| Roy Warhurst | |
| Fullname: | Roy Warhurst |
| Birth Date: | 18 September 1926 |
| Birth Place: | Sheffield, England |
| Death Place: | Birmingham, England |
| Position: | Wing half |
| Youthyears1: | 1942-1943 |
| Youthclubs1: | Atlas & Norfolk Works |
| Youthyears2: | 1943–1944 |
| Youthyears3: | 1944 |
| Youthclubs3: | Sheffield United |
| Years1: | 1944–1950 |
| Caps1: | 17 |
| Goals1: | 2 |
| Years2: | 1950–1957 |
| Caps2: | 213 |
| Goals2: | 10 |
| Years3: | 1957–1959 |
| Caps3: | 40 |
| Goals3: | 2 |
| Years4: | 1959–1960 |
| Caps4: | 51 |
| Goals4: | 1 |
| Years5: | 1960–1961 |
| Caps5: | 8 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 1961–1964 |
| Totalcaps: | 329 |
| Totalgoals: | 15 |
Roy Warhurst (18 September 1926 – 7 January 2014) was an English footballer who made more than 300 appearances in the Football League playing for Sheffield United, Birmingham City, Manchester City, Crewe Alexandra and Oldham Athletic.[1] He played as a wing half.
Warhurst was born in Handsworth, Sheffield. He began his football career during the Second World War as a youth with Atlas & Norfolk Works before signing as an amateur with Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United, and turned professional with the latter in September 1944. His early career was as a winger, but after he joined Birmingham City for an £8,000 fee in 1950, he was converted to wing half.[2] His forceful style contributed much to the club's Second Division title in the 1954–55 season and to their performances in the First Division and the FA Cup the following season.[3] [4] Warhurst injured a thigh in the sixth-round FA Cup match, and missed the rest of the season, and his absence was considered a significant factor in Birmingham's losing the 1956 Cup Final:[2] teammate Alex Govan was convinced that "if Roy Warhurst had been fit then there would only have been one winner".[5]
He succeeded Len Boyd as Birmingham captain at the end of that season,[6] and 12 months later signed for Manchester City for a £10,000 fee. He spent 18 months at City before moving on to Crewe Alexandra and then to Oldham Athletic, where he was appointed captain.[2] A spell in non-league football with Banbury Spencer preceded his retirement from the game in 1964.[2]
Warhurst went on to become a scrap metal dealer.[2] He was married to Jean and had three children. He died in January 2014 at the age of 87.[7]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Sheffield United[8] | 1946–47 | First Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1947–48 | First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1948–49 | First Division | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 8 | 2 | |||
| 1949–50 | Second Division | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | |||
| Total | 17 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | 21 | 3 | ||||
| Birmingham City | 1949–50 | First Division | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| 1950–51 | Second Division | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 2 | |||
| 1951–52 | Second Division | 36 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 38 | 1 | |||
| 1952–53 | Second Division | 31 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 37 | 1 | |||
| 1953–54 | Second Division | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | |||
| 1954–55 | Second Division | 34 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | 37 | 4 | |||
| 1955–56 | First Division | 30 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 2 | ||
| 1956–57 | First Division | 33 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 0 | ||
| Total | 213 | 10 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 239 | 10 | |||
| Manchester City | 1957–58 | First Division | 37 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 38 | 2 | ||
| 1958–59 | First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Total | 40 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 41 | 2 | ||||
| Crewe Alexandra | 1958–59 | Fourth Division | 9 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| 1959–60 | Fourth Division | 42 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 46 | 1 | |||
| Total | 51 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 55 | 1 | ||||
| Oldham Athletic | 1960–61 | Second Division | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Career total | 329 | 15 | 32 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 364 | 16 | |||
Birmingham City