Fearnley: Harrison Lockhead (Harry)

1941-1949 (Player Details) (Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Morley: 27-05-1923

Debut v Huddersfield Town (h): 05-10-1946

5’9” 10st. (1946)

Harrison L. Fearnley, was a local boy, born at Morley, and was, at 5’9” and only ten stone, very small for a goalkeeper, but made up for his lack of body mass by being extremely agile and brave. He left school at age fourteen and was coached under the Leeds training scheme for youngsters until the age of seventeen. Fearnley spent one season with Second Division Bradford Park Avenue from June 1941, but never made the first team before joining First Division Leeds in April 1945. He had served in the Royal Navy as a commando for practically the whole of the war, but made ten war-time appearances for United. He was kept on when normal football resumed and was demobbed in March 1946. After making his debut in a 6-2 home win over Hull City on 14th April 1945, he finished the 1944-45 Football League Northern Section (Second Championship) as the regular keeper and played the last six games of that competition. However it was John Hodgson who was the regular keeper in the 1945-46 Football League Northern Section and, as Fearnley was still in the forces, he had to be content with just four games towards the end of that season. He signed professional forms for United in August 1946. He never established himself, as first Jim Twomey and then Harold Searson were the first choice United goalkeepers. He moved to Third Division North Halifax Town in January 1949. Six months later he was at Third Division South Newport County, where he supplemented his income with a window cleaning round. He made one hundred and three League appearances, and ten more in the F.A. Cup, for the Welsh club before moving on to Non-League Selby Town in 1952. He later made a return to League football with Third Division North Rochdale in July 1955. He only played one game for Rochdale before being released in September 1955 to join Non-League Winsford United. Like Len Browning, he also excelled at table tennis.