The 1959–60 season was the 68th season in Liverpool F.C.'s existence, and was their sixth consecutive year in the Second Division.

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.

Season summary The early stages of the campaign saw Liverpool struggle for consistency, putting manager Phil Taylor under increasing pressure after his previous three seasons in charge had all resulted in narrow failures to achieve promotion. The situation further deteriorated when Liverpool failed to win a single match in October, and while a victory over Aston Villa at the start of November gave hope that the club might have turned the corner, it was followed by a humiliating 4-2 loss to strugglers Lincoln City. This proved the end of the road for Taylor, who resigned three days later with the team stuck in 11th place. First team trainer Bob Paisley stepped in as caretaker manager for the next two matches, which saw a 4-3 win over Leyton Orient, and then a 1-0 loss to Huddersfield Town. As it turned out, it would be the Yorkshire side who would provide Liverpool with their next manager, as Bill Shankly accepted the offer to take over at Anfield shortly after the match.

Liverpool's form picked up under Shankly, leaving a promotion challenge suddenly looking feasible after all. In the end, their mediocre early-season form and then another poor spell of form around Easter would leave promotion out of their hands, though a third-place finish still represented an improvement of one place on the previous season.

Squad

Goalkeepers Doug Rudham Bert Slater

Defenders Gerry Byrne Alan Jones John Molyneux Ronnie Moran John Nicholson Geoff Twentyman Dick White

Midfielders Alan A'Court Reginald Blore Ian Callaghan Bobby Campbell Jimmy Harrower Tommy Leishman Billy Liddell Jimmy Melia Fred Morris Johnny Morrissey Johnny Wheeler Barry Wilkinson

Forwards Alan Arnell Alan Banks Louis Bimpson Willie Carlin Dave Hickson Roger Hunt Bobby Murdoch Squad statistics Appearances and goals

Results

Second Division

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

FA Cup

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

References LFC History.net – 1959–60 season Liverweb - 1959–60 Season