Penn Frank Image 1 Fulham 1921

Description

Edmonton, London born outside left Frank Penn played for junior clubs Alston Rangers in 1913 and Vicar of Wakefield in 1914 before the First World War, and signed for Second Division club Fulham in 1915, making his Football League debut against South Shields in August 1919 immediately after the War, soon establishing a regular place in the first eleven, playing for 14 seasons with his only senior club. He was described mid career as “one of the most consistent eft-wing forwards in the South of England… Fast and elusive, Penn always places his centres accurately, while he frequently varies hustactics by cutting in and testing the goalkeeper with a surprise shot”.

An ever present in 1928-29 when he scored 11 goals during the campaign, his career best return, missing two or more matches in four other seasons, he played his last game for them in March 1934, against West Ham United. By then he had played 459 times for the club, at the time a club record, which has since only been surpassed by three players, and had scored 52 goals, but he had become a fringe player by 1931 and played only 9 matches as Fulham won the Third Division (South) Championship. After his retirement, he lent his physiotherapy skills to the club (he qualified as a physio while still playing), and worked for the club for a further 26 years, from 1939 to 1965, completing a 50 year association with The Cottagers. He was unlucky to never win a full England cap, having been picked for various wartime representative teams.