- Birthdate: 23 April 1887
- Birthplace: Liverpool
- Date of death: 8 May 1955
- Other clubs as manager: None
- Arrived from: Liverpool secretary
- Signed for LFC: 1928
- LFC league games as manager: 348
- Total LFC games as manager: 366
- First game in charge: 07.03.1928
- Contract Expiry: 06.08.1936
Manager Profile
When Patterson returned to being just Secretary, David Ashworth came from Stockport County to take over as manager. Patterson was pleased by his successor’s progress as the club scored 18 goals without reply in five wins in the league and three in the FA Cup from the middle of January to mid-February. ‘The interest in the club is enormous, and their run of league and cup successes is quite natural under the circumstances,’ Patterson said in the Liverpool Echo. ‘The boys are playing fine football and for long enough the people of Liverpool have recognised this and have stood by the side although we started rather badly. It was one goal against us week by week. We turned the corner in December and confidence and good football have done the rest. The boys fear no team.’
Having already worked at Anfield for 20 years at the time Ashworth's successor, Matt McQueen, decided to retire, it was no surprise that Patterson was asked to take over the reins with the title of secretary-manager, thus becoming in fact, the first man in Liverpool's history to manage the team in two separate eras, not Kenny Dalglish as so far has been believed by Liverpool FC historians. As things turned out, the eight full seasons during which Patterson was in charge were some of the quietest years in the club’s history, quiet in that nothing really sensational happened good or bad. They retained their place in the top division but never finished higher than fifth; they twice finished low enough to cause concern but not enough concern for relegation to be a serious possibility. But after finishing seventh in 1935, there was an alarming slump the following season with the team being victorious in only three of the last 20 league games. They eventually escaped relegation by three points but it had been a close call. The pressure of managing a First Division club where results were not good when added to a serious illness forced Patterson to resign from the managerial side of his double-post, although he continued as the club’s secretary. It was another George (Kay) who was persuaded to leave his post at Southampton and head north to take over at Anfield.
Statistics
Competition |
Total |
Won |
Draw |
Lost |
Goals for |
Goals against |
Grand totals |
366 |
137 |
85 |
144 |
665 |
700 |
League |
348 |
129 |
83 |
136 |
639 |
672 |
FA Cup |
18 |
8 |
2 |
8 |
26 |
28 |
League Cup |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Europe |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Other |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Matches that are won or lost in a penalty shoot-out are counted as a win/loss not as a draw.
Players bought
Player |
Club |
Fee |
Date |
Tommy Gardner
|
Orrell |
Free |
1928 |
Billy Millar
|
Linfield |
£1,150 |
26 March 1928 |
John Lindsay
|
Rhyl Athletic |
£2,000 *
|
12 April 1928 |
Jimmy McDougall
|
Partick Thistle |
Unknown |
23 April 1928 |
Albert Whitehurst
|
Rochdale |
Unknown |
May 1928 |
David Davidson
|
Forfar Athletic |
£1,500 |
6 July 1928 |
Bill Salisbury
|
Partick Thistle |
£3,000 |
25 October 1928 |
Harold Barton
|
Whitegate Juniors |
Free |
November 1928 |
John McFarlane
|
Aberdeen |
Unknown |
15 November 1928 |
Syd Roberts
|
Bootle JOC |
Free |
1929 |
Norman James
|
Braby's Athletic |
Free |
April 1929 |
Alan Scott
|
Liverpool Pembians |
Free |
April 1929 |
Charlie Thompson
|
Wallsend |
Free |
11 May 1929 |
Jimmy Smith
|
Ayr United |
£5,500 |
18 September 1929 |
John Charlton
|
Bradford City |
Unknown |
October 1929 |
Archie McPherson
|
Rangers |
Unknown |
18 November 1929 |
Bob Ireland
|
Rangers |
Unknown |
21 November 1929 |
Tiny Bradshaw
|
Bury |
£8,000 |
25 January 1930 |
Dave Wright
|
Sunderland |
Unknown |
12 March 1930 |
Gordon Gunson
|
Sunderland |
Unknown |
12 March 1930 |
Andrew Aitken
|
Wallsend |
Free |
15 March 1930 |
Danny McRorie
|
Morton |
£1,500 |
22 November 1930 |
Harry Barkas
|
Gateshead |
£1,500 |
30 December 1930 |
Ted Hancock
|
Gainsborough Trinity |
Free |
3 January 1931 |
Ted Savage
|
Lincoln City |
£2,750 |
5 May 1931 |
Alastair Henderson
|
Yoker Athletic |
Unknown |
6 July 1931 |
Willie Steel
|
St. Johnstone |
£1,000 |
23 September 1931 |
Alf Hanson
|
Everton |
Free |
17 November 1931 |
Les Bruton
|
Blackburn Rovers |
Unknown |
11 February 1932 |
Ted Crawford
|
Halifax Town |
£1,200 |
25 May 1932 |
Ben Dabbs
|
Oakengates Town |
Free |
4 June 1932 |
Harold Taylor
|
Stoke City |
Unknown |
27 July 1932 |
Fred Rogers
|
Helsby Athletic |
Unknown |
March 1933 |
Tom Bush
|
Shrewsbury Town |
Free |
March 1933 |
Jack Tennant
|
Torquay United |
Unknown |
8 May 1933 |
John Roberts
|
Southport |
Unknown |
27 May 1933 |
Sam English
|
Rangers |
£8,000 |
24 July 1933 |
Lance Carr
|
Boksburg |
Free |
11 September 1933 |
Berry Nieuwenhuys
|
Germiston Callies |
Free |
11 September 1933 |
Norman Low
|
Free Transfer |
Free *
|
28 October 1933 |
Tommy Johnson
|
Everton |
Unknown |
2 March 1934 |
Bob Glassey
|
Horden Colliery Welfare |
Free |
9 March 1934 |
Vic Wright
|
Rotherham United |
Unknown |
14 March 1934 |
Ernie Blenkinsop
|
Sheffield Wednesday |
£6,500 |
15 March 1934 |
John Browning
|
Dunoon Athletic |
Unknown |
19 March 1934 |
Jim Harley
|
Hearts O' Beath |
Unknown |
4 April 1934 |
Stanley Kane
|
Free Transfer |
Free |
11 July 1934 |
Tom Cooper
|
Derby |
£7,500 |
4 December 1934 |
John Shield
|
Bishop Auckland |
Free |
1935 |
Bernard Ramsden
|
Sheffield Victoria |
Free |
January 1935 |
Fred Howe
|
Hyde United |
£400 |
19 March 1935 |
Jack Balmer
|
Free Transfer |
Free *
|
15 May 1935 |
Billy Hartill
|
Everton |
£3,000 |
9 January 1936 |
Jimmy Collins
|
Walsall |
£2,500 |
17 January 1936 |
Harry Eastham
|
Blackpool |
Free |
28 February 1936 |
Matt Busby
|
Manchester City |
£8,000 |
11 March 1936 |
Phil Taylor
|
Bristol Rovers |
£5,000 *
|
14 March 1936 |
Alf Hobson
|
Shildon Colliery |
Unknown |
9 April 1936 |
Scrapbook
1930 drawing