John Kilford

Workmanlike full-back who captained the reserves and got the odd run-out for the first team, but whose chances at full-back were limited by the more senior players ahead of him. He dropped down to play non-league football, where he linked up with Gerry Francis at Tonbridge before going to work for the man upstairs, studying just round the corner from where I used to live at Oak Hill Theology College before being ordained into the ministry in 1973.

Brian McGrath says: Hi I am Dennis Kirby,s nephew. I am pleased to say he stil lives in Shadwell Leeds. I shall ask my father about his playing days etc and get back to you. He lived many years after playing on Elland Road right opposite the ground. In those days players did not have cars and lived as near as possible to the ground. So the estate opposite the ground , The Heath estate was full of players houses supplied by the club. I lived on that same estate from 1966 and live four doors away from Jackie Charlton, John Charles, Jimmy Dunn etc. Then later on I would see the new youngsters such as Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter etc each morning at the paper shop before training. I hope to get back to you later with an update on these issues. How things change . I do know that Dennis went to Shrewsbury for a fee of 2000 , a lot in those days and played for Scarborough, Stalybridge Celtic etc. But playing in the war years meant that he missed the best parts of career in the services. He did get a Schoolboy international cap. His sister married Dave Cochrane the Irish international who also played for Leeds. Dave died a couple of years ago a recluse after years of running a paper shop in Beeston. When Dennis stopped playing he bacame a milk man and ran his own business. In fact most of his susiquent working life was spent as a dairyman with the odd venture into a fish and chip shop and a fruit shop in North Leeds. He compains bitterly about todays players and the wages they earn.