Len Shackleton

Leonard Francis Shackleton (3 May 1922 – 28 November 2000) was an English footballer.

Known as the "Clown Prince of Football", he is generally regarded as one of English football's finest ever entertainers.

He also played cricket in the Minor Counties for Northumberland.

Able to play at inside forward or outside forward, he scored 134 goals in 427 league and cup appearances in just over 11 seasons in the Football League, and before that scored 171 goals in 209 league and cup appearances during wartime football.

His ball control skills made him one of the most talented players in the country, but his individualism and outspoken nature limited him to only five England caps in a six-year international career.

He also never won a trophy or league title.

Leonard Francis Shackleton was born in Bradford, England on 3 May 1922 to Leonard and Irene Shackleton; his father was a self-employed painter and decorator and his mother was a housewife.

He was the elder brother to Irene and John; John Went on to sign for Sunderland, though never played a first team game and quit the game to become a chiropodist and tennis coach.

Shackleton attended Carlton High Grammar school, and became the first Bradford schoolboy to represent England schoolboys when he scored two goals in a 6–2 victory over Wales schoolboys; also in the team that day was future Sunderland teammate Dickie Davis.

Despite his family being keen Bradford City supporters, Shackleton signed amateur forms with Bradford Park Avenue after being signed by manager Billy Hardy.

Bradford PA permitted him to play for Kippax United in the Leeds League.

Arsenal's secretary-manager George Allison heard of Shackleton's talents, and drove to Bradford to sign him to amateur forms in 1938.

Arsenal permitted him to play for Enfield in the Athenian League, and he in fact only represented Arsenal twice in reserve team fixtures in the Southern League.

He was released by Arsenal in May 1939 and told by Allison that he was too small to succeed as a footballer, and should find other employment.

Following this disappointment he took a job at London Paper Mills in Dartford, and turned out for the factory's works team in the Kent League.

Shackleton returned to his hometown upon hearing of the outbreak of World War II and took up employment assembling aircraft radios for GEC, at which point he rejoined Bradford Park Avenue as an amateur after being invited to the Park Avenue Stadium by manager David Steele.

Born in Bradford, he spent his teenage years before World War II with Bradford Park Avenue, Kippax United, Arsenal, Enfield, and London Paper Mills, before he turned professional at Bradford Park Avenue in 1940.

He turned professional at the club shortly before Christmas 1940 and received a £10 signing-on fee, which the cash-strapped club had to pay in instalments.

On Christmas morning he played for Bradford PA, then guested for Huddersfield Town in the afternoon, and scored in both matches.

In the wartime leagues he scored a total of 171 goals in league and cup 209 appearances for Bradford PA. He became a Bevin Boy in order to avoid his call-up for national service in 1945 as he did not want to miss the resumption of the Football League, but found the experience of coal mining terrifying and gruelling.

He began to avoid his shifts in the pits, and so was called into the Royal Air Force, where he served the remainder of his national service.

He spent the war assembling aircraft radios and playing for Bradford PA, and was sold on to Second Division rivals Newcastle United for a £13,000 fee in October 1946.

He scored four goals in seven Second Division matches at the start of the 1946–47 season, but left the club in October 1946 after growing tired of heckling from his own supporters who did not appreciate his individualist style.

In October 1946, Shackleton was sold to Second Division side Newcastle United for a £13,000 fee.

He was sold as a direct replacement for Albert Stubbins, who had been sold from Newcastle to Liverpool for the same fee.

He scored six goals on his debut in Newcastle's 13–0 defeat of Newport County at St James' Park on 5 October, with three of his goals coming within the space of just 155 seconds.

However his return to Park Avenue in his fourth game for Newcastle was not a happy one, as he had a penalty saved by former teammate Chick Farr in a 2–1 defeat to Bradford PA. The "Magpies" boasted a devastating forward line of Jackie Milburn, Roy Bentley, Charlie Wayman, Shackleton, and Tommy Pearson, and totalled 95 league goals in the 1946–47 season, though their tally of 62 goals conceded and 13 defeats left the club having to settle for fifth place.

They did though reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they were beaten 4–0 by Charlton Athletic.

After the semi-final game he and club captain Joe Harvey went on strike over housing issues; the club's board eventually relented and granted Shackleton the house they had initially promised him, though to save face told the press that Harvey and Shackleton had been in the wrong and had apologised.

He further came into conflict with the club at Christmas 1947, when he and goalkeeper Jack Fairbrother refused to join the squad on a scouting party on opponents Charlton Athletic, who they faced later that season in the third round of the FA Cup.

Unhappy with the club, he handed in a transfer request, which was granted.

""...those people upstairs, and whatnot – I never hit it off with... the fans are so brilliant at Newcastle that I feel guilty when I call them (names).

But I'm not calling the fans, I'm calling the club...

I've no bias against Newcastle – I don't care who beats them!""

- Shackleton liked the Geordie people but felt that Newcastle United was not a well run club.

He scored six goals on his Newcastle debut, but fell out with the club's directors, and was sold on to Sunderland for a British transfer record fee of £20,050 in February 1948.

In February 1948, Shackleton was sold to Newcastle's rivals Sunderland for a British transfer fee record of £20,050.

He was one of a number of a squad full of big name players signed by the club for a total outlay of around £250,000 during the post-war era, which earned Sunderland the nickname of the 'Bank of England' club.

He scored 97 goals in 320 First Division matches for the club, with the closest he came to a trophy being the 1949–50 season when Sunderland finished third in the league, and when they reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1955 and in 1956.

He retired due to an ankle injury in 1957, and became a sports journalist.