Birch: James Walter (Walter)
WW2 Guest: 1944-1945
(Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)
Right Back
Born: Ecclesfield, South Yorkshire: 05-10-1917
Debut: v Huddersfield Town (a): 02-12-1944
Height & Weight: Unknown
Birch had just signed professional forms with First Division Huddersfield Town in May
1939 when the Second World War brought his Football League career at Leeds Road to an end.
He guested for several clubs during the Second World War, making seven appearances for
Mossley in the 1939-40 season. He also played one game for Huddersfield Town in that same
season as well as five games in the 1943-44 season. In the 1944-45 season he played six
games for Oldham Athletic and one with Leeds United as a war-time guest and it was more
than likely due to them being short of a Right-Back at kick-off time as they looked to
fulfil the fixture at Leeds Road in December 1944, which ended with the home team winning
by 4-2. Just before his move from Huddersfield to Rochdale in March 1946, he played eleven
games for the Dale in the 1945-46 season and just as in all World War Two games that he
played, he didn't score. So, he never did play a Football League game for the Terriers and
moved to Third Division North Rochdale. He became their regular Centre Half and in his
seven seasons there he clocked up two hundred and forty-three League games and scored ten
goals. He was the specialist penalty-taker and all but one of his League goals came from
the spot. In the F.A. Cup he scored twice, one being from the spot and made fourteen
appearances. Birch retired at the end of the 1952-53 season. He died in 1991.