Eric Lee (footballer)

Football player infobox
playername = Eric Lee


fullname = Eric George Lee
height =
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date|1922|10|18
cityofbirth = Chester
countryofbirth = England
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Defender
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1946–1957
clubs = Chester
caps(goals) = 363 0 (10)
nationalyears = 1946–19??
nationalteam = England Amateurs
nationalcaps(goals) =
managerclubs =
manageryears =
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Eric Lee (born October 18 1922, Chester) is a former English footballer who played as a defender. He has made the fourth most Football League appearances for Chester City,cite web|url= http://www.chester-city.co.uk/records.asp|title= Club Records – Most League Appearances | publisher = chester-city.co.uk | accessdate=2008-02-28] with 363 such appearances made from 1946 to 1957.

Playing career

Lee was recruited by his hometown club of Chester from local amateur football, [Sumner (1997), p.140] becoming part of the first team during 1945–46 the final season of wartime league formats.

When Football League action resumed in August 1946, Lee was a regular in the first team side and his performances prompted a call up for the England amateur side against their Welsh counterparts. [Sumner (1997), p.61] He missed much of the following season due to his teacher training course at Loughborough College [Sumner (1997), p.63] but returned to the first team ranks in 1948–49 and remained a regular in the number five shirt until his final season of 1956–57.Sumner (1997), stats section] He retired at the end of the season, with his final appearance coming in a 2–0 win over Barrow on April 29 1957.

Lee had enjoyed a benefit match between Chester and a Liverpool XI at Sealand Road on April 30 1952, and played in four Welsh Cup finals. He left the club as their Football League record appearance holder, subsequently beaten by Ray Gill, Ron Hughes and Trevor Storton, but remains the highest Chester-born player in the club’s appearance list.

Lee is an uncle of comedian Bob Mills. ['Bob Mills', Leyton Orient v. Chester City programme 23/4/05, pg. 49]

Honours

Chester

* 1945–46: Football League Third Division North Cup runners–up

* 1946–47: Welsh Cup winners

* 1952–53: Welsh Cup runners–up

* 1953–54: Welsh Cup runners–up

* 1954–55: Welsh Cup runners–up

* 1951–52: Benefit Match

External links

* [http://www.chestercityfc.net/article/246643/History Chester City history article mentioning Eric Lee]

Bibliography

*cite book | first=Chas | last=Sumner| coauthors= | title=On the Borderline: The Official History of Chester City F.C. 1885-1997 | publisher=Yore Publications | location= | year=1997 | editor= | id=ISBN 1-874427-52-6

References