Liddle Bobby Image 3 Stoke City 1936

Description

Gateshead, County Durham born outside right Bobby Liddle began his football career with Washington Colliery along with Joe Mawson. The pair were signed by Second Division Stoke City in January 1928, Liddle scoring on his Football League debut in a 5-1 victory at Nottingham Forest that August, however he didn’t fully establish himself in Tom Mather’s side until the next campaign.  Liddle was a small, tricky right winger and became much liked both on and off the pitch.

He scored a career best 15 goals in 1930-31 as he finished joined top scorer with Wilf Kirkham, missing only one match in the campaign, and two seasons later he helped Stoke to the Second Division Championship, scoring 7 League goals in 33 matches during 1932-33. When a young up and coming Stanley Matthews burst onto the scene and took Liddle’s right wing berth, Liddle moved to the inside right berth, and was a regular in The Potters’ side until the end of 1937-38.

However he was relegated to the fringes in 1938-39, playing only twice, after which the Second World War’s outbreak in September 1939 ended his League career after 64 goals in 316 appearances for Stoke City. During the War he continued to play for Stoke, regaining his right wing berth during the War with Matthews spending most of his time away with the RAF. He retired once the Football League resumed in 1946 and was then appointed club trainer at Stoke, a position he kept until 1953.