Houldershaw: Rex

WW2 Guest: 1940-1945 (Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)

Outside Left

Born: Dewsbury: 26-11-1922

Debut: v Bradford City (h): 31-08-1940

Height & Weight: Unknown

Little is known about Rex Houldershaw, who played twenty-two games for Leeds United and scored three goals. It was thought that he was a member of the Leeds United ground-staff in the War Years. His debut was at Outside Left in the game with Bradford City at Elland Road in a 2-2 draw in the 1940-41 Northern Regional League and he went on to play four games that season. He also played in the the 1943-44 Football League Northern Section, playing seven games in the First Championship campaign and six games in the Second Championship campaign, all at Outside Left. He scored his first goal on 21st November 1942 in a 2-1 home win over York City and followed that up by two more in the Second, when he found the net in a 2-4 defeat by Huddersfield Town at Leeds Road and in a 3-2 win over Middlesbrough at Elland Road. He finished off his Leeds appearances with five consecutive games in the 1944-45 Football League Northern Section (Second Championship). "He was the younger (and probably the more highly rated) of two brothers who joined the club as amateurs before the Second World War and both later went on to represent United in the War-time Leagues. He was believed to be from the Heckmondwike district. He came into the Leeds United Yorkshire League side early in 1939, when he had been playing for Whitkirk and saw service with the Leeds United Junior Club, Outwood Stormcocks. In that time he also played for Spenborough, in the West Riding County Amateur League, during early part of the war, but once United started a reserve team he was a regular there. After the war he played with various other Yorkshire League sides. These included Bradford United in 1945-6 and 1946-47 before joining Ossett Town and was with them through the 1949-50 season and later ". (Information kindly supplied by Neil Roche). It is not thought that Houldershaw played professionally in the Football League.