Players - Alec Lindsay

Alec Lindsay
Birthdate: 27 February 1948
Birthplace: Bury, England
Other clubs: Bury (1963-69), Stoke City (1977-78), Oakland Stompers (1978), Toronto Blizzard (1979), Newton (1982-85)
Signed from: Bury
Signed for LFC: £67,000, 13.03.1969
International debut: 22.05.1974 vs. Argentina
International caps: 4/0 - 05.06.1974
Liverpool debut: 16.09.1969
Last appearance: 16.05.1977
Debut goal: 16.09.1969
Last goal: 10.09.1975
Contract expiry: 12.09.1977
Win ratio: 53.63% W:133 D:66 L:49
Games/assists ratio: 14.59
Honours: League Championship 1972/73; FA Cup 1974; European Cup 1977; UEFA Cup 1973
League games / goals / assists: 170 / 12 / 10
Total games / goals / assists: 248 / 18 / 17

Player Profile

Lindsay was signed by Liverpool from his hometown club Bury in March 1969 when he was 21-years-old. Bill Shankly gave him his first-team debut in a 10-0 Fairs Cup thrashing of Dundalk in September that year but he didn't taste any first division action until the middle of October, when he came off the bench to strike an equaliser against Ipswich Town at Portman Road. But that was one of just six League matches he figured in that debut season being tried all over the forward line. Shankly was left questioning whether he had bought the right player. "'Listen son. I want you to take men on, go past them and lash in those shots that brought you the goals when you were playing at Gigg Lane,'' Shankly demanded. 'But that wasn't me boss. That was Jim Kerr,' protested Lindsay. 'Jesus Christ, Bob,' said Shankly to Paisley. 'We've signed the wrong bloody player.'" Lindsay was frustrated with life at Liverpool and handed in a transfer request which was accepted, but then his Reds' career changed unexpectedly for the better. Lindsay had been a half-back before arriving at Liverpool and Shankly moved the naturally right-footed player to left-back against Newcastle on 12 September 1970, having experimented with Ian Ross and Roy Evans earlier. Despite lacking pace this decision launched his Liverpool career. Shankly was happy: "The lad looked as if he had been playing at left-back all his life. He places passes up the touchline with tremendous accuracy."

Liverpool had moved Lindsay further back but he still put his attacking skills to good use. He was clever at overlapping the defence on the left flank. He always chipped in with a couple of goals himself, possessing a powerful left foot. He only missed four League matches the following season and just five in 1972/73, when he was an important part of the team that won the League Championship and the UEFA Cup. He took over from Kevin Keegan as the club's penalty-taker a year later. That was also the season when he wiped out the disappointment of the cup final defeat to Arsenal in 1971 by being a member of the side that outplayed Newcastle United at Wembley. In that game, with the score still locked at 0-0, his strong run and thunderous shot into Iam McFaul's net was harshly deemed to be offside, when television replays later showed that the ball had come to him not from Kevin Keegan but a Newcastle defender. Lindsay was naturally disappointed. "It was quite funny because Keegan and me were celebrating on the greyhound track and we turned round to see that the ref hadn’t given it. He called Kevin offside, Emlyn Hughes was rowing with him and we had to get back because the game had kicked off again."

Lindsay lost his place to Phil Neal, Bob Paisley's first signing, midway through the 1974/75 season but remained at Anfield until September 1977 when he was loaned for a month and then transferred to Stoke City. Paisley was disappointed with how Lindsay's career progressed once Shankly retired and he took over as manager. "Alec peaked at the end of that successful 1973/74 season but was never the same player again after his life was overtaken by a series of personal problems," Paisley revealed in his book, "My 50 Golden Reds". "Unfortunately they badly affected his game and he began to lose heart and it showed in his performances. Sadly Alec was one of those players who wasted a lot of his talent and I am sure he would admit that himself now when he looks back at his career. It all went wrong when he was at the top of his profession." Lindsay received four international caps, a run which began when Joe Mercer was caretaker England manager and whilst deliberating on his squad for a forthcoming European summer tour said to one of his colleagues: 'Let's have that Lindsay from Liverpool. He's always smiling!' Lindsay's career at the Potteries didn't work out as he had three managers there in a short space of time. Lindsay made a clean break and moved to Oakland, playing in the North American Soccer League and was voted MVP in his debut season but then the club moved lock, stock and barrel to Edmonton, Canada. After four appearances for Toronto Blizzard in 1979 he returned to the North-West and later turned out for non-league team, Newton, and became a publican at Foundry Arms in Leigh.

