Liverpool Football Club came into being in 1892 after a falling-out between Everton’s directors and John Houlding, the owner of Anfield. When Everton moved to Goodison Park, Houlding needed a new team to fill the stadium. He set up a club, initially called ‘Everton Athletic’ but later changed to Liverpool and applied for entry to the Football League. After being turned down, Liverpool joined the Lancashire League instead, and so their journey began.
In order to prepare for their inaugural season, in the Lancashire League, Liverpool sought to arrange a pre-season friendly. They managed to do this, scheduling a non-competitive fixture against Rotherham Town. A historic moment for the club, but how did the match play out?
Liverpool’s First Opponent: Rotherham Town
Liverpool scheduled their first ever match for 1st September 1892 to be played at Anfield. Rotherham Town, the visiting side, were reigning champions of the Midland League, so a useful outfit by all accounts. They are not the same side as Rotherham United, though, as they dissolved just four years after this friendly clash.
Around 1,000 fans rocked up to Anfield to watch the 17:30 kick-off. Liverpool, led by William Barclay and John McKenna, opted for the 2-3-5 formation, as was standard at the time. An interesting point to note here is that Liverpool’s eleven was formed entirely of Scotsmen. This is because McKenna went across the border during a scouting trip earlier in the summer to seek out new players for the squad.
Fielding this team of Scotch Professors, as they were known back then, Liverpool got off to a positive start, helped by having the wind blowing behind them. Tom Wyllie and John Miller looked particularly bright in the opening exchanges. By the time the half-time whistle blew, the hosts were enjoying a 5-0 lead. Rotherham Town managed to offer a little more resistance in the second half but still conceded two more goals before pulling one back themselves. Wyllie ended up with a hat-trick, although this was not the start of a long and prolific Liverpool career as he moved to Bury a year later.
As far as first performances go, Liverpool could not have asked for much more, apart from a larger crowd. In a match report, it was noted how well the backs played together and how the team showed a great level of understanding. Defensive robustness meant that goalkeeper Sydney Ross had very little to do. The report did add, however, that there was a little room for improvement in the forward combinations, and Jock Smith had a tendency to hold the ball too long.
The only real downside was that Miller and James Kelso picked up injuries in the match. Both players subsequently missed the first league game of the season, before making their competitive debut in the 4-0 win against Bury later in September. Interestingly, this match was Kelso’s sole Liverpool appearance before he moved back to Scotland the following year. Despite the injuries, the emphatic win meant Liverpool were full of confidence as they headed into their first Lancashire League game just two days later.
Liverpool’s First Competitive Match: Higher Walton
129 years ago today, Liverpool Football Club played their first ever competitive fixture at Anfield against Higher Walton
They won 8-0
Obviously pic.twitter.com/LGGsesebbc
— The Anfield Wrap (@TheAnfieldWrap) September 3, 2021
Football was a lot different back in 1892, and one of the reasons why was the scheduling. In today’s game, a club would never arrange a pre-season friendly just two days before the start of the season, but for Liverpool at the time, it was perfect preparation. It should also be mentioned here that Liverpool arranged another friendly just two days after this league opener. In fact, with a mere 22 league games and three cup competitions providing insufficient action on the pitch, the Reds played 29 friendlies during this season.
Back to the Lancashire League, Liverpool’s opening fixture came on 3rd September 1982 and was a home clash versus Higher Walton. The match kicked off 45 minutes later than scheduled due to the late arrival of some of the opposition players. It was reported that some had gone to Goodison Park by mistake, as there happened to be another match taking place there. The action at Goodison meant the attendance for this clash was a low one, with only a few hundred spectators.
When the Higher Walton players eventually made it to the right place, the game began and as with the friendly against Rotherham Town, Liverpool began the brighter of the two sides. Despite the drab, wet weather, Liverpool put on a bright attacking display that delighted those who had come to watch. Despite the absence of Miller, Liverpool sent wave after wave of attack and found themselves 5-0 up by the half-time break.
Unwilling to relent too much, Liverpool bagged another three goals in the second half. It was a superb competitive debut showing from the nearly all-Scottish side. Unlike during their win against Rotherham Town, the Liverpool team for this fixture did feature one Englishman, Joe Pearson. This midfielder’s debut would turn out to be his first and final appearance for the club, however.
A Sign of Things to Come
Having hammered their first two opponents, even if only one was in a competitive match, Liverpool quickly established themselves as a very capable side. They did not find all opponents as straightforward as Rotherham or Higher Walton mind you. Indeed, in their next match, a friendly versus Middlesbrough Ironopolis, they lost 5-0. Defeat in the league came a little later, arriving in gameweek five when beaten comfortably 3-0 by Blackburn Rovers.
Despite being debutants to the division, Liverpool went on to win the title thanks to goal ratio. The Merseysiders ended up level on points (36) with Blackpool but clinched the title thanks to their superior ratio (ratio of goals scored versus goals against). Barclay and McKenna’s men also secured victory in the Liverpool Senior Cup after beating Everton 1-0 in the final.