Les Bruton

Inside-left forward Les Bruton took time to establish himself in professional football, failing to make much of an impression at Southampton, where he managed just seven second division appearances between 1922 and 1926. He subsequently joined amateur side Peterborough & Fletton United, the club that preceded Peterborough United, before spending two years with Raith Rovers in Scotland. Bruton eventually found his scoring touch at Blackburn Rovers, where his powerful style of play earned him the description of a “human tank”. Between 1929 and 1931, he scored 23 goals in 38 first division appearances, establishing himself as an effective forward at the highest level. However, he lost his place in Blackburn’s starting line-up during the 1931/32 season and moved to Liverpool in February 1932.

Bruton made his Liverpool debut away to West Ham United on 20 February 1932, playing inside-left in a 1–0 league defeat. He also featured in the FA Cup tie against Chelsea at Anfield the following week, but Liverpool were beaten 2–0 and exited the competition. He made six further appearances during the 1932/33 season, scoring his only goal for Liverpool in a 2–0 league victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 27 December 1932. Despite his previous goalscoring record at Blackburn, he was unable to establish himself as a regular at Anfield. At the age of 30, Bruton left Liverpool and continued his career with amateur side Leamington Town in the Birmingham Combination.