Caesar Augustus Llewellyn Jenkyns - a massive name to go with a massive frame! Here was a 14 st, 4 lb footballer who patrolled the middle of the park crunching into tackles and shoulder-charging opponents. And he did it with a speed and quickness of foot not readily associated with the hefty type. Inadvertently or not, however, his size and exuberant style of play frequently tested referees' leniency, and he thus accumulated a sizeable collection of dismissals over the course of his career.
Although born in Wales, Jenkyns grew up in Birmingham where he served St. Andrews FC in 1883-84, Small Heath Alliance in 1884-85 and Walsall Swifts in 1885-86. Eventually he turned professional when he joined Unity Gas FC and established himself as the best centre-half in the city. This brought Caesar back to Small Heath's attention and they re-signed him for their 1888-89 Football Combination season. He scored on his debut - versus Birmingham St. George's - then played 56 Football Alliance matches from 1889 to 1892.
Jenkyns was Small Heath's club captain by the time they played their first Football League fixture in 1892 and he led them to promotion two years later. Alas, a ferocious incident in 1895 (when he walloped a couple of Derby County fans!) led to his departure to Woolwich Arsenal. Caesar spent one season in London, where he did not seem to settle, and he hastily headed back north in 1896 to become captain of Newton Heath.
Having already earned seven caps for Wales, the man "who could head a ball 50 yards and kick it 100" would add one more during his time at Bank Street. After making his debut against Gainsborough Trinity on September 1st, Jenkyns led the Heathens to a best-ever run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and to second spot in the Division Two table. The highlight was the hat-trick he notched against Lincoln City in April 1897. However, suspensions and loss of form in 1897-98 resulted in Heath sanctioning his exit. The final straw came when he created a 3-feet deep crater in the ground against Newcastle!
A £45 fee took the Welshman to Walsall where he made his debut on December 4th, 1897. He stayed there until 1902, playing 88 league games and captaining them to victory in the Birmingham Senior Cup. After serving as player-coach at Coventry, he had one more stint at Unity Gas then played for Saltney Wednesday until retiring in 1905.
Caesar ran a series of pubs both before the end of his football career and after. Ultimately, though, he became a policeman (like his father) in Birmingham, finally passing away in 1941. Biography kindly provided by Charbel Boujaoude.
