Harold Gough Explained

Harold Gough
Birth Date:31 December 1890
Birth Place:Chesterfield, England
Height:[1]
Position:Goalkeeper
Years2:19??–1910
Clubs2:Castleford Town
Years3:1910–1911
Clubs3:Bradford Park Avenue
Caps3:3
Goals3:0
Years4:1911–1913
Clubs4:Castleford Town
Years5:1913–1924
Clubs5:Sheffield United
Caps5:242
Goals5:0
Years6:1924–1925
Clubs6:Castleford Town
Years7:1925–1926
Clubs7:Harrogate Town
Years8:1926–1927
Clubs8:Oldham Athletic
Caps8:4
Goals8:0
Years9:1927–1928
Caps9:4
Goals9:0
Years10:1928–1930
Clubs10:Torquay United
Caps10:56
Goals10:0
Nationalyears1:1921
Nationalteam1:England
Nationalcaps1:1
Nationalgoals1:0

Harold C. Gough (31 December 1890 – 16 June 1970) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, spending most of his career with Sheffield United and Torquay United. He made one appearance in goal for the England national team in 1921.[2]

Club career

Harry Gough was born in Chesterfield and played for non-league sides Spital Olympic and Castleford Town before joining Bradford Park Avenue in 1910 for a fee of £30.[2] He played three games for Bradford before returning to Castleford Town.[3]

In 1913 he moved to Sheffield United where over the next ten years he would make 242 league appearances[3] and win an FA Cup winners' medal in 1915. This was the last major competition before football was suspended during World War I. At the end of the war, he returned to the Bramall Lane club.[2] A decision to become a publican in Castleford broke the conditions of his contract and he was suspended for six months in the summer of 1924.[2] His final game for United was a 2–0 County Cup Final victory over the Wednesday.

On the completion of his suspension in December 1924, he returned to Castleford Town, before moving to Harrogate the following year[2] from where he joined Oldham Athletic in 1926. He played four times for Oldham, moving to Bolton Wanderers in 1927, playing four league games before joining Torquay United in the summer of 1928.[3] He immediately dislodged Archie Bayes as Torquay's first choice goalkeeper, missing just three games in his first season. He played 17 times the following season, before losing his place to Bayes through injury,[2] and retired at the end of the season.Harolds leg was sadly amputated in 1963 from unknowen causes.

International career

Gough won his only full England international cap on 9 April 1921 against Scotland at Hampden Park, Scotland winning 3–0.[4]

Honours

Sheffield United

Winners 1915

Notes and References

  1. News: First Division prospects. Sheffield United . Nemo . Athletic News . Manchester . 22 August 1921 . 6.
  2. Book: Betts, Graham . England: Player by player . Green Umbrella Publishing. 2006. 1-905009-63-1. 111.
  3. Book: Joyce, Michael . Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 . 2004 . Tony Brown. Nottingham . 1-899468-67-6. 104.
  4. Web site: Scotland 3 – 0 England . Home Championship. www.englandstats.com. 20 April 2013 . 9 April 1921.