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Featured: Red of the Day - Alec Lindsay


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by Chris Wood

 

Left-back Alec was signed by Liverpool from his home-town club Bury in March 1969 when he was 21 years old.

 

Bill Shankly gave him his first-team debut in a 10-0 Fairs Cup thrashing of Dundalk in September that year but he didn't taste anyFirst Division action until the middle of October, when he came off the bench to strike an equaliser against Ipswich Town at Portman Road. But that was one of just 6 First Division matches he figured in thatseason.

 

The left-back slot was a 'problem position' for the club at that time; no fewer than four men - Ian Ross, Roy Evans, Ron Yeats & Alec Lindsay - played there at different stages of the 1970-71 season but by the end of the year it was Alec who had got the vote and he was picked for the 1971 F.A. cup final against Arsenal.

 

He only missed 4 League matches the following season and just 5 in 1972-73, when he was an important part of the team which won the League championship and UEFA cup. His strong left-foot brought him 5 goals that season and he also took over from Kevin Keegan as the club's penalty-taker a year later.

 

That was also the season when he wiped out the disappointment of the cup final defeat to Arsenal in 1971 by being a member of the side that outplayed Newcastle United at Wembley.

 

In that game, with the score still locked at 0-0, his strong run and thunderous shot into Iam McFaul's net was harshly deemed to be offside, when television replays later showed that the ball had come to him not from Kevin Keegan but a Newcastle defender.

 

Alec lost his place to Phil Neal, Bob Paisley's first signing, mid-way through the 1974-75 season but remained at Anfield until August 1977 when he was transferred to Stoke City.

 

He always enjoyed his football and received four international caps, a run which allegedly began when Joe Mercer was caretaker England manager and whilst deliberating on his squad for a forthcoming European summer tour said to one of his colleagues "Let's have that Lindsay from Liverpool. He's always smiling"!  After finishing his playing days in the Potteries, Alec returned to the North-West and became a publican in Leigh.

 

 

Date of Birth: 27/02/48

Nationality: English

Postition: Left back 

Games: 248

Goals: 18

ClubHons (Lpool): UEFA Cup 1972/73, LGE Championship 1972/73, FACup 1973/74

Int Hons: 4 England caaps

Other Clubs: Bury, StokeCity, Oakland Stompers, Toronto Blizzard, Newton

lindsay_alec_profile.jpg
Alec LINDSAY 1969-77

 

 

 

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Worked with his daughter about 6 years ago. She was the spit of him and had a proper Wigan accent . I used to let her off because her arl fella Was Alec Lindsay, Liverpool Legend.

 

From what I have heard he was a real solid and dependable player. Only ever seen clips as he was a few years before my time.

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It's a long time ago so I could be wrong but, I'm not sure he was a left back when we signed him. What was then called left half maybe? And if so, I think he might have played a handful of games for the reserves in that position.

I'm getting distant, but very vague memories of him being a pig farmer at one stage too. Or was that just Evertonian rumours?

He bothered them enough that they went to the trouble of making a banner which was displayed in the Anfield Rd End one particular derby day which said "Lindsay Is A Turkey".

Had a great left foot anyway.

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And that goal in the 74 cup final should have stood!

It should. Poor fella should have gone down in history with one of the sweetest struck F.A Cup Final goals ever. Contrast the way he and our players accept the refs poor decision with a bit of dignity with how players and managers react now to miscarriages of far less importance. Only Hughes the captain had a low key word with the ref and as we know they just got on with taking Newcastle's defence apart

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He was signed from Bury as a midfielder, but was tried as a striker before breaking through at left back. He had a terrific left foot. Keegan loved playing with him as his service up to him was so accurate

 

Yes. By a series of flukes, I got to sit really close  to the pitch in loads of away matches in Keegan's last season, when Joey Jones was playing LB, and Keegan was constantly berating Jones for bombing the ball way over his head. As a kid it was  a bit frightening to see your heroes going ballistic at each other, but Keegan was in a constantly foul mood thanks mainly to Lindsay no longer pinging the ball exactly where he expected it.

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Yes. By a series of flukes, I got to sit really close to the pitch in loads of away matches in Keegan's last season, when Joey Jones was playing LB, and Keegan was constantly berating Jones for bombing the ball way over his head. As a kid it was a bit frightening to see your heroes going ballistic at each other, but Keegan was in a constantly foul mood thanks mainly to Lindsay no longer pinging the ball exactly where he expected it.

No wonder he fucked off to Hamburg then.

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