1926/27 season was Dennison's most prolific when he
scored 76 goals in 49 appearances for the club, a Cheshire League goal scoring
record at the time.
This is where we can right an 86 year old wrong! Cecil
Smith of Celtic has always been credited with holding the record for the most
goals scored in a season, 77 in 1931/32 season, but my research shows two of
Smith's goals were scored in a New Years Day friendly versus Northern Nomads at
Bower Fold which shouldn't have counted, giving Dennison the record with his
1926/27 - 76 goal haul.
Ironically it was claimed that Dennison was in attendance
at the game Smith broke the record. He should have said something!!!
1923/24 55 goals - 43
appearances
1924/25 19 goals - 13 appearances
1925/26 66 goals - 45 appearances
1926/27 76 goals - 49 appearances
1927/28 44 goals - 48 appearances
Total 260 goals in 198 appearances.
He left at the end of the 1927/28 season to join rivals
Hurst. In season 1928/29 he made six appearances scoring four goals before
leaving Hurst in November for Macclesfield Town FC.
He played out the season as a regular for Macclesfield
Town then joined Barnoldswick FC and Lytham (there is no evidence to support
the theory he returned for a third spell with Stalybridge Celtic FC, although he did volunteer his services to
help the club out during an injury crisis during the 1932 /33 season but never
turned out.
Article written by Dave Pover
(Physio), Stalybridge Celtic FC