Dick Forshaw

Inside-left forward Forshaw joined Liverpool after serving for four years in Ceylon with the Royal Garrison Artillery. Introduced into the Liverpool first eleven after the opening three fixtures of the 1919/20 season, Forshaw played in 23 first division games and scored seven times, including a hat-trick against Derby County in helping his club finish the season in fourth place. Another fourth-place finish followed a year later when Forshaw's contribution was nine goals from 27 appearances. It was during the next two years that Forshaw really came to prominence, not missing a single game as the club won the league title in consecutive seasons, 1921/22 and 1922/23 and scoring 36 times in those 84 appearances. Although Forshaw only missed three games when Liverpool unsuccessfully went for a championship hat-trick, his goals tally was down to five but 'normal service' was resumed in 1924/25 when he was easily the club's leading scorer with 19 and he bettered that in what was to prove his final full season at Anfield with 27 from only 32 league games in 1925/26. Forshaw was portrayed by the Derby Daily Telegraph in 1921 as "a brainy, unorthodox lad, who does the unexpected thing, but that has been his secret of success. An opponent never knows what Forshaw will do. He never forgets his partner, but is not bound hand and foot to him. Has a powerful shot in either foot."

In March 1927, the 33-year-old Forshaw had weighed in with 14 goals when he made the short trip across Stanley Park to continue his career with Everton. A quote from Everton's minute books reveals: "Forshaw - Secy. reported having asked the L'pool Club if they were prepared to part with this player & the result was an interview with the L'pool club after our match today at which it was agreed to obtain this player at a fee of £3750 & an engagement up to 5th May 1928 at limit wage & £10 signing on bonus." It was very surprising that Liverpool's Board accepted Blues' offer and the move came not at least as a surprise to Forshaw himself who came home to find the respective secretaries of the clubs waiting for him to announce their agreement to him. His wife, who was a staunch Liverpool supporter, was not at all pleased and declared: "I have never been an Evertonian and I don't know what I shall do about it."

Forshaw starred along with the great Dixie Dean at Everton, picking up his third League championship in his first full season in 1928 becoming the first player to win the title with both Liverpool and Everton.

It certainly wasn’t due to lack of form Forshaw was sold but to fill the Anfield cashier’s coffers. Supporter “Red Dingle” was shocked to see Forshaw go and composed “A Supporter’s Lament.”

“It’s all very well for directors  
To say we shouldn’t cuss;  
They think of nowt but £.s.d.  
But blimey – what price us?  
For there isn’t a man in the thousands  
That occupy Spion Kop  
Who agrees with the transfer of Dickie,  
The boy with the twinkling hop  
 
Supposing you’ve been a supporter  
For more years than you care to tell:  
And owing to treatment in years gone by  
Wished the Everton club in Division 2:  
Would you like to see your favourite sold  
Without as much as a wink?  
It’s enough to drive us up a pole.  
You’ll agree with me, I think.” 

Forshaw made the news for less desirable reasons in April 1932 when he was charged for theft. He had been given £100 by one Richard Green of Alexandra Drive in Liverpool, to place on long shot Grand Salute to win the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot, in June 1931. The horse won and Green was entitled to £2,050. Forshaw disappeared with the winnings to be later tracked down in Kilburn, London. Forshaw subsequently produced vouchers showing the money had been placed with three bookmakers, but the bets actually made were only £2 each so the accused had drawn £188. The vouchers had been altered to represent to Mr. Green that the whole of his £100 had been placed with the bookmakers. Forshaw pleaded guilty to four charges of theft but asked for leniency as he had been pressed for money. The court heard that since he retired from football in 1931 he had been a failed commission agent and ran a fish and chip business in London with his wife. He was deemed to have acted with "peculiar meanness" and was sentenced to 12 months’ hard labour.