Liverpool Icons – Number 1: Billy Liddell
It seems the most sensible place to start off a new series on the icons from Liverpool’s history with Billy Liddell, a player so iconic that the club was referred to as Liddellpool during his playing days.
When he runs down the wing,
You can hear the Kop sing,
Billy Liddell!
When he runs through to score,
You can hear the Kop roar,
Billy Liddell!
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
Bil-ly Lid-dell.” – Kop chant for Liddell.
On the 10th January 1922, in Townhill, Fife, Scotland, William Beveridge Liddell was born to coal miner father James and mother Montgomery, the first of 6 children. Like so many in those days, his family struggled with poverty and his diet mainly consisted of kail, bread and salt porridge. “I was the eldest of three boys, though afterwards the family increased by two more brothers and a sister. It was a struggle making ends meet, and many were the sacrifices my parents made for their children. In 1936 my father’s wage, as a mine worker, was £2 5s a week,” Billy wrote in his autobiography. “We lived in the mining village of Townhill near Dunfermline. Life was pretty tough, and the family’s main diet was porridge (with salt, of course), Scotch broth (kait we called it) and bread. Plenty of bread.” Like most children, he developed an early interest in football and his parents managed to scrape together the money to buy him football boots as a Christmas present when he was 7. At the age of 8 he became part of the school team, though the average age of the other children was 10.
“I used to run messages for my grandmother who lived in the village. I always had a ball with me, a tennis ball or a sponge ball,” reminisced Billy in his autobiography. “And when she asked me to go to the grocers I always ran there on the left hand side of the road, pushing the ball against the wall and stopping it before it went into the road. I did that all the way to the grocers which was a quarter or half a mile away from my grandmothers. Then on the way back I would run on the same pavement so that I had to use my other foot to stop the ball going into the road.”
When he moved up to Dumfermline High School, he was a reluctant rugby player under the guidance of retired Welsh international Richie Boon, but he continued to play football for local teams and Scotland Schoolboys. Between 1936 and 1937 he played for Kingseat Juveniles, who paid him half a crown a game. At the age of 16 in 1937, Liddell signed for Lochgelly Violet, where he quickly attracted interest. Manchester City’s Alec Herd, a former Hamilton player, missed a round of golf to take Hamilton manager Willie McAndrew to watch Billy play for Lochgelly, but Hamilton’s attempt to sign him were rebuffed by Billy’s parents. James and Montgomery were determined that Billy would not be a miner, but they were also not keen on the idea of him becoming a footballer and pushed him towards a long term career, offering the options of civil service, the church and accountancy. He had chosen accountancy, his parents wanted him to be able to continue to study the subject but Hamilton were unwilling to give any assurances that he could do so. Even then, before the contract was signed, his family took it to the local minister to look over.
“My grandfather offered me three pence for every goal I scored. When I didn’t get many goals grandfather sought to ginger me up by also persuading my grandmother and four aunts to promise me three pence for each goal. Whether the possibility of exploiting this seeming short cut to wealth was responsible or just the weakness of the opposition, I cannot say, but that same morning I scored six goals. Grandfather was there to see me do it, but after paying me up he warned me that the women of the family would probably take a dim view of my waxing rich at their expense. He was right, too. They paid up without demur, but the three pence per goal inducement was withdrawn at the same time. They also persuaded my grandfather that it was wrong to put mercenary ideas in my head, and he, too, withdrew his offer.” – Billy Liddell.
Liverpool’s Scottish half-back Matt Busby (yes the Busby of the Manchester United Busby babes was previously a Liverpool player and captained the club) went on a golf trip with Herd, who told him all about the young Liddell. Busby recommended Liddell to George Kay, then the manager of Liverpool. Kay finally clinched the signing of Liddell on an amateur deal on 27th July 1938, after agreeing with Billy’s parents that the youngster would be permitted to continue his studies, be provided with suitable housing and be given part-time employment as an accountant at a company in the city of Liverpool. In fact, one thing that is consistent throughout his time as a player is that he was actually only ever a part-time footballer and his actual day job was working as an accountant!
