Sharpe: Ivan Gordon (Ivan)

1913-1915 (Leeds City Player Details) (Leeds City War-time Guest Player Details)

Outside Left

Born: St Albans, Hertfordshire: 15-06-1889

Debut: v Glossop North End (h): 06-09-1913

5’8” 11st 2lb (1913)

Sharpe was a Journalist and played his football entirely as an Amateur as his employment took him to various places. He was the son of a cobbler and started with St Albans Abbey in his native town before moving to Non-League Watford in 1907. He joined Second Division Derbyshire team Glossop North End in August 1908 and spent two seasons there scoring sixteen goals in eighty-six League games and also playing in one F.A. Cup tie before his job took him to the South Coast and he joined Southern League team Brighton and Hove Albion. He had explosive pace and ran for Salford Harriers while playing at Glossop and it was there that he also won the first of his twelve England Amateur caps. He joined Second Division Derby County in October 1911 and scored six goals in twenty-nine games as they won promotion to Division one as Champions. He represented Britain at the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912 and won a gold medal and played in all three games when the team won the competition. He had a trial for the full International team in 1912, before he left the Baseball Ground after scoring twelve goals in fifty-four League games and also taking part in three F.A. Cup ties, when his employment to him to the Yorkshire Evening Post and he joined Leeds City in June 1913. At Elland Road he played many fine games for Leeds City and scored sixteen times, including two from the penalty spot, in sixty-one League games and one goal in four F.A. Cup ties in his two year stay. He guested with Glossop in the war-time and came back to Elland Road for two appearances in which he scored one goal as a guest in 1915-16. He returned to Leeds in November 1920 and played one game for the newly formed Leeds United in their first season in Division Two, before playing with Yorkshire Amateurs until he retired in 1923. He died on 9th February 1968.

James Rhodes has compiled Ivan Sharpe's lifestory and included it on his website which can be found at: //https://rhodestothepast.com/2018/06/14/the-leeds-city-united-football-star-who-won-olympic-gold-and-met-mussolini/)