1921-1922: Liverpool dominant in the League

After World War 1, the League was played in a different format, where two clubs faced each other home and away in the space of eight days. Liverpool had finished the 1919-1920 and 1920-1921 seasons in fourth place. Ahead were two seasons of Liverpool's dominance. The Liverpool team was ready to blossom under manager David Ashworth.

Ulsterman Elisha Scott was in goal. Elisha was one of the great goalkeepers in Liverpool's history, if not the greatest. His Anfield career spanned an astonishing 22 years since his arrival in September 1912 until he left in June 1934. Everton great, Dixie Dean, said Elisha's swearing on the field was terrible and could be heard all around the ground. 

Right-back was Ephraim Longworth, who solved a long-standing right-back problem when he signed for Liverpool from Leyton in the summer of 1910. He is one of the most consistent defenders Liverpool have ever had on their books and one of only a handful of Liverpool players to ever captain England.

Left-back Donald Mackinlay was only 19-years-old when he signed from Newton Villa in 1910. He was Liverpool's captain from 1921-1928. MacKinlay's versatility in being able to play in a number of different positions and his effiency from free-kicks brought him 34 league goals. He was a Red through and through if there ever was one as evident in his interview with the Evening Express on 25th January 1923: "Red is my colour. I'll play for Liverpool as long as they will have me. I don't want to play for anybody else and when I pull off the red shirt for the last time I expect I will finish with football, at any rate as a player."

 Ephraim Longworth

Donald Mckinlay

The full-backs played together for 18 years which is a record for any pair of full-backs in the Football League's history. Scott, Longworth and MacKinlay are all legends at Liverpool, having played a total of 1,273 games for the club.

Bootle-born Walter Wadsworth was a tough customer at the heart of Liverpool's defence and played 242 games for Liverpool as well as 112 wartime games. He was brutal on the field and Sunderland great Charlie Buchan, who despite scoring quite a number of goals against Liverpool, never enjoyed playing Wadsworth: "You never know what he's going to do next. He's so unorthodox and seems to 'get there' without disclosing his intentions."

John S. McNabb (as he wrote his name) or "Jock McNab" as the Scotsman was more commonly known, came into prominence as right-half in the 1921-22 season after only making 3 appearances in two years at Liverpool. Liverpool Football Echo best described him: "McNab’s physique is tremendous. He has height, weight and determination, and never knows when he is beaten. In addition he has a very strong shot."

Tom Bromilow was left half. He was a skillful player who stayed in Liverpool's team until 1930 and played 375 games.

Liverpool's half backs: McNab, Wadsworth and Bromilow.

Tommy Lucas was a great utility player, who played 27 league games in the 1921-22 season, replacing right-back Longworth and left-back MacKinlay when they were out injured. The full-back pair avoided any injuries in the 1922-23 season so Lucas only featured once. His career at Liverpool recovered and he made further 287 appearances for Liverpool until his retirement as a 37-year-old in 1933.

 Billy Lacey    

 Fred Hopkin

Creative winger, Billy Lacey, was in the latter part of his Liverpool career in 1921, being 32-years old. He featured at half-back in the first two post-war seasons, but returned to the wing after his defensive years to a resounding success.

Liverpool's only significant signing before the 1921-1922 season was outside left Fred Hopkin, who was signed from Manchester United. He played a big part in Liverpool's strongest team to date.

Harry Chambers  

Dick Forshaw

Liverpool's main goalscorers were Harry Chambers, called "Smiler", as he always seemed to wear a huge grin. He was said to have the best left foot in the business. Dick Forshaw blossomed in the 1921-22 and 1922-23 seasons, scoring 20 goals in 46 games in each season and was the only ever-present in the side with 84 league games. Forward Dick Johnson missed the 1921-22 season through injury, but was important in the 1922-23 season, only missing 5 league games and scoring 14 times.

Sports Spectator commented on the Liverpool team at the time: "The players cost very little in transfer fees, only Longworth and Hopkin being anything like expensive, the remainder being locals who were secured at bargain prices."

