Bedford Jezzard

Bedford Jezzard was an inside left turned centre forward who played for Fulham from 1948 until 1957, and managed Fulham from 1958 until 1964. He gained two England international caps whilst at the club and is also notable for being the youngest manager in Fulham's history at the age of 30.

Before Fulham
Bedford grew up in Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, and his teenage years coincided with the Second World War. After impressing both with his local boys' club and with Edgware Town, he joined Watford as an amateur in 1944, making several appearances for the Hornets which included three FA Cup appearances and a goal in the 1945-46 season.

Shortly after this, he served 18 months in India with the Essex Regiment, then returned to Croxley Green after demobilisation and become assistant secretary of the Old Merchant Taylors Sports Club in Northwood.

Fulham (1948-1957)
Bedford was taken to Craven Cottage by Fulham legend Joe Bacuzzi, and signed on as an amateur at the start of the 1948-49 season. He was an instant success, being promoted to the senior squad after only three appearances for the Reserves and retaining his place at inside left for the rest of the season. In his debut year, he helped the side win promotion to the First Division for the first time in the clubs history by winning the Second Division title.

The club struggled in the top flight but remained there for three seasons, with Bedford managing 26 League goals in 107 First Division appearances, until relegation back to the second tier. This was to be a watershed moment in his career however, as he bagged a remarkable 123 goals over the course of the following four campaigns. One of which, the 1953-54 season, he went on to score 39 League goals which was the highest tally in a single season since Frank Newton's total of 43 in 1931-32.

In the year between March 1953 and April 1954, he represented the Football League in three games. The Football League won all of them with Bedford scoring three times. His goalscoring feats led him to being awarded an England cap in May 1954, despite being a Second Division player. Unfortunately this was the infamous 7-1 loss to Hungary in Budapest. Like teammate Johnny Haynes, he was named as a reserve for England's 1954 World Cup squad, though did not end up being called out to Switzerland.

Alongside Haynes once again, he journeyed to South Africa in the summer of 1956 as part of an FA XI in which they toured the country. During a match against the South African national team, whilst sprinting Bedford was badly tackled by a full back which caused him to fracture his ankle. After spending time in hospital, he flew back to England in plaster and on crutches.

Struggling to make a full return from this injury, he missed the entirety of the 1956-57 season with Fulham, and after turning his ankle again in a pre-season match in August 1957, he immediately announced his retirement at the age of just 29.

Fulham (1957-1964)
Upon his retirement from playing, Bedford was keen to remain in the game, and Fulham duly offered him the post of youth coach which he accepted at the start of the 1957-58 season.

He would only stay in this role for one year, as when the then-manager Doug Livingstone's wife failed to settle in the south, he was appointed manager of the first team. He had yet to turn 31 years old and this made him the youngest Fulham manager in their history.

Despite this, he led Fulham to promotion back to the First Division at his first attempt and then to a 10th place top flight finish in 1959-60, which remained the highest place in the League system that the club would finish until a 9th place in the Premier League in 2003-04 under Chris Coleman. Managing through tough times in the first tier, Bedford also managed to reach the Semi-final of the FA Cup in 1961-62.

After the abolition of the maximum wage, Fulham were unable to compete with salaries offered by other clubs and often needed transfer funds. In March 1964, the club sold the homegrown Alan Mullery to Tottenham Hotspur without consulting Jezzard. As a man of principle, this was the beginning of the end for him and just six months later he resigned and walked away from football completely.

After Fulham
He retired to run the Thatched House pub in Hammersmith for a number of years before later suffering with Alzheimer's disease. He died aged 77 on 21 May 2005, just six months before the death if his friend Johnny Haynes.

Fulham

 * Second Division
 * Winners (1): 1948-49

Fulham

 * Second Division
 * Runners-up (1): 1958-59