May 27, 1912
Everton take Harold Uren and Liverpool have William Lacey
At the end of December the Mersey football folk were all keen to see whether the negotiations between Everton and Liverpool for the exchange of Jack Parkinson for William Lacey would come to a head. It didn’t. For over a week, however, the two clubs have been on very friendly terms, and have been in negotiation for certain players. When the club presented Dr James Baxter with a memento of his twenty-one year service as director. Mr. John McKenna, and Dr William Whitford and others referred to the greatly improved feeling existing between the two clubs.
The transfers I announce today have been possible through the sensible and somewhat new friendly feeling between the two clubs. Liverpool citizens can support two first-class clubs, and if ill feeling is eradicated the clubs can help each other. Take the cases of Tom Gracie, William Lacey and Harold Uren. Gracie was transferred last week to the Reds, scored a got, got on nicely with his new partners and did the Reds much good. On the same day Lacey played splendidly for Everton against Oldham in the Cup-tie, but his time for wearing a Blue jersey was short-lived for he with Gracie formed the swooping producible for Everton’s need of Harold Uren.
Uren is a clever player, who has been a misfit. He has style peculiarly his own, and sometimes aye many times, he has played in a manner that suggested he was out of football sympathy with the other members and that the other forwards could not make headway from his ideas. It is an oft-quoted axiom that a player may be unworthy inclusion in one club’s second team, and yet when transferred he finds new life and becomes an international player.
Uren, who is a local player will not be qualified tom help Everton in their Cup-tie, because he played for Liverpool against Fulham at Craven Cottage. He began with New Brighton Wesleyans, then travelled to West Kirby, later assisted Wrexham, and finally joined Liverpool with which club he has been a professional for three years, and all told has served them on and off for five years. I well recall his earliest appearance with the Reds. It was a Hoylake and one Mr. William Robert Williams forecasted that Uren would be a needs case feeding by his partner, and when he makes his bow in his new colours tomorrow for Everton against Bolton Wanderers at Goodison Park he will not have cause for complaint, Frank Bradshaw being a sound tutor. He needs to curb his excessive dribbling, and needs to be “hearty“ at times. Still he is a player whose style should fit Everton, and the club has done a good stroke of business in gaining his transfer.
Liverpool, too have done a good stroke of business, their part being the picking up of Gracie, and now of Lacey, a strong player who is, to my mind worth his place with any club because he is a strong in shot, has a grand frame, can take and give charges and is able to play in any forward position. Lacey’s transfer was definitely announced this morning by the “Echo” in the following terms: – “It is certain Lacey will sign for Liverpool to-day.” This was the first announcement to the Liverpool public, and followed another exclusive and locally important transfer, viz., Ted Taylor’s signing by Oldham.
Lacey has been with Everton just over five years, and the Blues have had good service from Dublin Shelbourne youth. He is younger than most folk imagine, and Liverpool will find their part of the bargain is distinctly a happy and profitable one, in that they require an outside winger on the left, who can put a ball across at the first touch and who can shoot with rare power. Lacey started training immediately after he had signed which was at eleven o’clock. I think the exchange between the Mersey clubs has now finished.
(Source: Liverpool Echo: February 27, 1912)
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