Roy Jennings arrived at Crawley Town from Brighton and Hove Albion in 1964 and went on to etch his name into the annals of the Reds long history. He played over 200 times for Crawley and later served as Player Manager.
Jennings’ youth career was spent at his boyhood team, Swindon Town and then Southampton whilst he studied accountancy. His professional career began at Brighton where he broke into the first team as a full back in 1952. He went on to solidify a place as the first-choice centre back and represented the Seagulls nearly 300 times, scoring 22 goals and also served as captain.
Jennings grew a reputation as a strong and physical player with a prowess at scoring penalties, making him a firm fan favourite. Thirteen of the twenty-two goals for Brighton were from the spot, illustrating how adept he was from twelve yards.
Part of a Brighton team that gained promotion to the Second Division, Jennings was a pivotal and consistent member of the squad. He spent twelve years in East Sussex before being released from the club in his early thirties.
This paved the way for a twenty-mile journey north to Crawley Town as Jennings arrived on a free transfer. He stacked up an impressive 220 appearances in five seasons, his proven track record for penalties continued as he scored 38 from 38 spot kicks, all his goals were from the spot for the Reds.
His experience in physical battles with opposition forwards was important in an era where physicality was much more significant than today. From the first season that he broke into the team (1964-65) to the end of his playing career (1968-69) Jennings was a virtual ever present during the twilight of his career.
Jennings was one and the same with the penalty spot, he was unerring in front of the ‘keeper. Something that is not always associated with a tough tackling centre half. He could place the ball in any corner but did so in a graceful manner. Not one for huge run ups, Jennings would calmly caress the ball with little force past the goalkeeper. What makes his penalty prowess more impressive is that his playing days were a far cry from the carpets that modern footballers are graced with today. His strikes were often executed from the infamous Town Meadow mud baths.
1968-69 was perhaps the greatest campaign of his career. That season he was handed the reigns of the squad in January as he was appointed player manager, and only the third ever permanent manager of Crawley Town after Fred Cook and Roy McCrohan.
Jennings helped to guide a team that, in the previous season, had finished 18th in the Southern League, despite investment in the side. The underachieving side were hit by financial cuts as a disillusioned board were unwilling to repeat their overspending on the squad.
ROY JENNINGS
Date of Birth:
31 December 1931
Place of Birth:
Swindon
Date of Death:
21 October 2016
Place of Death:
Crawley
Playing Position:
Centre Half
YOUTH CAREER
Swindon Town
Southampton
SENIOR CAREER
1952-1964
Brighton & Hove Albion
1964-1969
Crawley Town
INTERNATIONAL CAREER
England Youth
MANAGERIAL CAREER
1968-1970
Crawley Town
Despite this dip in funding, Jennings helped guide Crawley to an outstanding first ever promotion as a club into the Southern Premier Division. This feat looked impossible at the end of the previous season. The Reds had leaked 85 goals during the 1967-68 season, however Jennings managed to iron out any defensive frailties through signings such as Phil Basey.
Despite being on a shoe string budget, by shipping out expensive and unneeded players and replacing them with new cheaper and more skilled players, Jennings was able to organise and coach the side into a more cohesive defensive unit. This new side, built very much in the style that Jennings himself played, managed to only concede 32 goals in the 42-game season where promotion was secured. This accomplishment was made even more impressive by the fact that Jennings’s team largely consisted of only 14 players throughout the whole campaign.
Jennings failed to keep his Crawley side climbing the leagues, relegation the following season also saw the end of his managerial career. Perhaps surprisingly, Jennings then left the game altogether. He remained in Crawley and became a partner in an accountancy firm and served as a magistrate until his death in 2016, aged 84.
Roy Jennings was a solid centre half with a keen eye for a penalty. His time at Crawley illustrated his footballing and managing ability as he guided the Reds to their first ever promotion. He is certainly considered a legend by many Crawley Town fans and will forever be remembered by many within the club.
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