NewsLiverpool's Greatest - No.32: Elisha Scott
Years: 1913-1934
Appearances: 468
Trophies: First Division (1921-22, 1922-23)
Elisha Scott was the first goalkeeper to cement his status as a true great in Liverpool’s history.
The Northern Irishman stood between the posts for the Reds on 468 occasions between 1913 and 1934. He would have had even more appearances had it not been for World War I.
Neighbours Everton could have signed the custodian but turned him down due to his size. Their loss was emphatically Liverpool’s gain.
“Elisha was the greatest I’ve ever seen,” Blues goalscoring legend Dixie Dean said.
Admittedly, Scott may have been considered small for a ’keeper, but witnesses say the lack of height was more than made up for with elite athleticism and impeccable marshalling skills.
He debuted for the club at Newcastle United on New Year’s Day in 1913, keeping a clean sheet and impressing so much that the opposition attempted to buy him for £1,000.
The Reds wisely did not entertain such interest and Scott played a vital role as Liverpool won back-to-back league titles after the war.
He conceded just 36 goals in 1921-22 and bettered that in the following term by shipping five fewer while featuring in every match, as part of a team who became known as ‘the Untouchables’.
The stopper supplied a clean sheet in 21 of the 42 league fixtures of 1922-23.
They were the only honours Scott lifted during his two decades on Merseyside, but his popularity with the supporters grew year on year.
“People I’ve spoken to say he was possibly the greatest goalkeeper they’ve ever seen,” said journalist John Keith. “Contemporary reports describe him as lithe and cat-like in his agility.”
The man from Belfast was famous, too, for his vociferous shouting to, and at, teammates – often laden with expletives – during matches.
Having still been a teen when he arrived at the club, Scott was aged 40-and-a-half when making his last appearance for Liverpool in February 1934, reflecting his remarkable longevity.
Ahead of a return to his homeland later that year, a special microphone was installed in the Main Stand to afford the icon the opportunity to bid farewell.
“My friends of the Kop, I cannot thank them sufficiently,” he said. “They have inspired me. God bless you all.”
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