Louis Bookman came on the public scene as a teenager, playing football for the Dublin Jewish team, Adelaide,. Adelaide, captained by William Woolfson, were the winners of the All Ireland Under-18 Football Cup in 1908. It was from this beginning that Bookman went on to a career in professional football.
Club career
Bookman began his senior football career in the Irish League with Belfast Celtic, before joining English side Bradford City in 1911. He failed to establish himself as a first team regular for the "Bantams", making just 32 First League appearances in three seasons. During his time at Valley Parade, Bradford were a consistent mid-table team, finishing 11th in 1911–12, 13th in 1912–13, and ninth in 1913–14. Bookman joined league rivals West Bromwich Albion for the 1914–15 season, but found that his football career was interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War. During the war he departed The Hawthorns and returned to Ireland to play for Glentoran and Shelbourne. The "Glens" finished second in the Belfast & District League in 1915–16, and were beaten by Linfield in the Irish Cup final; they did though lift the County Antrim Shield after a 1–0 victory over Lisburn Distillery. He then switched The Oval for Shelbourne Park, and helped the "Shels" to win both the Leinster Senior Cup and Leinster Senior League in 1918–19. After the war Bookman was bought by Luton Town for £875, where despite being over thirty, he enjoyed the most successful spell of his football career. The "Hatters" could only post a 20th-place finish in the Southern League in 1919–20, but were nevertheless elected into the Football League. Luton then finished ninth in the Third Division in 1920–21, before reaching fourth and then fifth in the Third Division South in 1921–22 and 1922–23. He left Kenilworth Road in September 1923, when he was signed by Second Division side Port Vale for a £250 fee. He lost his first team place in December that year, and was released at the end of the 1923–24 season. Bookman then returned to Ireland and re-signed for Shelbourne.
International career
In 1911, while playing for Belfast Celtic, Bookman gained an Irish amateur cap. In 1914, together with Val Harris, Patrick O'Connell, Billy Gillespie and Bill Lacey, Bookman was a member of the Ireland team that won the British Home Championship. He won the first of four caps for Ireland in a 2–1 win against Wales on 1 January. He then had to wait a further seven years for more international action, as he won a further three caps in 1921: a 2–0 defeat to Scotland on 26 February, a 2–1 defeat to Wales on 9 April, and a 1–1 draw with England on 22 October.
Cricket career
Bookman played cricket for the Railway UnionCricket Club, the Leinster Cricket Club and Bedfordshire. A left-handed batsman and left-arm spin bowler, Bookman made his debut for Ireland in a first-class match against Scotland in July 1920, and went on to play for Ireland on fourteen occasions. He played in eight more first-class matches, including a match against the West Indies. His last match was against Sir Julien Cahn's XI in July 1930.
