Oliver: Henry Spoors (Harry)

WW2 Guest: 1945-1946 (Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)

Left Back

Born: Sunderland: 16-02-1921

Debut: v Chesterfield (a): 25-08-1945

Height & Weight: Unknown

Sunderland-born Harry Oliver was educated at Hylton Road School, Sunderland and went on to represent Sunderland Schools and Durham Schools at Under-Fifteen level in the 1933-34 and 1934-35 seasons and went on to play for the England Schoolboys in 1935.He went on to play for Doxford Juniors, Hylton Colliery Juniors, Ditchburn’s, Sunderland ‘A’ team and Houghton Colliery Welfare, before joining Second Division Sheffield United as amateur in May 1937. He did not stay long at Bramall Lane and came back north to sign amateur forms with Hartlepool United, then of the Third Division (North) in October 1937 before turning professional with them in March 1938. He made his debut on 19th March 1938 in a 0-0 home draw with Doncaster Rovers and played his last game on 7th May 1938 in a 2-0 home win over Wrexham. He had made nine League appearances for the Monkey-Hangers before the end of the 1937-38 season. He joined First Division Brentford in May 1938 for a fee in the region of £1,200 to £1,500 but did not make a senior appearance for them before World War Two. He guested for Leeds United in the 1945-46 Football League Northern Section but it was for just one game, the opening game of that campaign at Left Back in a 1-3 defeat by Chesterfield at Saltergate. He also went on to guest for York City on one occasion in the same season and also played seven games for his own club Brentford. He continued with Brentford after the Second World War and played fourteen games in the first season of 1946-47 as the Bees were relegated to the Second Division. He made only four League appearances in the following season as he was transferred to Third Division South Watford in May 1948 which brought his total to eighteen and he also played twice in the F.A. Cup. He cost Watford £2,000, which was donated by the club’s landlords and benefactors, the brewing firm Benskins. He made his debut in a 0-2 defeat by Swansea Town at Vetch Field on 21st August 1948 and stayed at Vicarage Road for four seasons and scored twice, both from the penalty spot, in one hundred and twenty-two League games and he also scored twice, both from the penalty spot, in six F.A. Cup ties before playing his final game for the Hornets in a 1-2 defeat by Torquay United at Vicarage Road on 12th April 1952. He joined Canterbury City in July 1952 and stayed with them until his retirement in October 1956. He died in his home town of Sunderland on 11th January 1994, aged 72.