In 1939 Billy turned professional on £3 per week, despite having been frustrated at Liverpool due to the frequent rotation of players in the youth team. It had taken the advice of trainer Albert Shelley to get him to be patient. His career was very nearly over before it started when, in a game at Blackburn, Billy struck his knee on concrete near the corner flag after a challenge while he was running with the ball. He spent the next two weeks living in the family home of a colleague in the town, before returning to Liverpool to continue his recovery. Before he could break into the first team, the Second World War came along.
Liddell volunteered for the RAF, hoping to become a pilot, but his proficiency at maths meant that he was trained as a navigator. Billy was well known for having no sense of direction in his every day life but he used to say that he did not get lost in the air because, “There’s no streets up there, you see.” When he first was stationed for training, Billy went AWOL from his base to take part in a match between Liverpool and Manchester City, having to sneak back into the base without his commanding officers realising. It was December 1942 that he was mobilised and he spent some time billeted in St John’s Wood, where he got to know a trio of Chelsea players in Len Goulden, Dick Spence and Joe Payne. He also met Walter Winterbottom, who was then a Squadron Leader, but would later be promoted to Wing Commander. Winterbottom arranged for Liddell to play some games as a guest for Chelsea. Then he was posted to Cambridge, where his commanding officer was a rugby fan and refused all Billy’s requests to go and play football.
“There wasn’t a weakness in Billy’s game. He was strong as a bull on the ball. Defenders found him a real handful, but always respected him.” – Matt Busby.
He spent some time stationed at Bridgnorth, where he broke his leg playing a friendly kickabout and was admitted to the RAF Remedial Centre in Blackpool. After recovering, he was sent to Canada tto complete a course at the Central Navigation School and became a pilot officer navigator. While on leave there, he was used as a substitute by Toronto Scottish under an assumed name and scored two goals in a semi-final play-off. Billy was recalled to Moncton, New Brunswick before the final. After 7 months in Canada, he returned to Britain. He was based in Perth in 1944, where he accepted an invite to guest for his boyhood team Dunfermline. He was then sent to Northern Ireland for further training. Stationed at RAF Bishopscourt in Ulster, former Liverpool goalkeeper and then Belfast Celtic manager Elisha Scott approached him to play for them while he was there: “I would have done so but I had half promised Linfield and I didn’t like going back on my word.” Liddell played just twice for Linfield, both times against Ards, before he was transferred back to England. The first match saw Billy notch two in an 8-0 win and the second one saw him play a big role in a 2-0 win.
On his return, he was assigned to 617 Squadron, ferrying Allied soldiers back to Britain on leave from Italy. In the 1945-46 season, Liverpool played in the North Division and Liddell managed a total of 17 goals in 42 matches. Between 1940 and 1946, Billy had played 152 matches, scoring 82 goals, including making his unofficial debut for Liverpool on 1 January 1940 against Crewe Alexandra, where he scored after 2 minutes in a 7-1 win. He had also been capped 8 times in wartime internationals for Scotland, scoring on his debut in a 5-4 win over England in 1942. It was the 5th January 1946 when he finally got to make his official debut for the Reds, in a 3rd Round FA Cup tie against Chester City, scoring in the 30th minute as Liverpool ran out 2-0 winners. Bob Paisley also made his debut in the same game and the pair would go on to develop a genuine chemistry together down the left side.
“I always knew I was in for a hectic afternoon when I was marking Billy. The only way to try and hold him was to beat him to possession of the ball. Once he had it, he was difficult to stop.” – Alf Ramsey.
In May 1946, Liverpool went to North America for a preseason tour, but Billy had to be left behind as he had not yet been discharged by the RAF. He was also unable to take part in preseason training or the first two matches of the season. It was 7th September 1946 that he finally played in his first official league match. Liddell scored twice in a 7-4 win over Chelsea. He was then a regular in the side as it won the first post-war league title, playing on the left wing and scoring 7 goals in 34 appearances. It was a disrupted season, which saw Liverpool only lift the title on 14 June 1947 after a severe winter disrupted fixtures. It was Liverpool’s first title since 1923. Billy had impressed enough during the season to be chosen in May 1947 for a UK team to face a Rest of Europe team in a FIFA fund raiser at Hampden Park. FA secretary Stanley Rous had organised the match to help FIFA, who were nearly bankrupt after the war. 135,000 attended as the UK won 6-1, though Billy was as modest as ever: “We were flattered by the 6-1 victory – it was only in finishing we were so far ahead of the opposition.”
