Players - Bob Ferguson

Bob Ferguson
Birthdate: 2 October 1884
Birthplace: Cleland, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Date of death: 1962
Other clubs: Cleland Rangers, Third Lanark (1906-12), Whishaw Thistle (1915), Third Lanark (2 / 1915)
Signed from: Third Lanark
Signed for LFC: 13.05.1912
Liverpool debut: 04.09.1912
Last appearance: 13.03.1915
Debut goal: 19.10.1912
Last goal: 31.01.1914
Contract expiry: 20.08.1915
Win ratio: 40.78% W:42 D:19 L:42
League games / goals: 92 / 1
Total games / goals: 103 / 2

Player Profile

Ferguson, Third Lanark's captain, was obtained by Liverpool in May 1912. The Athletic News claimed he was as "strong as a lion, and active as a mouse. Although taking the game as serious as a judge he is a very human sort of fellow in the pavilion." The Liverpool Echo commented on Liverpool's capture of Ferguson at the time: "Liverpool made a good stroke when they signed Bob Ferguson. The 3rd Lanark supporters are deeply sorry to lose their favoured centre half, who is described in Scotland in the following eulogy: "There has never been a more likable player. Honest Bob would be the correct title for him for he was always playing the game to the delight of his friends. He was the sort of man a club manager likes to have under him - dependable, keen for his club's interests and never likely to get himself or the team into disrepute. Mr. Watson has made a catch and he knows it."

Ferguson was a stalwart of Liverpool's defence said to be "a typical Scottish half-back, neat and clever", who fed his forwards "beautifully" as well as being "the tallest man in the team (5 ft. 10½ in. - 179 cm.), and not so slow as he appears."  Ferguson made his debut on the opening day of the 1912/13 season and was the club's only ever-present that year and missed just two League games the following season when he no doubt enjoyed playing alongside his former Third Lanark teammate Thomas Fairfoul in the half-back line. The 1914/15 season was completed despite the outbreak of war but Ferguson lost his place in the side to future legend Donald Mackinlay with a third of the season gone and only briefly threatened to reclaim it from the clutches of his compatriot.
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 92 11 0 0 0 103
1912-1913 38 4 0 0 0 42
1913-1914 36 7 0 0 0 43
1914-1915 18 0 0 0 0 18
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
7 630 Newcastle United
6 540 Bolton Wanderers
5 450 WBA
5 450 Chelsea
5 450 Manchester City
5 450 Blackburn Rovers
5 450 Aston Villa
5 450 Manchester United
5 450 Sheffield United
5 450 Middlesbrough
5 450 Everton
5 450 Sheffield Wednesday
5 450 Tottenham
4 360 Bradford City
4 360 Notts County
4 360 Derby
4 360 Sunderland
4 360 Oldham Athletic
4 360 Burnley
3 270 Arsenal
2 180 West Ham United
2 180 Preston North End
1 90 Gillingham
1 90 Barnsley
1 90 QPR
1 90 Bristol City
Total Venue
52 Home
49 Away
2 Neutral
Total Competition
92 League
11 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
103 42 19 42 40.8% Tom Watson
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 1 1 0 0 0 2
1912-1913 1 0 0 0 0 1
1913-1914 0 1 0 0 0 1
1914-1915 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Total Opponent
1 Blackburn Rovers
1 Gillingham
Total Competition
1 League
1 FA Cup
Total Goal minute period
1 46-60 minutes
1 76-90 minutes
Total Goal origin
2 Open play
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 04.09.1912 Oldham Athletic Anfield League
50 18.10.1913 Chelsea Stamford Bridge League
100 25.12.1914 Bolton Wanderers Burnden Park League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 51 19.10.1912 Blackburn Rovers Anfield League
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Cleland Rangers Scotland N/A N/A N/A N/A
Third Lanark 1905-1906 Scotland Division 1 4 0 4 0
Third Lanark 1906-1907 Scotland Division 1 19 0 19 0
Third Lanark 1907-1908 Scotland Division 1 29 1 29 1
Third Lanark 1908-1909 Scotland Division 1 33 4 33 4
Third Lanark 1909-1910 Scotland Division 1 34 2 34 2
Third Lanark 1910-1911 Scotland Division 1 34 0 34 0
Third Lanark 1911-1912 Scotland Division 1 44 0 44 0
Whishaw Thistle 1915 Scotland N/A N/A N/A N/A
Third Lanark 1915- Scotland Division 1 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Total 197 7 197 7