Noel Kinsey

Noel Kinsey (24 December 1925 – 20 May 2017) was a Welsh international footballer who played as an inside right. He won seven international caps and scored 111 goals in 444 league games in a 14-year career in the Football League.

He began his career with Norwich City in 1947, helping the "Canaries" to second place in the Third Division South in 1950–51. He transferred to Birmingham City in 1953, helping the club to the Second Division title in 1954–55. He scored in the 1956 FA Cup final, which ended in a 3–1 defeat to Manchester City. In February 1958, he was signed to Port Vale for a £5,000 fee and helped the "Valiants" to the Fourth Division title in 1958–59. He became a player-coach at Vale Park in May 1960 before departing in April 1962. He later played for non-League sides King's Lynn and Lowestoft Town and worked at Norwich Union Insurance. He entered the Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame in 2003.

Club career Norwich City Kinsey started his career with Treorchy Amateurs and Cardiff City, before joining Norwich City in 1947. Duggie Lochhead's "Canaries" had to apply for re-election in 1947–48 after finishing second-from-bottom of the Third Division South. They rose to tenth in 1948–49, and then he finished as the club's top scorer in 1949–50 with 17 goals, as the club posted an eleventh-place finish. Birmingham finished 12th in 1956–57 and 13th in 1957–58. Kinsey scored 55 goals in 173 league and cup competitions for Birmingham City.

Port Vale In February 1958, he was signed to Port Vale for a £5,000 fee, in a move that reunited him with former manager Norman Low. He scored twice past Watford in a 5–0 win at Vale Park on 8 March, to finish 1957–58 with two goals in 14 appearances in the last ever season of Third Division South football.

Post-retirement and legacy Kinsey ran a pub, before working at Norwich Union Insurance.

He was inducted into the 2003 inaugural Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame.

Kinsey died at the age of 91 in May 2017.

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

1947–48 Third Division South

1948–49 Third Division South

1949–50 Third Division South

1950–51 Third Division South

1951–52 Third Division South

1952–53 Third Division South

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1953–54 Second Division

1954–55 Second Division

1955–56 First Division

1956–57 First Division

1957–58 First Division

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1957–58 Third Division

1958–59 Fourth Division

1959–60 Third Division

1960–61 Third Division

1961–62 Third Division

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International statistics

Honours Birmingham City Football League Second Division: 1954–55

Individual Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame: 2003 inductee