L. Cpl. Leigh Roose MM

[Fattyowls]

Remembering today Lance Corporal 10898 Leigh Richmond Roose, 9th Royal Fusilliers killed near Gueudecourt 7th October 1916 aged 38. His body was never recovered and his name appears on the Thiepval Memorial spelled Rouse. Leigh Roose was a Welsh international goalkeeper who played for Aston Villa, Arsenal, Celtic, Everton, Huddersfield Town, Port Vale and Sunderland amongst others. Before the war he was a celebrity as much for his personal relationships, including the music hall star Marie Lloyd as for his brilliantly eccentric goalkeeping; he has been described as the first celebrity footballer. Although he was an amateur all his playing career his claims for 'expenses' led him to fall foul of the FA and some of the clubs he played for as did his playboy lifestyle. He originally served with the RAMC in Gallipoli before joining the Royal Fusilliers in mid 1916 as L Rouse. He won his MM for bravery during a German flamethrower attack on the British lines at Pozieres in August 1916.

[Jim Hastings]

Remembered Pete

Thank you for giving us such a background about him

Jim

[Kitchener's Bugle]

Really interesting Story....many thanks for making it known.

[Fattyowls]

Remembered Pete

Thank you for giving us such a background about him

Jim

Really interesting Story....many thanks for making it known.

Jim, KB, he's a really interesting man; I've seen him described as a cross between Peter Schmichel, George Best and David Beckham. However I'm not aware that they used to tell the crowd jokes during matches or fought off a German flamethrower attack. Roose even caused the rules of Association football to be changed; the goalkeeper was allowed to carry the ball in hand out of his penalty area at the time and Roose was adept at running up field and starting attacks with long throws. This ability served him well at Pozieres as he was able to throw grenades at the attacking Germans "until his arm gave out after which he used his rifle to good effect" to quote the MM citation. All of this with much of his uniform burned and suffering from the effects of smoke.

Almost as interesting are the stories of what would now be described as wags hanging around his hotel; his behaviour certainly scandalised sections of the Edwardian sporting establishment as did his creative approach to his sporting 'expenses' which included hiring a private train to take him to a match when he had missed the scheduled service. The bill (for £31 memory serves) was blithly directed to the directors of the team he was playing for. I think the comparison with Best is a particularly good one and reminds me of George's classic quote "Most of the money went on booze, birds and fast cars: the rest I just squandered".

His biography is called "Lost in France" by Spencer Vignes if you are keen to know lots lots more.

[Jim Hastings]

What a chap!! Not into football myself, but don't think I'll be forgetting him now Pete!

Thank you for the extra info ... and the book suggestion

Cheers

Jim

[Tunsilk]

An Update

http://www.safc.com/news/club-news/2014/december/memorial-unveiled-at-sol

David

[Fattyowls]

Thanks for that David; Everton are playing Stoke on Boxing Day so there is another connection; this will come in handy. It sometimes appears that with Roose the list of clubs he didn't play for is shorter than the ones he did.

Pete.

[Tunsilk]

Pete

When Sunderland played Everton a few weeks ago. The programme had a piece on John George (Tim) Coleman who played for both clubs.

David

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leigh_Richmond_Roose

One of the Welsh Football internationals killed during the war.
Killed in action on October 7th 1916 on the Somme.
A remarkable story..
Featured on Radio 4 'Today' programme today at around 8:50am

[Fattyowls]

Remembering Leigh Roose 100 after his death in the attack on Bayonet Trench near Gueudecourt. Not forgotten.

 

Pete.

 

 

[Fattyowls]

Dai

 

Remarkable is the word; if there was a movie script of his life it would probably be rejected as being too far fetched. He made 24 appearances for Everton in 1904-05, arriving with the club in mid-table, but helped them to an FA Cup semi-final and runners up spot in the league. They should have won the league but for a ludicrous bit of fixture congestion at the end of the season which was the cause of his falling out with the club (something that happened a lot with Leigh). Spencer Vignes his biographer has made the comparison with David Beckham (because of Roose's relationship with Marie Lloyd and his celebrity), George Best (for his wild lifestyle) and Peter Schmeichell (for his physique as a keeper). I prefer to substitute Neville Southall for the latter myself. I think Leigh Roose would be pleased with the comparisons.

 

Pete.

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

"Spencer Vignes his biographer has made the comparison with David Beckham (because of Roose's relationship with Marie Lloyd and his celebrity), George Best (for his wild lifestyle) and Peter Schmeichell (for his physique as a keeper)."

I think Tom Hiddlestone is a shoe-in for the film part.
In advance of the filming, I hear that Aberystwyth Town FC are already spending money on making the ground look like it did in 1912.
£3.85 well spent I'd say.

[Fattyowls]

1 hour ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

I think Tom Hiddlestone is a shoe-in for the film part.
In advance of the filming, I hear that Aberystwyth Town FC are already spending money on making the ground look like it did in 1912.
£3.85 well spent I'd say.

 

Cruel Dai, very funny but cruel. I just hope that the Aberystwyth Town ultras aren't reading this. Roose was a naturally funny guy by all accounts and I think he would approve.

 

Pete,

Edited 7 October , 2016 by Fattyowls

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

"I just hope that the Aberystwyth Town ultras aren't reading this."

I could take all both of them on

Edited 7 October , 2016 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr