Harry Leese Explained

Harry Leese should not be confused with Harry Lees (disambiguation).

Harry Leese
Fullname:Harold Leese
Birth Date:1886
Birth Place:Goldenhill, Staffordshire, England
Death Date:?
Position:Full-back / Half-back
Youthclubs1:Smallthorne
Youthclubs2:Goldenhill Villa
Years1:1906
Clubs1:Stoke
Caps1:0
Goals1:0
Clubs2:Golden Hill
Years3:1908–1909
Caps3:1
Goals3:0
Years4:1909–1913
Clubs4:Stoke
Caps4:109
Goals4:28
Years5:1913–1919
Clubs5:Port Vale
Caps5:37
Goals5:4
Clubs6:Crewe Alexandra
Clubs7:Goldenhill Wanderers
Totalcaps:146+
Totalgoals:32+

Harold Leese (1886–?) was an English footballer who played for Bradford City, Crewe Alexandra, Port Vale and Stoke.[1] He helped Stoke to win two minor league titles.

Career

Leese was born in Staffordshire and played non-League football with local sides Smallthorne and Goldenhill Villa before he was signed up to league club Stoke. After playing for Golden Hill, he had a spell with Bradford City between July 1908 and May 1909,[2] making one league appearance,[3] before returning to Stoke in 1909. He scored 19 goals in 50 appearances in the 1909–10 season and helped the club to win the Southern League Division Two A. He scored nine goals in 53 matches in the 1910–11 season, as the "Potters" won the Birmingham & District League title and finished second in the Southern League Division Two. He scored once in 14 games in the 1911–12 season, and featured six times in the 1912–13 campaign before departing the Victoria Ground. He moved to local rivals Port Vale in May 1913.[4] He played regular football between September and December 1914, but then left to help his country fight World War II.[4] He made two appearances whilst on leave, returning permanently upon his demobilization in April 1919. He left at the end of the 1918–19 campaign as he could not agree terms with the club, and so was not a part of the club when it gained re-election to the Football League in October 1919.[4] Instead he joined nearby Crewe Alexandra, and later played for Goldenhill Wanderers.[4]

Career statistics

Source:

ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueFA CupTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bradford City1908–09First Division100010
Stoke1909–10Birmingham & District League / Southern League Division Two4018614619
1910–11Birmingham & District League / Southern League Division Two50930539
1911–12Southern League Division One14100141
1912–13Southern League Division One501060
Total1092810111929
Port Vale1913–14Central League22020240
1913–14Central League15430184
Total37450424
Career total1473215116233

Notes and References

  1. Book: Matthews, Tony. The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. 1994. Lion Press. 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. Book: Frost, Terry. Bradford City A Complete Record 1903-1988. 400. Breedon Books Sport. 1988. 0-907969-38-0.
  3. Book: Frost, Terry. Bradford City A Complete Record 1903-1988. 384. Breedon Books Sport. 1988. 0-907969-38-0.
  4. Book: Kent, Jeff. Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. 172. 1996. 0-9529152-0-0.