BILLY LIDDELL MEMORIAL PLAQUE

On the 4th of November 2004, Liverpool Football Club unveiled a plaque at Anfield in the memory of Billy Liddell. At the unveiling of the plaque, inside the Kop by the entrance to the Club's museum, was Billy's widow Phyllis, Tommy Smith and Ian Callaghan, the man who eventually replaced Liddell in the Liverpool side.

Phyllis said on this occasion: "This is such a great day for me and I'm sure Billy would have been very proud. The fact that so many fans still talk about Billy today, so long after he gave up playing, means he must have done something right for Liverpool. It's been a lovely day at Anfield and it was so nice to see people turn up to look at the plaque. I'm really touched."

The plaque reads: "The great Billy joined Liverpool from Scottish Junior football in 1938. After RAF wartime service he made his League debut in 1946, winning a title medal that season and an FA Cup runners-up medal in 1950. His loyalty, versatility and consistency illuminated Anfield's gloomy era in the old Second Division. His deeds were such that the club was dubbed "Liddellpool". He and Sir Stanley Matthews were the only players to appear in the two Great Britain teams to take the field. Exemplary sportsman, he was never booked throughout his career. He trained only twice a week due to his accountancy work. "Billy would be beyond price in any era", proclaimed his fellow legend Bob Paisley."

King Billy quote
"Sir William Liddell - to bestow upon him a title he more than earned - WAS Liverpool Football Club. He was its spirit. He was also its integrity, its heart and its passion. To Reds such as my mother and father and others of the pre-Bill Shankly generation he represented a ticket to some sort of footballing respectability. The "Liddellpool" tag the club was awarded was no hype or coincidence. It was fact. I suppose it was the reverence for him that stood out above everything else. The sheer universal respect for this truly unassuming man. Both Red and Blue alike had a mutual awe of Billy Liddell that I have only ever encountered for two other people. One was the incredible William Ralph Dean and the other was Bill Shankly himself. I think that says everything about the man." Al

King Billy quote

"Sir William Liddell - to bestow upon him a title he more than earned - WAS Liverpool Football Club. He was its spirit. He was also its integrity, its heart and its passion. To Reds such as my mother and father and others of the pre-Bill Shankly generation he represented a ticket to some sort of footballing respectability. The "Liddellpool" tag the club was awarded was no hype or coincidence. It was fact.

I suppose it was the reverence for him that stood out above everything else. The sheer universal respect for this truly unassuming man. Both Red and Blue alike had a mutual awe of Billy Liddell that I have only ever encountered for two other people. One was the incredible William Ralph Dean and the other was Bill Shankly himself. I think that says everything about the man."

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.