Brook: Harold

1954-1958 (Player Details)

Forward

Born: Sheffield: 15-10-1921

Debut v Hull City (a): 21-08-1954

5’91/2” 10st 12lb (1947)

Brook played for Sheffield Schools, then junior clubs Woodburn Alliance, Hallam and Fulwood before making his senior debut in wartime football with Sheffield United in April 1941, turning professional two years later. During World War Two he played twice for Sheffield United in the 1940-41 season and another in the following season of 1941-42, both without scoring. He scored once in two games in 1942-43 and one more in 1943-44 from three games, but in that season he also made sixteen appearances for Manchester United and scored eight times. In the 1944-45 season he also made one appearance for Queens Park Rangers, without scoring, as well as scoring four times in five games for the Blades and he also scored four times in sixteen games in the final War-time season of 1945-46. He appeared in virtually all forward positions, at wing half and full-back for the Blades, enjoying a spell as skipper and was the regular penalty taker. He had eighty-nine goals in two hundred and twenty-nine League games to his credit when they transfer listed him, thinking his best days were over. Leeds picked him up for a bargain £600 in July 1954. He was approaching thirty-three, yet still managed to score nearly fifty goals for Leeds. He led the promotion-winning attack of 1955-56 and celebrated United’s return to Division One with a twenty-first minute hat-trick against Everton on the opening day of the following season. He left for Lincoln City in March 1958 and ended his career there in June 1958, after scoring once in four appearances. He ran a newsagents shop in Meadowcroft, Sheffield and coached Yorkshire League side Sheffield F.C. in the 1960s. He died in 1998.