1959–60 Liverpool F.C. season


The 1959-60 season was the 68th season in Liverpool F.C.'s existence, and was their 5th consecutive year in the Second Division, and covers the period from 1959-08-22 to 1960-04-30.

Pre-season

On 12 June, having spent three years at Liverpool and missing only six matches, 29-year-old goalkeeper Tommy Younger was allowed to leave to take on a player-manager role at Scottish Second Division side Falkirk. In exchange, Liverpool signed Falkirk's 23-year-old goalkeeper Bert Slater. Slater had made 134 appearances for Falkirk, winning a Scottish Cup winners medal in the process, before the club were relegated at the end of the 1958-59 season. Slater was small for a goalkeeper standing at just and was nicknamed 'Shorty' but he was immediately put into the Liverpool goal upon his arrival.
There were promotions to the first-team for local-born 22-year-old defender John Nicholson and 18-year-old inside forward Willie Carlin - the latter a promising youngster who had represented his country at schoolboy and youth levels; 19-year-old full back Alan Jones, a Welsh schoolboy international who had signed professional forms for Liverpool two years earlier; Wrexham-born forward Reginald Blore who had risen through the junior ranks at Anfield; 17-year-old midfielder Ian Callaghan from Toxteth, considered by Liverpool legend Billy Liddell to be his successor; and 20-year-old striker Roger Hunt, signed a year earlier by Phil Taylor when he was brought to his attention playing for Stockton Heath.
Taylor resigned as manager on 17 November and was succeeded by Bill Shankly on 14 December.

Squad

Goalkeepers

Second Division

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2
22-Aug-59 Cardiff City A 2–3 Own Goal 34,000
26-Aug-59 Bristol City H 4–2 Liddell Melia A'Court 33,071
29-Aug-59 Hull City H 5–3 Harrower Melia Moran A'Court Liddell 35,520
01-Sep-59 Bristol City A 0–1 22,528
05-Sep-59 Sheffield United A 1–2 Morrissey 25,073
09-Sep-59 Scunthorpe United H 2–0 Melia Hunt 31,713
12-Sep-59 Middlesbrough H 1–2 Liddell 39,000
17-Sep-59 Scunthorpe United A 1–1 Melia 18,851
19-Sep-59 Derby County A 2–1 A'Court Hunt 11,822
26-Sep-59 Plymouth Argyle H 4–1 Melia A'Court Hunt Moran 29,278
03-Oct-59 Swansea Town A 4–5 Own Goal Melia Hunt Moran 16,500
10-Oct-59 Brighton & Hove Albion H 2–2 A'Court Melia 30,366
17-Oct-59 Stoke City A 1–1 Harrower 17,000
24-Oct-59 Portsmouth H 1–1 Moran 21,075
31-Oct-59 Sunderland A 1–1 Hunt 30,208
07-Nov-59 Aston Villa H 2–1 Hickson 49,981
14-Nov-59 Lincoln City A 2–4 Hickson Hunt 10,801
21-Nov-59 Leyton Orient H 4–3 Morris Melia Hickson 34,321
28-Nov-59 Huddersfield Town A 0–1 16,185
05-Dec-59 Ipswich Town H 3–1 Hunt Hickson 24,843
12-Dec-59 Bristol Rovers A 2–0 Melia 15,615
19-Dec-59 Cardiff City H 0–4 27,291
26-Dec-59 Charlton Athletic A 0–3 15,491
28-Dec-59 Charlton Athletic H 2–0 A'Court Hunt 25,658
02-Jan-60 Hull City A 1–0 Melia 18,681
16-Jan-60 Sheffield United H 3–0 Melia Hunt 33,297
23-Jan-60 Middlesbrough A 3–3 Own goal Hickson Hunt 28,550
13-Feb-60 Plymouth Argyle A 1–1 Hickson 16,996
20-Feb-60 Swansea Town H 4–1 Hickson Hunt 31,663
27-Feb-60 Brighton & Hove Albion A 2–1 Hickson 21,118
05-Mar-60 Stoke City H 5–1 Hunt Harrower Liddell Hickson 35,101
12-Mar-60 Portsmouth A 1–2 Harrower 14,622
19-Mar-60 Huddersfield Town H 2–2 Hickson Wheeler 30,009
30-Mar-60 Aston Villa A 4–4 Hunt Hickson Molyneux 27,000
02-Apr-60 Lincoln City H 1–3 Moran 24,081
06-Apr-60 Derby County H 4–1 Hunt A'Court Wheeler Hickson 19,411
09-Apr-60 Leyton Orient A 0–2 13,007
16-Apr-60 Bristol Rovers H 4–0 Melia A'Court Campbell Hunt 27,317
18-Apr-60 Rotherham United H 3–0 Hunt Hickson 26,776
19-Apr-60 Rotherham United A 2–2 Hickson Hunt 10,123
23-Apr-60 Ipswich Town A 1–0 Hickson 12,048
30-Apr-60 Sunderland H 3–0 Hickson Hunt Melia 25,916

FA Cup

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2
09-Jan-60 Leyton Orient H 2–1 Hunt 40,343
30-Jan-60 Manchester United H 1–3 Wheeler 56,736