The following season was an anti-climax for the team, as LFC finished just 11th but Billy managed to notch 11 goals during the season. That summer he got to go on the club’s preseason exhibition tour to the USA, where he received a lot of praise from watching journalists as he scored 13 goals in 11 games. The following season, 1948-49, he began his tour of the outfield positions, which would see him play all ten during his Liverpool career. During this season alone, Billy played in four forward positions and at left-back. 1949 also saw the Reds move to sign Billy’s brother Tom from Lochore Welfare, but he never made a senior appearance for Liverpool.
1949-50 was another disappointing year for Liverpool, despite setting a post WWI record of 19 consecutive matches unbeaten the Reds finished just 8th in the league. They did reach the clubs’ first ever FA Cup final, which was also the first time Liverpool played at Wembley. LFC were allotted just 8,000 tickets but received over 100,000 applications. Liddell was inundated with requests for tickets. Arsenal went on to win the match 2-0, in large part to Billy being nullified by Alex Forbes, following an early tackle which hurt Liddell. Journalist Brian Glanville recalled how Billy told him that he had been so battered that he was unable to put his jacket on the next day and match reports accused Forbes of acting with malice. Billy himself defended Forbes from the accusations. Billy had managed 20 goals in all competitions that season. Despite the defeat, thousands of Liverpool fans greeted the team on its return home.
“Any chance you can go play on the other wing for a while Billy, I’m knackered.” – Alf Ramsey to Liddell mid-game.
That summer, Liddell was one of many players approached by agents representing Independiente Santa Fe and Club Deportivo Los Millionarios with a big money offer. At the time, the maximum wages was just £12 per week during the season and £10 per week in the off-season. Plus switching team was much more difficult than it is now. Despite the offer of £12,000 to move to the Colombian league, Billy turned down the opportunity to stay at Liverpool. The following season was not a good one for Liverpool, with manager George Kay resigning due to ill health and being replaced by Don Welsh in January. The following season Billy personally had a good season, scoring 19 in 40 matches in the league, but Liverpool were a mediocre side overall now.
1952-53 saw Liverpool avoiding relegation with a final day win over Chelsea, but it was just staving off the inevitable and they ended the next season bottom of the table and were relegated, to end 50 seasons in the top flight. They had not managed an away win in 14 months – 24 consecutive matches – and conceded 97 goals on their way to the drop. Liddell himself had also struggled, scoring just 7. Despite there being many interested clubs, Billy refused to consider jumping ship following relegation. Initially Liverpool struggled and looked to be in a relegation battle but then Liddell was moved to centre-forward. His 30 goals in 40 league appearances moved the club up the table, but they still only managed 11th, Liverpool’s worst ever league finish. About the only cheer for supporters was the 4-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park in the FA Cup 4th round in January, where Billy was reported to be “inspirational”.
“Billy had time for everyone, considering what he had achieved, which was everything in the game. Shankly told us all at the beginning that the club was called Liddellpool. He carried that team, there were some good players, but he was the main man. I would still say that he was one of the top three players Liverpool ever had.” – George Scott.
Billy was awarded the captaincy for the 1955-56 season and the team challenged for promotion but ended up just missing out with a third-place finish. Liddell managed 32 goals in the season. It was not enough to save Don Welsh who was sacked and replaced by Phil Taylor. There was one controversial moment in the season during a 5th round FA Cup tie against Manchester City at Anfield. With Liverpool 2-1 down in the dying seconds, Billy raced from the halfway line, into the penalty box and scored past Bert Trautmann to launch wild celebrations among supporters. According to reports, the referee had blown the whistle to end the match just before he shot, but no one realised and the players were preparing for extra time until it was announced over the PA system.
For the 1956-57 season, Billy was mostly on the right, as right winger or inside right, but still finished the season as the top scorer with 21 goals as Liverpool once again finished 3rd, this time just one solitary point behind second-placed Nottingham Forest. Next season saw Billy surpass Elisha Scott’s club appearance record of 430 league appearances. Bizarrely, despite being teetotal, he was gifted a cocktail cabinet to congratulate him! Time was catching up with him now and he played less games in the 1958-59 season, trying to make up for his declining pace by playing deeper and attempting a “more thoughtful passing game”, rather than his all-action style of the past. New Brighton approached him with an offer to become their player-manager, as he was relegated down to the reserves, but both Billy and LFC rejected the offer. He did return to the first team squad in March.
