SHACKLETON, AN EXPLORER

In 2017 Arsene Wenger was given a 4 match ban for abusing a 4th official . One of these games was at Stamford Bridge against close rivals Chelsea and Arsene had to sit in the stands with the paying punters. He found himself sitting next to a chap who told him that he was his gardener; Arsene's get out clause was "I have a big garden".

Len Shackleton, one of the greats from the post war period, won't have met many football club directors but in his biography he devoted a chapter to them and it was titled "What the average football director knows about football". The chapter was blank.

Len was the subject of a transfer record on February 4th 1948 when he moved from Newcastle to Sunderland for £20,100, £50 more than the previous transfer. On his debut for the Magpies, he scored 6 in a 13-0 drubbing of Newport County.

One of the great "mavericks", Len only won 5 England caps because his "face didn't fit" with the FA stuffed shirts. He scored one goal against West Germany, the World Cup holders. He played in two FA Cup semi-finals and earned one third place in the Football League with Sunderland, so never won a trophy.

Starting with Bradford Park Avenue, he would often also turn out for Bradford City, sometimes on the same day. During the war he was a coal miner, a "Bevin Boy".

He was signed by Arsenal at 16 and joined the club ground staff only playing two reserve games in the Southern League. He was consider "too small", so was let go. Newcastle was his next port of call signed for £13,000 in 1946 and made his debut. Two years later he joined Sunderland. Beating Arsenal 2-1, he dribbled the ball into their penalty area, stopped stood on the ball, raised his hand to his forehead surveying the scene, "combing his hair"  and looking at his imaginary watch.
Facing Bert Trautmann with a penalty against Manchester City in 1951, he walked back and back so that he had a ridiculously long run up. He set off, got to the ball and deliberately swung his foot over the ball, missing it-bert dived and Shackleton spun round and rolled the ball into an unguarded net. (not legal today I might add).

Playing one-twos with corner flags and smashing the ball into a snow drift on the side of the pitch to waste time were some more of his tricks.
He played Minor County cricket for Northumberland and in club cricket for the Wearmouth Colliery.

When he retired he opened a barber's shop and was a journalist, living at Grange over Sands in Cumbria. He died in November 2008.