# 1961–62 Liverpool F.C. season

The 1961-62 season was the 70th season in Liverpool F.C.'s existence and their eighth and final season in Division Two. They finished the season as Second Division champions and sealed promotion to the First Division under the management of Bill Shankly, who had been in charge since December 1959. Their top scorer was centre-forward Roger Hunt, who scored 41 goals in the league and 42 in all competitions. They also reached the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The signings of Ron Yeats and Ian St. John in the close season would also be influential in their championship, and would become part of the team for the rest of the decade.

## Squad
### Goalkeepers

* Jim Furnell
* Bert Slater

### Defenders

* Gerry Byrne
* Phil Ferns
* Alan Jones
* John Molyneux
* Ronnie Moran
* Dick White
* Ron Yeats

### Midfielders

* Alan A'Court
* Ian Callaghan
* Tommy Leishman
* Kevin Lewis
* Jimmy Melia
* Gordon Milne
* Johnny Morrissey

### Forwards

* Gordon Wallace
* Johnny Wheeler
* Alf Arrowsmith
* Willie Carlin
* Bobby Graham
* Roger Hunt
* Ian St. John

## Squad statistics
### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Division 2 | Division 2 | FA Cup | FA Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | MF | ENG | Alan A'Court | 47 | 10 | 42 | 9 | 5 | 1 |
| | FW | ENG | Alf Arrowsmith | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Gerry Byrne | 47 | 1 | 42 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Ian Callaghan | 28 | 1 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| | GK | ENG | Jim Furnell | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Roger Hunt | 46 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 5 | 1 |
| | MF | SCO | Tommy Leishman | 46 | 1 | 41 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Kevin Lewis | 21 | 10 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Jimmy Melia | 47 | 12 | 42 | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Gordon Milne | 47 | 2 | 42 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | John Molyneux | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Ronnie Moran | 19 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| | GK | SCO | Bert Slater | 34 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Ian St John | 45 | 22 | 40 | 18 | 5 | 4 |
| | FW | ENG | Johnny Wheeler | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Dick White | 25 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Ron Yeats | 41 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Second Division
### Table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Liverpool (C, P) | 42 | 27 | 8 | 7 | 99 | 43 | 2.302 | 62 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 2 | Leyton Orient (P) | 42 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 69 | 40 | 1.725 | 54 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 3 | Sunderland | 42 | 22 | 9 | 11 | 85 | 50 | 1.700 | 53 | |
| 4 | Scunthorpe United | 42 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 86 | 71 | 1.211 | 49 | |
| 5 | Plymouth Argyle | 42 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 75 | 75 | 1.000 | 46 | |

