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Bob Paisley's precocious talents as a schoolboy footballer were well noted in the County Durham area. His
performances as a fifteen year old for Hetton Juniors had attracted scouts from further afield too. Unfortunately
for Bob his childhood dream of playing for Sunderland was crushed as he was deemed by the club to be too small.
He suffered rejection for the same reason too at the hands of Wolves and Spurs and it seemed his footballing
ambitions were not to be realised.
However Bishop Auckland were to come to Bob's rescue as they signed him up prior to the start of the 1937-38 season and he was paid the pricely sum of three shillings and sixpence per match ( 17.5 p in today's currency ). The Bishops were one of England's premier non-league clubs and ferried their players to matches in private luxury cars. Quite a stir was caused on matchdays in Hetton as Bob was invariably picked up by a hired Rolls-Royce. |
Bob the schoolboy starlet |
In the incredible treble winning season of 1938-39 Bishop Auckland collected their tenth amateur championship,
a non-league record, and Sunderland's interest in signing Bob was reignited. However Liverpool were now on the
scene, and unbeknown to Sunderland Bob had promised Liverpool manager George Kay that at the end of the season
he would sign for them.
Before Bob could sign forms for the Reds though, he had to play his part in an incredible run in to the season that saw Bishop Auckland play thirteen matches in fourteen days. They lifted the Amateur Cup with a 3-0 demolition of Willington ( after extra time ) at Roker Park. After the game Bob duly signed for Liverpool for a £ 25 signing on fee plus £ 8 a week in season and £ 6 a week during the summer. There was still one more cup final for the Bishops to play out and on May 6th 1939, they beat South Shields, again at Roker Park, to take the Durham Challenge Cup and thus complete their treble. Just two days later, on May 8th, Bob Paisley boarded a train to Exchange Street station Liverpool to begin an association that was to last over half a century. |