Captain of his school team, Les was later spotted at 17 playing for his work team and signed by Kent League side Snowdon Colliery. At 19 he heard that Wimbledon were looking for goalkeepers and applied for a trial. He was accepted and after 5 matches for the reserves and injury to regular 'keeper Doug Sayers thrust him into the first team, a position he was to hold until his football career was interrupted by National Service, after which he was mostly consigned to the reserves.

He moved on to Carshalton Athletic in September 1961, and soon afterwards on to Dulwich Hamlet in search of regular first team football.