# 1949–50 Liverpool F.C. season

The 1949–50 season was the 57th season in Liverpool F.C.'s existence, and ended with the club finishing eighth in the table. Liverpool had played the first 19 games of the season unbeaten up to the middle of December and despite losing games after this, still remained top of the league on Good Friday. On Easter Sunday, Liverpool lost 5–1 away to Newcastle and went on to lose three of their last four games, ultimately finishing the season in eighth place, five points off ultimate league winners Portsmouth.
They also reached the FA Cup Final but lost 2-0 to Arsenal.

## Squad
### Goalkeepers

* Charlie Ashcroft
* Ray Minshull
* Cyril Sidlow

### Defenders

* Joe Cadden
* Frank Christie
* John Heydon
* Laurie Hughes
* Bill Jones
* Ray Lambert
* Bob Paisley
* Bill Shepherd
* Sam Shields
* Eddie Spicer
* Phil Taylor

### Midfielders

* Ken Brierley
* Billy Liddell
* Tommy McLeod
* Jimmy Payne
* Bryan Williams

### Forwards

* Jack Balmer
* Kevin Baron
* Cyril Done
* Willie Fagan
* Albert Stubbins

## Squad statistics
### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Division 1 | Division 1 | FA Cup | FA Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | FW | ENG | Jack Balmer | 9 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Kevin Baron | 45 | 8 | 38 | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| | MF | ENG | Ken Brierley | 11 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Frank Christie | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Cyril Done | 15 | 5 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Willie Fagan | 42 | 15 | 35 | 11 | 7 | 4 |
| | DF | ENG | Laurie Hughes | 41 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Bill Jones | 29 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| | DF | WAL | Ray Lambert | 48 | 1 | 41 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Billy Liddell | 48 | 20 | 41 | 18 | 7 | 2 |
| | GK | ENG | Ray Minshull | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Bob Paisley | 28 | 2 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| | MF | ENG | Jimmy Payne | 38 | 7 | 31 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
| | DF | ENG | Bill Shepherd | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Sam Shields | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | GK | WAL | Cyril Sidlow | 44 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Eddie Spicer | 44 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Albert Stubbins | 36 | 11 | 29 | 10 | 7 | 1 |
| | DF | ENG | Phil Taylor | 44 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Billy Watkinson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 6 | Arsenal | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 79 | 55 | 1.436 | 49 |
| 7 | Blackpool | 42 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 46 | 35 | 1.314 | 49 |
| 8 | Liverpool | 42 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 64 | 54 | 1.185 | 48 |
| 9 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 59 | 48 | 1.229 | 47 |
| 10 | Burnley | 42 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 40 | 40 | 1.000 | 45 |

