A Goalscoring Debut but sadly promise unfulfilled … Kenneth Kershaw (Ken or Kenny) Booth 1934-2015
Kenny Booth was born in Blackpool on 22 November 1934 and attended the rugby playing Arnold school. However Kenny preferred football and outside of school he played at inside forward for St Peter’s Youth Club. While with this junior club he was said to be 'A clever, intelligent footballer with a strong shot and shrewd brain.'
Blackpool, then a top First Division side, signed him on amateur forms in May 1951 when manager Joe Smith said that he expected him to make the grade but did not want to push him too early. Kenny was following in his father's footsteps for he was the son of former Blackpool wing half Bobby Booth.
He played for the club’s junior teams in his early days at Bloomfield Road and he was the youngest player and 'the best inside forward' on the field in the Blackpool ‘B’ side’s 5-1 victory over Burnley ‘B’ early in the 1951/52 season. The local press comment was 'The maturity of his football considering his age – and he is still only 16 – is out of the common.'
While an amateur at Blackpool he worked at the Publicity Department at Blackpool Town Hall but he gave up the job when Blackpool signed him as a full time professional on 16 January 1952. Later that year he suffered a badly broken ankle, which hampered his progress somewhat.
He joined the RAF to undertake his National Service on 19 January 1953 but he was still able to make his Central League debut for Blackpool at inside left in a 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion reserves on 30 March 1953. It was his only senior game of the season. However, at the close of the 1952/53 season he was regarded as one of 'the best of all prospects' and one 'destined to win fame', along with Dave Durie, Billy Wright, Stanley Hepton and Cyril Robinson.
Still on National Service, he made his reappearance in the Central League side at inside right against Barnsley reserves on 19 December 1953 when Blackpool lost 2-1 and he went on to play five Central League games in the 1953/54 season. While on National Service he was earning the statutory £1 per week with Blackpool.
He returned to Bloomfield Road in January 1955 after demobilisation and re signed for Blackpool as a full time professional. Having played his first Central League game of the 1954/55 season against Preston North End reserves on 9 October 1954 when Blackpool lost 1-0, he scored his first Central League goal for the club in a 3-1 victory over Barnsley reserves on 30 April 1955. It was to be his only goal in six Central League appearances that season.
After scoring one of Blackpool’s goals in a 5-3 victory over Burnley reserves on 8 October 1955 he became a regular in the Central League side and by December 1955 he was at last said to be fulfilling his promise as an inside forward. And although he had scored only two goals in 11 games, he was said to have been making many goals with his intelligent passes and non stop industry.
His initial first team appearance was in a friendly game against Hull City on 28 January 1956 when Blackpool drew 5 5 and he 'showed promise as a tricky inside forward.' Along with this friendly game, he played 28 Central League games, scoring six goals, in the 1955/56 season.
He started the 1956/57 season as the regular inside right in the Central League side, scoring one of the goals in a 5-0 victory over Leeds United reserves on 18 August 1956. And he scored two goals in a Central League game for the first time in a 6-3 victory over Derby County reserves on 8 September 1956.
With Blackpool regularly fielding four, sometimes five, international players in their forward line, breaking into the first team was not easy. However, he made his First Division debut at inside right against Burnley on 6 October 1956 when Ernie Taylor dropped out through illness on the morning of the game. Sensationally he opened the scoring within three minutes, as the game was eventually drawn 2 2. It was to be his only League game of the season but he did play 35 Central League games, scoring 10 goals, in the 1956/57 season.
After playing the one League game and 75 Central League games, scoring 17 goals, due to their strength in depth Blackpool were prepared to give him a free transfer in April 1957. And Bradford Park Avenue opened talks for his transfer in early May 1957 and he was transferred to that club for a fee of £2,000, payable in instalments, £1,000 on 30 September 1957 and £250 on each of 19 March 1958, 29 March 1958, 29 April 1958 and 1 September 1958, on 20 May 1957.
He scored four goals for Bradford in a 29-minute spell at Gateshead thus becoming the first player from the club to score four times in an away fixture. But, after 45 League games and 14 goals for Bradford, he was transferred to Workington in June 1959. He went on to play 30 League games and score 13 goals for Workington.
Workington transferred him to Southport on 8 July 1960 and he played 26 games and scored seven goals for the Sandgrounders before joining then non-league Wigan Athletic for the 1961/62 season. He later played for Hereford United, 1963/64, and Clifton Casuals, 1968 71.
He was always interested in motor racing and, in addition to his football, he also became a racing driver but in 1964 he suffered a punctured lung and a smashed shoulder in a crash in a Lotus Elan. Undeterred, on recovery he continued his interest in the world of vintage and racing cars and he continued his racing career. He also suffered superficial burns when he crashed at Nurburgring in 1992.
