Players - David Pratt

David Pratt
Birthdate: 5 March 1896
Birthplace: Lochore, Fife, Scotland
Date of death: 28 July 1967
Other clubs: Lochore Welfare (1912-14), Lochgelly United (1914-17), Hill O' Beath (1917-19), Celtic (1919-21), Bo'ness (loan 1919-20), Bradford City (1921-23), Bury (1927-29), Yeovil & Petters United (1929-33)
Signed from: Bradford City
Signed for LFC: 31.01.1923
Liverpool debut: 17.02.1923
Last appearance: 07.05.1927
Debut goal: 25.12.1925
Last goal: 25.12.1925
Contract expiry: 30.11.1927
Win ratio: 46.43% W:39 D:20 L:25
Total games/goals opposite LFC: 3 / 0
League games / goals: 76 / 1
Total games / goals: 84 / 1

Player Profile

David Pratt joined Bradford City in November 1921 from Celtic where he had been an outside-left. Pratt established himself as centre-half at Bradford City who were unfortunately relegated to the Second Division in his debut season. Reports said he was "the mainstay of the defence" and "a coming international." Pratt signed for Liverpool in January 1923 and became immediately known for his mighty throw-ins as the Liverpool Echo revealed in the report on Pratt's Liverpool debut on 17 February 1923: "Pratt was amazing the crowd with some of his throw-ins, I swear some reached the middle of the field. If he could develop this “Long Throw” it could be a useful asset if further up the field and would almost be like a corner." Pratt played as left-back when Liverpool guaranteed the League title with two games to go on 21 April 1923 against Herbert Chapman's Huddersfield Town. The following season he was an understudy to right-half Tom Bromilow and added 15 games to his total. The highest number of league games Pratt played in during a single season was 26 in the 1924/25 season when he profited from Bromilow's absence due to injury and Walter Wadsworth's lengthy ban for a dismissal. After five seasons at Anfield Pratt left for first division Bury at the end of November 1927. If Pratt wouldn't suceed there, he could always depend on his cigar business!

Pratt was player-manager of Southern league's Yeovil and Petters United when he revealed his musings on "Sport in relation to everyday life". "Sport as a factor in development we welcome as an ally, but sport as a dominant passion is an enemy of the soul,” concluded Pratt, in what was described as a striking address to the Yeovil Rotary Club. He did admit that there was no question about the value of recreation that was encouraged by most churches, but the difficulty was with professional sports which thousands of people followed. In industrial cities like Sheffield, Newcastle, and Sunderland it had been demonstrated beyond all question that football matches had helped to empty public-houses, and many women bought season tickets for their husbands. Watching the game had a psychological and moral as well as social value, "but when all cultural interests are crowded out by it, there is real danger to the life of the nation.”

In 1933 Pratt moved from Yeovil, where he had stayed for four years, to manage Clapton Orient in Third Division South. When a move to Notts County looked on the cards in 1935, Orient supporters got up a petition to make him stay. Despite their protestations Pratt moved to County where he never took charge of a competitive game as he took over at Scottish first division Hearts the very same summer! Pratt had to juggle two jobs as manager and trainer at Tynecastle when a players' strike in October 1936 forced his assistant, Jimmy Kerr, to resign. Pratt felt the situation was intolerable and resigned four months later. When World War II broke out he served in the RAF. He accepted to become manager of Port Vale in December 1944, but was unable to gain release from the Air Force.
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 76 8 0 0 0 84
1922-1923 7 0 0 0 0 7
1923-1924 15 0 0 0 0 15
1924-1925 26 4 0 0 0 30
1925-1926 14 0 0 0 0 14
1926-1927 14 4 0 0 0 18
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
7 630 Blackburn Rovers
6 540 Newcastle United
5 450 Leeds United
4 360 West Ham United
4 360 Nottingham Forest
4 360 Everton
4 360 Sheffield United
4 360 Cardiff City
4 360 Tottenham
4 360 Notts County
4 360 Manchester City
3 270 Burnley
3 270 Arsenal
3 270 Birmingham City
3 270 Aston Villa
3 270 Huddersfield Town
3 270 Bolton Wanderers
3 270 Leicester City
2 180 Bournemouth
1 90 Southport
1 90 Sheffield Wednesday
1 90 WBA
1 90 Southampton
1 90 Bury
1 90 Preston North End
1 90 Manchester United
1 90 Bristol City
1 90 Middlesbrough
1 90 Derby
1 90 Sunderland
Total Venue
43 Away
41 Home
Total Competition
76 League
8 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
84 39 20 25 46.4% Matt McQueen
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 1 0 0 0 0 1
1922-1923 0 0 0 0 0 0
1923-1924 0 0 0 0 0 0
1924-1925 0 0 0 0 0 0
1925-1926 1 0 0 0 0 1
1926-1927 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Total Opponent
1 Newcastle United
Total Competition
1 League
Total Goal minute period
1 46-60 minutes
Total Goal origin
1 Open play
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 17.02.1923 Blackburn Rovers Anfield League
50 18.04.1925 Tottenham Anfield League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 60 25.12.1925 Newcastle United Anfield League
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Scrapbook
Spotlight on Pratt ahead of a proposed move to Everton in November 1921
Spotlight on Pratt ahead of a proposed move to Everton in November 1921
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Lochore Welfare 1912-1914 Scotland N/A N/A N/A N/A
Lochgelly United 1914-1917 Scotland N/A N/A N/A N/A
Hill O' Beath 1917-1919 Scotland N/A N/A N/A N/A
Celtic 1919-1920 Scotland Division 1 1 0 1 0
Bo'ness 1919-1920 Scotland Central Football League N/A N/A N/A N/A
Celtic 1920-1921 Scotland Division 1 19 0 19 0
Bradford City 1921-1922 England First Division 27 1 32 1
Bradford City 1922-1923 England Second Division 23 4 23 4
Bury 1927-1928 England First Division 26 0 29 0
Bury 1928-1929 England First Division 25 0 28 0
Yeovil & Petters United 1929-1933 Southern League N/A N/A N/A N/A
Total 121 5 132 5