Rod Belfitt

Michael Roderick " Rod" Belfitt ( born October 30, 1945 in Doncaster) is a former English footballer. The center forward was during the 1960s at Leeds United mostly in the shadow of Alan Peacock, Jim Storrie, Jimmy Green Hoff, Mick Jones and Allan Clarke. He was the largest contributor in 1967 with the finals in the Fairs Cup. The following year, he replaced both the 1-0 playoff victory in the League Cup against Arsenal and in the final first leg of the exhibition Cup 1968 (1-0, second leg 0-0).

Sports career

Belfitt was born in England, but was followed in the postwar period his parents to South Africa and India before the family finally settled back into the home in the area of Doncaster. There also visited Belfitt the Doncaster Technical College and trained as an architectural draftsman. He was making its first steps as an amateur footballing for Doncaster United and Retford Town before the second division club Leeds United signed the first professional contract in July 1963.

The striker did not belong in the following years most of the key players in the team of Don Revie and only after the rise of 1964, he came in the season 1964/65 to eight missions in the A- team. Although he succeeded in doing right off the bat four goals on only stayed the role of complement player him. This " destiny," he told over the years with Jimmy Green Hoff and both often came only substitutions or as agent for Alan Peacock and Jim Storrie to the course. Its probably best appearance in the jersey was the semi-final first leg of Leeds 1967 Fairs Cup when he beat FC Kilmarnock a hat-trick (4-2, second leg 0-0) succeeded. In the two playoff games against Dinamo Zagreb he stood each in the starting lineup, but finally with 0:2 and 0:0 he missed winning the title. With the emerging Mick Jones and Green Hoff has established itself in the subsequent period, a new strike partnership. Belfitts role remained unchanged before the arrival of Allan Clarke further deteriorated his perspective. As Leeds in March 1968 defeated in the League Cup Final Arsenal 1-0, he was at least possible to Substitutes for Eddie Gray. In August of the same year he was also in the final first leg of the exhibition Cup for the second half against Ferencvaros Budapest (1-0, second leg 0-0) scorer in to replace Jones. For winning the English Championship 1969 he contributed three goals in eight games in, plagued as Revie either injury worries or the schedule was so tight staggered so that the regulars needed a break. At the beginning of the 1971/72 season he represented almost two months to once again failed Jones before, in November 1971, he said goodbye to Erstligakonkurrenten Ipswich Town. The transfer fee was 55,000 pounds.

Already on November 6, 1971 Belfitt debuted at the domestic Portman Road against Wolverhampton Wanderers and in less than a year, he scored thirteen goals in 40 league matches. These three goals came in six cup matches and after a last mission on 28 October 1972 at Everton, he moved on already. In the match against Everton, which ended with a 2-2, Belfitt had again made ​​itself and the opposing coach Harry Catterick was so impressed that he agreed shortly afterwards in an exchange transaction with David Johnson. As part of the transfer, which was completed at Belfitts 30th birthday, you appraised its value to £ 30,000.

However, after his debut short time later and the first hit in the second competitive match against Manchester City (2:3) was the time for Belfitt very unhappy in Everton. The crew was in a downward spiral and especially the striker often showed poor performance. Belfitts self-confidence quickly took damage and in an atmosphere of their own fans often responded with expressions of discontent, he struggled in vain in almost every game. To make matters worse, that developed the migrated Johnson top scorer in Ipswich. So Belfitts adventure ended in October and again in 1973 for 70,000 pounds, he moved in October 1973 to the second division Sunderland AFC.

Also in Sunderland get Belfitt only four goals in 39 league appearances, and in November 1974, the club loaned him for a few months at Fulham from. After his departure from Sunderland in February 1975 Belfitt let the active professional career finally finish at third division Huddersfield Town. There, he scored in the 1975/76 season again eight goals. He then went to the sport after only as an amateur for clubs such as Worksop Town, Frickley Colliery and later at the side of his former Leeds teammate Mick Bates for Bentley Victoria. Parallel to this, he worked for ten years in his learned profession signatories before it drove him into financial advice. This activity, he went up to his retirement in 2001.

Title / Awards

  • Fairs Cup ( 1): 1968
  • English League Cup ( 1): 1968

Pictures of Rod Belfitt

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