A series of injuries marred both the beginning and the end of Lenny’s City career, but in the interim seasons his left-wing skills and pace bemused many an opposing full-back, and it was a genuine tribute to both his ability and personality that he became such a firm favorite of the usually highly critical popular terrace support. Glover had first faced Leicester City as a Charlton Athletic teenager in the 1962-63 season when his replay winner ejected City from the League Cup. The £80 000 fee Matt Gillies paid for him five years later represented at the time an English record fee for a winger.
Lennie’s goals saw City through the first two rounds of their 1969 FA Cup run to Wembley. Despite reaching the FA Cup final that season, Glover was also part of a relegation to the 2nd tier.
Lennie Glover helped Leicester City back to the top, under new manager Frank O’Farrell, regularly scoring and finding the forwards with great touches. During the next years a new relationship with Frank Worthington were established and the two were integral when reaching the 1974 FA Cup semi-final, only to be defeated by later winners of the tournament Liverpool.
Glover left Leicester City after the 1975/76 season and joined NASL and Tampa Bay Rowdies, playing a season for the Florida based club alongside other greats such as Man City and Fulham forward Rodney Marsh and former West Ham icon Clyde Best. Lenny played for Rowdies in 1976 and 1977, appearing as captain in his last season and even being the manager after coach Eddie Firmani resigned.
Glover returned to England and was approached by a number of league clubs such as Blackpool, Colchester and Notts County, but a registration problem made it impossible to join and instead turned out in the non-league for Kettering Town.
Glover were absent from the game for a while, but surprisingly became boss of Harlow Town and at the age of 50 also registered as a player and became the oldest ever to appear in the Diadora League.
In 2004 sadly Glover was prisoned with a three and half years sentence, acting as a money courier to a Leicester drugs gang. Then on re-emerging he set up his own website and published an idiosyncratic autobiography – From Left Wing to D-Wing – as an e-book or CD rom.
FACTFILE:
- Full Name: Leonard Glover
- Position: Winger
- Date of Birth: 31.01.1944
- Birthplace: Kennington, London
- Nation: England
- Major League Career:
- 1962-68, Charlton Athletic (177/20)
- 1968-76, Leicester City (252/38)
- NASL
- 1976-77, Tampa Bay Rowdies (32/1)
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