### Results

| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report 1 | Report 2 |
| 19-Aug-61 | Bristol Rovers | A | 2-0 | Lewis 7' Own Goal 55' | 19,438 | Report | Report |
| 23-Aug-61 | Sunderland | H | 3-0 | Hunt 48', 83' Lewis 78' | 48,900 | Report | Report |
| 26-Aug-61 | Leeds United | H | 5-0 | Hunt 6', 48', 74' Lewis pen 53' Melia 68' | 42,950 | Report | Report |
| 30-Aug-61 | Sunderland | A | 4-1 | Hunt 26', 69' St. John 39', 90' | 47,261 | Report | Report |
| 02-Sep-61 | Norwich City | A | 2-1 | Hunt 63', 86' | 28,049 | Report | Report |
| 09-Sep-61 | Scunthorpe United | H | 2-1 | Own Goal 12' A'Court 23' | 46,837 | Report | Report |
| 16-Sep-61 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 0-0 | | 18,764 | Report | Report |
| 20-Sep-61 | Newcastle United | A | 2-1 | Milne 10' Own Goal 43' | 38,180 | Report | Report |
| 23-Sep-61 | Bury | H | 5-0 | Melia 1', 46' St. John 7' Hunt 64' Lewis 70' | 46,609 | Report | Report |
| 30-Sep-61 | Charlton Athletic | A | 4-0 | Hunt 44', 78' Lewis 82' St. John 84' | 14,236 | Report | Report |
| 04-Oct-61 | Newcastle United | H | 2-0 | Lewis 38' Hunt 75' | 52,419 | Report | Report |
| 07-Oct-61 | Middlesbrough | A | 0-2 | | 23,780 | Report | Report |
| 14-Oct-61 | Walsall | H | 6-1 | Lewis 41' Melia 47' Hunt 50', 57', 80' St. John 61' | 42,229 | Report | Report |
| 21-Oct-61 | Derby County | A | 0-2 | | 27,355 | Report | Report |
| 28-Oct-61 | Leyton Orient | H | 3-3 | Hunt 34', 50' Leishman 79' | 36,612 | Report | Report |
| 04-Nov-61 | Preston North End | A | 3-1 | Milne 29' Callaghan 56' St. John 63' | 29,243 | Report | Report |
| 11-Nov-61 | Luton Town | H | 1-1 | Lewis 6' | 34,924 | Report | Report |
| 18-Nov-61 | Huddersfield Town | A | 2-1 | Melia 10' Hunt 27' | 23,086 | Report | Report |
| 25-Nov-61 | Swansea Town | H | 5-0 | Melia 47', 49' Hunt 60', 76', 82' | 35,725 | Report | Report |
| 02-Dec-61 | Southampton | A | 0-2 | | 21,445 | Report | Report |
| 09-Dec-61 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 2-1 | A'Court 5' St. John 80' | 32,543 | Report | Report |
| 16-Dec-61 | Bristol Rovers | H | 2-0 | St. John 32' Hunt 79' | 29,957 | Report | Report |
| 23-Dec-61 | Leeds United | A | 0-1 | | 17,214 | Report | Report |
| 26-Dec-61 | Rotherham United | A | 0-1 | | 13,577 | Report | Report |
| 13-Jan-62 | Norwich City | H | 5-4 | Melia 25', 80' Hunt 42', 57' A'Court 60' | 35,576 | Report | Report |
| 20-Jan-62 | Scunthorpe United | A | 1-1 | St. John 4' | 11,200 | Report | Report |
| 03-Feb-62 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 3-1 | Byrne 52' Hunt 81' St. John 87' | 36,414 | Report | Report |
| 10-Feb-62 | Bury | A | 3-0 | Hunt 5', 36', 74' | 21,872 | Report | Report |
| 24-Feb-62 | Middlesbrough | H | 5-1 | St. John 14', 67' Hunt 39', 48', 90' | 37,629 | Report | Report |
| 03-Mar-62 | Walsall | A | 1-1 | A'Court 55' | 13,660 | Report | Report |
| 10-Mar-62 | Derby County | H | 4-1 | Hunt 34', 71' Melia 38', 47' | 38,152 | Report | Report |
| 17-Mar-62 | Leyton Orient | A | 2-2 | A'Court 80', 89' | 25,880 | Report | Report |
| 24-Mar-62 | Preston North End | H | 4-1 | Melia 9' St. John 14' Hunt 37', 67' | 39,701 | Report | Report |
| 28-Mar-62 | Rotherham United | H | 4-1 | Hunt 35' St. John 47', 55', 90' | 32,827 | Report | Report |
| 31-Mar-62 | Luton Town | A | 0-1 | | 9,086 | Report | Report |
| 07-Apr-62 | Huddersfield Town | H | 1-1 | Hunt 68' | 38,022 | Report | Report |
| 21-Apr-62 | Southampton | H | 2-0 | Lewis 19', 29' | 40,410 | Report | Report |
| 23-Apr-62 | Stoke City | H | 2-1 | Moran pen 14' Melia 90' | 41,005 | Report | Report |
| 24-Apr-62 | Stoke City | A | 0-0 | | 15,472 | Report | Report |
| 28-Apr-62 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 3-2 | A'Court 16' St. John 56' Hunt 60' | 13,427 | Report | Report |
| 30-Apr-62 | Charlton Athletic | H | 2-1 | Hunt 89' A'Court 90' | 34,327 | Report | Report |
| 04-May-62 | Swansea Town | A | 2-4 | St. John 31' Hunt 75' | 15,000 | Report | Report |

## FA Cup

| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report 1 | Report 2 |
| 06-Jan-62 | Chelsea | H | 4-3 | St. John 16', 41' Hunt 28' A'Court 44' | 48,455 | Report | Report |
| 27-Jan-62 | Oldham Athletic | A | 2-1 | St. John 74', 80' | 42,000 | Report | Report |
| 17-Feb-62 | Preston North End | H | 0-0 | | 54,967 | Report | Report |
| 20-Feb-62 | Preston North End | A | 0-0 | | 37,381 | Report | Report |
| 26-Feb-62 | Preston North End | A | 0-1 | | 43,944 | Report | Report |