Liverpool suffered a bad 3-0 loss to Sunderland on the opening day of the 1921-1922 season where Liverpool's old foe, Charlie Buchan, who scored eight goals vs Liverpool in two games in the 1912-13 season, scored twice. Liverpool shook off this disappointment and won Manchester City 3-2. Next up was the chance to revenge their loss vs. Sunderland at Anfield. Donald MacKinlay and his fellow defenders tried to contain Charlie Buchan, but still he managed to score once more, but that wasn't enough as Liverpool netted twice through Billy Matthews and Dick Forshaw. A rare victory as 1-1 was the most common result in the weeks to come.

Liverpool had clearly trouble in scoring goals apart from a 4-0 win vs. Preston on 15th of October. The highlight from this game was a controversial goal by Chambers after a goalless first half: "Lacey hit the ball so hard that the goalkeeper Fox, appeared stunned. Play went on and one wondered how long the referee would allow before he stopped play. Doolan went into goal and actually saved a shot, having to jump over the body of the true keeper, who in his dazed condition stood up and looked about him in bewildered fashion. Liverpool went on with the game and Chambers headed into the net, which was warmly debated by the Preston players but warmly welcomed by the home support. While Liverpool lined up for the kick off, Preston players were still debating the decision with the referee, somewhat reminiscent of a Debating Society I used to frequent as a youth in college." (From Liverpool Football Echo).

Liverpool scored 4 goals in 12 minutes vs Preston and were 2nd in the league table with 5 wins, 4 draws and 1 loss after 10 games, equal on points with Newcastle, but two points behind Champions Burnley.

Burnley finally gave way to Liverpool five rounds later when Liverpool captured 1st place for the first time in the season, after a resounding 4-0 win over Middlesbrough on 19th of November, despite having drawn 1-1 the previous three league games, among them both Merseyside derbies of the season. No team seemed up to yet to gain a few points lead on the rest. Liverpool was number one in the table, but Burnley and Sunderland were only a point away. 

Liverpool went unbeaten without conceding a goal through a hectic Christmas schedule. Muddy pitches, frozen through, ill-fitting boots and hard leather footballs didn't prevent these troops to play on two consecutive days. Liverpool drew Man Utd on the 24th (0-0), beat Newcastle on the 26th (1-0) and Huddersfield on the 27th (2-0) and drew Bradford on the 31st (0-0). Liverpool's opponents lost their cool twice in these games as they faced the mighty Elisha Scott from the penalty spot. The Ulsterman's skills was key to Liverpool's success. Harry Chambers had so far only found the net on a few occasions this season, but he scored all of the Reds' three goals at Christmas and was warming up for a prolific second part of the season.

At the end of the year Liverpool (Home 8-4-0 / Away 3-6-2) and Burnley were still neck to neck with 32 points, Liverpool only edging it with a goal average of 1.78 compared to Burnley's 1.72. Liverpool had drawn 10 out of 23 league games.

Liverpool drew Newcastle 1-1 in the first game of 1922 and then knocked Sunderland sensationally out of the FA Cup 5-0 in a replay at Anfield, Chambers and Forshaw grabbing a brace each. Three consecutive league wins followed, however WBA ended Liverpool's cup aspirations in the second round. The league table on 4th of February showed Liverpool had temporarily shaken off Burnley and Bolton was now second five points behind Liverpool.

Reds' defence shut up shop at this point, not conceding five games in a row. Dick Forshaw recorded a hat-trick vs. Arsenal in a 4-0 victory at Anfield. Burnley had crept up back to 2nd place, but Liverpool had a five point lead with a game in hand, 46 to Burnley's 41 points. All seemed well, but then Liverpool's title challenge threatened to come off the rails. Liverpool lost 0-2 to 5th place Bolton at Anfield having to do without the services of Chambers, Bromilow and Lucas as they were curiously playing for the English League vs the Scottish League on the same day. The trio had returned for the following match at Highbury where Liverpool embarrassed themselves by losing 0-1 to bottom club, Arsenal. Burnley only drew their game and the gap was now 4 points, both teams having played 33 out of 42 league games.

