Ivan Sharpe

Who was Ivan Sharpe?

Ivan Gordon Sharpe was an English amateur association football player. Although an amateur himself, he played for several professional clubs, including Watford, Derby County— with whom he won the Football League First Division in 1911–12–and later Leeds United. He represented the England national amateur football team, and also the Great Britain national football team, with whom he won an Olympic gold medal at the 1912 games in Sweden. He is also one of very few players to have played for both Leeds City and Leeds United.

After retirement he enjoyed a long career as a sports journalist, becoming president of the Football Writers Association. He served as editor of the Athletic News Football Annual and also of the Athletic News Cricket Annual. In 1936 he was selected by the BBC to be one of two journalists who for the first time provided live commentary on the FA Cup Final. He continued to contribute a hard-hitting article to the Wolverhampton Wanderers match day programme for many years right up to his death, and he also produced a volume of memoirs "40 Years in Football" in 1954.