# Len Beel

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**William John Leonard Beel** (23 August 1945 – 13 April 2023) was an English professional [footballer](/source/Association_football) who played as a [goalkeeper](/source/Goalkeeper_(association_football)) for [Shrewsbury Town](/source/Shrewsbury_Town_F.C.) and [Birmingham City](/source/Birmingham_City_F.C.) in [the Football League](/source/The_Football_League).[1] He also appeared for [Somerset County Cricket Club](/source/Somerset_County_Cricket_Club).

## Life and career

William John Leonard Beel was born on 23 August 1945 in [Leominster](/source/Leominster), [Herefordshire](/source/Herefordshire).[2] He began his football career with [Shrewsbury Town](/source/Shrewsbury_Town_F.C.) as an apprentice in 1961, and turned professional two years later.[2] As a young [goalkeeper](/source/Goalkeeper_(association_football)), he was selected for [England youth](/source/England_national_under-18_football_team) squads,[3][4] but never took the field in an international match.[5] He made his senior debut for Shrewsbury in the [Football League Third Division](/source/Football_League_Third_Division) on 20 May 1963, helping his side beat [Coventry City](/source/Coventry_City_F.C.) 2–1 despite conceding the [penalty](/source/Penalty_kick_(association_football)) from which the visitors scored; the winning goal was controversial, as Coventry claimed the ball had entered the goal via a hole in the side netting.[6] The death of regular goalkeeper [Paul Miller](/source/Paul_Miller_(footballer,_born_1940)) in a swimming accident just before the start of the new season left Beel as Shrewsbury's only full-time goalkeeper.[7] They brought in [Alan Boswell](/source/Alan_Boswell), whose dislocated shoulder a few weeks later gave Beel another taste of first-team football: away to [Bristol Rovers](/source/Bristol_Rovers) in the [League Cup](/source/Football_League_Cup), the inexperienced Beel was given little help by his defence as Shrewsbury lost 6–2.[8][9] Away to Coventry a month later, he was reportedly responsible for only two of the eight goals that Shrewsbury conceded,[10] and his third and final league appearance was in a 1–1 draw away to [Brentford](/source/Brentford_F.C.).[11]

Beel joined [Birmingham City](/source/Birmingham_City_F.C.) in January 1965 as cover for [Johnny Schofield](/source/Johnny_Schofield), but played only once for the first team. With [relegation](/source/Relegation) from the [First Division](/source/Football_League_First_Division) already confirmed,[2] he turned out in the penultimate game of the [1964–65 season](/source/1964%E2%80%9365_Birmingham_City_F.C._season), at home to [Blackburn Rovers](/source/Blackburn_Rovers_F.C.), which finished as a 5–5 draw.[12] Released soon afterwards,[2] he spent two seasons as a regular with [Southern League](/source/Southern_Football_League) club [Bath City](/source/Bath_City_F.C.).[13]

He briefly took up [rugby union](/source/Rugby_union), which he had played at school,[14] appearing for Bath Spartans and Bath United in September and October 1967,[15][16] before returning to football with [Minehead](/source/Minehead_A.F.C.)[17] and then joining [Trowbridge Town](/source/Trowbridge_Town_F.C.) in January 1968.[18] His professional contract with Trowbridge was cancelled by mutual consent in October 1969, but he returned as an amateur to play in the outfield for their reserves.[19][20]

Beel played [cricket](/source/Cricket) as a [fast bowler](/source/Fast_bowling) for [Worcestershire](/source/Worcestershire_CCC) Second XI from 1964 to 1966. He made six appearances in the 1964 [Second XI Championship](/source/Second_XI_Championship) as an 18-year-old, and was a regular in the side for the next two seasons.[21] In June 1969, Beel made his only first-class appearance, making 1 not out and taking 0/18 from 2 overs for [Somerset](/source/Somerset_CCC) in a [Sunday League](/source/Pro40#Sunday_League) match against [Warwickshire](/source/Warwickshire_CCC) at [Edgbaston](/source/Edgbaston_Cricket_Ground).[22][23] He played in three [Minor Counties](/source/Minor_Counties_Championship) matches for [Wiltshire](/source/Wiltshire_CCC) in 1970,[22] and was a mainstay of the [Bath](/source/Bath,_Somerset)-based Lansdown Cricket Club for many years.[24]

Beel died on 13 April 2023 at the age of 77.[24][25]

## References

1. ["Len Beel"](http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player8/lenbeel.html). *UK A–Z Transfers*. Neil Brown. Retrieved 22 August 2023.

