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Club News

PART 2 | Which Players have played for both Leeds United & Newport County AFC?

22 August 2017

Club News

PART 2 | Which Players have played for both Leeds United & Newport County AFC?

22 August 2017

Here are the remaining six players that were not mentioned in yesterday's article! How many did you get right?

Walter Coates

Coates, a right winger, is another player to move between the two clubs.

Starting at Fulham, Coates earned a move to Leeds United in 1921.

Coates scored the crucial goal for Leeds against Nelson in 1924, which saw the club reach Division 1 for the first-time in their history.

However, Coates found game time in the top division hard to come by, and moved to County in 1925 after making a total of 50 appearances, scoring 4 goals, with the Whites.

Coates spent three seasons with the Exiles, before moving on to Hartlepool United.

 

Valentine Riley

Riley, a midfielder, is another player to move directly between Leeds and County.

Moving to Leeds in 1924, aged 20, Riley made just one appearance for the Whites. That came in an FA Replay against Bolton Wanderers in 1927.

Riley signed for County in 1928.

 

Byron Davies

Davies, a centre-back, is another player to move directly between the clubs.

Another player to make just one appearance for Leeds during his career, in 1953, Davies moved to County in 1956.

Away from football, Davies became a black-belt in Aikido, passing the test at the age of 70.

 

John McCole

McCole, a striker, signed for Leeds in 1959, in a £10,000 deal from rivals Bradford City.

He scored 53 goals in 85 games during his time at Elland Road, but couldn’t stop the side getting relegated from Division 1 in 1960.

He returned to Bradford City in 1961, for £8000, before moving to Rotherham in 1962. During his two spells at Bradford, McCole scored a combined 47 goals in 88 appearances.

County came calling in 1964, with McCole making 6 appearances, scoring twice, that season.

Spells with Cork and Dundalk soon followed, with McCole retiring in 1965.

 

Dennis Hawkins

Hawkins, a striker, signed his first contract with Leeds in 1964.

Making just 4 appearances, scoring twice, over five seasons, Hawkins moved to Shrewsbury Town in 1968 for £10,000.

After Shrewsbury, Hawkins played for Chester City and Workington, before moving to County in 1972.

Hawkins spent one season with the Exiles, scoring once in nine appearances, before retiring that summer.

Although never capped by the first team, Hawkins earned six caps for the Wales u23’s during his career.

 

Mark Aizlewood

Aizlewood, a midfielder, made his debut for County aged just 16 in 1975.

He spent three seasons with the Exiles, scoring three goals in 38 appearances, before making a £50,000 move to Luton Town in 1978.

Another £50,000 move followed in 1982, this time to Charlton Athletic, before moving to Elland Road in 1987 for £200,000.

Aizlewood spent five seasons with Leeds, becoming captain during his spell, before another £200,000 move to Bradford City.

Further spells at Bristol City and Cardiff City followed before retirement, with Aizlewood the current manager of Carmarthen Town.

Aizlewood also made 39 appearances for Wales.

 

John Saunders

Saunders, a centre-back, was the final player to move between the two clubs.

Saunders joined County in 1970, on a free transfer from Birmingham City, and went on to make 30 appearances for the Exiles.

A move to Leeds soon followed, in a £10,000 deal in the summer of 1971.

However, Saunders never went on to make a competitive start for the Whites, and was forced to retire in 1975 from an injury sustained whilst playing for Walsall.

Saunders is currently the last player to move directly between Newport County AFC and Leeds United.

Special mention: Nathan Blake 

Although never permanently transferred to Leeds United, he did make a loan spell to the club in January 2005. He made just two appearances whilst on loan from Leicester, a ruptured hamstring bringing his spell with the Whites to a premature end. 

Whilst at Leeds, he did score his final League goal, against Coventry City. 

Upon release by Leicester, Blake joined County in 2006, whilst the club were in the non-league, making five appearances and scoring one goal over a two-month stay. 

Blake is the last player to have registered a competitive appearance for both Newport County AFC and Leeds United.

Tweet @NewportCounty and tell us how many you got right!


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