He died on 7 November 2015 after a lengthy illness.
Blackpool, then a top First Division side, signed him on amateur forms in May 1951 when manager Joe Smith said that he expected him to make the grade but did not want to push him too early. Kenny was following in his father's footsteps for he was the son of former Blackpool wing half Bobby Booth.
He played for the club’s junior teams in his early days at Bloomfield Road and he was the youngest player and 'the best inside forward' on the field in the Blackpool ‘B’ side’s 5-1 victory over Burnley ‘B’ early in the 1951/52 season. The local press comment was 'The maturity of his football considering his age – and he is still only 16 – is out of the common.'
While an amateur at Blackpool he worked at the Publicity Department at Blackpool Town Hall but he gave up the job when Blackpool signed him as a full time professional on 16 January 1952. Later that year he suffered a badly broken ankle, which hampered his progress somewhat.
He joined the RAF to undertake his National Service on 19 January 1953 but he was still able to make his Central League debut for Blackpool at inside left in a 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion reserves on 30 March 1953. It was his only senior game of the season. However, at the close of the 1952/53 season he was regarded as one of 'the best of all prospects' and one 'destined to win fame', along with Dave Durie, Billy Wright, Stanley Hepton and Cyril Robinson.
Still on National Service, he made his reappearance in the Central League side at inside right against Barnsley reserves on 19 December 1953 when Blackpool lost 2-1 and he went on to play five Central League games in the 1953/54 season. While on National Service he was earning the statutory £1 per week with Blackpool.
He returned to Bloomfield Road in January 1955 after demobilisation and re signed for Blackpool as a full time professional. Having played his first Central League game of the 1954/55 season against Preston North End reserves on 9 October 1954 when Blackpool lost 1-0, he scored his first Central League goal for the club in a 3-1 victory over Barnsley reserves on 30 April 1955. It was to be his only goal in six Central League appearances that season.
After scoring one of Blackpool’s goals in a 5-3 victory over Burnley reserves on 8 October 1955 he became a regular in the Central League side and by December 1955 he was at last said to be fulfilling his promise as an inside forward. And although he had scored only two goals in 11 games, he was said to have been making many goals with his intelligent passes and non stop industry.
His initial first team appearance was in a friendly game against Hull City on 28 January 1956 when Blackpool drew 5 5 and he 'showed promise as a tricky inside forward.' Along with this friendly game, he played 28 Central League games, scoring six goals, in the 1955/56 season.
He started the 1956/57 season as the regular inside right in the Central League side, scoring one of the goals in a 5-0 victory over Leeds United reserves on 18 August 1956. And he scored two goals in a Central League game for the first time in a 6-3 victory over Derby County reserves on 8 September 1956.
With Blackpool regularly fielding four, sometimes five, international players in their forward line, breaking into the first team was not easy. However, he made his First Division debut at inside right against Burnley on 6 October 1956 when Ernie Taylor dropped out through illness on the morning of the game. Sensationally he opened the scoring within three minutes, as the game was eventually drawn 2 2. It was to be his only League game of the season but he did play 35 Central League games, scoring 10 goals, in the 1956/57 season.
After playing the one League game and 75 Central League games, scoring 17 goals, due to their strength in depth Blackpool were prepared to give him a free transfer in April 1957. And Bradford Park Avenue opened talks for his transfer in early May 1957 and he was transferred to that club for a fee of £2,000, payable in instalments, £1,000 on 30 September 1957 and £250 on each of 19 March 1958, 29 March 1958, 29 April 1958 and 1 September 1958, on 20 May 1957.
He scored four goals for Bradford in a 29-minute spell at Gateshead thus becoming the first player from the club to score four times in an away fixture. But, after 45 League games and 14 goals for Bradford, he was transferred to Workington in June 1959. He went on to play 30 League games and score 13 goals for Workington.
Workington transferred him to Southport on 8 July 1960 and he played 26 games and scored seven goals for the Sandgrounders before joining then non-league Wigan Athletic for the 1961/62 season. He later played for Hereford United, 1963/64, and Clifton Casuals, 1968 71.
He was always interested in motor racing and, in addition to his football, he also became a racing driver but in 1964 he suffered a punctured lung and a smashed shoulder in a crash in a Lotus Elan. Undeterred, on recovery he continued his interest in the world of vintage and racing cars and he continued his racing career. He also suffered superficial burns when he crashed at Nurburgring in 1992.
He died on 7 November 2015 after a lengthy illness.
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