It would be easy to describe Dave Halliday simply as a player who benefited from the change to the offside law in 1925 in achieving his prodigious goalscoring feats.  But it would also be wrong. Indeed, 164 goals in 175 games for Sunderland were scored after the laws had been changed, and this scoring started before most teams had adapted their style of play.  But Dave arrived at Roker as an already proven goalscorer, having netted 100 goals in four seasons at Dundee under the old laws.

Dave, born in Dumfries in 1897, started off with his home club Queen of the South before moving to St Mirren, where he was mainly a reserve left-winger.  It was at Dens Park that he was converted to a centre-forward, and selected for the Scottish League side in 1924.  Bob Kyle signed him for Sunderland the next year, fighting off competition from Newcastle.  (The Tynesiders later attempted to make up for this slip by signing Dave's younger brother William for £1000 but he proved an expensive mistake, only making one appearance before being released on a free transfer.)

By this time, though, Dave was flourishing at Roker Park alongside Bobby Marshall and Bob Kelly.  Ten goals (including two hat-tricks) in his first four games for Sunderland, the fastest player in League history to 100 First Division goals (in 101 games) and more hat-tricks (12, with a further three 4-goal hauls) than any other Sunderland player.

This is not the record of an "average" player taking advantage of a particular situation. If it were, others would surely have appeared to surpass these records. His style also won praise from the sternest of critics, Argus, who lauded his direct, facing the goal approach "much preferable to Camsell, who bumps and bores with his back to the defence".

There were two seasons when Sunderland finished third, then the trauma and drama of 1927-28, to which Halliday still contributed 38 goals including one in the vital last match win at Ayresome Park.  Then Johnny Cochrane arrived, and started to make changes to the team.  Dave linked up well in particular with Bob McKay, enjoying his most productive season and establishing the Sunderland goalscoring record of 43 goals in a season in 1928-29, four years after the offside law had changed and the "stopper" centre half had become commonplace.

By this time Dave was 32, though contemporary reports suggested that he was somewhat younger.  In any event, when Arsenal tabled a bid of £6,500 in November 1929 it was accepted, causing enormous disquiet on Wearside and much conjecture.  At this distance in time the precise reasons for Dave Halliday's departure can only be surmised.  Argus provided an enigmatic remark in the Sunderland Echo: "There are things which it is impossible to discuss beyond saying that the directors hands were forced. Contrary to local rumours, there was no disagreement between Halliday and Cochrane."

After Arsenal, Dave Halliday moved on to Manchester City then Clapton Orient before becoming player-manager of Yeovil & Petters.  He then returned to Scotland to spend a highly successful 17 years as Aberdeen manager culminating in their first championship in 1955, before being enticed to Leicester.

Dave's attacking inclinations still showed as a manager, but this time with woeful consequences for Sunderland.  Leicester needed a win on the last day of the 1957-58 season at Birmingham to send Sunderland down, and Dave Halliday threw an attacking formation out despite his side already having conceded 112 goals.  Leicester won 1-0 and Sunderland were down.

Dave retired to Aberdeen, passing away just before Sunderland's second relegation in 1970.  It would though be totally wrong to remember him for association with relegation, but rather as a footballer who maintained both as a player and a manager that the object of the game was to score goals.  Which he did - and how.

My sincere thanks to Dave Hillam for this article.