Larry Lloyd
Birthdate: 6 October 1948
Birthplace: Bristol, England
Other clubs: Bristol Rovers (1965-69), Coventry City (1974-76), Nottingham Forest (1976-81), Wigan Athletic (1981-83)
Bought from: Bristol Rovers
Signed for LFC: £50,000, 23.04.1969
International debut: 19.05.1971 vs. Wales
International caps: 4/0 (3/0 at LFC) 17.05.1980
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Liverpool debut: 27.09.1969
Last appearance: 02.02.1974
Debut goal: 26.02.1972
Last goal: 24.11.1973
Contract expiry: 15.08.1974
Win ratio: 52.29% W: 114 D: 61 L: 43
Total games/goals opposite LFC: 16 / 0
LFC league games/goals: 150 / 4
Total LFC games/goals: 218 / 5
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Player profile
Lloyd had already won four England amateur international caps by the age of 17, but only played one season with lower-league Bristol Rovers when he was bought by Shankly to replace Ron Yeats. 'Larry, I have come to the conclusion that you would kick your grandmother for a fiver,' Bill Shankly told Lloyd as their talks began about a move to Liverpool. 'I would actually kick her for half of that,' Lloyd replied. Liverpool’s interest in Lloyd was aroused when Shankly and chief scout Geoff Twentyman saw him play for Rovers in a fifth round FA Cup-tie against Everton at Goodison Park two months earlier. Shankly had watched him three times since and although Lloyd lacked pace and skill he was dominant in the air, strong in the tackle and had the qualities of a leader. He played in two consecutive League games for the Reds in the autumn of 1969 and the last six first division matches of that season. Yeats filled in occasionally at left-back in the 1970/71 season, leaving the tall Bristolian free to establish himself at the heart of Liverpool's defence. He only missed two League fixtures that year and reached the FA Cup final, where Liverpool were beaten in extra-time by Arsenal. More disappointment followed a year later when a controversial disallowed 'goal' a few minutes from the end of the final League game cost them the League Championship. But in 1972/73 those near misses were forgotten as Liverpool captured the Championship with Lloyd featuring in every single one of the 66 competitive matches of that draining season and also headed in the decisive third goal in the first leg of the UEFA Cup final against Mönchengladbach.
Lloyd was still very much first-choice at the start of the next season and played in 27 consecutive first division games up to and including the home fixture with Norwich City on 2 February 1974. He was substituted for Peter Cormack on that day and the Scot scored the last-minute winner to keep Liverpool in touch with Leeds at the top of the table. While Lloyd was out for the season with a thigh injury Cormack established himself in the middle and fellow midfielder Phil Thompson was moved to centre-half in place of Lloyd. Shankly wanted to build more from the back and the partnership of Hughes and Thompson fitted the bill, Lloyd didn't. The club were prepared to listen for offers for a man who was still only 25-years-old and had several good years ahead of him. In August 1974 Coventry City paid £240,000 for Lloyd which was for that time a very high fee, by comparison Liverpool had just paid a club transfer record of £180,000 for Ray Kennedy the previous month.
Lloyd struggled at Coventry and in his third season at the Sky Blues he moved on to second division Nottingham Forest which turned out to be very fortuitous for him and the club. Brian Clough's team was promoted that season in 1976/77, took the League title off Liverpool the following year and prevented a third consecutive European Cup title for the Reds by knocking them out in the first round in 1978/79 and going all the way to win the trophy. Liverpool recaptured the domestic title but in 1979/80 Forest followed in Liverpool's footsteps by winning the European Cup for the second year running. After five exceptional years at Forest Lloyd moved to Wigan as player-manager in March 1981. Although he took the Lancashire club into the Third Division a year later, he was dismissed the following season. He also had a short spell in charge of Notts County where after his first game a reporter pointed out that nine of his eleven players had been booked and asked his opinion on this startling fact. Lloyd simply looked straight at him and said, 'Well, I’ll have to question the commitment of the other two.’
This priceless story involving Lloyd was brought to our attention by "MBE" on the forum of the Red and White Kop. "Larry Lloyd came back to Anfield after leaving us for Nottingham Forest and he was coming in for some fearful abuse. 'Oh, Larry Larry, Larry Larry Larry Larry SHITHOUSE Lloyd' ringing round and everything. Anyway, Forest get a throw-in and the big feller comes over to take it and someone in the crowd screams at him, 'You traitor, you should have stayed at Anfield' and Lloyd looks at him and shouts, 'Piss off, dosser, you'll be emptying my dustbins tomorrow' which I thought was funny, but cruel, but the same feller comes back with, 'Yeah, right down your throat, you big-mouthed bastard!.'" After Lloyd had fallen on hard times he sold his medals at Christie's in 2001 for a mere £12,000. Lloyd was depressed at the time being out of work. "Selling my European medals is the greatest regret of my life," Lloyd said. 'I feel sick when I think about it. But needs must when the devil drives and the devil was certainly at the wheel then."