Profile

Liverpool were fined £250 pounds after buying Bob Pursell from Queens Park as the Reds failed to talk to his club prior to approaching him. Pursell was one of 26 men selected for first-team action at various stages of the 1911-12 season, playing in 26 league and cup matches during that debut season. He was in and out of the side during the next two years but did play in all eight of the cup-ties which saw Liverpool reach their first FA cup final in 1914 but it was Burnley who took the famous trophy home with them after a narrow 1-0 victory at the old Crystal Palace ground.

Controversy continued to follow Purcell's Liverpool career as he along with three Liverpool players; Miller, Fairfoul, Sheldon and three United players was found guilty of fixing a game between Liverpool and Manchester United on Good Friday 1915. The Bookies had laid 7-1 against United winning 2-0 which is how it ended. Incidentally Bob Pursell was the one who conceded Liverpool's penalty in the game, which maybe to Pursell's dismay, Pat O'Connell missed. The First World War took the best of Bob's competitive playing career away from him and although he did return to Anfield after Peace was declared, he was only picked twice more in consecutive First Division games against Manchester United and Everton mid-way through the 1919-20 season. Pursell joined Port Vale in May 1920 and featured in 68 games for Vale until breaking his leg in a 1-1 draw vs Leicester on 14th April 1922.

Other Clubs:
Aberdeen University, Queen's Park, Port Vale