“He had the type of build that he looked strong and speedy. You thought, just by looking at him, that he had a good chance of pushing the ball past the full-back and beating him for speed and that was really his game. He was direct. Rather than looking for short passes inside, he was more likely to get up the line and whip the ball across for his team-mates or cut inside for a shot at goal – and he could do either.” – Doug Cowie.
Liddell started the 1959-60 season strongly, with a run of first team games until he picked up an injury in September. During September Billy was awarded a £2,000 cheque to mark his 20 years with Liverpool, something that happened fairly regularly then. Despite Liverpool being a second division team then, the BBC still came along to televise it, the only one they felt significant enough to need covering. On his return to training, Billy suffered knee ligament damage in October, which ruled him out for four months. By the time he came back, it was all change at Liverpool as a new era was launched. Phil Taylor had resigned in December and was replaced by the legendary Bill Shankly. Shanks’ clearly admired his fellow Scot, once saying of him: Liddell was some player….He had everything. He was fast, powerful, shot with either foot and his headers were like blasts from a gun. On top of all that he was as hard as granite. What a player! He was so strong – and he took a nineteen-inch collar shirt!” As soon as Billy was back fit, Shankly returned him to the team for 10 appearances in a row until April, when he was replaced by the 18-year-old Ian Callaghan, who Billy believed was his long-term successor. However, it was clear that Billy was not the player he had been, with the Daily Express noting in one match report: “Billy Liddell, the once-great footballer who is 39 in January, was thrown back into the furnace of league football last night in place of Liverpool centre-forward Dave Hickson. But though the heart is still in his great frame, the reflexes are gone. I winced every time Billy fumbled an attempt to trap, turn and shoot. And I say Liverpool must stop asking the impossible of a man who is still Anfield’s idol.”
The next season was his last, with his final game coming in a 1-0 loss to Southampton, where he became the oldest player to appear for Liverpool in a post-war senior match, aged 38 years and 224 days. On 29th April 1961 he made his final reserve appearance for the Reds, fittingly notching one last goal in the red shirt. Billy’s last goal in first team football had come a few months earlier in a 5-1 victory over Stoke City, where he scored in front of the Kop from a cross by Roger Hunt. Billy was 38 years and 55 days old at the time, making him the oldest person ever to score for LFC. He had never been booked in any of his 534 games, scoring 228 goals and getting 29 caps. He was also one of just two men ever to be chosen to represent GB twice, along with Stanley Matthews, the second time in August 1955 against Europe in a 4-1 defeat at Windsor Park as part of the IFA centenary celebrations.
“Most defenders knew who was windy amongst the opposition attack but Billy never chickened out. He was big, strong, speedy and he played it hard but fair. He put his heart and soul into the game. He was a great competitor. He wasn’t a Matthews or a Finney. He was direct, no frills. Even when you had taken the ball from him he’d have another bite at you.” – Harry Johnston, Blackpool and England defender.
The astonishing thing is that, throughout his time, Billy had been just a part-time footballer! An article at the time wrote about his weekly routine:
Sunday:
Billy usually up by 10am, eat breakfast and be in church for 11am. After lunch he would revise his lesson for the Sunday School he ran at the local Methodist Church in Court Hey. After classes he would deal with his duties as Sunday School Treasurer before going home for tea and an evening with the family.
Monday:
Up at 8am to drop the kids at school before going in to the city and the office where he worked as an accountant. Lunch time would be spent with friends from a local shipping company usually discussing football. Work finished at 5pm unless there was something that needed finishing. Home for a quick bite to eat, then off to a boys club or youth club to talk about his life in football to the gathered children. He usually took souvenirs to show them. He would then answer all their questions no matter how long it took or how difficult the question.
Tuesday:
Again up at 8am to drop the kids at school but then it was training at Melwood before lunch at Anfield and then off to the office. Except on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month when he had magistrate duties (adult court). The nights were what Billy called his special time, when he would spend time with his wife. They would always go out together to the cinema, theatre or a dance.
