Hookey Leonard

Infobox Football biography
playername= Hookey Leonard
fullname = James Leonard
nickname =


dateofbirth = birth date|1901|5|4
cityofbirth = Saltcoats
countryofbirth = Scotland
dateofdeath = death date and age|1982|6|13|1901|5|4
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height =
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Inside Forward
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1923-1926
1926-1927
1927-1928
1928-1930
1930
1930-1931
1932
clubs = Cowdenbeath
Indiana Flooring
Cowdenbeath
New York Nationals
Cowdenbeath
Sunderland
→ Rhyl
Greenock Morton
Cowdenbeath
caps(goals) =
15 0(8)
74 (49)
33 (17)
manageryears =
managerclubs =
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

James "Hookey" or "Hooky" Leonard [ [http://www.cowdenbeathfc.com/images/Hall%20of%20Fame/J%20Leonard.jpgPhoto of Leonard] ] (born in Paisley, Scotland) [ [http://lochgelly3.tripod.com/thebluebrazil/id21.html Link to family friend] ] was a Scottish professional footballer.

Leonard signed with Cowdenbeath in 1923. [ Cowdenbeath A to Z, Part One : David Allan (2003, Cowdenbeath, Cowdenbeath Supporters Club)] He quickly became a club favorite with brilliant performances. However, during the 1924-1925 game, he was suspended after missing several training sessions. Leonard was the third leading scorer in the Scottish League during the 1925-1926 season, but shocked the team and league when he signed with Indiana Flooring of the American Soccer League in December 1926. He played fifteen league games, scoring eight goals, through the remainder of the 1926-1927. [cite book | last = Jose | first = Colin | title = American Soccer League, 1921-1931 | format = Hardback | publisher = The Scarecrow Press | year = 1998 | id = (ISBN 0-8108-3429-4) ] Leonard returned to Cowdenbeath for the 1927-1928 season but was back in the U.S., this time with the New York Nationals. [ [http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/asl1leaders.html Summary of Leonard' career in ASL, 1926-30s] ] He remained with the Nationals through the 1929-1930 season, then returned again to Cowdenbeath. The team then sold his contract to English club Sunderland for £3000. He spent one season in England, but disagreements with team management saw him with Rhyl for part of the season. In October 1932, Leonard signed with Greenock Morton before finishing his career with Codenbeath. At some point, he may have also played with Saltcoats Victoria.

Leonard's exploits are chronicled in Ron Ferguson's Black Diamonds and the Blue Brazil [ 1993 Aberdeen, Northern Books for Famedram] . He was recently elected into the Cowdenbeath F.C. Hall of Fame [ Ferguson,R "Helicopter Dreams" (2006, Aberdeen, Northern) ISBN 0905489535] . After retiring, Leonard settled in the US with his family. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml;jsessionid=RI1BDXHESHYU1QFIQMGSFFWAVCBQWIV0?xml=/sport/2005/12/09/sfncow09.xml Robert Philip, Daily Telegraph 7th January, 2007] ] He died in 1958, but in July 2003 his family visited Cowdenbeath to receive a commerarative scroll [ [http://members.tripod.com/cowden_news/latestnews/id58.html Presentation at "The Goth" Tavern] ] .

References