Robert Sharp (born October 1894, date of death unknown) was a

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

of Bradford City who also served as Deputy Lord Mayor of Bradford. He was a football visionary who called for the introduction of

Third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...

and Fourth Divisions 12 years before they were formed.

Biography

Sharp was born in October 1894 in

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

, England. He left school intent on making his way in business, and worked in his father's oil cloth shop. This was called Harry Sharp and Sons at this time, but after Robert took control it was eventually renamed Sharps (Floor Furnishers) Ltd. It had been started as a market stall but expanded into multiple shops in several local towns before downsizing into the single one at Legrams Lane,

. Later still it was handed over to his sons Peter and David. He was councillor for Bradford Moor from 1931 to 1934 and again from 1937 to 1945. He served as Deputy Lord Mayor in 1946. He represented the Eccleshill ward from 1950 to 1952.

Football career

Sharp was elected to the Bradford City board in February 1938. In July 1943 he put his name forward as the club manager when Fred Westgarth left to join Hartlepools United. He was manager for three years but never took charge of a competitive league match because of

World War A world war is an international War, conflict that involves most or all of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World War I ...

. Instead, he handed over the reins to Jack Barker in May 1946. The same year, as the club's honorary secretary, at a meeting of the Division Three (North) committee he seconded a motion to introduce divisions

Three 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...

and Four of the football league. In 1947 he bought Norman Bank, a large house in Idle, to convert into a hostel for single City players needing accommodation. He also commissioned a City gramophone record, ''Hello Chorus''. He resigned from the City board in March 1948. Supporters bought an inscribed silver

salver A salver is a flat heavy tray of silver, other metal or glass used for carrying or serving glasses, cups, and dishes at a table, or for the presenting of a letter or card by a servant. In a royal or noble household the fear of poisoning led to ...

to recognise his ten years service to the club. It was presented by

Lord Mayor Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...

Alderman Councillor F. J. Cowie. Fellow directors appointed Sharp and his wife Peggy as life-members of the club.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp, Bob 1894 births Businesspeople from Bradford Bradford City A.F.C. managers Councillors in Bradford Year of death missing English football managers