Done Bob Image 2 Liverpool 1928

Description

Runcorn, Cheshire born left back Bob Done began his football career playing for Runcorn before First Division club Liverpool’s manager Matt McQueen brought him to Anfield as an amateur in February 1926, turning professional in April 1926. He made his Football League debut, along with George Pither, on New Year’s Day 1927 in a 2-1 defeat to Bolton Wanderers at Burnden Park, although he was a fringe player during his first two seasons when club captain Don Mackinlay and the experienced Tommy Lucas was ahead of Done in the pecking order. His first goal came some 18 months later in a 6-3 victory over Leicester City on 8th September 1928; it was the second goal and it came in the 31st minute. All six goals were scored by different players, and from there Done established himself in the team, playing in all but five matches over the course of the season, and scored five goals, three of which came from the penalty spot.

Lucas and Done were fighting it out for the same spot with Done gaining the upper hand for the first 12 matches of rhe 1929-30 campaign, but he was replaced by Lucas for the rest of the season. Done won his place back at the beginning of the next campaign but lost his place in November, but from August 1931 he remained in the starting line-up on a more frequent basis for the next three seasons before losing his place in February 1934.

Done’s final outing for Liverpool came on 17th November 1934 in a repeat of the match in which he scored his first goal, against Leicester at Anfield. This time, Liverpool won by five goals to one and Gordon Hodgson scored a hat-trick, but it proved his only appearance of 1934-35 and after 13 goals in 155 appearances for The Reds Done left for Reading in May 1935. He spent two seasons on the fringe at Elm Park, scoring once in 13 appearances, before joining Chester in the 1937 close season, where he made 41 appearances during a single season at Sealand Road. He joined Accrington Stanley and made 6 appearances in the autumn of 1938 and moved to non league Bangor City later that year, before the outbreak of the Second World War forced his retirement.

NB in the photograph taken at Upton Park on 6th October 1928, Done hooks clear from West Ham United centre forward Vic Watson’s fly kick at the ball. The match finished a 1-1 draw.