Goldberg Leslie Image 2 Leeds United 1938

Description

Leeds born right back Les Goldberg had captained Yorkshire Schools and was an England Schoolboy international in 1932 when he played against Wales at Wembley. He was an amateur on First Division hometown club Leeds United’s books in 1934-35 and signed professional in May 1935, making his Football League debut against Sunderland in December 1937 in the absence of Bert Sproston. Goldberg made 21 appearances for Leeds by the time the Second World War forced the abandonment of peacetime football in September 1939.

During the conflict he guested for Arsenal, Aldershot, Brentford and Reading and also played a few games for Leeds United and saw military service in India, and after the War he resumed with Leeds United, transferring to Reading in March 1947 after 12 further appearances. He was a regular at Elm Park until December 1948, having changed his name to Les Gaunt, and scored his only career goal in a 3-3 FA Cup draw at Bromley in November 1947. After 78 appearances for Reading, Goldberg’s career came to a premature end when he broke his leg in a match against Norwich City in November 1949, and he subsequently played non league football for Newbury Town in 1950, where he subsequently became the manager, going on to scout for Reading and Oxford United and later he returned to The Royals in 1969 as an administrative and technical assistant to then manager, Jack Mansell.