Len Duns Player Profile

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Personal

  • Full Name: Leonard Duns
  • Born: September 26th, 1916 (Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England)
  • Died: April 20th, 1989 (Ponteland, England)

Career

  • Position: Outside-Right
  • Reg Status: Guest player only
  • Wrexham Career Totals:
    19 first team competitive appearances
    4 first team competitive goals
  • Also Played For: Ashington, Newcastle United, Sunderland


Wrexham AFC Career Summary

Competitive Friendlies Res/Youth
1944-45 12 2 - - - -
1945-46 7 2 - - - -
TOTAL 19 4 - - - -

NOTES:
League: All first team league matches including Football League, National League, Football Regional League (Wartime), Third Division North (Wartime), Birmingham & District League & Combination League.
FA Cup: FA Cup matches only.
Other Cups: European Cup Winners' Cup, Play-Offs, League Cup, Associate Members' Cup, EFL Trophy, Debenhams Cup, Watney Cup, Football League Division Three (North) Cup, FA Trophy, Scottish Challenge Cup, Setanta Shield, Football League Jubilee, League War Cup (Wartime), Lancashire Cup (Wartime), Third Division North Cup (Wartime), Soames Cup, Shropshire Mayor's Charity Cup, Liverpool Senior Cup, Denbighshire Cup, Wrexham Argus Jubilee Competition and Yerborough Charity Cup.
Welsh Cups: Welsh Cup, FAW Invitation Trophy and FAW Premier Cup.
Friendlies: First team Friendlies and Expunged matches.
Reserves/Youth: All reserve and youth competitions from age group U17 and above (including friendlies).

Please note that the data for friendlies, reserves & youth may not be complete as full records weren't always kept. However we believe that including the information we do have provides an interesting insight into each player's time at Wrexham.


Biography

A native of Newcastle, Duns began his career with local sides West End Albion and Newcastle West End before joining Sunderland in September 1933 at the tender age of 16. After progressing through the club’s colts and reserve ranks, he made his first-team debut in a 2-2 draw at Portsmouth in November 1935 and impressed sufficiently on the right wing to keep his place for the following week’s home clash with Preston.

The Roker Park faithful immediately took to the dashing 19-year-old who netted twice in a 4-2 win which took the Black Cats back to the top of the First Division table. Vying with the experienced Bert Davis for the outside-right berth, Duns finished the season with five goals in 17 games and a League Championship winners’ medal.

The following season saw Sunderland lift both the Charity Shield and F.A. Cup, manager Jimmy Cochrane’s side coming from a goal down to beat Preston 3-1 in the Wembley showpiece final. The campaign also saw Duns establish himself in the senior side and, but for the outbreak of war in 1939, he would have finished with far more than 245 appearances and 54 senior goals in his 19-season stay on Wearside.

Duns enlisted in the Royal Artillery and spent most of the war years guesting for other clubs, including starring for Newcastle against Sunderland in 1941. His first appearance for Wrexham came in December 1944 as he replaced Johnny Hancocks in a 2-2 draw at Everton.

Stationed at Wrexham Barracks, Duns was one of several star ‘guest’ players who graced the Racecourse enabling the Reds to compete with many of the top-flight clubs. He netted in a 2-1 win over Manchester United in just his second game and remained with the club in the opening months of the 1945-46 season. With the end of hostilities, he returned to his native North-East to continue his career with Sunderland before finishing his playing days with Northern League Ashington.

Debut

December 9th, 1944
Everton 2 - 2 Wrexham

Football Regional League (North Division - 1st Championship)


Playing Statistics - First Team Competitive matches (All Seasons)

Please use the filters below to select a season and competition level to view details of all games played.


Competition NPS Win % Draw % Loss %
Third Division North 51- --
Lancashire Cup 21- --
Totals: 194- --

 Recent Starting Appearances (First Team Competitive matches)
 13/10/45 West Region - 1st Championship vs. Oldham (A) 0 - 0
 06/10/45 West Region - 1st Championship vs. Oldham (H) 1 - 1
 29/09/45 West Region - 1st Championship vs. Tranmere (H) 2 - 0
 05/09/45 1st Round, 2nd Leg vs. Chester (H) 2 - 3
 01/09/45 West Region - 1st Championship vs. Rochdale (A) 1 - 3

 Recent Goals Scored (First Team Competitive matches)
 29/08/45 1st Round, 1st Leg vs. Chester (A) 2 - 2
 25/08/45 West Region - 1st Championship vs. Rochdale (H) 4 - 1
 20/01/45 North Division - 2nd Championship vs. Port Vale (H) 5 - 0
 23/12/44 North Division - 1st Championship vs. Manchester Utd (H) 2 - 1

 List of First Team Competitive matches played (click to expand)
 13/10/45 West Region - 1st Championship vs. Oldham (A)  0 - 0
 06/10/45 West Region - 1st Championship vs. Oldham (H)  1 - 1
 29/09/45 West Region - 1st Championship vs. Tranmere (H)  2 - 0
 05/09/45 1st Round, 2nd Leg vs. Chester (H)  2 - 3
 01/09/45 West Region - 1st Championship vs. Rochdale (A)  1 - 3
 29/08/45 1st Round, 1st Leg vs. Chester (A)  2 - 2
 25/08/45 West Region - 1st Championship vs. Rochdale (H)  4 - 1
 28/04/45 North Division - 2nd Championship vs. Chester (A)  1 - 2
 21/04/45 North Division - 2nd Championship vs. Chester (H)  2 - 2
 31/03/45 North Division - 2nd Championship vs. Blackpool (H)  2 - 2
 24/02/45 North Division - 2nd Championship vs. Wolves (H)  1 - 1
 17/02/45 North Division - 2nd Championship vs. Wolves (A)  1 - 4
 10/02/45 North Division - 2nd Championship vs. Crewe (H)  6 - 1
 03/02/45 North Division - 2nd Championship vs. Crewe (A)  3 - 3
 20/01/45 North Division - 2nd Championship vs. Port Vale (H)  5 - 0
 13/01/45 North Division - 2nd Championship vs. Stoke City (H)  2 - 1
 26/12/44 North Division - 2nd Championship vs. Port Vale (H)  4 - 0
 23/12/44 North Division - 1st Championship vs. Manchester Utd (H)  2 - 1
 09/12/44 North Division - 1st Championship vs. Everton (A)  2 - 2

 List of First Team Competitive goals scored (click to expand)
 29/08/45 1st Round, 1st Leg vs. Chester (A)  2 - 2
 25/08/45 West Region - 1st Championship vs. Rochdale (H)  4 - 1
 20/01/45 North Division - 2nd Championship vs. Port Vale (H)  5 - 0
 23/12/44 North Division - 1st Championship vs. Manchester Utd (H)  2 - 1

  = Starting Appearances (Sub Appearances) | = Goals | NPS = Squad Appearances (as Non-Playing Sub) | GtGR = Goals to Games Ratio
 Yel = Yellow Cards/Cautions | Red = Red Cards/Dismissals | W/D/L - Games won, drawn or lost as percentage of games played in


Timeline

  • First Team Debut

    Everton 2 - 2 Wrexham
    Football Regional League (North Division - 1st Championship)

    Saturday, December 9th, 1944

  • First Goal

    Wrexham 2 - 1 Manchester Utd
    Football Regional League (North Division - 1st Championship)

    Saturday, December 23rd, 1944

  • Last Appearance

    Oldham 0 - 0 Wrexham
    Third Division North (West Region - 1st Championship)

    Saturday, October 13th, 1945