Wilf Sharp
Encyclopedia
Wilf Sharp was a Scottish
professional footballer who played for Clydebank
, Airdrieonians
, Sheffield Wednesday
and Bradford Park Avenue
. Sharp was a right half
whose career lasted from 1925 to 1936, he only made 65 appearances in the English League but in that time he won a FA Cup
winners medal while with Sheffield Wednesday in 1935.
, West Lothian
on 8 April 1907. He played junior football for Bathgate, Pumpherston F.C.
and Kirkintilloch Rob Roy F.C.
before signing as a professional for Clydebank in 1925 aged 18. He stayed at Clydeholm Park for four years before signing in 1929 for Airdrieonians. Sharp stayed with Airdrieonians for five years although he did have a short spell as a professional at Tunbridge Wells Rangers F.C. in 1932. In August 1934 he was spotted by Sheffield Wednesday manager Billy Walker
and signed for The Owls for a fee of £750 on 11 August.
who at 34 years old was in the twilight of his career. Even without Strange in the team there was strong competition for the half back positions with Horace Burrows
and Gavin Malloch keeping Sharp out of the team for the early months of the 1934-35 season. However an injury to Malloch on 1 December 1934 in a home draw with Sunderland
led to Sharp making his Wednesday debut the following Saturday in a 1-0 victory at Leicester
. Sharp showed good form and kept Malloch out of the side for the rest of the season as Wednesday went on a fine run of results, eventually finishing third in Division One
and winning the 1935 FA Cup Final
. The following season saw Wednesday struggle to avoid relegation, Sharp played 24 matches and eventually asked for a transfer as his wife could not settle in Sheffield. In his two years at Wednesday, Sharp played 48 league games and 10 FA Cup games scoring two goals.
Burton
Town in August 1937.
Sharp retired from football before the outbreak of World War II
, he died in June 1981, aged 74 in Sefton, Merseyside.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
professional footballer who played for Clydebank
Clydebank F.C.
Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, near Yoker. The present club, formed in 2003, is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and currently plays in West Super League Premier Division...
, Airdrieonians
Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
, Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
and Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...
. Sharp was a right half
Wing half
In association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries...
whose career lasted from 1925 to 1936, he only made 65 appearances in the English League but in that time he won a FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winners medal while with Sheffield Wednesday in 1935.
Early days
Sharp was born in BathgateBathgate
Bathgate is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, on the M8 motorway west of Livingston. Nearby towns are Blackburn, Armadale, Whitburn, Livingston, and Linlithgow. Edinburgh Airport is away...
, West Lothian
West Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
on 8 April 1907. He played junior football for Bathgate, Pumpherston F.C.
Pumpherston F.C.
Pumpherston F.C. are a Scottish Junior football club based in Pumpherston, near Livingston, West Lothian. Their home ground is Recreation Park, with one of the largest pitches in Scottish football. Club colours are gold and black....
and Kirkintilloch Rob Roy F.C.
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy F.C.
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the town of Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire. Nicknamed The Rabs or The Roy, they were formed in 1878...
before signing as a professional for Clydebank in 1925 aged 18. He stayed at Clydeholm Park for four years before signing in 1929 for Airdrieonians. Sharp stayed with Airdrieonians for five years although he did have a short spell as a professional at Tunbridge Wells Rangers F.C. in 1932. In August 1934 he was spotted by Sheffield Wednesday manager Billy Walker
Billy Walker
William Henry "Billy" Walker was a prominent English footballer of the 1920s and 1930s. He is considered by many to be the greatest footballer to ever play for Aston Villa Football Club-Biography:...
and signed for The Owls for a fee of £750 on 11 August.
Sheffield Wednesday
Walker signed Sharp as a possible replacement for Wednesday’s legendary half back Alf StrangeAlfred Strange
Alfred Henry Strange was an English former footballer who played most of his career as a half back with Sheffield Wednesday and made 20 appearances for England.-Club career:...
who at 34 years old was in the twilight of his career. Even without Strange in the team there was strong competition for the half back positions with Horace Burrows
Horace Burrows
Horace Burrows was a professional footballer who played for Mansfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday. Burrows was a left half whose league career lasted from 1932 to 1939, his career was curtailed by the outbreak of World War II...
and Gavin Malloch keeping Sharp out of the team for the early months of the 1934-35 season. However an injury to Malloch on 1 December 1934 in a home draw with Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
led to Sharp making his Wednesday debut the following Saturday in a 1-0 victory at Leicester
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
. Sharp showed good form and kept Malloch out of the side for the rest of the season as Wednesday went on a fine run of results, eventually finishing third in Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
and winning the 1935 FA Cup Final
1935 FA Cup Final
The 1935 FA Cup Final was contested by Sheffield Wednesday and West Bromwich Albion at Wembley. Sheffield Wednesday won 4–2, with goals scored by Jack Palethorpe, Mark Hooper and Ellis Rimmer...
. The following season saw Wednesday struggle to avoid relegation, Sharp played 24 matches and eventually asked for a transfer as his wife could not settle in Sheffield. In his two years at Wednesday, Sharp played 48 league games and 10 FA Cup games scoring two goals.
Bradford Park Avenue
The hoped for switch back to Scottish football did not materialise and Sharp signed for Bradford Park Avenue in May 1936 playing 17 league games in his single season with them before moving to non leagueNon-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
Burton
Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
Town in August 1937.
Sharp retired from football before the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he died in June 1981, aged 74 in Sefton, Merseyside.