Shafto: John
WW2 Guest: 1941-1942
(Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)
Centre Forward
Born: Humshaugh, Northumberland: 08-11-1918
Debut: v Middlesbrough (a): 25-04-1942
5ft 8 3/4in 11st 12lb (1937)
Shafto started with his local team Hexham and, after interest from Everton, joined First
Division Liverpool in November 1936. He was only eighteen when he went to Anfield and he was
not introduced into the first team until the following season when he made his debut at
Centre Forward in a 1-1 draw with Leicester City at Anfield on 23rd October 1937. He got his
first goal for Liverpool in 6th November 1937 just on half-time with the third Liverpool goal
in a 3-4 loss to Brentford at Anfield in his third game and finished the season with six
goals from fourteen League games, which included two goals in the last ten minutes to seal a
3-1 win against local rivals Everton at Goodison Park on 16th February 1938. They proved to
be his final goals for Liverpool in peace-time. He only played four more games for Liverpool
and made his last appearance for them on 22nd April 1939 as Liverpool drew 1-1 with
Sunderland at Anfield as Jack Balmer, Willie Fagan and Phil Taylor became the accepted
strikers. He scored six goals in seventeen League games and one goal in three F.A. Cup ties.
He did stay with Liverpool during the war and scored three goals in eight wartime games. But
they were few with one goal in two games in 1940-41, one in three in 1941-42, one in one in
1942-43 and none in two in 1943-44. He also played as a guest for Brighton and Hove Albion,
scoring once in his only game in 1941-42, sixteen in eighteen games in 1942-43 and six in
nine in 1943-44, Bradford City, where he made one appearance in 1942-43 without scoring, and
had one game with Leeds United. It came at Centre Forward in the 1941-42 Football League
Northern Section (Second Championship) game on 25th April 1942 in the 3-2 win over
Middlesbrough at Ayresome Park. He did not play in the Football League after the Second
World War. He died in 1978.