The greatest player you've never heard of

Matt Bell tells the story of Walter 'Cocky' Bennett

WALTER ‘COCKY’ BENNETT, 1874-1908

Words: Matthew Bell

Bennett with a still slim-line William Foulke in the late 1890s.

Walter Bennett was a right winger who played for Sheffield United between 1896 and 1905. He was an important part of the greatest period in the club’s history, in which United won their first (and only) league championship and the first two of their four FA Cups; in addition, they were league runners-up twice and losing cup finalists once.

Born in Mexborough, South Yorkshire, Bennett signed for United from his local club. Denis Clarebrough and Andrew Kirkham’s book Sheffield United Football Club Who’s Who tells us that one local sportswriter was not impressed by the purchase: “£10 seems a long price to pay,” wrote the hack. How wrong he was! Bennett stood 5’ 7” tall, his weight varying between 12 and 13 stones. He was therefore a stocky, thickset man, an unusual shape for a winger, but somehow it worked for him. Possessing a powerful shot, Bennett was a clever dribbler and good crosser. And he had the knack of arriving from the right at just the right time to meet crosses from the left.