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Craig Johnston, Kevin MacDonald, Kenny Dalglish and Bruce Grobbelaar

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar has explained how he goaded the Manchester City chairman after he was blackballed by the club's executives in 1996.

Grobbelaar enjoyed a career in South Africa, Zimbabwe and America before moving to England in the late 1970s.

After one season with Crewe, Grobbelaar joined Liverpool in March 1981 and enjoyed great success with the Reds during a 13-year career at Anfield as he won six First-Division titles, four League Cups, three FA Cups and one European Cup.

In 1994, Grobbelaar was one of several players accused of match-fixing and although he was eventually acquitted of all charges, it was an allegation that weighed heavy on him later in his career.

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The Zimbabwe international later signed for Southampton but only lasted two seasons on the South Coast before his contract with the club wasn't renewed by the manager at the time, former Liverpool captain Graeme Souness.

Explaining the situation to The Telegraph, Grobbelaar said: "I was at Southampton after Liverpool.

However, he was quickly on as he way back to England as Alan Ball, now the Manchester City manager, had a proposal for him.

“He said: ‘I want to sign you.

I walk out into the terminal and see Alan Ball standing there, shaking his head," said Grobbelaar.

"He says: ‘I’m sorry, the chairman has blackballed you.’”

From there, the goalkeeper got in touch with Neil Warnock to see if there was room for him at - Liverpool's FA Cup fourth-round opponents this weekend - Plymouth Argyle.

Explaining the move, Grobbelaar said: “I said to him: ‘Do you need a keeper?’ He said: ‘Give me two minutes.’ He rang me back and said: ‘Can you get to Bristol by two o’clock?’ It had to be done by then.

"So I got there, met the chairman, shook hands and signed for Plymouth.

I went into the directors’ box afterwards and said to the opposition chairman: ‘That was for you.’ It was Manchester City.”

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After his one season at Plymouth, Grobbelaar later enjoyed spells in England with Oxford United, Sheffield Wednesday, Oldham Athletic and Bury, among others.


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