Exclusive: Unsung Liverpool Hero McDonnell Satisfied With Memorable Success

Peter McDonnell never played a senior game for Liverpool but won European Cup, European Super Cup and UEFA Cup medals during his Anfield career.

Now 71, and still actively involved in the game, McDonnell was understudy to Ray Clemence and sat on the bench in Rome when the Reds won the first of their six European Cups against Borussia Monchengladbach in 1977.

He undertook the same role 12 months earlier as Club Brugge were dispatched in the forerunner to the Europa League before completing a silverware hat-trick as Liverpool smashed Kevin Keegan’s Hamburg 7-1 on aggregate in the 1977 Super Cup.

Not bad for a lad whose career began with Milnthorpe Corinthians in the North Lancashire League.

Handed a Football League debut at Bury, McDonnell enjoyed plenty of first team appearances post Liverpool for Oldham, Barrow and Morecambe.  He also had spells in America and Hong Kong.

As Liverpool are installed as favourites for another Champions League title, the native Cumbrian recalled his European adventures, and as a qualified referee for more than a quarter of a century, McDonnell has his own thoughts on what the David Coote scandal has done for fellow officials across the spectrum.

“The fact I didn’t play in the first team didn’t bother me at the time,” McDonnell told SportsBoom.com. 

“I look back on it now and think maybe had there been just one (appearance). But it wasn’t for me.

“And football has been good to me. I have had a lot out of the game and certainly had very few dark days.

“Besides, you had one substitute in those days so it was never going to be a goalkeeper. In Europe though we had five including a sub goalkeeper. 

“I travelled the length and breadth of Europe with the first team and sat on the bench and got to watch those games first hand.

“Ray was also phenomenal and didn’t get injured. He didn’t miss a game for five and a half years and I was there for four of them.”

GREAT GUY

It isn’t lost on McDonnell, who grew up and still does support Spurs, that Clemence’s son, Stephen, is now manager at Skybet League Two Barrow.

McDonnell had two spells at Holker Street, first as player manager-succeeded by Brian Kidd- and then as player only when the Bluebirds lifted the FA Trophy in 1990.

It’s just over four years since the death of Clemence senior. 

“In my opinion Ray wasn’t just the best goalkeeper in England and Europe but he was also a great guy," added McDonnell.

“I have come across footballers who you wouldn’t want to live next door to."

“But Ray was very helpful when I joined Liverpool. We used to do odd appearances together and he would always  come and pick me up and take me home again afterwards.”

McDonnell hung up his boots at Barrow, aged 40, played grassroot football in the Kendal area for another four years before calling time on his playing career.

But determined to stay active and remain in the sport, he became a referee in his local Westmorland and North Lancashire Leagues.

“I never aspired to referee at a higher level; I felt I was too old with a starting point of 44," he reflected.

“I progressed to level five (county standard) but that’s as far as I ever wanted to go."

“I love it. You have good days and not so good days. You get your eyesight and parentage questioned."

“You do get the odd exception, but the abuse isn’t that bad in this area. In the bigger cities it is probably more of a problem."

“However, you do learn how to deal with it and it doesn’t bother or upset me.”

ABUSE AS A REFEREE

McDonnell agrees his previous professional exploits stood him in good stead when he started out.

“But after three or four years that wore-off and you were just another referee. I get the same respect or abuse as any other referee.”

McDonnell, also a director of the Westmorland FA, says there has been an upward trend in the area of people wanting to take-up refereeing, including from aspiring female officials.

“We are in a fortunate position over the last two years here we have covered every single game but that is probably a great rarity."

“I don’t think it will have a negative impact on grass roots refereeing but it will have on professional referees,” he admitted of the on-going Coote affair.

“It is going to raise a lot of questions about the impartiality of referees. It isn’t a good look."

“You will get other referees questioned-wrongly so-because as far as I am concerned referees are totally impartial."

“They make mistakes but so do players and I think integrity of referees in this country is first class." 

“But there will murmurings in the crowd at professional games if things don’t go the way of their teams which is sad all because of one person.”