1. Matthews (1995), p. 71.

1. ["Seaside get-together for Rams team"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/derby-evening-telegraph/130464945/). *Derby Evening Telegraph*. 12 November 1962. p. 10. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Pleat blotted out by England tactics"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-nottingham-evening-post-england-yout/130465183/). *Nottingham Evening Post*. 21 February 1963. p. 12. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Match results under 18 1960–1970"](http://www.englandfootballonline.com/MatchRsl/MatchRslTmU18pg2.html). *England Football Online*. Chris Goodwin & Glen Isherwood. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.

1. ["'Benefit' draws best gate"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-journal-beel-debut/130465899/). *The Guardian Journal*. 21 February 1963. p. 7. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Goalkeeper dies in Trentham swimming pool accident"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-sentinel-paul-millers-death/130467465/). *Evening Sentinel*. 19 August 1963. p. 1. – via Newspapers.com.

1. Perry, Robin (23 September 1963). ["Rovers unchanged: three pass tests"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-post-beel-for-boswell/130467801/). *Evening Post*. p. 24. – via Newspapers.com.

1. Gillam, Herbert (24 September 1963). ["Hamilton hits four goals in career-best display"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-daily-press-bristol-rovers-6-shr/130468034/). *Western Daily Press*. p. 10. – via Newspapers.com.

1. Nemo (23 October 1963). ["City fulfil promise of goal riot"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/coventry-evening-telegraph-coventry-8-sh/130469592/). *Coventry Evening Telegraph*. p. 17. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Player search: Beel, WJL (Lenny)"](https://www.enfa.co.uk/playersearch.php). *English National Football Archive*. Retrieved 22 August 2023.

1. Matthews (1995), p. 200.

1. ["Past players: B"](https://www.bathcityfc.com/past-players-b/). Bath City F.C. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150923182645/http://www.bathcityfc.com/pastplayers_b.htm) 23 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 June 2015.

1. ["Allen Gay's valuable boot..."](https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-post-beel-to-bath-rugby/130472126/). *Evening Post*. 25 October 1967. p. 11. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Len Beel switches to rugby"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-daily-press-beel-to-rugby/130471764/). *Western Daily Press*. 28 September 1967. p. 12. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Bath call up Army winger"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-daily-press/130471937/). *Western Daily Press*. 25 October 1967. p. 9. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Minehead sunk by shock goal"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-daily-press-beel-at-minehead/130472338/). *Western Daily Press*. 4 December 1967. p. 12. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Trowbridge sign Len Beel"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-post-beel-to-trowbridge/130472560/). *Evening Post*. 13 January 1968. p. 20. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Brother banned so Alan Peacock takes over"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-post-beel-going-amateur/130473113/). *Evening Post*. 22 October 1969. p. 8. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Trowbridge Town are unchanged"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-post-beel-back-at-trowbridge/130473234/). *Evening Post*. 2 December 1969. p. 8. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Second Eleven Championship matches played by Len Beel (36)"](https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/34/34485/Second_Eleven_Championship_Matches.html). *CricketArchive*. Retrieved 22 June 2023.

1. ["Len Beel"](https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/34/34485/34485.html). *CricketArchive*. Retrieved 22 June 2023.

1. ["Warwickshire v Somerset at Birmingham, 22 Jun 1969"](http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1969/ENG_LOCAL/SUNLG/WARWICKS_SOMERSET_SUNLG_22JUN1969.html). *ESPN Cricinfo*. Retrieved 22 June 2023.

1. Longstaff, Scott (13 April 2023). ["Len Beel, 1945–2023"](https://www.lansdowncricketclub.co.uk/news/len-beel-1945--2023-2773615.html). Lansdown CC. Retrieved 22 August 2023.

1. ["Tribute to Len Beel"](https://lenbeel.muchloved.com/). D. J. Bewley Funeral Directors. Retrieved 22 August 2023. – via MuchLoved.org.

## Sources

- Matthews, Tony (1995). *Birmingham City: A Complete Record*. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Len Beel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Len_Beel) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Len_Beel?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.