Geoff Twentyman
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 Geoff Twentyman historical image | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Geoffrey Twentyman | ||
| Date of birth | 19 January 1930 | ||
| Place of birth | Brampton, England | ||
| Date of death | 16 February 2004 (aged 74) | ||
| Place of death | Southport, England | ||
| Position | Central defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1947–1953 | Carlisle United | 149 | (2) |
| 1953–1959 | Liverpool | 170 | (18) |
| 1959–1963 | Ballymena United | ||
| 1963–1964 | Carlisle United | 10 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1960–1963 | Ballymena United | ||
| 1964–1965 | Morecambe | ||
| 1965 | Hartlepools United | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Geoffrey Twentyman (19 January 1930 – 16 February 2004) was an English footballer who is mainly remembered for his links with Liverpool F.C. as both a player and as chief scout.[1]
Born in Brampton, Cumberland, the left-half played for Swift Rovers as an amateur and Carlisle United. Twentyman stood 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) and was a strong, robust player who made his name at Carlisle as a centre-back having been switched there by Bill Shankly during his spell as manager of the Brunton Park club.
He was spotted by Don Welsh, who signed him for Liverpool in December 1953 for £10,000, he made his debut on 19 December in a league match against arch rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford. United won 5–1. His first goal came almost a year later on 9 November 1954 in a 2–1 win over Hull City in a Second Division match at Anfield.
Twentyman's signature could not prevent them from being relegated by the end of his first season at the club. All of Twentyman's Liverpool appearances were during the days when they struggled to get out of the Second Division, even though they were finishing consistently just outside the promotion places. Twentyman featured in 184 matches scoring 19 goals before leaving Liverpool.
He went on to become player/manager of Irish side Ballymena United. Ironically, he left the Reds just nine months before the arrival of his former manager Bill Shankly. After his spell at Ballymena, Twentyman returned to play for Carlisle for a second time, he also went on to represent Morecambe and Penrith.