Wedensday:
8am take the kids to school, then off to the office. The post on a Wednesday was always larger for some reason. Lunch he would give a speech before returning to the office until 5pm unless there was something that needed finishing. After tea he would compose his article for the Echo and then he would work his way through his personal correspondence from fans.
Thursday:
8am kids to school, then off to Melwood where training would include a 5-a-side game in the car park which Billy loved. Lunch at Anfield, then off to the office unless it was the last Thursday in the month. That Thursday he would DJ at Alder Hey. After finishing he would walk round the wards to see all the kids that wanted to meet him. While he aimed to be home by 6pm, the sick kids came first. Evenings were spent at the Liverpool and District St Andrew Society where he was president.
Friday:
Kids to school, then off to the Juvenile Court which he often found distressing. Friday evenings were for relaxng at home unless the team had to travel to an away match.
Saturday:
Lay in until 9am. If LFC were at home, he would watch his sons play for the local Life Boys team. His gameday lunch was always one poached egg on toast followed by milk pudding. Billy would always get to Anfield early, to sign all the autographs. If his sons were not playing, he would go into the office in the morning and catch the 26 tram to Anfield along with the fans. He would then run the opposition ragged before a cold shower and back out to sign autographs. On Saturday nights he would take his wife dancing.
“Forgive me if my eyes sparkle when I think of Bill Liddell. You can talk of how the players of yesteryear would have struggled to cope with the demands of the modern game. Bill Liddell would have been a star in any team, in any age. How I wish I could have a Liddell in my successful teams. With him in the side I reckon we would have won the Grand National and the Boat Race…He was also an exceptional person. He didn’t smoke. He didn’t drink. He didn’t swear. And he wasn’t even a full-time professional! Now I’m sure that will surprise a lot of old fans but throughout his time at Anfield, Bill never trained with us on a daily basis. He would take part in the pre-season training and join us for about a month. But after that we would only see him a couple of mornings a week. The rest of the time he was working outside the game with, first of all, the accountancy firm who were Liverpool’s auditors, and, after that, as accountant to Liverpool Students’ Union. No-one would have known that Bill was, really, only a part-timer and I’m sure if he had trained every day he wouldn’t have been a better player than he was. He was often embarrassed when people referred to us as Liddell-pool during the days of struggle but I think it was fair enough. He was a team rolled up into one. It was an honour to play behind him for so many years and when I say that Bill didn’t swear, I mean it. I can quite honestly say that I never, ever heard him utter a swear word, on the pitch, in the dressing room or on the training ground. In fact, I remember one occasion when a referee was going to take his name. I interceded and asked why and was told that Bill had sworn at either him or the linesman. I told the ref he would be laughed out of court because anyone who had played with or against him knew that he would never utter a swear word!” – Bob Paisley.
Billy was said to be incredibly strong, Bob Paisley once saying: “Bill was so strong it was unbelievable. You couldn’t shake him off the ball. It didn’t matter where he was playing, though I suppose his best position was outside left. He could go round you, or past you, or even straight though you sometimes!” A shot from Billy carried so much power that he once fractured the arm of a Nottingham Forest keeper with a piledriver. It was often reported that a goalkeeper had moved out of the way of one of his shots to avoid being hurt. Which may seem apocryphal until you read a match report which mentions this: “I know I have written many things over the years watching football, but never have I seen a ball burst with the power of a header. Liddell was known for bursting balls with both his right and left feet, but with his head? I guess that’s just another bit of footballing history from Liddell, that will eventually have people in the future doubting the power of the man.” It is little wonder Albert Stubbins admitted that he did not look forward to meeting Liddell’s crosses as they were hit so hard.
