Players - Bill Cockburn

Bill Cockburn
Birthdate: 1899
Birthplace: Craghead, County Durham, England
Date of death: 27 December 1958
Other clubs: Rosehill Villa (1919-21), Wallsend Park Villa (1921), Stockport County (1921-24), Queens Park Rangers (1928-30), Swindon Town (1930-31)
Signed from: Stockport County
Signed for LFC: £2,000, 27.05.1924
Liverpool debut: 20.09.1924
Last appearance: 18.12.1926
Contract expiry: July 1928
Win ratio: 34.33% W:23 D:21 L:23
League games / goals: 63 / 0
Total games / goals: 67 / 0

Player Profile

A strong defender with a slightly unfortunate surname that would have ensured him merciless stick on and off the field nowadays. Cockburn joined from second division Stockport County prior to the 1924/25 season. He made his debut covering for centre-half Walter Wadsworth in successive matches against Bury and Nottingham Forest early in the season, but It was as replacement for right-half Jock McNab that he made the majority of his 19 appearances that year. Cockburn missed only six of the 42 first division fixtures during the 1925/26 season featuring beside half-backs McNab and Tom Bromilow at the heart of Liverpool's defence. He figured in the first eight matches of 1926/27, but following three defeats in a row he and half-back Albert Shears made way for Tom Reid and David Pratt, but that failed to fix the leaky defence. Cockburn's appearance against West Ham United at Anfield seven days before Christmas in 1926 was his last for the club. After spending the 1927/28 season in the reserves Cockburn joined Queens Park Rangers in Third Division South. The Derby Day Telegraph praised his qualities in 1926: "He’s a tall man, now in his prime, great in breaking up, and wonderfully accurate with his long swinging passes to the wings."
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 63 4 0 0 0 67
1924-1925 18 1 0 0 0 19
1925-1926 36 3 0 0 0 39
1926-1927 9 0 0 0 0 9
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
5 450 Leeds United
4 360 Aston Villa
4 360 Sheffield United
4 360 Burnley
4 360 West Ham United
3 270 Tottenham
3 270 Arsenal
3 270 Manchester United
3 270 Cardiff City
3 270 Southampton
3 270 Bury
3 270 Manchester City
3 270 Everton
2 180 Bolton Wanderers
2 180 Leicester City
2 180 WBA
2 180 Blackburn Rovers
2 180 Newcastle United
2 180 Huddersfield Town
2 180 Sunderland
2 180 Birmingham City
2 180 Notts County
1 90 Nottingham Forest
1 90 Fulham
1 90 Derby
1 90 Preston North End
Total Venue
35 Away
32 Home
Total Competition
63 League
4 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
67 23 21 23 34.3% Matt McQueen
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 20.09.1924 Bury Gigg Lane League
50 27.02.1926 Manchester City Maine Road League
Related Articles
Swindon's new pivot

Swindon Advertiser and North Wilts Chronicle on 1 July 1930.

Related Quotes

"Liverpool did a good stroke of business when they secured William Cockburn, the former Stockport County centre half, who appears to have made the position his own in the Anfield ranks. Since getting into the League side he has improved considerably in his general play, and is quite a favourite at Anfield. Big and strong, he reminds one in many respects of Alex Raisbeck."

Swindon Advertiser and North Wilts Chronicle on 9 January 1926

Scrapbook
William Cockburn - Limelights 1925-26 (sketch)
William Cockburn - Limelights 1925-26 (sketch)
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Rosehill Villa 1919-1921 England N/A N/A N/A N/A
Wallsend Park Villa 1921 England N/A N/A N/A N/A
Stockport County 1921-1922 England Third Division North 2 0 2 0
Stockport County 1922-1923 England Second Division 31 0 32 0
Stockport County 1923-1924 England Second Division 40 0 42 0
QPR 1928-1929 England Third Division South 35 0 36 0
QPR 1929-1930 England Third Division South 22 0 26 0
Swindon Town 1930-1931 England Third Division South 38 1 38 1
Total 168 1 176 1