Albert Stubbins

Centre-forward Albert Stubbins was one of Liverpool's most popular players in then period immediately following the end of World War II and is rightly remembered as a legend at Anfield as well as at Newcastle United. Stubbins was already vastly experienced and a prolific marksman when signed from Newcastle where he scored a record of 244 goals in wartime that included 23 hat-tricks. Everton and Liverpool were both interested in his services and had both offered a £1,000 less than the record transfer figure, £14,000, paid by Arsenal to Wolverhampton for Bryn Jones in 1938. Stubbins was at the Newcastle News Theatre when there came a notice on the cinema screen: ‘Would Albert Stubbins please report to St James’ Park’."This was about six o’ clock and I went up there to meet Mr George Kay and Mr Theo Kelly, representing Everton," Stubbins said. "Stan Seymour, the Newcastle director said: ‘Which representative would you like to see first?’ I said: ‘Let’s flip a coin. Heads Liverpool. Tails Everton.’ It came down heads – Liverpool. Bill McConnell, the Liverpool chairman and George Kay and myself discussed matters and I was impressed with them both, and with the possibilities of Liverpool, so said I would go to Anfield. I also knew several of the Liverpool players at the time like Willie Fagan and Jack Balmer. That probably gave Liverpool the slight edge and in the end I never spoke to Everton because I had been so impressed with Liverpool’s offer."

“A-L-B! E-R-T! Albert Stubbins is the man for me…”
Stubbins scored on his Reds debut at Bolton and only missed two more League fixtures for the rest of the season, which ended with him winning the League Championship. He was equal top-scorer at the club with Jack Balmer with 24 goals each. Stubbins scored four times, including a memorable hat-trick against Birmingham, during Liverpool's run to the FA Cup semi-final that season. His most memorable goal came on 1st March 1947 in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, here described by Liverpool's talisman at the time, Billy Liddell. "When I put the ball over it was going a bit off course, but Stubbins literally threw himself through the air to meet it with his head when parallel with the ground, about two feet above the turf. It went in like a rocket, giving Gil Merrick absolutely no chance, and Albert slid on his stomach for several yards on the frozen pitch before coming to a stop." Stubbins was of course very proud of this astonishing goal that displayed his bravery: "It was an icy ground and both of my knees were lacerated and bleeding but it was certainly worth it." Stubbins again scored 24 League goals in 1947/48, which included four, two in each half, when Huddersfield Town visited Anfield on 6 March 1948 even though he had been threatened before the game: "On the morning of the match I received a telegram and although I can’t remember the exact wording, the general consensus was if I scored, my legs would be broken. I didn’t want to worry the rest of the team so I kept it to myself. It was obviously meant to frighten me, but it didn’t work. I never did find out who sent it. Perhaps it was George Kay’s way of geeing me up!"

The Geordie became embroiled in a contractual dispute with his employers in the 1948/49 season. He had already planned for the future and wanted to become a journalist when his career was over. Chairman Bill McConnell had arranged for him to write a column in the Football Echo when he signed his Liverpool contract. "When Bill died, the board felt they weren’t responsible for his promise. There was some confusion and that’s why I delayed signing-on. It was all very amicable and at no time did the club and myself ever fall out. It was a private matter and that’s why so few people knew the real reason behind the dispute. It was widely assumed that my family was unsettled on Merseyside." Partly because of this dispute and partly because of injury problems, Stubbins only played 18 games that season. Stubbins again reached double-figures in the League in the 1949/50 season despite missing 14 first division matches and was also a member of the team defeated by Arsenal in the 1950 FA Cup final. By now in his early-30's, Stubbins' name was less frequently on Liverpool's teamsheet and the last of the 178 first-team appearances he made for the club came at Stoke on 3 January 1953. He had kept up his record of scoring a goal almost every other game and was a popular figure. Stubbins left Liverpool on 3 September 1953 to become player-coach at non-league Ashington where he only played four games at centre-half before returning to Liverpool's transfer list where he was valued at £3,000. Liverpool never got a transfer fee for him as he retired soon after. "Even if I had a bad game the crowd would never crucify me like they would some players,” Stubbins told Mark Platt at LFC.tv. Stubbins enjoyed a great following among Reds that was reflected in the formation of "The Albert Stubbins Crazy Crew", an appreciation society set up by the sons and grandsons of Kopites who adored him. "My son, Eric, says they'd never have started a fan club if they had seen me play," Stubbins quipped.