After winning the Lancashire League in the first year of existence, Liverpool FC was elected to the Football League Second Division for the 1893-1894 season.
As was the case with the previous season, Liverpool FC was extremely successful in their second season as well, and won the Second Division by a good margin, suffering no defeats in the process. As a result they were promoted to the the highest level of English football at the time – the first division!
As you would expect, Liverpool FC didn’t just go on to win the league in their first season, but started a building up period with the aim to win the league, as well as the domestic cup competition. The first seed of success was sown in 1896, when Liverpool FC signed Tom Watson to manage the team.
Tom Watson was the manager of Sunderland AFC, and had a proven track record, since he had guided Sunderland AFC to the title 3 times in 4 seasons, and remains their most successful manager to this day.
Over the next 5 years he built a strong squad around players like Alex Raisbeck, Bill Perkins, Billy Dunlop, Jack Cox and Sam Raybould. The Liverpool FC team that started the 1900-1901 was considered to be their strongest team yet.
To give you an idea of the time this took place, this was when handlebar mustaches were in high fashion, the players travelled to the away games by train and/or horse and carriage, Queen Victorias reign was coming to an end and goats would be grazing on the grass-covered terraces of Anfield during the week.
The season got off to a perfect start with a 3-0 win over Blackburn Rovers, in front of a crowd of 20,000 at Anfield, followed by a 2-1 win away at Stoke City, before West Bromwich Albion had to suffer a 5-0 defeat by the Anfield outfit.
Fourth game of the season was the first so called Merseyside Derby, an away game against Everton FC at Goodison park. Liverpool FC came from behind to claim a 1-1 draw, ending their 100 percent record. Things went worse the next week, when their unbeaten run was brought to an end by title favorites Sunderland AFC, who came away from Anfield with a 2-1 win.
Manager Tom Watson wasn’t most pleased to lose out to his former club, but in the end he and Liverpool FC would have the last laugh.
Liverpool FC would have to go through testing times first though, and by the turn of the year even the most optimistic supporter wouldn’t have believed the team would go on to win the league that year. Further damage was added to the campaign and their confidence through further defeats, and by mid-February Liverpool FC found themselves in 8th spot in the league table.
With nine points difference to the top team of the league, Nottingham Forest, things looked bleak. However, Liverpool FC turned things around in what was to become a trademark of the clubs title winning teams, so before the last game of the season against an already relegated West Bromwich Albion site, they were level with Sunderland AFC in the title race.
West Bromwich Albion was no pushover though, fighting for honour and pride. Liverpool FC was fortunate to be in the lead by one goal to nil at half time. After a hard fought second half, Liverpool FC managed to hang on to their lead, and as a draw would have sufficed their first league title was a reality.
Coming back on the train from the midlands, the newly crowned champions were met by a large crowd at the central station, and team captain Alex Raisbeck was carried shoulder high through the streets to the tune of ‘The Conquering Hero’.
On returning to Anfield, the League Championship trophy was proudly placed in the trophy cabinet for the first time. It wasn’t to be the last time this happened though.
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