June 23, 1919
The retain and transfer lists of The Football League and Southern League have been compiled, and the figures are interesting. As to the retain list we have little information, and if the clubs can show cause for the retention of the players there can be no objection, but the transfer lists are always open to comment.
For the information of our readers we give the clubs with the number of players on the transfer list:
| First Division | |
| Arsenal | 1 |
| Aston Villa | 17 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 4 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 15 |
| Bradford City | 11 |
| Bradford | 5 |
| Burnley | 0 |
| Chelsea | 3 |
| Derby County | 1 |
| Everton | 6 |
| Liverpool | 0 |
| Manchester City | 7 |
| Manchester United | 19 |
| Middlesbrough | 4 |
| Newcastle United | 10 |
| Notts County | 11 |
| Oldham Athletic | 7 |
| Preston North End | 7 |
| Sheffield United | 8 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 4 |
| Sunderland | 8 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 16 |
| 164 | |
| Second Division | |
| Barnsley | 6 |
| Birmingham | 18 |
| Blackpool | 0 |
| Bristol City | 15 |
| Bury | 14 |
| Clapton Orient | 6 |
| Coventry City | 0 |
| Fulham | 4 |
| Grimsby Town | 15 |
| Huddersfield Town | 13 |
| Hull City | 8 |
| Leeds City | 10 |
| Leicester Fosse | 13 |
| Lincoln City | 13 |
| Nottingham Forest | 10 |
| Rotherham County | 0 |
| Stockport County | 6 |
| South Shields | 0 |
| Stoke | 0 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 4 |
| West Ham United | 0 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 18 |
| 173 | |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 29 |
| Glossop | 10 |
| 212 |
Thus the 44 League clubs and the two retired clubs have 376 names on the transfer list, roughly an average of eight each.
This does not seem an unreasonable number, though it does seem that the clubs in the Birmingham area and Manchester United might still further reduce their lists.
The Southern League clubs have the following: –
| Southern League (Club list) | |
| Brighton | 4 |
| Brentford | 10 |
| Bristol Rovers | 14 |
| Barry | 4 |
| Cardiff City | 5 |
| Crystal Palace | 12 |
| Exeter City | 13 |
| Gillingham | 18 |
| Luton Town | 9 |
| Merthyr Town | 20 |
| Mid-Rhondda | 53 |
| Newport County | 8 |
| Northampton | 16 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 17 |
| Millwall | 13 |
| Norwich City | 23 |
| Pontypridd | 10 |
| Portsmouth | 14 |
| Queen’s Park Rangers | 5 |
| Reading | 6 |
| Southampton | 18 |
| Southend United | 13 |
| Swansea Town | 10 |
| Swindon | 3 |
| Watford | 20 |
| 338 | |
| Southern League (League’s list) | |
| Aberdare | 29 |
| Abertillery | 38 |
| Caerphilly | 13 |
| Coventry City | 39 |
| Croydon Common | 79 |
| Cwm Albion | 9 |
| Ebbw Vale | 49 |
| Beyton | 44 |
| Mardy | 22 |
| Stoke | 35 |
| Treharris | 11 |
| Walsall | 76 |
| West Ham United | 8 |
| 452 | |
Thus, the Southern League clubs have an average of 13 per club, whilst the Southern League holds the transfer rights of 451 players for 13 clubs. Let us repeat, the Southern League holds the transfer rights of 451 players. Surely such a state of things requires the immediate attention of the Southern League for their own reputation and credit.
(Source: Athletic News: June 23, 1919)
"Play Up, Liverpool" 