Alun Evans
Encyclopedia
Alun William Evans is an English
former footballer
who made his name as a centre forward in the Liverpool
side rebuilt by Bill Shankly
at the start of the 1970s. He was born in Kidderminster
, Worcestershire
.
, breaking into the first team in the 1967/68 season. He had already appeared for the club on their summer success in winning the United Soccer Association
under the guise of the Los Angeles Wolves
in Summer 1967.
He only had one full season in Wolves' first team as he swiftly joined Liverpool
in September 1968 for £110,000, making him Britain's most expensive teenager. He had caught the eye of manager Bill Shankly
after he outran and out-thought Liverpool captain Ron Yeats
in a match in 1968. Although only 19, and despite Shankly's known desire to introduce new players gradually to the team, Evans was put straight into the side and stayed there until the end of the season.
He made his debut on 21 September 1968 in a league match against Leicester City
at Anfield
, scoring in a 4-0 win. Evans went on to feature in 33 league games, scoring seven goals as Liverpool finished runners-up to Leeds
.
After an unimpressive 1969/70 campaign, he fared better the next season, scoring frequently in the opening games but suffered from injury and ill-luck which forced him out of the team, including facial scar
ring after being attacked with broken glass
in a nightclub.
He returned to the fray near the end, and bagged a hat-trick
during this season in a European Fairs Cup
4th round 1st leg tie at home to German
giants Bayern Munich
in a 3-0 win that ultimately saw them through 4-1 on aggregate. He also scored a magnificent equaliser against Merseyside
rivals Everton
as Liverpool came from behind to win their FA Cup
semi-final at Old Trafford. However, Evans played disappointingly in the final
and was substituted midway through the second half. Liverpool eventually lost 2-1 to Arsenal
after extra time.
His Anfield
career didn't last much longer, as the signing of Kevin Keegan
pushed him aside, and he managed only a handful of appearances in 1971/72. After 111 first team appearances, he departed for Second Division, newly-promoted, Aston Villa
for £72,000 on 20 June 1972; Evans could have joined the Villa Park club straight from school as he impressed during a trial in 1964, however, he had decided to sign for Midland
rivals Wolves.
He remained at Villa Park for just two-and-a-half seasons, before being allowed to leave for fellow Midlanders Walsall
for £30,000 on 14 December 1975, after 71 games and 17 goals. Ironically, 5 months after Evans departed, Villa gained the promotion back to the big time they yearned for, finishing runner-up to Manchester United
by 3 points. Following two full seasons at Walsall, the striker ended his career abroad playing in both the U.S.
and Australia
(with South Melbourne FC
).
After hanging up his boots he stayed in Melbourne
for a spell where he became a delivery driver delivering bread, he then went on to become a painter and decorator. He was also a useful League cricketer and is presently in the Lancashire Over 50s squad as a wicket-keeper/batsman.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who made his name as a centre forward in the Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
side rebuilt by Bill Shankly
Bill Shankly
William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...
at the start of the 1970s. He was born in Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
.
Career
Evans began his professional career with Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, breaking into the first team in the 1967/68 season. He had already appeared for the club on their summer success in winning the United Soccer Association
United Soccer Association
The United Soccer Association is a former professional soccer league featuring teams from the United States and Canada. The league survived only one season before merging with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League. All the teams in the league were imported...
under the guise of the Los Angeles Wolves
Los Angeles Wolves
Los Angeles Wolves are a former United States professional soccer team, owned by Jack Kent Cooke, that played for two seasons during the 1960s...
in Summer 1967.
He only had one full season in Wolves' first team as he swiftly joined Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in September 1968 for £110,000, making him Britain's most expensive teenager. He had caught the eye of manager Bill Shankly
Bill Shankly
William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...
after he outran and out-thought Liverpool captain Ron Yeats
Ron Yeats
Ronald 'Ron' Yeats is a Scottish former footballer. He was the captain of the first great Liverpool team of the 1960s.-Life and playing career:...
in a match in 1968. Although only 19, and despite Shankly's known desire to introduce new players gradually to the team, Evans was put straight into the side and stayed there until the end of the season.
He made his debut on 21 September 1968 in a league match against Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, scoring in a 4-0 win. Evans went on to feature in 33 league games, scoring seven goals as Liverpool finished runners-up to Leeds
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
.
After an unimpressive 1969/70 campaign, he fared better the next season, scoring frequently in the opening games but suffered from injury and ill-luck which forced him out of the team, including facial scar
Scar
Scars are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin after injury. A scar results from the biological process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. With the exception of very minor lesions, every wound results in...
ring after being attacked with broken glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
in a nightclub.
He returned to the fray near the end, and bagged a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
during this season in a European Fairs Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
4th round 1st leg tie at home to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
giants Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
in a 3-0 win that ultimately saw them through 4-1 on aggregate. He also scored a magnificent equaliser against Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
rivals Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
as Liverpool came from behind to win their FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final at Old Trafford. However, Evans played disappointingly in the final
1971 FA Cup Final
In the finale to the 1970-71 FA Cup season, the 1971 FA Cup Final was contested by Arsenal and Liverpool at Wembley on the 8 May 1971.Arsenal won 2–1 after extra time, with all three goals coming in the added half hour. Steve Heighway opened the scoring for Liverpool with a low drive past...
and was substituted midway through the second half. Liverpool eventually lost 2-1 to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
after extra time.
His Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
career didn't last much longer, as the signing of Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
pushed him aside, and he managed only a handful of appearances in 1971/72. After 111 first team appearances, he departed for Second Division, newly-promoted, Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
for £72,000 on 20 June 1972; Evans could have joined the Villa Park club straight from school as he impressed during a trial in 1964, however, he had decided to sign for Midland
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
rivals Wolves.
He remained at Villa Park for just two-and-a-half seasons, before being allowed to leave for fellow Midlanders Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
for £30,000 on 14 December 1975, after 71 games and 17 goals. Ironically, 5 months after Evans departed, Villa gained the promotion back to the big time they yearned for, finishing runner-up to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
by 3 points. Following two full seasons at Walsall, the striker ended his career abroad playing in both the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(with South Melbourne FC
South Melbourne FC
South Melbourne FC is a football club based in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Considered the most successful association football club in Australia, they have won four national championships, a string of Victorian State League titles, and represented Oceania in the 2000 FIFA Club World...
).
After hanging up his boots he stayed in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
for a spell where he became a delivery driver delivering bread, he then went on to become a painter and decorator. He was also a useful League cricketer and is presently in the Lancashire Over 50s squad as a wicket-keeper/batsman.