Billy Liddell - This website is a part of LFCHistory.net

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
"He not only composed the letter my father sent to the club, a letter setting out the stipulations about my having a profession outside football, but Mr. Gray followed this up by making extensive inquiries about the company Liverpool intended to place me with. Not until he was satisfied did he tell my father it would be in order for me to join the club. Certainly if had not given the all-clear my father would not have allowed me to sign." Presbyterian minister Rev. D.G. Gray played a big part in Billy Liddell's move to Liverpool

King Billy quote

"He not only composed the letter my father sent to the club, a letter setting out the stipulations about my having a profession outside football, but Mr. Gray followed this up by making extensive inquiries about the company Liverpool intended to place me with. Not until he was satisfied did he tell my father it would be in order for me to join the club. Certainly if had not given the all-clear my father would not have allowed me to sign."

Presbyterian minister Rev. D.G. Gray played a big part in Billy Liddell's move to Liverpool

Site News (Archive)
A new tribute to Billy from Maccakhan on RAWK forum 05.07.2011 An absolutley lovely fella. I was fortunate enough to meet him on several occasions, he lived not far from me, but to be honest I didn't know who he was for a long time. I wasn't old enough to have seen him playing but knew him as Mr William Liddell. Being a bit stupid I didn't shorten the William to Billy, only when I was told who he was! Anyway I remember speaking to him and his wife, who introduced him to me as a retired accountant! I looked at her in amazement! This was Billy Liddell, not some accountant!!!! I remember Billy looking at me and he gave me a wink and a smile, he could see my amazement at him being described as a retired accountant and my reaction to it. A really lovely fella and a true gentlemen. PS his wife was a lovely lady too. Very modest and respectful couple.
10 years ago - RIP Billy! 05.07.2011 Undoubtedly one of the greatest players ever to wear the Liverpool shirt, Billy Liddell, passed away on 3rd July 2001. Read this fantastic tribute to him by Tony Barrett. RIP Billy!
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.