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

Timeline

10.01.1922 - William Beveridge Liddell is born in Townhill, Scotland.
27.07.1938 - Moves to Liverpool from Townhill to join his new team-mates.
17.04.1939 - Signs professionally for Liverpool 9 months after moving to the club.
16.12.1939 - First friendly game for Liverpool's first team vs. Preston (0-1).
01.01.1940 - Debut for the first team vs. Crewe Alexandra (7-3) in the Western Division.
18.04.1942 - Billy's wartime international debut vs England (5-4).
07.12.1942 - Joins the RAF and is a pathfinder in WWII.
05.01.1946 - Makes first appearance for Liverpool that goes to his official total of games. The opponents are Chester in the FA Cup. Liddell scores his debut goal.
20.07.1946 - Marries Phyllis three days after his good friend and teammate, Bob Paisley, marries.
15.05.1946 - Billy's "official" international debut for Scotland vs. Switzerland after playing 7 wartime games. Billy scored two goals on his competitive debut at Hampden Park in a 3-1 victory vs Switzerland.
1947 - Represents Great Britain against Europe. The match was played at Hampden Park in front of 135,000 spectators, the Great Britain side wore a navy blue strip in honour of the host association. The Great Britain team line-up was: Frank Swift (England), George Hardwick (England), Billy Hughes (Wales), Archie Macaulay (Scotland), Jack Vernon (Northern Ireland), Ron Burgess (Wales), Stanley Matthews (England), Wilf Mannion (England), Tommy Lawton (England), Billy Steel (Scotland) & Billy Liddell (Scotland).
27.02.1950 - Phyllis gives birth to twins David and Malcolm.
29.04.1950 - Billy's biggest Liverpool game to date. Liverpool lost 0-2 to Arsenal in the FA Cup final where Billy was kicked from pillar to post. Liddell was especially painfully fouled by the Arsenal right-half, a fellow Scotsman, Alex Forbes. "I couldn't put my jacket on the next day," Liddell later recalled.
January 1951 - Billy's father passes away and his family moves from Townhill in Scotland to Liverpool for Billy to look after them.
24.04.1954 - Features for the last time in the First division. Yes, Billy didn't play in the top flight for the last six years of his career!
13.08.1955 - Chosen again for the British XI vs the cream of Europe. Billy and Sir Stanley Matthews were the only two footballers who had the distinction of playing in the 1947 and 1955 games for the British team. A feat even made grander by the fact that Billy was by now a 2nd division player. The game was played at Windsor Park, Belfast to celebrate the Irish Football Association's 75th anniversary. The British team took to the field wearing Northern Ireland's green strip and comprised of: Jack Kelsey (Wales), Peter Sillett (England), Joe McDonald (Scotland), Danny Blanchflower (Northern Ireland), John Charles (Wales), Bertie Peacock (Northern Ireland), Stanley Matthews (England), Bobby Johnstone (Scotland), Roy Bentley (England), Jimmy McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Billy Liddell (Scotland).
20.08.1955 - Billy makes his debut as Liverpool's captain. He wore the captain's armband for three years.
09.11.1957 - Equals Elisha Scott's League appearance record for Liverpool of 430 League games. He went on to add 62 games to the record. Only the phenomenal Ian Callaghan has played more League games for Liverpool with 640. Note: At the time Billy was honoured at the Notts County game for breaking Elisha's record of 429 League games, but someone got their figures wrong at some point, because Elisha did indeed play 430 League games so Billy was equalling it, not breaking it.
1958 - Billy appointed Justice of the Peace.
18.10.1958 - 36-year-old Billy Liddell dropped by Liverpool for the first time in his career vs. Fulham. This was unheard of and created much anger among Liverpool's followers and the press.
1960 - Releases his autobiography: "My Soccer Story".
31.08.1960 - Last appearance for Liverpool vs Southampton in the 2nd division.
21.09.1960 - Liddell's testimonial vs International XI which included several greats such as Bert Trautmann (Man City), Jimmy Armfield (Blackpool), Don Revie (Leeds), Sir Stanley Matthews (Blackpool), Nat Lofthouse (Bolton) and Sir Thomas Finney (Preston legend). Liverpool won 4-2 with Liddell scoring for the opposition. Liddell later recalled: "When I called it a day I was on 20-a-week plus a win bonus but money was worth a lot more then. The testimonial game netted me 6,000 and I was able to buy a house."
1962 - At the end of his football career Billy joined the Guild of Students as Deputy Permanent Secretary & Bursar at the University of Liverpool.
1984 - Retires as bursar at the University of Liverpool.
1992 - Billy comes off the bench! He retires as Justice of the Peace when he reaches 70.
03.07.2001 - Billy Liddell passes away.
16.11.2008 - The Scottish Football Association inducts Billy Liddell into SFA Hall of Fame after a powerful campaign by the Billy Liddell Memorial Group.
22.05.2010 - Billy Liddell Memorial Group finally reached its goal when the Billy Liddell Memorial cairn was unveiled in the Billy Liddell Sports Complex, Townhill, Scotland. Click here for photos from this tremendous event.

King Billy quote
"My early days were actually spent in Buckingham street, Everton, in a flat over a coal yard. Everton! What a thought. The boy Smith was happy to get an early transfer out of that district at the age of five. We moved to 9 Lambet Road. Once again, it was only a stone’s throw from the two football stadiums. You could certainly hear every roar and chant in my house as the Kop army paid homage to one super hero in particular, an individual who I idolised and who I would eventually have the honour and privilege to call a teammate. The legendary Billy Liddell. I was a Catholic. Who idolised King Billy Liddell. But the religion was football and the only thing that mattered was supporting your team through thick and thin." Tommy Smith

King Billy quote

"My early days were actually spent in Buckingham street, Everton, in a flat over a coal yard. Everton! What a thought. The boy Smith was happy to get an early transfer out of that district at the age of five. We moved to 9 Lambet Road. Once again, it was only a stone’s throw from the two football stadiums. You could certainly hear every roar and chant in my house as the Kop army paid homage to one super hero in particular, an individual who I idolised and who I would eventually have the honour and privilege to call a teammate. The legendary Billy Liddell. I was a Catholic. Who idolised King Billy Liddell. But the religion was football and the only thing that mattered was supporting your team through thick and thin."

Tommy Smith

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.