Gough: Harold C. (Harry)

1918-1918 (Leeds City War-time Guest Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Chesterfield: 31-12-1890

Debut: v Huddersfield Town (h): 25-12-1918

Height & Weight: Unknown

Gough was one of a long line of goalkeeper born in Chesterfield that went on to make their mark in English football. Like a number of other North Derbyshire men who became professional footballers, Harry Gough graduated towards the Yorkshire clubs rather than Derby County. He began in Non-League Football with Spital Olympic and Castleford Town, had three games for Second Division Bradford Park Avenue in 1910, and then rejoined Castleford Town. His big break came when he signed for First Division Sheffield United in 1913, and over the next ten years he made two hundred and forty-two League appearances for the Blades, and gained an FA Cup winner's medal with them in 1915 and made a further nineteen appearances in that competition. His association with Leeds City lasted just two games, the home and away Christmas fixtures with Huddersfield Town which resulted in a 1-1 draw at Elland Road and a 1-0 victory for City on Boxing Day. By coincidence Arthur Price was the Leeds scorer and even more unusually they both came from the penalty spot. A decision to become a publican in Castleford broke the conditions of his contract and he was suspended from playing in August 1924 and left Bramall Lane at the end of the 1923-24 season. The club placed a fee of £2,000 on the ageing ex-England keeper. The fee was clearly far too much for a player his age and it effectively brought a halt to his career, as United refused to reduce the fee and it deterred clubs from making a bid for his services. The club relented after over a year and Preston North End put in a bid of £500 and he was sold in October 1926, two years after the cancellation of his contract. His final game for United was a 2-0 County Cup Final victory over The Wednesday. While unable to play for United he joined Castleford Town for a third time in 1924, then subsequently became a much-travelled goalkeeper, turning out for Harrogate Town, Oldham Athletic in 1926, where he played four League games, and Bolton Wanderers in 1927, where he played four League games, before finishing his career at Torquay United, where he played fifty-six League games and four FA Cup games between the summer of 1928 and 1930. He immediately dislodged Archie Bayes as Torquay's first choice goalkeeper, missing just three games in his first season. He played seventeen times the following season, losing his place to Bayes, and retired at the end of the season. He won just a single cap for England, playing in goal against Scotland at Hampden Park on 9th April 1921. He had an unhappy day between the posts and England were beaten 3-0. Gough was known for his bravery and daring between the posts, and was described in a pen-picture as 'cool, collected and very tough.' One of a line of top-class goalkeepers with links to Chesterfield, he died on 16th June 1970 at the age of seventy-nine.