Jimmy Woolf

Levi James Woolf (28 January 1916 – 2003)[1] was a South African professional footballer who played one match in the Football League for Southampton in 1937.

Jimmy Woolf
Personal information
Full name Levi James Woolf
Date of birth (1916-01-28)28 January 1916
Place of birth Johannesburg, South Africa
Date of death 2003 (aged 86–87)
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s) Inside-right
Youth career
J.R.A.S. Johannesburg
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1937–1938 Southampton 1 (0)
1938–1939 Guildford City
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Football career

Woolf was born in Johannesburg, South Africa but was determined to become a professional footballer in England.[2] In September 1937, he travelled to Britain on board the Union-Castle liner, Balmoral Castle; a steward on the liner heard of Woolf's intentions and sent a telegram to the manager of Southampton Football Club, Tom Parker. Parker arranged for Woolf to be met after he disembarked at Southampton Docks and he was given a trial.[2]

He was signed by the club after the trial match and was soon playing regularly at inside right in the reserves. On 11 December 1937, he made his first-team debut when he took the place of Ray Parkin at inside-right for the Second Division match against Tottenham Hotspur, with Parkin moving to centre-forward in place of Benny Gaughran who had recently been sold to Sunderland. Although the match was won 2–1, with Parkin scoring both Saints' goals,[3] Woolf was not a great success and he returned to the reserves.[2]

In the summer of 1938, he joined Guildford City of the Southern League.[2] At the end of his first season at Guildford, they finished as Southern League runners-up.[4]

Later career

During the Second World War, Woolf enlisted in the Army and served in Burma. After the war, he returned to South Africa.[2]

References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 287. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
  2. Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (1992). The Alphabet of the Saints. ACL & Polar Publishing. pp. 374–375. ISBN 0-9514862-3-3.
  3. Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan (1987). Saints – A complete record. Breedon Books. p. 99. ISBN 0-907969-22-4.
  4. "Guildford City". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
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