## Results
### First Division

| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report 1 | Report 2 |
| 20-Aug-49 | Sunderland | H | 4–2 | Paisley 32' Balmer 42' Baron 63' Stubbins 73' | 49,811 | Report | Report |
| 22-Aug-49 | Stoke City | A | 0–0 | | 27,255 | Report | Report |
| 27-Aug-49 | Everton | A | 0–0 | | 70,812 | Report | Report |
| 31-Aug-49 | Stoke City | H | 1–1 | Liddell 28' | 38,097 | Report | Report |
| 03-Sep-49 | Arsenal | A | 2–1 | Stubbins 38', 75' | 51,866 | Report | Report |
| 07-Sep-49 | Manchester United | H | 1–1 | Stubbins 76' | 51,857 | Report | Report |
| 10-Sep-49 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 1–1 | Baron 62' | 44,212 | Report | Report |
| 17-Sep-49 | Birmingham City | A | 3–2 | Done 2' Liddell 70', 74' | 37,859 | Report | Report |
| 24-Sep-49 | Derby County | H | 3–1 | Baron 5' Fagan 20' Payne 30' | 54,512 | Report | Report |
| 01-Oct-49 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–0 | Stubbins 37' | 44,219 | Report | Report |
| 08-Oct-49 | Middlesbrough | H | 2–0 | Payne 74' Lambert pen 77' | 49,569 | Report | Report |
| 15-Oct-49 | Blackpool | A | 0–0 | | 33,675 | Report | Report |
| 22-Oct-49 | Newcastle United | H | 2–2 | Liddell 6' Baron 70' | 48,987 | Report | Report |
| 29-Oct-49 | Fulham | A | 1–0 | Liddell 15' | 41,870 | Report | Report |
| 05-Nov-49 | Manchester City | H | 4–0 | Liddell ?', pen 11' Brierley 21' Baron | 50,536 | Report | Report |
| 12-Nov-49 | Charlton Athletic | A | 3–1 | Done 35' Liddell 42', pen 73' | 41,166 | Report | Report |
| 19-Nov-49 | Aston Villa | H | 2–1 | Liddell 2' Brierley 82' | 50,293 | Report | Report |
| 26-Nov-49 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–1 | Fagan 27' | 52,509 | Report | Report |
| 03-Dec-49 | Portsmouth | H | 2–2 | Done 29', 50' | 44,851 | Report | Report |
| 10-Dec-49 | Huddersfield Town | A | 2–3 | Fagan 4' Brierley 24' | 25,767 | Report | Report |
| 17-Dec-49 | Sunderland | A | 2–3 | Brierley 8' Done 15' | 46,515 | Report | Report |
| 24-Dec-49 | Everton | H | 3–1 | Baron 56', ?' Fagan | 50,485 | Report | Report |
| 26-Dec-49 | Chelsea | A | 1–1 | Fagan 88' | 55,920 | Report | Report |
| 27-Dec-49 | Chelsea | H | 2–2 | Fagan 51', 59' | 58,757 | Report | Report |
| 31-Dec-49 | Arsenal | H | 2–0 | Liddell 32' Own Goal 82' | 55,020 | Report | Report |
| 14-Jan-50 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 2–3 | Liddell 80' Fagan 81' | 41,507 | Report | Report |
| 21-Jan-50 | Birmingham City | H | 2–0 | Payne 23' Stubbins 69' | 37,668 | Report | Report |
| 04-Feb-50 | Derby County | A | 2–2 | Stubbins 65' Liddell | 36,835 | Report | Report |
| 18-Feb-50 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2–1 | Stubbins 12' Brierley 87' | 46,634 | Report | Report |
| 25-Feb-50 | Middlesbrough | A | 1–4 | Stubbins 41' | 31,804 | Report | Report |
| 08-Mar-50 | Blackpool | H | 0–1 | | 33,464 | Report | Report |
| 11-Mar-50 | Aston Villa | A | 0–2 | | 40,820 | Report | Report |
| 15-Mar-50 | Manchester United | A | 0–0 | | 45,283 | Report | Report |
| 18-Mar-50 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0–2 | | 41,216 | Report | Report |
| 29-Mar-50 | Manchester City | A | 2–1 | Liddell Payne | 22,661 | Report | Report |
| 01-Apr-50 | Charlton Athletic | H | 1–0 | Liddell pen 20' | 39,721 | Report | Report |
| 07-Apr-50 | Burnley | A | 2–0 | Payne 47' Liddell 51' | 33,025 | Report | Report |
| 08-Apr-50 | Newcastle United | A | 1–5 | Fagan 29' | 48,639 | Report | Report |
| 10-Apr-50 | Burnley | H | 0–1 | | 43,716 | Report | Report |
| 15-Apr-50 | Fulham | H | 1–1 | Fagan 50' | 36,274 | Report | Report |
| 22-Apr-50 | Portsmouth | A | 1–2 | Stubbins 52' | 46,927 | Report | Report |
| 03-May-50 | Huddersfield Town | H | 2–3 | Fagan 10' Liddell 56' | 35,763 | Report | Report |

### FA Cup

| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report 1 | Report 2 |
| 07-Jan-50 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 0–0 | | 52,468 | Report | Report |
| 11-Jan-50 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 2–1 | Payne 32' Fagan 51' | 52,221 | Report | Report |
| 28-Jan-50 | Exeter City | H | 3–1 | Baron 45' Fagan 82' Payne 88' | 45,209 | Report | Report |
| 11-Feb-50 | Stockport County | A | 2–1 | Fagan 57' Stubbins 70' | 27,833 | Report | Report |
| 04-Mar-50 | Blackpool | H | 2–1 | Fagan 19' Liddell 81' | 53,973 | Report | Report |
| 25-Mar-50 | Everton | A | 2–0 | Paisley 29' Liddell 62' | 72,000 | Report | Report |

### Final

| Arsenal | Liverpool |
George Swindin :
| RB | 2 | Laurie Scott |
| LB | 3 | Walley Barnes |
| HB | 4 | Alex Forbes |
| HB | 5 | Leslie Compton |
| HB | 6 | Joe Mercer (c) |
| OF | 7 | Freddie Cox |
| IF | 8 | Jimmy Logie |
| CF | 9 | Peter Goring |
| IF | 10 | Reg Lewis |
| OF | 11 | Denis Compton |
| Manager: ||||
| Tom Whittaker ||||
Cyril Sidlow :
| RB | 2 | Ray Lambert |
| LB | 3 | Eddie Spicer |
| RH | 4 | Phil Taylor (c) |
| CH | 5 | Laurie Hughes |
| LH | 6 | Bill Jones |
| OR | 7 | Jimmy Payne |
| IR | 8 | Kevin Baron |
| CF | 9 | Albert Stubbins |
| IL | 10 | Willie Fagan |
| OL | 11 | Billy Liddell |
| Manager: ||||
| George Kay ||||