Saturday, April 13 – 1929
Never in living memory has there been such a football season as this. A fortnight ago Derby County announced that money troubles were enforcing the break-up of their team. Last week the sensational news came from Preston that the whole of the North End players had been “fired.”
£40,000 worth of first-class footballers for sale! What a happening. And yet I cannot say it was altogether unexpected. Those who are able to observe what goes on behind the scenes in big football have been aware since last autumn that a crash of some kind was inevitable at Deepdale.
Money, or, rather, the lack of money, has had a lot to do with it, of course. But I rather think that the prolonged controversy between the directors and Alec James did something to precipitate matters.
At any rate, the truth can now be told about Alec James. To pretend that he and his club had settled their differences was mere policy. I am able to state with authority that he would have left them for Liverpool weeks ago had there not been a limitation on players’ wages in this country.
Liverpool offered £9,000 and Elisha Scott, their international goalkeeper, in exchange for James. But when Preston’s super-Scotsman figured out that his share would amount to only £390 he was so astonished and disgusted that he decided he might as well stay with the North End.
(The Gleaner, 13-04-1929)
Alec James
"Play Up, Liverpool" 