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

A fantastic 4-0 cup win vs. Everton

Mounted police dispersing part of the vast crowd when it was announced yesterday afternoon that the Goodison Park sale of tickets for Saturday's Everton v. Liverpool cup-tie had ended. This photograph was taken in Goodison Road. Below: Part of the queue that stretched for more than a mile and included many who had waited throughout the night. Note the litter in the gutter.

When Liverpool and Everton met in the fourth round of the FA Cup on 29th January 1955 the interest was immense. Liverpool had been relegated to the 2nd division in 1954, while Everton were in 1st division. This turned out to be one of the most surprising and most satisfying wins ever for Liverpool vs. their blue neighbours.

Liverpool's line-up: Doug Rudham, Ray Lambert, Ronnie Moran, Roy Saunders, Laurie Hughes, Geoff Twentyman, Brian Jackson, Eric Anderson, Billy Liddell, John Evans, Alan A'Court.

As this article from Sunday Express points out Billy was Liverpool's key man in this famous victory:

"It was as so many Liverpool victories have been, Billy Liddell's game. This great footballer steered the team to a two-goal lead from centre forward and when centre half Laurie Hughes was injured in the second half, he moved to left half. He then proved that he was Liverpool's best defender as well as their best forward. He picked off the Everton moves like ripe plums and still had time to make a goal."

The papers were full of praise for the Reds:

"The sensation of the season" - Liverpool hadn't won an away match this season. The result, a just and by no means fluky result, shows that they won by four to nothing! That deserves four exclamation marks....nay fourty-four! This is why I call this affair the sensation of the season and probably the most dramatic day in the long history of the famous Merseyside football "derby"."

Billy Liddell opened the scoring in the 18th minute, a goal which he later described as his greatest of the 228 goals he scored for the Reds as seen below (click on picture to enlarge)

Liddell also revealed the trick to Liverpool's impressive win:

"Some chap wrote to the manager pointing out the way Everton's defence moved up to catch the opposition offside at free kicks. We worked on a move in which John Evans hung back, and then came through late to keep onside and it worked perfectly. John found himself all on his own and pulled the ball back for Alan A' Court to score. I had already scored to put us in front, and Alan's effort really finished them off. It was the only time I remember us practicing a set piece move, and we worked at it all week. Manager Don Welsh was so pleased he gave us 10 shillings each!"

King Billy quote
"Billy was my idol when I was at school and it was fantastic to take over from him. I had so much respect for him. Great man - It's very hard to compare decades, but in the 50s, they used to call them Liddellpool. He was a god in Liverpool. I took over from him on the wing and he finished playing not long after that. Billy Liddell was incredible. When I went to my first professional football match it was Liverpool. When Billy got the ball the anticipation from the crowd was just huge. What is he going to do with it? Is he going to shoot from 30 yards or take it past people? He was wonderful. Billy played with a heavy ball on the heavy pitches. The way he used to kick the ball, wow! He was so strong! Later I worked for the Littlewoods Pools Company Spot the ball and Billy was on the panel. Billy was the chairman and I actually took over as chairman from Billy. I got to know him and he was a really quiet and a really nice man. Terrific. He is one of those of the people who will always be remembered in Liverpool like Shankly and Paisley." Ian Callaghan - Liverpool 1960-1978 - Quote from LFChistory's exclusive interview with Ian in 2008.

King Billy quote

"Billy was my idol when I was at school and it was fantastic to take over from him. I had so much respect for him. Great man - It's very hard to compare decades, but in the 50s, they used to call them Liddellpool. He was a god in Liverpool. I took over from him on the wing and he finished playing not long after that.

Billy Liddell was incredible. When I went to my first professional football match it was Liverpool. When Billy got the ball the anticipation from the crowd was just huge. What is he going to do with it? Is he going to shoot from 30 yards or take it past people? He was wonderful. Billy played with a heavy ball on the heavy pitches. The way he used to kick the ball, wow! He was so strong!

Later I worked for the Littlewoods Pools Company Spot the ball and Billy was on the panel. Billy was the chairman and I actually took over as chairman from Billy. I got to know him and he was a really quiet and a really nice man. Terrific. He is one of those of the people who will always be remembered in Liverpool like Shankly and Paisley."

Ian Callaghan - Liverpool 1960-1978 - Quote from LFChistory's exclusive interview with Ian in 2008.

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.