On this day in 1922, the great Len Shackleton was born. Over his mighty 320 league appearances for the Black Cats, the 'Clown Prince of Football' racked up 97 goals and cemented his place as one of the top players of the 40s and 50s.
A true master of his craft, the start of his career was not quite as smooth as he turned out to be on the pitch. He was released from Arsenal's books after being told he was 'too small' to play the beautiful game. During the Second World War, Shack went pro with Bradford Park Avenue, and scored 4 goals in his 7 second division appearances, but due to heckles from Bradford's fans, who did not enjoy his individualist play, he signed for the Mags in 1946.
From this point. Len shone through and in 1948, he joined the lads for what was a record transfer fee at the time of £20,050. He went on to play for the lads for the next 9 years, gaining attention from the England setup and eventually getting 5 caps and 1 goal for his country. One commentator described his skills 'Once in possession, and few can match his dexterity at brining the ball under control, the ball becomes his slave'.
As well as his love for football, Shack also enjoyed a game of cricket, playing for Wearmouth Colliery and Northumberland, where this infamous showman would delight the crowds by pretending to have missed catches, and then would produce the ball from his pocket!
He retired from football in 1957, and he enjoyed a long 43 years of retirement before his death in 2000, aged 78. At the time of retirement, his autobiography was a big hit, running 5 editions in just 3 months. A true Sunderland legend of the game, he was inducted into the SAFC Hall of Fame in 2019, and so his legacy lives on...
RIP Len Shackleton, the 'Clown Prince of Football'
