Leicester City In 100 Players: Danny Liddle

Born in Bo’ness in 1912, he joined East Fife as a 17 year-old in April 1929, helping them to promotion to the Scottish First Division in 1930. Despite being relegated a year later, Danny won three Scotland caps in May 1931, playing at outside-left. 

Described as ‘one of the best outside-lefts in Scottish football’ Danny signed for Leicester City in May 1932 at a time when the successful Foxes side of the late 1920s was ageing, having finished only 18th in the First Division at the end of the previous season. 

In his first four campaigns at Filbert Street, Danny played at outside-left but then he moved to inside-left in the three seasons leading up to the outbreak of war. 

In his second season at Filbert Street (1933/34), he was an ever-present in league and FA Cup matches. He scored four goals from the wing against Sheffield United and was the season’s top scorer; a feat he repeated in 1934/35, when City were relegated and, in 1937/38, when they were back in the top flight. 

In 1936/37, when manager Frank Womack brought outside-left Eric Stubbs to Filbert Street, Danny reverted to inside-left and was a key member of the team which won the Second Division title that season. 

Speaking on his 100th birthday in 2012, Eric Stubbs recalled: “I was playing on the left wing. Danny Liddle would put the ball to the corner flag, and I swung crosses into the box. Big Jack (Bowers) was at the far post and bang: the ball and the goalkeeper would be in the back of the net! Danny Liddle was a real character in the Club. He was a comical Scotsman.” 

Described in the press as ‘a valiant hearted player who worked like a Trojan’, Danny was awarded a benefit match against league champions Manchester City in a First Division fixture in January 1938. Danny led the teams out with a band playing ‘Danny Boy’. 

Following the outbreak of war, Danny, when military commitments allowed, played over 100 games in wartime competitions for the Club, before joining Mansfield Town in July 1946 for a final season of league football.