Players - Larry Lloyd

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)
Signed 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
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
Honours: League Championship 1972/73, UEFA Cup 1973
Total games/goals opposite LFC: 16 / 0
League games / goals / assists: 150 / 4 / 1
Total games / goals / assists: 218 / 5 / 1

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."
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 150 16 20 31 1 218
1969-1970 8 0 0 1 0 9
1970-1971 40 7 3 10 0 60
1971-1972 33 2 3 4 1 43
1972-1973 42 4 8 12 0 66
1973-1974 27 3 6 4 0 40
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
12 1080 Leeds United
12 1080 Tottenham
10 900 West Ham United
9 810 Southampton
9 810 Chelsea
8 750 WBA
8 750 Arsenal
8 720 Wolves
8 720 Stoke City
8 671 Everton
7 630 Crystal Palace
7 630 Ipswich Town
7 630 Manchester United
7 630 Derby
7 630 Newcastle United
7 582 Manchester City
6 540 Coventry City
6 540 Leicester City
5 450 Nottingham Forest
5 450 Burnley
5 450 Sheffield United
4 360 Huddersfield Town
4 360 Birmingham City
4 360 Carlisle United
4 360 Bayern Munich
4 333 Norwich City
3 270 Hull City
2 210 Mansfield Town
2 180 Hibernian
2 180 Ferencvaros
2 180 Sunderland
2 180 Servette
2 180 Din. Bucharest
2 180 Frankfurt
2 180 AEK Athens
2 180 Dynamo Berlin
2 180 Red Star Belgrade
2 180 Gladbach
2 180 Dyn. Dresden
2 180 Jeunesse d'Esch
2 134 Blackpool
1 90 Swansea City
1 90 QPR
1 90 Doncaster Rovers
1 90 Dundalk
1 90 Swindon Town
1 90 Aldershot
Total Started/substitutions
218 Started
2 On the bench
0 Substitute
3 Substituted
Total Venue
109 Away
107 Home
2 Neutral
Total Competition
150 League
20 League Cup
16 FA Cup
12 UEFA Cup
11 European Fairs Cup
4 European Cup
4 European Cup Winners Cup
1 Charity Shield
Total W D L Win % Manager
218 114 61 43 52.3% Bill Shankly
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 4 0 0 1 0 5
1969-1970 0 0 0 0 0 0
1970-1971 0 0 0 0 0 0
1971-1972 1 0 0 0 0 1
1972-1973 2 0 0 1 0 3
1973-1974 1 0 0 0 0 1
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Total Started/substitutions
5 Started
0 Substitute
Total Competition
4 League
1 UEFA Cup
Total Goal minute period
1 16-30 minutes
3 31-45 minutes
1 61-75 minutes
Total Goal origin
5 Open play
Assists per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 1 0 0 0 0 1
1969-1970 0 0 0 0 0 0
1970-1971 1 0 0 0 0 1
1971-1972 0 0 0 0 0 0
1972-1973 0 0 0 0 0 0
1973-1974 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's assists
Total Opponent
1 Ipswich Town
Total Competition
1 League
Total For player
1 Bobby Graham
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 27.09.1969 WBA The Hawthorns League
50 20.02.1971 Everton Goodison Park League
100 26.02.1972 Manchester City Anfield League
150 26.12.1972 Sheffield United Bramall Lane League
200 17.11.1973 Ipswich Town Anfield League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 37 26.02.1972 Manchester City Anfield League
Related Articles
Kicking my grannie, by Larry the man mountain

From the Daily Mail on 18 May 2008.

Related Quotes

"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!"

MBE on RAWK forum

"He's bigger than Yeats and as strong as a bull. He's afraid of nothing."

Shankly on Larry Lloyd

Scrapbook
A bitter black weekend for Lloyd - 13November 1971
A bitter black weekend for Lloyd - 13November 1971
A consoling arm for the walk off! - 12 August 1972
A consoling arm for the walk off! - 12 August 1972
Bristolian back in town! - 9 March 1974
Bristolian back in town! - 9 March 1974
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
Geoff Twentyman on Larry Lloyd
Geoff Twentyman on Larry Lloyd
Injured Liverpool star rushed 50 miles to hospital - 17 August 1970
Injured Liverpool star rushed 50 miles to hospital - 17 August 1970
Larry Lloyd - the natural successor to Ron Yeats
Larry Lloyd - the natural successor to Ron Yeats
Larry Lloyd Liverpool and England
Larry Lloyd Liverpool and England
Larry Lloyd may be as successful as Stan Cullis - 17 October 1970
Larry Lloyd may be as successful as Stan Cullis - 17 October 1970
Larry Lloyd On Cover of Goal - Dec 1973
Larry Lloyd On Cover of Goal - Dec 1973
Living the dream - in the 1971/72 campaign
Living the dream - in the 1971/72 campaign
Lloyd and Tommy Smith on the cover of Shoot! on 19 June 1971
Lloyd and Tommy Smith on the cover of Shoot! on 19 June 1971
Lloyd gets in on the scoring act! - 30 September 1972
Lloyd gets in on the scoring act! - 30 September 1972
Lloyd joins
Lloyd joins
Lloyd moves to Liverpool
Lloyd moves to Liverpool
Lloyd set for an appeal - August 1972
Lloyd set for an appeal - August 1972
Lloyd's ban overturned - November 1972
Lloyd's ban overturned - November 1972
No trickery raps Shankly - September 1972
No trickery raps Shankly - September 1972
Poster of Larry Lloyd - May 1971
Poster of Larry Lloyd - May 1971
Ross not the biggest name but... - 13 November 1971
Ross not the biggest name but... - 13 November 1971
The new kingpin in Liverpool's defence - from the 1970/71 season
The new kingpin in Liverpool's defence - from the 1970/71 season
With the two best clubs in the country
With the two best clubs in the country
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Bristol Rovers 1968-1969 England Third Division 43 1 51 1
Coventry City 1974-1975 England First Division 34 5 38 6
Coventry City 1975-1976 England First Division 11 0 11 0
Coventry City 1976-1977 England First Division 5 0 5 0
Nottingham Forest 1976-1977 England Second Division 26 3 34 4
Nottingham Forest 1977-1978 England First Division 26 0 34 1
Nottingham Forest 1978-1979 England First Division 36 0 55 3
Nottingham Forest 1979-1980 England First Division 42 3 64 4
Nottingham Forest 1980-1981 England First Division 18 0 26 0
Wigan Athletic 1980-1981 England Fourth Division 9 0 9 0
Wigan Athletic 1981-1982 England Fourth Division 36 0 40 2
Wigan Athletic 1982-1983 England Third Division 7 0 8 0
Total 293 12 375 21