Billy Watkinson

Outside-right Watkinson was described by Liverpool's handbook in 1949 as "a strong type of player, possessing a good shot." Liverpool won the first post-war championship in 1946/47 and Watkinson played in the last six matches of that memorable and seemingly endless season, scoring on his debut at Aston Villa on 26 April 1947 and also being in the side for the 'title decider' at Wolverhampton on the last day of May, although the players had an agonising wait of several days into June before other results meant that they could not be caught. Watkinson played in the first seven League games the following season before losing his place to Bob Priday. It was always going to be hard to keep a spot in a forward-line with the experience and goal-scoring abilities of men like Liddell, Stubbins and Balmer. Watkinson was transferred to Accrington Stanley in January 1951 for a club record fee of approximately £3,000. He scored an impressive 45 times in 105 League matches for Stanley in Third Division North, and had a two-year spell between 1954-1956 in the same division with Halifax where he scored 24 goals in 60 appearances.