Welbourne was born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. He began his football career as an apprentice with Scunthorpe United, and made his debut as a 17-year-old in September 1966. After establishing himself in the first team a couple of years later, he spent seven seasons as a regular, and was part of the Fourth Division team that knocked First Division Sheffield Wednesday out of the 1969–70 FA Cup on Wednesday's own ground, before injury ended his professional career in November 1975.[4][5] In 1969, he and Grimsby Town player Graham Rathbone were sent off for fighting, and each received an eight-week ban, "suspensions of unprecedented severity", according to The Times.[6] Welbourne played for the Boston Minutemen, alongside Eusébio, as they won the Northern Division of the North American Soccer League in 1975.[7] He later became a window-cleaner.[5] He also played for Appleby Frodingham.[8]
Welbourne's older brother Duncan was also a professional footballer who played more than 450 games for Watford.[9]
References
^"Don Welbourne". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
^Norton, Michael (17 June 2007). "The Iron Alphabet: St–Y". Scunthorpe United F.C. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
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