Biography.guide
Home › People › Rugby league player › Syd Walmsley
Portrait of Syd Walmsley

Syd Walmsley

1896 – 1973

English rugby league footballer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Syd Walmsley

Lived 1896 – 1973 (aged 76–77). Syd Walmsley was a British rugby league player.

Syd Walmsley (17 July 1896 – February 1973) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played at representative level for England, and at club level for Millom, Leeds and Huddersfield, as a goal-kicking .

Background Syd Walmsley's birth was registered in Bootle district, Cumberland.

Playing career Leeds Walmsley played , and scored a try in Millom's 5–44 defeat by Leeds in the 1919–20 Challenge Cup first-round match during the 1919–20 season at Millom on Saturday 21 February 1920. Impressing the Leeds management, he was transferred from Millom, and he made his début for Leeds in the 11-0 victory over Wakefield Trinity on Saturday 20 March 1920. He became a regular goal kicker at Leeds, and was Leeds' leading goal-scorer with 28-goals during the 1920-21 season.

Walmsley played , and scored a try in Leeds’ 11–3 victory over Dewsbury in the 1921–22 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1921–22 season at Thrum Hall, Halifax on Saturday 26 November 1921.

Walmsley played , and scored a try in Leeds’ 28-3 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1922–23 Challenge Cup Final during the 1922-23 season at Belle Vue, Wakefield, the only occasion the Challenge Cup final has ever been staged at Belle Vue.

Huddersfield Walmsley played , and scored two-goals in Huddersfield’s 10–3 victory over Wakefield Trinity in the 1926–27 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1926–27 season at Headingley, Leeds on Wednesday 1 December 1926, the initial match at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 27 November 1926 had been postponed due to fog.

International honours Walmsley won caps for England while at Leeds in 1923 against Wales, and in 1924 against Wales.

He was selected in trial matches for the 1924 Great Britain Lions tour, but was ultimately not selected for Great Britain, with Ernie Knapman and Jim Sullivan, selected at for the tour of Australia, and New Zealand.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1896, Bootle
Birth century
Died
1973, Leeds
Occupation

People in Syd Walmsley's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Syd Walmsley's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Syd Walmsley?

English rugby league footballer

When was Syd Walmsley born?

Syd Walmsley was born in 1896 in Bootle.

When did Syd Walmsley die?

Syd Walmsley died in 1973 in Leeds.

What was Syd Walmsley's occupation?

Syd Walmsley was a rugby league player.

What nationality was Syd Walmsley?

Syd Walmsley was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Syd Walmsley

· Wikidata: Q7659737

· DBpedia: Syd Walmsley

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Syd Walmsley. https://biography.guide/syd-walmsley/

MLA: "Syd Walmsley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/syd-walmsley/.

Chicago: "Syd Walmsley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/syd-walmsley/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:26 UTC