Early days Sharp was born in
Bathgate,
West Lothian. He played for
Bathgate,
Pumpherston Rangers and
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy before signing as a professional for
Clydebank in 1925, aged 18. He stayed at
Clydeholm for four years before signing in 1929 for
Airdrieonians. Sharp stayed with Airdrieonians for five years although he did have a short spell as a professional at
Tunbridge Wells Rangers in 1932. In August 1934 he was spotted by
Sheffield Wednesday manager
Billy Walker and signed for The
Owls for a fee of £750 on 11 August.
Sheffield Wednesday Walker signed Sharp as a possible replacement for Wednesday's long-serving half back
Alf Strange who at 34 years old was in the twilight of his career. Even without Strange in the team, there was strong competition for the half back positions with
Horace Burrows and
Gavin Malloch keeping Sharp out of the team for the early months of the 1934–35 season. However, an injury to Malloch on 1 December 1934 in a home draw with
Sunderland led to Sharp making his debut the following Saturday in a 1–0 victory at
Leicester. Sharp showed good form and kept Malloch out of the side for the rest of the season as Wednesday went on a fine run of results, eventually finishing third in
Division One and winning the
1935 FA Cup final. The following season saw the team struggle to avoid relegation, Sharp (who was not involved in the
1935 FA Charity Shield) played 24 matches and eventually asked for a transfer as his wife could not settle in
Sheffield. In his two years at Wednesday, Sharp played 48 league games and 10 FA Cup games, scoring two goals.
Bradford Park Avenue The hoped-for switch back to Scottish football did not materialise, and Sharp signed for
Bradford Park Avenue in May 1936, playing 17 league games in his single season with them before moving to
non league Burton Town in August 1937. Sharp retired from football before the outbreak of
World War II; he died in June 1981, aged 74 in
Sefton, Merseyside. ==References==