Liverpool played away at Bolton on 25th of March and were out for revenge. Jock McNab let his fighting spirit get the better of him, incapacitating Vizard in the first half and then getting sent off for retaliation against Vizard in the second half after being heckled by the crowd throughout the game. Thankfully, Liverpool survived to win 3-1. 19th place Oldham proved no obstacle at Anfield, beaten 2-0. A week later the teams met at Oldham's Boundary Park, and Liverpool suffered an astounding 0-4 defeat which suffice to say was their biggest loss of the season. Liverpool recovered to draw 1-1 with champions Burnley at Turf Moor where Tom Bromilow missed a penalty and thrashed Cardiff 5-1 at Anfield with Harry Chambers scoring a hat-trick and McNab netting his first for the club.

With four games to go the scene was set for a potential championship decider against Champions Burnley on 17th of April at Anfield. Prior to the match Liverpool were top with 53 points, followed by Tottenham with 48 and Burnley with 47 points. Anfield was packed to its rafters witnessing a lively game. Chambers put Liverpool ahead in the 22nd minute when he "shot the ball like lightning into the far bottom corner of the net." George Richardson equalized in the second half, but in the 78th minute, right-back Ephraim Longworth decided to venture up the field as described by Evening Express. "He suddenly took it into his head to retain possession and dribble down the field. Veering into the centre he looked for a likely opening. The full-back was brought down, however, and as he lay on the ground he managed to push the ball to Forshaw." Inside forward Forshaw made no mistake and he and Longworth were "promptly mobbed by their colleagues." Forshaw's goal clinched a 2-1 Liverpool win. Tottenham lost 0-1 to Oldham Athletic and the Reds had now a seven point lead on Spurs with only three games left which could produce a maximum of six points in those days. Liverpool were champions for the first time in 16 years!

Liverpool Echo commented that Liverpool had won the title "in the main through brilliance of defence, yet all round the team has played good-class football, and the honours have gone to a good side - from stern to stern."

A classic picture of trainer Charlie Wilson and director Andy McGuigan with the league title for the 1921-1922 season. Wilson played 91 games at half-back for Liverpool from 1898-1905 and had been scout for several years, in total having spent 24 years at the club. Earlier in the season he had been appointed as trainer to the "A2" team. According to Echo's reporter "Wilson is one of the canniest football men I know. He saved the club a pound by keeping them from signing well-recommended players who were "no use". 'Ever had a benefit?', Wilson was asked. 'No', said he, 'but I got a broken leg while playing. So I can remember my games!' He stayed at Liverpool until 1939. Andy McGuigan was the first player to score five goals in a league game for Liverpool against Stoke on 4th of January 1902.

As Liverpool Echo reported "the club intend to have a social do celebrating the event with all the players that they can get together." Liverpool had last won the championship in 1906 and as evident by the picture below the 1906 champions were invited to celebrate along with the 1922 championship side in June. The 1906 and 1922 champions competed in a tug of war and Alf West, James Bradley and Sam Raybould were given 50 pounds each by the Liverpool board as they were not doing too well "owing to the present trade depression."

There's no official line-up for this picture, but we've done our best to identify players of yore...

Top row: Jack Parkinson, Sam Hardy, Arthur Goddard, Charlie Wilson (trainer), John Astbury (former chairman and currrent vice-chairman), Maurice Parry, James Bradley, Robbie Robinson. Joe Hewitt, Matt McQueen (former player, current director and future manager), Tom Chorlton and William Connell (trainer).

Front row: Alf West, Billy Dunlop, Alec Raisbeck, Walter R. Williams (chairman), Sam Raybould Jack Cox, John Carlin.

Text with picture: "To-day we are able to give an exclusive picture of the Liverpool Football Club's new flag. The old one has become torn and tetered in the exigencies of the service, and was more like a big shirt, the tale of which was told and and the "tail" shredded. The new flag tells the world at large that Liverpool were champions last season and on two other occasions. There is quite a prospect that the flag will have to be brought down and another honour added to it as the result of this season's work. In between the three, how would the words "Winners of the English Cup 1922-23" fit? Very well, we think."
Top row. - Manager Ashworth, Rogers, Shone, Walsh, Cunningham.
Second row. - Forshaw, Lewis, Kane, McNab, W Wadsworth, McKinney, Pearson, H Wadsworth and McKinlay.
At the sides. - Hopkin and Mitchell and Parry and Johnson.

Liverpool had won the title for the first time in 16 years and were longing for more success. Few could have predicted the astonishing developments of the coming season...

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