Billy Liddell

William Beveridge Liddell started his career with local teams Kingseat Juveniles and Lochgelly Violet. Billy came first to Liverpool in July 1938 and nine months later signed a professional contract. Had it not been for a certain Sir Matt Busby, Liverpool's former captain and later Manchester United's manager, Billy might never have been a Liverpool player. Busby found out that representatives of Manchester City had been to see Billy's parents with a view to getting their son to join the club. After learning that Billy had turned down the invitation to go to City, Busby rang Liverpool manager George Kay and suggested that "this Liddell lad might be worth an enquiry"; and indeed he was ... and how! Before Liddell went to Liverpool, he was hired as an accountant at Simon Jude & West in Liverpool. His parents had it put into the contract that Billy would be allowed to continue his studies because they wanted him to have something to fall back on if things didn't work out. Liddell trained full-time in pre-season, but trained only twice-a-week as the season started, the only Liverpool player who held two jobs. But, he had hardly settled when World War II broke out, so Liddell had to wait six years to make his formal debut. Billy enlisted in the RAF and was sent to a training camp in Cambridge and later on to Manitoba in Canada.

Billy finally played his first game for Liverpool and scored his first goal on New Years' Day 1940, beating Crewe 7-3. He was said to have given a "most promising display, his ball control and sense of positioning being features." Liddell made his amateur international debut against England at Wembley on 18 April 1942, four years before making his official debut for Liverpool! His teammates were among others Bill Shankly and Matt Busby, but it was the young Billy that captured everyone's imagination. "Maestro Liddell. Ten minutes was sufficient for this boy to play himself into these critical, hard-beating Hampden hearts," said a press reporter. "He took the equalizer with a lovely timed header. But it was the way he had in the second goal which put him in the Maestro class. Liddell did the spadework and Dodds did the finishing for what must be one of the greatest goals Hampden has ever seen. The outstripping of the defence, the quick pass with the "wrong" foot, and then Dodds' glorious first-timer. What a goal!" Scotland ran out 5-4 winners. Liddell made 152 appearances in wartime football for Liverpool and scored 82 goals. As early as 1940 a press headline read: "Liddell is war's best find."

Liverpool's future talisman played his first official game for the club in the FA Cup against Chester at Anfield on 5 January 1946. Liddell scored one goal in a 2-0 win. The League competition started in the autumn, but he missed pre-season because he was still in the air-force. Liverpool had already played two games when Liddell made his League debut in a 7-4 win over Chelsea. He scored two goals, the first of which came straight from a corner kick in front of the Kop in the third minute. Despite the 24-year-old left-winger had never turned out in the League previously for Liverpool, he was already viewed as a key player for the side evident by "Bee" Edwards' report for the Liverpool Daily Post. "Liddell like Fagan is still not his fittest, and I believe this condition led Chelsea to their great chance in the later stages. Liddell means so much to his side." In the first post-war season, Billy scored seven goals in 35 games and Liverpool celebrated their fifth League title. But Liverpool couldn't match their triumph despite Liddell's brilliance. Billy twice represented Great Britain against Europe, in 1947 and then in 1955 when Liverpool was playing in the Second Division, which goes to show how highly-rated he was. Only Billy and Sir Stanley Matthews managed to be chosen to play both these games. Billy was disappointed to miss out on the FA Cup after being kicked from pillar to post in the 1950 final defeat against Arsenal. 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 recalled. Nobody could have blamed him for abandoning ship when after promising seasons that always ended up in mid-table Liverpool were relegated in 1954. Liddell had established himself as Liverpool's greatest star, the club's top-scorer four seasons out of eight in the top-flight, but there was only so much one man could do.

Liddell had a number of admirers but felt at home at Liverpool. He was moved up front and made captain in the 1955/56 season. Goals came easy to him and he scored 115 in five seasons in the Second Division. All careers must come to an end, even Billy Liddell's! He retired 39 years of age when the Shankly revolution was about to start. Shankly did enjoy the powers of his compatriot on occasion and certainly wished that Liddell had been twenty years younger. "Liddell was some player... He had everything," Shankly enthused. "He was fast, powerful, shot with either foot and his headers were like blasts from a gun. On top of all that he was as hard as granite. What a player! He was so strong – and he took a nineteen-inch collar shirt!" It was no coincidence that Liverpool became to be known as "Liddellpool". Ian Callaghan considers Billy, Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard as Liverpool Football Club's finest and there's no reason to argue with Cally. "Billy was my idol when I was at school and it was fantastic to take over from him," Callaghan said. "I had so much respect for him. Great man - He was a god in Liverpool. I took over from him on the wing and he finished playing not long after that. When I went to my first professional football match it was Liverpool. When Billy got the ball the anticipation from the crowd was just huge. What is he going to do with it? Is he going to shoot from 30 yards or take it past people? He was wonderful. Billy played with a heavy ball on the heavy pitches. The way he used to kick the ball, wow! He was so strong."

On 31 August 1960 Liddell made his last-ever appearance for Liverpool in a 1-0 defeat to Southampton in the Second Division. No other player had made more appearances for the club than King Billy, a total of 534 eclipsing Elisha Scott's total of 468. Three weeks later Liddell's testimonial took place against an International XI which included several greats such as Bert Trautmann (Manchester City), Sir Stanley Matthews (Blackpool), Nat Lofthouse (Bolton) and Sir Thomas Finney (Preston North End's legend). Liverpool won 4-2 with Liddell scoring for the opposition and netting £6,000 for which he bought a house. On the eve of his testimonial, Billy revealed once more his affection for his club and the city it was based in. "It has often been said that there is no sentiment in football, but I believe that my career, at least, has proved that wrong. Every Scot is proud of his heritage, but I am equally proud to know that in the city of my adoption I am accepted as a fellow-Liverpudlian. It hardly seems 22 years since I was being warned about the "terrible" city which has meant so much to me. I cannot recall who said that a city is not just bricks and mortar and fine buildings, it is the people in it, but it expresses what I think. I would like to take the opportunity of thanking the much-maligned Liverpool supporters for the encouragement they have given to me. I have always been happy at Anfield for I know we have the staunchest bunch of supporters in the land."

"What can you say about him? Liverpool have had some good club players, but I think he is the finest in their history. Look at him today. I used to do a bit of running around, but he does a lot more than I ever did," said Donald Mackinlay, Liverpool's captain from the 1920s, in 1955. He added poignantly: "Matthews is a great entertainer, but for me that Liddell man is “It”. He is one of the greatest club men ever to have played football.”