Len Shackleton, one of the most talented inside forwards of the 1940s and 1950s, had a way of uniting city clubs that were usually pitched against each other in intense rivalry. He was a rare beast in being a favourite with both Newcastle United and Sunderland supporters when with their teams. Although a Bradford City fan he was signed to Bradford Park Avenue and once turned out for both clubs on the same day. He had an impish sense of humour and famously, in his autobiography Clown Prince of Soccer, he had a chapter headed: The Average Director’s Knowledge of Football, which was just an empty page.
