[3] Tennant was born in Aberdare and attended the town's Boys' Grammar School, where he played both football and rugby.
He began his football career as a junior with Cardiff City, when he was capped by Wales at youth level.
Although primarily a right back, he played in a variety of positions,[5] and was the club's top scorer in his first season with 11 goals in all competitions.
[1] By the time he retired in 1959, having lost his place to Tommy Bisset,[7] he had played 424 matches and scored 47 goals in all competitions.
[5] After leaving football he worked for the ambulance service and kept a pub before retiring to his native South Wales, where he was a mainstay of the local choir.