Hawkins: Dennis Robert (Dennis)

1964-1968 (Player Details)

Centre Forward

Born: Swansea: 22-10-1947

Debut: v West Bromwich Albion (h): 13-10-1965

5’7” 10st 12lb (1970)

A Welsh schoolboy international, Hawkins joined Leeds in October 1964, after serving his apprenticeship. Such was United’s strength in the early 1960s that Hawkins won his first Welsh Under-Twenty-three cap before making his League debut. He made his senior bow at centre forward in an experimental Leeds side comprised mainly of Juniors in the League Cup-tie alongside David Harvey, Nigel Davey, Barry Wright, Rod Johnson, Rod Belfitt and Paul Madeley. Willie Bell was the only regular player in his normal position, as Jim Storrie played right half and Don Weston on the right wing. Leeds had such a fine squad that he was unable to break into it and had little opportunity to show what he could do and so he left for Shrewsbury Town in October 1968 for£10,000. At Shrewsbury he increased his Welsh Under-Twenty-three tally to six and in his three and a half year stay he scored ten goals in fifty-six appearances, all but six in the starting team. He lost his place in the team and went on loan to Chester City in September 1970, where he scored once in six starts and one game from the bench, and Workington in March 1972, where six starts brought a single goal. In May 1972 he joined Newport County scoring once in nine appearances before leaving in June 1973. He went into Non-League Football with Telford United and Nuneaton Borough. In 1988 he was Manager of Tadcaster Albion, in the Northern Counties East League. His Brothers also played professional football Peter for Northampton Town and Kevin with Swansea City. Dennis works for a confectionary business in York.