William Beveridge Liddell is born in Townhill, Scotland.
27.07.1938
Moves to Liverpool from Townhill to join his new team-mates.
17.04.1939
Signs professionally for Liverpool 9 months after moving to the club.
16.12.1939
First friendly game for Liverpool's first team vs. Preston (0-1).
01.01.1940
Debut for the first team vs. Crewe Alexandra (7-3) in the Western Division.
18.04.1942
Billy's wartime international debut vs England (5-4).
07.12.1942
Joins the RAF and is a pathfinder in WWII.
05.01.1946
Makes first appearance for Liverpool that goes to his official total of games. The opponents are Chester in the FA Cup. Liddell scores his debut goal.
20.07.1946
Marries Phyllis three days after his good friend and teammate, Bob Paisley, marries.
15.05.1946
Billy's "official" international debut for Scotland vs. Switzerland after playing 7 wartime games. Billy scored two goals on his competitive debut at Hampden Park in a 3-1 victory vs Switzerland.
1947
Represents Great Britain against Europe. The match was played at Hampden Park in front of 135,000 spectators, the Great Britain side wore a navy blue strip in honour of the host association. The Great Britain team line-up was: Frank Swift (England), George Hardwick (England), Billy Hughes (Wales), Archie Macaulay (Scotland), Jack Vernon (Northern Ireland), Ron Burgess (Wales), Stanley Matthews (England), Wilf Mannion (England), Tommy Lawton (England), Billy Steel (Scotland) & Billy Liddell (Scotland).
31.01.1950
Liddell is runner-up in the vote for “Sportsman of the year” during 1949. Cycling champion Reg Harris was deemed as the man who did most in 1949 to raise the prestige of British sport. Liddell received 15,359 votes compared with Harris’s 22,188, and third place was held by Denis Crompton, last year’s winner. Next came Billy Wright, Freddie Mills, Tommy Lawton, Raich Carter, Len Hutton, Ted Sagar, Bert Williams, Stanley Matthews, and Billy Steel.
27.02.1950
Phyllis gives birth to twins David and Malcolm.
29.04.1950
Billy's biggest Liverpool game to date. Liverpool lose 2-0 to Arsenal in the FA Cup final where Billy was kicked from pillar to post. Liddell was especially painfully fouled by the Arsenal right-half, a fellow Scotsman, Alex Forbes. "I couldn't put my jacket on the next day," Liddell later recalled.
22.06.1950
Billy Liddell claims he rejected two tempting offers to join Santa Fe F.C., in Bogota, Colombia. Liddell was first approached by the Santa Fe agent while on the Continent with the Scottish touring team. Although guarenteed that his sign-on fee would be paid into his English bank, Liddell turned down this offer, and refused to alter his decision when the agent tackled him later with the suggestion of even more generous terms. Liddell said, “The disadvantage of leaving home, family and friends outweight the financial benefits. All my interests are here at Anfield, and I should hate to leave."
January 1951
Billy's father passes away and his family moves from Townhill in Scotland to Liverpool for Billy to look after them.
24.04.1954
Features for the last time in the First division. Yes, Billy didn't play in the top flight for the last six years of his career!
13.08.1955
Chosen again for the British XI vs the cream of Europe. Billy and Sir Stanley Matthews were the only two footballers who had the distinction of playing in the 1947 and 1955 games for the British team. A feat even made grander by the fact that Billy was by now a 2nd division player. The game was played at Windsor Park, Belfast to celebrate the Irish Football Association's 75th anniversary. The British team took to the field wearing Northern Ireland's green strip and comprised of: Jack Kelsey (Wales), Peter Sillett (England), Joe McDonald (Scotland), Danny Blanchflower (Northern Ireland), John Charles (Wales), Bertie Peacock (Northern Ireland), Stanley Matthews (England), Bobby Johnstone (Scotland), Roy Bentley (England), Jimmy McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Billy Liddell (Scotland).
20.08.1955
Billy makes his debut as Liverpool's captain. He wore the captain's armband for three years.
09.11.1957
Equals Elisha Scott's League appearance record for Liverpool of 430 League games. He went on to add 62 games to the record. Only the phenomenal Ian Callaghan has played more League games for Liverpool with 640. Note: At the time Billy was honoured at the Notts County game for breaking Elisha's record of 429 League games, but someone got their figures wrong at some point, because Elisha did indeed play 430 League games so Billy was equalling it, not breaking it.
1958
Billy appointed Justice of the Peace.
18.10.1958
36-year-old Billy Liddell dropped by Liverpool for the first time in his career vs. Fulham. This was unheard of and created much anger among Liverpool's followers and the press.
1960
Releases his autobiography: "My Soccer Story".
31.08.1960
Last appearance for Liverpool vs Southampton in the 2nd division.
21.09.1960
Liddell's testimonial vs International XI which included several greats such as Bert Trautmann (Man City), Jimmy Armfield (Blackpool), Don Revie (Leeds), Sir Stanley Matthews (Blackpool), Nat Lofthouse (Bolton) and Sir Thomas Finney (Preston legend). Liverpool won 4-2 with Liddell scoring for the opposition. Liddell later recalled: "When I called it a day I was on 20-a-week plus a win bonus but money was worth a lot more then. The testimonial game netted me 6,000 and I was able to buy a house."
1962
At the end of his football career Billy joined the Guild of Students as Deputy Permanent Secretary & Bursar at the University of Liverpool.
1984
Retires as bursar at the University of Liverpool.
1992
Billy comes off the bench! He retires as Justice of the Peace when he reaches 70.
03.07.2001
Billy Liddell passes away.
16.11.2008
The Scottish Football Association inducts Billy Liddell into SFA Hall of Fame after a powerful campaign by the Billy Liddell Memorial Group.
22.05.2010
Billy Liddell Memorial Group finally reached its goal when the Billy Liddell Memorial cairn was unveiled in the Billy Liddell Sports Complex, Townhill, Scotland. Click here for photos from this tremendous event.
07.06.2016
The National Football Museum announces it will bestow Billy Liddell with the greatest honour there is in the English game by inducting him into its Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony takes place at the National Football Museum on 19th of October.
Archives
We've got all the results from official games, appearance stats, goal stats and basically every conceivable statistic from 1892 to the present, every single line-up and substitutions!
