FIRST FRIENDLY VS PRESTON

A SCOT'S DEBUT AT ANFIELD
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Liddle Pleases On The Wing

"There were fewer than 300 people at Anfield for the "friendly" against Preston. Nivvy had a damaged ankle and this allowed Liddle, an 18-year-old Scot, to make his debut for the first team at outside right."

So begins the match report for Billy LIDDELL's, (the press misspelling his name as Liddle in this report) first ever game for Liverpool' first team.

This is how Liverpool lined up for Liddell's monumental game: Riley, Cooper, Ramsden, Busby, Bush, S. Eastham, Liddell, Taylor, Done, Fagan, Van den Berg.

Press reporter "Contact" concludes that "Liddle showed great promise and was never beaten in this game, which deserved a 30,000 gate for the excellence of the football shown." He also mentions in closing that "Liddle was making the Preston defence go all out."

Click on match report for a bigger image.

King Billy quote
"As the light faded both sides fought grimly to win the game, Forest showing a determination that had to be praised. Ten minutes from the end Evans broke for Liverpool, down the centre of the pitch, his shot was only parried by Nicholson and Liddell "Chipped" in from an acute angle. Not known for his deftness, it was a delight to see Billy get his second goal, the crowd looked amused as they were used to thunderbolts from the big Scot." From Liverpool Echo's match report on Liverpool - Nottingham Forest on 17th December 1955

King Billy quote

"As the light faded both sides fought grimly to win the game, Forest showing a determination that had to be praised. Ten minutes from the end Evans broke for Liverpool, down the centre of the pitch, his shot was only parried by Nicholson and Liddell "Chipped" in from an acute angle. Not known for his deftness, it was a delight to see Billy get his second goal, the crowd looked amused as they were used to thunderbolts from the big Scot."

From Liverpool Echo's match report on Liverpool - Nottingham Forest on 17th December 1955

Site News (Archive)
A nice story about Billy - the gentleman 01.09.2010 During the season 1953/54 I was living in the tenements of Glasgow (The Gorbals) and my father who was a merchant seaman and ran the Atlantic Convoys during the war 1939/43 and would often sail into Liverpool before coming up to Glasgow for R&R during those war-time years where he met my mother, and my earliest recollections of meeting the great Billy Liddell was when my father met and struck up a friendship with Billy and he came to our house in that room and kitchen in Glasgow. At the time there was 7 of plus my mother and father and I can remember this very smartly dressed person and my curiosity over all those years and especially lately when I discovered that 1953/54 was a particularly difficult season for Liverpool Football Club. I was often full of wonderment that that man could be so humble as to come and visit what was very grim accommodation at the time. I can, therefore, understand that people could say so many good things about him both on and off the pitch. - Reg Isaacson
Billy in color 19.08.2010 JK Williams sent us a few classic pictures of Billy Liddell which he has colorized. Click here to view his efforts.

Site News (Archive)

A nice story about Billy - the gentleman
01.09.2010
During the season 1953/54 I was living in the tenements of Glasgow (The Gorbals) and my father who was a merchant seaman and ran the Atlantic Convoys during the war 1939/43 and would often sail into Liverpool before coming up to Glasgow for R&R during those war-time years where he met my mother, and my earliest recollections of meeting the great Billy Liddell was when my father met and struck up a friendship with Billy and he came to our house in that room and kitchen in Glasgow. At the time there was 7 of plus my mother and father and I can remember this very smartly dressed person and my curiosity over all those years and especially lately when I discovered that 1953/54 was a particularly difficult season for Liverpool Football Club. I was often full of wonderment that that man could be so humble as to come and visit what was very grim accommodation at the time. I can, therefore, understand that people could say so many good things about him both on and off the pitch. - Reg Isaacson

Billy in color
19.08.2010
JK Williams sent us a few classic pictures of Billy Liddell which he has colorized. Click here to view his efforts.