Roy Warhurst
English footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Roy Warhurst (18 September 1926 – 7 January 2014) was an English footballer who made more than 300 appearances in the Football League playing for Sheffield United, Birmingham City, Manchester City, Crewe Alexandra and Oldham Athletic.[2] He played as a wing half.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Roy Warhurst[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 18 September 1926[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Sheffield, England | ||
| Date of death | 7 January 2014 (aged 87)[1] | ||
| Place of death | Birmingham,[1] England | ||
| Position | Wing half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1942-1943 | Atlas & Norfolk Works | ||
| 1943–1944 | Huddersfield Town | ||
| 1944 | Sheffield United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1944–1950 | Sheffield United | 17 | (2) |
| 1950–1957 | Birmingham City | 213 | (10) |
| 1957–1959 | Manchester City | 40 | (2) |
| 1959–1960 | Crewe Alexandra | 51 | (1) |
| 1960–1961 | Oldham Athletic | 8 | (0) |
| 1961–1964 | Banbury Spencer | ||
| Total | 329 | (15) | |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Warhurst was born in Handsworth, Sheffield. He began his football career during the Second World War as a youth with Atlas & Norfolk Works before signing as an amateur with Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United, and turned professional with the latter in September 1944. His early career was as a winger, but after he joined Birmingham City for an £8,000 fee in 1950, he was converted to wing half.[3] His forceful style contributed much to the club's Second Division title in the 1954–55 season and to their performances in the First Division and the FA Cup the following season.[4][5] Warhurst injured a thigh in the sixth-round FA Cup match, and missed the rest of the season, and his absence was considered a significant factor in Birmingham's losing the 1956 Cup Final:[3] teammate Alex Govan was convinced that "if Roy Warhurst had been fit then there would only have been one winner".[6]
He succeeded Len Boyd as Birmingham captain at the end of that season,[7] and 12 months later signed for Manchester City for a £10,000 fee. He spent 18 months at City before moving on to Crewe Alexandra and then to Oldham Athletic, where he was appointed captain.[3] A spell in non-league football with Banbury Spencer preceded his retirement from the game in 1964.[3]
Warhurst went on to become a scrap metal dealer.[3] He was married to Jean and had three children. He died in January 2014 at the age of 87.[8]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sheffield United[9] | 1946–47 | First Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| 1947–48 | First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1948–49 | First Division | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 8 | 2 | ||
| 1949–50 | Second Division | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | ||
| Total | 17 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | 21 | 3 | |||
| Birmingham City[10] | 1949–50 | First Division | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1950–51 | Second Division | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 2 | ||
| 1951–52 | Second Division | 36 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 38 | 1 | ||
| 1952–53 | Second Division | 31 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 37 | 1 | ||
| 1953–54 | Second Division | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | ||
| 1954–55 | Second Division | 34 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | 37 | 4 | ||
| 1955–56 | First Division | 30 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 35 | 2 | |
| 1956–57 | First Division | 33 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 42 | 0 | |
| Total | 213 | 10 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 239 | 10 | ||
| Manchester City[11] | 1957–58 | First Division | 37 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 38 | 2 | |
| 1958–59 | First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 40 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 41 | 2 | |||
| Crewe Alexandra[12] | 1958–59 | Fourth Division | 9 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| 1959–60 | Fourth Division | 42 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 46 | 1 | ||
| Total | 51 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 55 | 1 | |||
| Oldham Athletic[13] | 1960–61 | Second Division | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Career total | 329 | 15 | 32 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 364 | 16 | ||
- Appearance(s) in Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Honours
Birmingham City
- Football League Second Division: 1954–55
- FA Cup runner-up: 1955–56
Sources
- Crisp, Marco (1998). Crewe Alexandra Match by Match. Nottingham: Tony Brown. ISBN 978-1-899468-81-2.
- Dykes, Garth (1988). Oldham Athletic: A Complete Record 1899–1988. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-0-907969-36-5.
- Goble, Ray; Ward, Andrew (1993). Manchester City A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-873626-41-2.
- Matthews, Tony (2010). Birmingham City: The Complete Record. Derby: Derby Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-853-2.