Teammate Brian Hall was impressed by Lindsay. "One of the best left foots I've ever seen. Alec was one of those players who had such a lovely sweet movement and motion when he kicked a ball with his left foot that he could kick it three quarters the length of the pitch and made it look so easy."
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 170 22 23 31 2 248
1969-1970 6 0 0 1 0 7
1970-1971 21 4 2 8 0 35
1971-1972 38 3 1 2 1 45
1972-1973 37 4 7 11 0 59
1973-1974 36 9 6 3 0 54
1974-1975 25 2 4 4 1 36
1975-1976 6 0 3 2 0 11
1976-1977 1 0 0 0 0 1
1977-1978 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
14 1260 Leeds United
13 1170 Tottenham
13 1107 Ipswich Town
11 1020 Arsenal
11 990 Coventry City
11 893 Southampton
10 900 Manchester City
10 900 Wolves
10 900 Leicester City
9 810 Everton
9 810 Newcastle United
9 810 Stoke City
8 720 Chelsea
8 720 West Ham United
7 660 WBA
7 630 Burnley
7 630 Derby
7 630 Sheffield United
5 450 Manchester United
4 360 Norwich City
4 360 Bristol City
4 360 Birmingham City
4 360 Crystal Palace
4 360 Ferencvaros
4 360 Carlisle United
3 270 QPR
2 180 Doncaster Rovers
2 180 Nottingham Forest
2 180 Hull City
2 180 Middlesbrough
2 180 Frankfurt
2 180 AEK Athens
2 180 Dynamo Berlin
2 180 Red Star Belgrade
2 180 Strømsgodset
2 180 Bayern Munich
2 180 Servette
2 180 Gladbach
2 180 Din. Bucharest
2 180 Dyn. Dresden
2 165 Hibernian
1 120 Mansfield Town
1 90 Dundalk
1 90 Sunderland
1 90 Aston Villa
1 90 Huddersfield Town
1 90 Luton Town
1 90 Jeunesse d'Esch
1 90 Brentford
1 90 Real Sociedad
1 90 Swindon Town
1 90 Oxford United
1 90 York City
Total Started/substitutions
246 Started
7 On the bench
2 Substitute
2 Substituted
Total Venue
126 Home
116 Away
6 Neutral
Total Competition
170 League
23 League Cup
22 FA Cup
13 UEFA Cup
9 European Fairs Cup
6 European Cup Winners Cup
3 European Cup
2 Charity Shield
Total W D L Win % Manager
200 107 56 37 53.5% Bill Shankly
48 26 10 12 54.2% Bob Paisley
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 12 1 1 4 0 18
1969-1970 1 0 0 1 0 2
1970-1971 0 0 0 1 0 1
1971-1972 0 1 0 0 0 1
1972-1973 4 0 0 1 0 5
1973-1974 4 0 0 0 0 4
1974-1975 3 0 0 1 0 4
1975-1976 0 0 1 0 0 1
1976-1977 0 0 0 0 0 0
1977-1978 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Assists per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 10 2 4 1 0 17
1969-1970 1 0 0 0 0 1
1970-1971 2 0 0 0 0 2
1971-1972 1 1 0 0 0 2
1972-1973 3 0 3 0 0 6
1973-1974 3 1 0 0 0 4
1974-1975 0 0 1 1 0 2
1975-1976 0 0 0 0 0 0
1976-1977 0 0 0 0 0 0
1977-1978 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's assists
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 16.09.1969 Dundalk Anfield Europe
50 11.09.1971 Southampton Anfield League
100 30.09.1972 Leeds United Elland Road League
150 22.09.1973 Tottenham Anfield League
200 08.05.1974 Tottenham White Hart Lane League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 56 16.09.1969 Dundalk Anfield Europe
Related Articles
A player who wasted his great talent at Liverpool

Bob Paisley's opinion on Alec Lindsay.

Lindsay the spot king

The Coventry Evening Telegraph report on Liverpool- Leicester City on 24.08.1974.

Related Quotes

"One of the best left foots I've ever seen. Alec was one of those players who had such a lovely sweet movement and motion when he kicked a ball with his left foot that he could kick it three quarters the length of the pitch and made it look so easy."

Brian Hall on Alec Lindsay

"It was quite funny because Keegan and me were celebrating on the greyhound track and we turned round to see that the ref hadn’t given it. He called Kevin offside, Emlyn Hughes was rowing with him and we had to get back because the game had kicked off again."

Alec Lindsay on his disallowed goal vs. Newcastle in the 1974 FA cup final

Scrapbook
Color images of Liverpool's key men in the 1971 FA Cup final
Color images of Liverpool's key men in the 1971 FA Cup final
Evans welcomes Lindsay as the 1969/70 season begins
Evans welcomes Lindsay as the 1969/70 season begins
Haunted by my transfer fee - 1972
Haunted by my transfer fee - 1972
Heartbreaker - Lindsay's penalty topples York on 10 September 1975
Heartbreaker - Lindsay's penalty topples York on 10 September 1975
LFC Official Matchday Magazine interview 2000/01
LFC Official Matchday Magazine interview 2000/01
Lindsay clears - match image - 12 April 1971
Lindsay clears - match image - 12 April 1971
Lindsay signs
Lindsay signs
Lindsay's penalty clincher - 10 September 1975
Lindsay's penalty clincher - 10 September 1975
Lindsay's unlucky day - 12 April 1971
Lindsay's unlucky day - 12 April 1971
Luckless Sheffield rocked by Anfield goal blast - 23 September 1972
Luckless Sheffield rocked by Anfield goal blast - 23 September 1972
Poster of Alec Lindsay - Football Monthly February 1972
Poster of Alec Lindsay - Football Monthly February 1972
Shankly parades another star - 12 September 1970
Shankly parades another star - 12 September 1970
Star Choice from the Liverpool match programme in 1971
Star Choice from the Liverpool match programme in 1971
Welcome for Alec - 14 March 1969
Welcome for Alec - 14 March 1969
Where are they now? - Liverpool club magazine
Where are they now? - Liverpool club magazine
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Bury 1964-1965 England Second Division 6 2 6 2
Bury 1965-1966 England Second Division 17 4 17 4
Bury 1966-1967 England Second Division 32 1 35 1
Bury 1967-1968 England Third Division 41 6 48 8
Bury 1968-1969 England Second Division 31 0 33 1
Stoke City 1977-1978 England Second Division 20 3 22 3
Oakland Stompers 1978 NASL 28 1 28 1
Toronto Blizzard 1979 NASL 4 0 4 0
Newton 1982-1983 North West Counties League N/A N/A N/A N/A
Total 179 17 193 20