Vincent Norman “Ned” Image 1 Grimsby Town 1937

Description

Prudhoe, Northumberland born right back Norman “Ned” Vincent began his football career with Prudhoe United in 1926 and played for Spennymoor United in 1927 before joining Third Division (North) Stockport County in March 1928, making his Football League debut at Darlington in March 1929. Initially a fringe player at Edgeley Park, he had a run in the first team in the first half of 1930-31, but made the right back berth his own from the start of the following season, and he helped Stockport to successive third place finishes in the Third Division (North) in 1932-33 and 1933-34, in the latter campaign being an ever present. A reliable penalty taker, he scored 23 times in 143 appearances for The Hatters.

In June 1934 he was signed by First Division Grimsby Town and he played 17 times as they finished 5th in the League Championship in 1934-35, the highest League position in the club’s history. In 1938-39 he was an ever present as Grimsby reached the 1939 FA Cup semi final where they lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford, and when the Second World War arrived in September 1939, forcing the abandonment of peacetime football, Vincent’s career was arguably at its zenith. He returned to Blundell Park after the War and played in a single FA Cup tie in their 1946 campaign in a defeat to Sunderland in January 1946, and he made a further 17 appearances in 1946-47 before joining non league Stalybridge Celtic in 1947, already aged 38, after 3 goals in 162 appearances for The Mariners.

NB the photograph was taken on 27th December 1937 away at Stoke City. The match finished a 1-1 draw.