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 229 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
"After four years at Liverpool University I was a social worker in the city, during which time one of my elderly clients was full of praise for her nephew Billy, who was a great help to her. Among her photographs was one of him in a football shirt. One day in the office I was told that a Mr Liddell wished to see me. In the interview room we discussed what we could do to help his aunt, and he then left. I was then swamped by all the men in the admin section who wanted to know how I came to have Billy Liddell to see me. I remember saying that yes, he was Mr Liddell, so what? They could not believe that I did not know I had been face-to-face with the Liverpool hero." A letter from Hilary Barnes in The Telegraph

King Billy quote

"After four years at Liverpool University I was a social worker in the city, during which time one of my elderly clients was full of praise for her nephew Billy, who was a great help to her. Among her photographs was one of him in a football shirt. One day in the office I was told that a Mr Liddell wished to see me. In the interview room we discussed what we could do to help his aunt, and he then left. I was then swamped by all the men in the admin section who wanted to know how I came to have Billy Liddell to see me. I remember saying that yes, he was Mr Liddell, so what? They could not believe that I did not know I had been face-to-face with the Liverpool hero."

A letter from Hilary Barnes in The Telegraph

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.