Players - Ray Minshull

Ray Minshull
Birthdate: 15 July 1920
Birthplace: Bolton, England
Date of death: February 2005
Other clubs: Southport (1939-46), Southport (2 / 1951-57), Bradford Park Avenue (1957-59), Wigan Rovers (1959-60)
Signed from: Attended trials
Signed for LFC: September 1946
Liverpool debut: 19.10.1946
Last appearance: 22.04.1950
Contract expiry: 30.06.1951
Win ratio: 29.03% W:9 D:8 L:14
League games / goals: 28 / 0
Total games / goals: 31 / 0
League clean sheets: 7
Total clean sheets: 7

Player Profile

Cyril Sidlow was the club’s recognised last line of defence in the years immediately following World War II but Minshull deputised for him in six matches in the fantastic 1946/47 championship season. He earned the distinction of saving a penalty from Bill Shankly when Preston North End visited Anfield on 7 April 1947, twelve and a half years before he became Liverpool's boss. Albert Stubbins revealed Minshull's strategy in his newspaper column the following week. "Before our Easter Monday games with Preston Jack Balmer commented that Bill Shankly, visiting wing-half, always placed penalty kicks to the left side of goalkeepers. During the game when Preston were awarded a spot kick, the wily Shankly ran at the ball as though to slam it - instead he attempted a place shot. Ray Minshull was prepared, and his clever save ended any hopes Preston had of saving the game - and proved Jack Balmer to be correct."

Although Minshull was at Anfield for four seasons, he only made 31 appearances for the club and had to leave Merseyside to find regular first-team football. He was given a free transfer and upon the completion of his Liverpool contract he signed for Southport on 1 July 1951, making 217 league appearances for them. Minshull was Wigan Rovers' player-manager in the Cheshire County league in the 1959/60 season and coached in Gibraltar and Austria. He became a highly-popular youth development officer at Everton in the 70's and 80's, unearthing a number of gems such as Gary Stevens, Steve McMahon and former captain Kevin Ratcliffe who is very grateful to Minshull for bringing him to Merseyside. "I would have first met Ray when I was 14 years old," recalled Ratcliffe. "He used to come across to my house to speak to my dad before I signed for the club. He brought lots of us into the club. Ray was a great fellow even though he was also a tough disciplinarian."
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 28 3 0 0 0 31
1946-1947 6 0 0 0 0 6
1947-1948 13 2 0 0 0 15
1948-1949 4 1 0 0 0 5
1949-1950 5 0 0 0 0 5
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
3 270 Stoke City
3 270 Manchester United
2 210 Nottingham Forest
2 180 Wolves
2 180 Preston North End
2 180 Blackpool
2 180 Portsmouth
2 180 Sunderland
2 180 Huddersfield Town
2 180 Arsenal
1 90 Fulham
1 90 Grimsby Town
1 90 Charlton Athletic
1 90 Sheffield United
1 90 Middlesbrough
1 90 Aston Villa
1 90 Newcastle United
1 90 Bolton Wanderers
1 90 Burnley
Total Venue
15 Away
15 Home
1 Neutral
Total Competition
28 League
3 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
31 9 8 14 29% George Kay
Clean sheets per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 7 0 0 0 0 7
1946-1947 2 0 0 0 0 2
1947-1948 1 0 0 0 0 1
1948-1949 3 0 0 0 0 3
1949-1950 1 0 0 0 0 1
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 19.10.1946 Huddersfield Town Leeds Road League
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Southport 1939-1946 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Southport 1951-1952 England Third Division North 20 0 23 0
Southport 1952-1953 England Third Division North 38 0 40 0
Southport 1953-1954 England Third Division North 31 0 31 0
Southport 1954-1955 England Third Division North 45 0 46 0
Southport 1955-1956 England Third Division North 46 0 49 0
Southport 1956-1957 England Third Division North 28 0 28 0
Southport 1957-1958 England Third Division North 9 0 9 0
Bradford Park Avenue 1957-1958 England Third Division North 19 0 19 0
Bradford Park Avenue 1958-1959 England Fourth Division 9 0 9 0
Wigan Rovers 1959-1960 Cheshire County League N/A N/A N/A N/A
Total 245 0 254 0