Members AreaNews
Around AnfieldJohn Houlding Sculpture
Welcome to part one of our new Around Anfield series, an in-depth look at the things round our home! Today we look at the tribute to Liverpool Football Club’s founding father, John Houlding…
Five years ago, on 29th November 2018, a bronze sculpture of John Houlding was unveiled outside Anfield. Located on 97 Avenue, opposite the Main Stand and close to Paisley Square, it pays tribute to the man who founded Liverpool FC.
“John Houlding is arguably responsible for the footballing legacy of this city – he was the first president of Everton FC and the founder of Liverpool FC, as well as being the Lord Mayor of Liverpool,” said councillor Christine Banks, the Lord Mayor of Liverpool. “He was an important character in our city’s history and this stunning tribute is a fitting reminder of what he started over 120 years ago.”
Houlding was a self-made man who had worked in a brewery before purchasing a small public house and subsequently his own small brewery. He had The Sandon Hotel built on Oakfield Road in 1870 and it was there that Everton FC held a meeting in 1882 regarding the need to find a new home.
Formed as St Domingo’s FC in 1878 and renamed as Everton FC a year later, the Blues had played on Stanley Park until a new ruling forced the club to find an enclosed area to play matches. They moved to a field on Priory Road, but when the owner asked them to leave, Houlding, a keen football fan, secured a patch of land on Anfield Road owned by another brewer, John Orrell.
It was rented to Everton FC and on 28th September 1884 the Blues beat Earlestown FC 5-0 in the first ever match played at Anfield. Houlding bought Anfield in 1885 and the players used The Sandon to get changed in. They became founder members of the Football League in 1888 and continued to play at Anfield for eight years with stands erected and crowds - which were boosted by dockers winning the right to have Saturday afternoons off in 1890 - topped 8,000. But trouble was brewing.
Everton FC had paid rent of £100 in 1888, but after finishing runners-up in their second Football League season, Houlding wanted to increase the rent to £250 a year. Unhappy with the increase, the club’s members decided to look for another ground. Some also objected to having the club’s affairs run from a licensed hotel, but others were reluctant to lose their investment in Anfield’s fixtures and fittings.
A compromise rent of £180 was suggested to Houlding, who responded by offering Everton FC the whole plot for the then vast sum of £6,000. When the members refused, Houlding served the club notice to quit and attempted to form his own Everton FC and Athletic Grounds Limited at Anfield. He succeeded, but the new club became known as Liverpool FC, with the league ruling that Everton FC could take their name with them.
At a special meeting in early 1892, Everton FC committee member George Mahon revealed that he had an option on a field on the north side of Stanley Park, called Mere Green. It would later become known as Goodison Park. And so, on 15th March 1892 the formal parting of Everton FC from Anfield was announced and on 3rd June, the Board of Trade sent a certificate to Houlding confirming that his club formally constituted a company and could now trade.
Liverpool Football Club was born and with the help of Ulsterman John McKenna - a friend who had backed Houlding when Everton FC left - the new club recruited a team of Scottish players. Although Liverpool FC’s application to join the Football League was rejected, the club played its first game at Anfield against Higher Walton FC in the Lancashire League on 3rd September 1892. Club secretary William Barclay acted as manager and Liverpool FC won 8-0 with Jock Smith scoring the first goal. The rest, as they say, is history!
Houlding died in France in 1902, aged 69, following a lengthy illness and to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Liverpool FC being formed the bronze sculpture of our founding father was unveiled at Anfield.
“The sculpture has been over a year in the making,” said sculptor Tom Murphy, who also made the Bill Shankly statue outside the Kop. “There are very few images of John Houlding and so it was important to do the right research on his style of clothes and other details. We felt it was important to show him wearing his Mayoral chain to reflect his impact not just on football, but the city as a whole.”
