Jack Leslie (English footballer)

Jack Leslie
Personal information
Full name John Francis Leslie[1]
Date of birth (1901-08-17)17 August 1901
Place of birth Canning Town, England
Date of death 25 November 1988(1988-11-25) (aged 87)
Position(s) Inside left
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Barking Town
1921–1935 Plymouth Argyle 384 (133)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

John Francis Leslie (17 August 1901 – 25 November 1988)[1] was an English professional footballer who played as an inside left.

Leslie was the only black professional player in England during his time with Plymouth Argyle. Leslie enjoyed a 14–season spell with Argyle, having joined the club from Barking Town in 1921. A creator and scorer of goals, his partnership with outside left Sammy Black has gone down in history as one of the very best.[2] Leslie played alongside Black 327 times, with the duo scoring 319 goals between them in all competitions, with Leslie contributing 137 of them. In 1930, The Football Herald described him as "known throughout England for his skill and complexion."[2]

  1. ^ a b Vasili, Phil (17 September 2015). "Leslie, John Francis [Jack] (1901–1988), footballer". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/100409. Retrieved 1 July 2020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ a b Danes, Ryan (2009). Plymouth Argyle: The Complete Record. p. 104. ISBN 978-1-85983-710-8.