Player Profile Andy Fensome
Andrew Brain Fensome was born in Northampton on 18 February 1969. Fensome started his career as a trainee with Norwich but was unable to break in the first team and was released in August 1988. Fensome then joined Suffolk non-league side Bury Town. During this time Fensome had an uneventful loan spell with Newcastle United which he didn't make a first team appearance.
Fensome resurrected his career under with Cambridge United when he signed for them in November 1989. John Beck joined Cambridge in January 1990 and started their rise up the leagues. Fensome helped Cambridge gain promotion from the Fourth Division in 1989/90. The following season saw Cambridge win the Third Division Championship and also made a hat-trick of promotions when they finished fifth in the Second Division. The bubble burst in 1992/93 season as Cambridge was relegated.
On 8 October 1993, Fensome joined Beck for the second time as the full back joined Preston for a fee of £7,500 after making 126 league appearances for Cambridge and scored one goal.
Fensome made is debut on 16 October 1993 as a right back replacing Paul Masefield at Wigan in a 2-2 draw. Fensome only missed one league game for the remainder of the season and scored his only goal for PNE on 16 April 1994 in a 2-0 home win against Walsall. This was only his second league goal of his career and turned out to be his last one. The 1993/94 ended in disappointment as PNE lost the Third Division Play Off final to Wycombe.
Fensome played in every league game the following season as PNE reached the play offs again and was named PNE player of the year. Preston won the Third Division Title in 1995/96 but Fensome's appearances were limited and was released at the end of the season after 93 league appearances for the Lilywhites.
Fensome was signed by manager Graham Barrow upon taking over the manager's job at Rochdale . He made his debut on 17 August 1996 at Swansea and spent two seasons at Spotland and in that time was awarded the club captaincy. Fensome was released in May 1998 after making 82 appearances.
Fensome joined Vauxhall Conference side Barrow but his place was threatened due to the clubs financial position. The Chairman Stephen Vaughan resigned in October 1998 at the start of a fraud squad investigation of the club's share issue. With Vaughan's shareholding and freehold of the stadium put up for sale the complete squad was transfer listed.
Fensome joined Morecambe and made almost 150 appearances in four seasons with the Shrimpers and picked up the player of the year award for the 2000/01 season. He played in the FA Cup Third Round tie in January 2001 at home to Ipswich, who was 104 places higher in the league ladder. His last appearance for the club was in a 2-1 win at home to Doncaster on 27 April 2002. He never actually got on the score sheet although he came close on a number of occasions including a brilliant long range drive against his former club Cambridge United in the FA Cup 2nd Round in the 2000/2001 season.
Fensome was released by Jim Harvey in May 2002 to free up the wage bill to bring in some new faces after finishing sixth in the Conference.
In July 2002, Fensome joined Unibond Premier League side Lancaster City before returning to Preston in a coaching role.