Les Gaunt
Personal information
Full name Leslie Gaunt[1]
Date of birth 3 January 1918
Place of birth Leeds, England
Date of death 24 July 1985(1985-07-24) (aged 67)[1]
Place of death Perth, Australia[1]
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Position(s) Right back
Youth career
1934–1935 Leeds United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1935–1947 Leeds United 33 (0)
1947–1950 Reading 71 (0)
Newbury Town
International career
England Schoolboys 2
Managerial career
Newbury Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Leslie Gaunt (3 January 1918 – 24 July 1985), known prior to 1948 as Leslie Goldberg, was an English professional footballer who played as a right back. The first Jewish player to play for England schoolboys, he went on to play in the Football League for Leeds United and Reading. After retiring from playing, he managed Newbury Town, scouted for Oxford United and worked in a scouting and administrative capacity for Reading.[2][3]

Early life

Gaunt was born Leslie Goldberg in Leeds in 1918 to a Russian Jewish immigrant family.[4] His father was a boot riveter.[4] He attended the Lovell Road School, where he became the star player of the school's football team, single-handedly leading it to the final of the Leeds Schools Cup in 1933, although he was ill on the day of the final and missed the match.[4] The previous year he had been picked for England schoolboys for a game against Wales at Wembley Stadium, and also played against Scotland, as well as captaining the Yorkshire Schoolboys team.[4] After signing for Leeds as an amateur, he joined the club's ground staff in 1934, and signed as a professional the following year.[4] He made his debut in 1937, replacing Bert Sproston in the team.[4] However, after he had made 21 league appearances, the Football League was suspended when World War II broke out.[4]

During the war he guested for Leeds, as well as Aldershot Town, Arsenal, Brentford and Reading, and served in the army in India.[4][2] Returning to England, he was stationed in Hythe, where he met his future wife Peggy.[4] After the war he returned to Leeds, but saw his opportunities limited by Eddie Bannister and Jim Milburn.[4] In 1947 he was transferred to Reading. After starting to experience antisemitism on a regular basis,[4] he changed his surname to Gaunt by deed poll in 1948.[4] In 1950 he broke his leg in a game against Norwich City,[4] an injury which ended his playing career after 71 league appearances for Reading.[1]

After leaving Reading he managed Newbury Town, worked as a scout for Reading and Oxford United, and returned to Reading in 1969 as an assistant to manager Jack Mansell.[4] He also started working for Crimpy Crisps, becoming a sales manager for the London and south-east region and ran a restaurant.[4]

He died in Perth, Australia in 1985 at the age of 67.[4][1]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Leeds United 1937–38[5] First Division 3 0 0 0 3 0
1938–39[5] 16 0 0 0 16 0
1946–47[5] 14 0 0 0 14 0
Career total 33 0 0 0 33 0

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Les Gaunt". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Goldberg: Leslie (Les) (aka Les Gaunt)". Leeds United F.C. History. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  3. ↑ "Goldberg Leslie Leeds United 1938". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Anthony Clavane (2012). Does your rabbi know you're here?. Quercus. pp. 30–44.
  5. 1 2 3 "Leeds United Players Details : No.152 : Goldberg: Leslie (Les) (aka Les Gaunt)". Leeds United F.C. History. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
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