Players - Tom Fairfoul

Tom Fairfoul
Birthdate: 16 January 1881
Birthplace: West Calder, Midlothian, Scotland
Date of death: 2 December 1952
Other clubs: Lanark Athletic, Patna Doon Athletic, Kilmarnock (1904-06), Third Lanark (1906-13)
Signed from: Third Lanark
Signed for LFC: 08.05.1913
Liverpool debut: 01.09.1913
Last appearance: 12.04.1915
Contract expiry: 23.12.1915
Win ratio: 38.03% W:27 D:14 L:30
Wartime games/goals: 5 / 0
League games / goals: 62 / 0
Total games / goals: 71 / 0

Player Profile

Right-half Fairfoul was an experienced campaigner when he arrived at Liverpool having spent two seasons at Kilmarnock from 1904-1906 and seven at Third Lanark from 1906-1913 where he featured in 247 matches in the Scottish first division. He was a regular in the Liverpool side in the two years that preceded World War I. He played in every one of the 38 first division matches in 1913/14 and made a further 24 appearances the following season. Nine FA Cup ties over the same period, including the 1914 final defeat by Burnley at Crystal Palace, brought his career total for Liverpool to 71 games. 

Fairfoul along with three Liverpool players; Tom Miller, Bob Pursell, Jackie Sheldon and three United players were found guilty of fixing a game between Liverpool and Manchester United on Good Friday 1915. Bookies had laid up to 8-1 against United winning 2-0 which is how it ended. The Liverpool Echo reported in December 1915 that "the excuse, if such it can be called, has been made that the players were tempted into the sordid business through the belief that the war would prevent football in 1915-16, and summer wages would not be the rule. But it is too paltry a claim in connection with a grave charge, and can be ignored." Fairfoul received a lifetime ban effective from 23 December 1915 but for his service to his country in the war, Fairfoul's ban was lifted on 28 August 1919, but he quit playing altogether during the war.

Fairfoul remained living in Liverpool, settling in Kensington and working as a taxi driver. The club forgave his actions and he was a guest at the 1950 FA Cup final against Arsenal at Wembley. After being in ill health for some time, he died in 1952 at the age of 71 and was buried in West Derby Cemetery.
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 62 9 0 0 0 71
1913-1914 38 8 0 0 0 46
1914-1915 24 1 0 0 0 25
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
5 450 Aston Villa
4 360 Manchester United
4 360 Sheffield United
4 360 Blackburn Rovers
4 360 Burnley
4 360 Bolton Wanderers
3 270 WBA
3 270 Bradford City
3 270 Sheffield Wednesday
3 270 Tottenham
3 270 Sunderland
3 270 Everton
3 270 Chelsea
3 270 Oldham Athletic
3 270 Manchester City
3 270 Newcastle United
2 180 Preston North End
2 180 Middlesbrough
2 180 Derby
2 180 West Ham United
2 180 Barnsley
2 180 Notts County
1 90 Bradford Park Avenue
1 90 Gillingham
1 90 Stockport County
1 90 QPR
Total Venue
36 Home
33 Away
2 Neutral
Total Competition
62 League
9 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
71 27 14 30 38% Tom Watson
Wartime Appearances / Goals
Season Appearances Goals
1915-1916 5 0
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 01.09.1913 Derby Baseball Ground League
50 19.09.1914 The Wednesday Anfield League
Related Articles
Kenneth Campbell's life story - Chapter 5

Scottish keeper, Kenny Campbell, told his life story in the Weekly News. Chapter five was published on 11 June 1921.

The Good Friday scandal

When Liverpool and Manchester United players conspired to fix their match at Old Trafford in United's favour!

Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Lanark Athletic Scotland N/A N/A N/A N/A
Patna Doon Athletic Scotland N/A N/A N/A N/A
Kilmarnock 1904-1905 Scotland Division 1 16 1 16 1
Kilmarnock 1905-1906 Scotland Division 1 26 3 26 3
Third Lanark 1906-1907 Scotland Division 1 32 19 32 19
Third Lanark 1907-1908 Scotland Division 1 28 2 28 2
Third Lanark 1908-1909 Scotland Division 1 34 0 34 0
Third Lanark 1909-1910 Scotland Division 1 32 2 32 2
Third Lanark 1910-1911 Scotland Division 1 33 2 33 2
Third Lanark 1911-1912 Scotland Division 1 33 0 33 0
Third Lanark 1912-1913 Scotland Division 1 13 1 13 1
Total 247 30 247 30