Chelsea FC Profile: Len Dolding
Full Name: Desmond Leonard Dolding
Born: Wednesday, 13th December 1922
Place of birth: Nundygroog, India
Height: 5' 9"
Died: Tuesday, 23rd November 1954 (aged 31)
Place of death: Wembley, London, England
Burial: Buried - Pinner Cemetery, Pinner, London Borough of Harrow, Greater London, England - Plot H3/133
Involvement with Chelsea:
Men's 1st Team Player from 1945 to 1948
Dolding served as a bomb-aimer in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He was on the MCC staff for seven years. His main claim to fame on the cricket pitch was as a 12th Man for England in the Lord's Test of 1949. He played only once for Middlesex, in 1951, but as a right-arm leg-break bowler took part in many games for MCC. On 12 November 1954, Dolding was a passenger in a car that collided with a trolley bus standard in Wembley. The car was being driven by Middlesex teammate Sid Brown. Dolding died on 23 November 1954.
Playing Career:
Wealdstone
Chelsea (Jul 1945 to Jul 1948) - cost: unknown
Norwich City
Chelsea First-Team Career Summary
Competitive Debut: Tuesday, 12th February 1946, Aston Villa 1 - 0 Chelsea
Age on debut: 23 years 1 months 30 days
Last Competitive First-Team Appearance: Saturday, 27th September 1947, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 - 0 Chelsea
Appearances
| Goals
|
* oth = other competitive matches such as Full Members Cup, Charity/Community Shield, Fifa World Club Cup.
Figures in ( ) are substitute appearances and are also included in the totals.
i.e. Len Dolding made 27 appearances for Chelsea, of which 0 were as a substitute.
Competitive Matches Played
| Comp | Date | Home | Away | Att | |||
| F.A. Cup | 12th Feb 1946 | Aston Villa | 1 | 0 | Chelsea | 55,000 |  |
| League | 7th Sep 1946 | Liverpool | 7 | 4 | Chelsea | 49,995 | |
| League | 9th Sep 1946 | Sheffield United | 2 | 2 | Chelsea | 41,545 |   |
| League | 14th Sep 1946 | Chelsea | 3 | 0 | Leeds United | 56,484 |  |
| League | 18th Sep 1946 | Manchester United | 1 | 1 | Chelsea | 30,275 | |
| League | 21st Sep 1946 | Grimsby Town | 2 | 1 | Chelsea | 21,932 | |
| League | 28th Sep 1946 | Chelsea | 2 | 2 | Charlton Athletic | 63,859 | |
| League | 5th Oct 1946 | Middlesbrough | 3 | 2 | Chelsea | 44,082 | |
| League | 12th Oct 1946 | Chelsea | 2 | 5 | Stoke City | 67,935 | |
| League | 19th Oct 1946 | Portsmouth | 0 | 2 | Chelsea | 36,474 | |
| League | 26th Oct 1946 | Chelsea | 2 | 1 | Arsenal | 56,432 | |
| League | 26th Dec 1946 | Preston North End | 1 | 1 | Chelsea | 40,167 | |
| League | 28th Dec 1946 | Bolton Wanderers | 1 | 1 | Chelsea | 36,048 | |
| League | 18th Jan 1947 | Leeds United | 2 | 1 | Chelsea | 37,884 | |
| League | 15th Mar 1947 | Brentford | 0 | 2 | Chelsea | 33,244 | |
| League | 22nd Mar 1947 | Chelsea | 2 | 1 | Sunderland | 45,415 | |
| League | 29th Mar 1947 | Aston Villa | 2 | 0 | Chelsea | 35,786 | |
| League | 4th Apr 1947 | Chelsea | 0 | 2 | Blackburn Rovers | 37,840 | |
| League | 23rd Aug 1947 | Blackpool | 3 | 0 | Chelsea | 27,389 | |
| League | 27th Aug 1947 | Chelsea | 1 | 0 | Blackburn Rovers | 36,375 | |
| League | 30th Aug 1947 | Chelsea | 1 | 0 | Derby County | 59,919 | |
| League | 6th Sep 1947 | Huddersfield Town | 3 | 1 | Chelsea | 24,837 | |
| League | 10th Sep 1947 | Chelsea | 1 | 1 | Sunderland | 30,085 | |
| League | 13th Sep 1947 | Chelsea | 1 | 1 | Bolton Wanderers | 41,242 | |
| League | 17th Sep 1947 | Sunderland | 2 | 3 | Chelsea | 31,444 | |
| League | 20th Sep 1947 | Chelsea | 3 | 1 | Everton | 42,955 | |
| League | 27th Sep 1947 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1 | 0 | Chelsea | 51,365 | |
Non-Competitive First-Team Appearances
| Non-Competitive First-Team Goals
|
Figures in ( ) are substitute appearances and are also included in the totals.
i.e. Len Dolding made 0 appearances for Chelsea, of which 0 were as a substitute.
Non-Competitive First-Team Matches Played
| Comp | Date | Home | Away | Att |
Non-First-Team Appearances
| Non-First-Team Goals
|
Figures in ( ) are substitute appearances and are also included in the totals.
i.e. Len Dolding made 0 appearances for Chelsea, of which 0 were as a substitute.
Non-First-Team Matches Played
| Comp | Date | Home | Away | Att |
Chelsea Graves Society Info & External Research Links:
View CGS profile for Desmond Leonard Dolding on Ancestry
View CGS profile for Desmond Leonard Dolding on Find-A-Grave
View location on Zeemaps for Desmond Leonard DoldingReturn to Player Directory.
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