Despite being aggressive, no one ever felt that Billy would do anything untoward, after a collision with England goalkeeper Frank Swift left Swift with broken ribs, Swift simply said, “It was fair. Billy doesn’t know how to be anything but fair.” Though the respect he commanded did not stop Billy’s teammates from playing tricks on him, such as putting alcohol in his orange juice, making him spit it out. While he regularly enjoyed telling tales about the pranks pulled on him in later life, it probably explained why, at the time, he did not really socialise all that much with his teammates off the pitch. They did know that they could rely on Billy, not just on the pitch, but if they were struggling with their finances he would happily do their books for free, as well as doing the books for his friends who needed help, the Scottish Dancing Society and being the treasurer for a local Sunday school. He would count the money out on his kitchen table at home. When the Sunday school gifted him a budgie as a thank you gift, it would hop around the table and then take to the air knocking the coin piles everywhere!
“You can argue he is Liverpool’s best player in that he was a loyal one-club man, a religious man who would never attempt to preach to you. As well as winning a championship medal and appearing in the FA Cup final against Arsenal, he stayed after relegation and starred through many years in the Second Division in teams that did not contain players of the quality his skill deserved. His shooting was explosive, he had fantastic heading ability, was fearless and could operate anywhere. There were not a lot of frills with Billy. He was powerful and direct yet always fair and never booked by a referee.” – Roger Hunt.
His testimonial in September 1961 saw a crowd of 38,789 in attendance to watch LFC face an International XI. The £6,340 raised enabled Billy to buy a new home. After retirement, Billy stayed busy as much as possible, including contributing a column to the Liverpool Echo’s football edition. He also continued his volunteer work, which included working as a disc jockey for the Women’s Voluntary Service at Alder Hey Hospital, working for local youth clubs and teaching at Sunday school. He had become a Justice of the Peace (magistrate) in 1958 and played football for a magistrates’ team following retirement, until a broken cheekbone forced him into retirement. He then turned to tennis. Billy also worked as assistant permanent secretary to the University of Liverpool up until 1984. He became chairman of Little wood’s Spot The Ball panel and was also later to become president of the Liverpool FC Supporters’ Club. He still continued to attend matches at Anfield, as a fan, becoming a season ticket holder following his retirement from playing. Billy was also a shareholder at the club and repeatedly applied to become a director.
In 1960, just prior to his retirement, Billy produced an autobiography, entitled My Soccer Story, wherein he urged fans to barrack their own players when they committed fouls or cheated, which gives an insight into his way of playing the game – hard but always fair. He also never agreed with the Liddellpool nickname, denying that he had ever had to carry the team. Billy may not have agreed with it, but very few others would and he was the most beloved player of his era, fans on the Spion Kop would often just shout, “Give it to Billy!” His presence in the team, whether he did or didn’t carry the team, certainly ensured that attendances remained high during a fallow period for the club. Billy’s fame was such that Liddell Road in Bootle was named after him.
“The first time I met Billy, I knew him only by the reputation of being one of the best footballers of that time who had played for Liverpool, probably the best. What really surprised me was his demeanour. He was the friendliest and most approachable guy I think has ever been at Liverpool. Billy was beyond friendliness: he was just awesome. Always smiling, always ready to speak to you, always engaging and he was just brilliant, absolutely brilliant. His wife, Phyllis, was a real character as well. He was quiet, but she was more outgoing and the two of them were a perfect partnership. He was a part of Liverpool’s heritage, a fixture of the club, and everybody loved him. He never got above himself; he was always on an even keel and a delight to talk to. He would always say to us that we were doing well. It didn’t matter if you were terrible, Billy would say: ‘You’re doing well’. The fact he has been immortalised with a bench by the new Main Stand is a testament to what he did while he was at Liverpool. When you listen to the stories and read all the reports, it’s clear that he was right up there with the best of them.” – Alan Hansen.
In the early 1990s, wife Phyllis became worried by his seeming inability to register the events of Hillsborough and so she took him for medical tests. It was discovered that he was suffering from Parkinson’s. He spent the rest of his life in a nursing home in Mossley Hill, passing away on 3rd July 2001 at the age of 79. His home village of Townhill renamed its sports complex in his honour, adding a memorial garden with cairn in 2010. In 2004, LFC unveiled a commemorative plaque to Billy outside Anfield next to the museum, a small marker for a man who made such a huge contribution to the club. He was also inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2008. Liverpool Supporters’ Association summed up Billy best of all though: “As a footballer he thrilled Anfield for 15 years but, as a man, he was the symbol of all that was good and fine in the sport.”
Written by Tris Burke August 24 2024 04:48:15
