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

Liddell's Scotland debut

Jack Harkness gives Billy Liddell and Jock Dodds a big hand for their part in Scotland's shock win. But the inspiration, he says, came from the Busby - Shankly victory service.

Hail Caledonia! Once again, a Scottish eleven, with a "doubtful" label on it, has risen magnificently to the occasion and sent the Highland blood surging through Scottish veins! War or no war, this was Hampden! And these white shirts were England. "Welcome to your gory bed - or to victory!" That's how this gallant Scots eleven took the field - and if ever victory was merited this one certainly was.

And wherein did these Scots so excel themselves? Well, right off I say Busby and Shankly. These two more than anyone else turned this ordeal into an ideal. Those devastating side-of-the-foot passes to the man up in front. Each one shrewder than the last.

It was all Scotland for a time, and it looked as if a goal had to come. It did. But at the wrong end. Some teams might have reacted to this shock. Maybe have said: "Ach, they're too good for us" and stopped trying. But not this side.

MAESTRO LIDDELL

Liddell, for instance. Carol Lewis has nothing on the S.F.A. when it comes to discoveries. Ten minutes was sufficient for this boy to play himself into these criticial, hard-beating Hampden hearts. He took the equalizer with a lovely timed header. But it was the way he had in the second goal which put him in the Maestro class.

Liddell did the spadework and Dodds did the finishing for what must be one of the greatest goals Hampden has ever seen. The outstripping of the defence, the quick pass with the "wrong" foot, and then Dodds' glorious first-timer. What a goal!

England had reduced Scots' lead to 4-3 when Shankly struck for Scotland in the 71st minute: "And amongst all these great goals we had probably the strangest national goal ever. Here's a goalkeeper, the hero of his side, losing a goal from 50 yards range. Willie Shankly was the devil in the piece. He placed a beautiful shot goalwards. Out came Marks to collect. Suddenly he stopped. In a twinkling he had the old saying brought home to him - "He who hesitates is lost." The ball bounced on the ground, sailed over his head, and into the empty goal."

Liddell's last international was played on 8th of October 1955. His international record for Scotland reads 28 games and 6 goals. His 9 wartime games and 5 wartime goals are not counted towards his total.

(Click on the match report for a bigger image)

King Billy quote
"People will talk about this Liddell hat-trick for some time a right footed hook, a left footed thunderbolt and a deft header. All the thrills came in the second half and Liverpool fought back twice from being down to level terms. Liddell was the hero. He scored one of the best hat-tricks this writer has ever seen and fought like a demon for every ball." From Liverpool Echo's match report on Blackburn – Liverpool on 22nd February 1958

King Billy quote

"People will talk about this Liddell hat-trick for some time a right footed hook, a left footed thunderbolt and a deft header. All the thrills came in the second half and Liverpool fought back twice from being down to level terms. Liddell was the hero. He scored one of the best hat-tricks this writer has ever seen and fought like a demon for every ball."

From Liverpool Echo's match report on Blackburn – Liverpool on 22nd February 1958

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.