Record Suspensions : Kevin Lewis

United players figure highly in the longest suspensions of all-time list. Cantona, of course; Frank Barson, not long after leaving us; John Fitzpatrick. There is an unlikely inclusion : one United player who never even turned out for the first team, Kevin Lewis.

Kevin Lewis

Kevin Lewis was born in Hull on 25 September, 1952.

He came to United through the apprentice scheme, and was under contract to the club from 1969-72. In 1970-71, he was a member of the first-team squad but never played in the side.

Kevin Lewis was a full-back. Sadly his main claim to fame whilst at Old Trafford was his disciplinary record.

He was first given a three week ban in 1969, by the same tribunal that banned John Fitzpatrick for eight weeks. On 28 January 1971, there is record of a four week ban and a £25 fine. On 10 December 1971 he was back before a tribunal after a sending off in a Central League game. This time they banned him until the end of the season, presumably almost five months.

That was it with United. At the end of the season Lewis was on his way to Stoke City, where he remained until 1976. He played in front of Peter Shilton and behind Jimmy Greenhoff and Alan Hudson, amongst others, but only managed 15 first team appearances for them.

After Stoke, he moved on to Crewe Alexandra until 1981, when he moved to non-league football.
In his English League career he played 137 games, with 2 goals, so the vast majority of these must have been with Crewe.

In 1983-84, Lewis was a member of the Telford United side that had a storming cup run.

" Telford United, proud representatives of the Alliance Premier League, came agonisingly close to holding Derby County to a draw in last night's FA Cup fourth round tie at the Baseball Ground. "

Lewis made his mark early in that game, and clearly his combative approach did not change over the years. As the match report said, "Derby set off with a bang and were ahead after only six minutes. Even before the goal, Kevin Lewis had been booked for something he said to the referee and, with a caution recorded, was lucky to stay on the field after scything down John Robertson."

After dodgy refereeing decisions on both sides, Telford eventually lost 3-2.

Kevin Lewis was manager of Leek Town from 1985-86 when he resigned to return to Telford United as assistant manager.

These days he runs "The Dyers' Arms", a few minutes walk away from Leek Town's ground. One of the websites even refers to him as "the last of the Busby Babes", although I doubt if Kevin thinks of himself that way.