March 7, 1903
Match: Football League, First Division, at Anfield, kick-off: 15:30.
Liverpool – Newcastle United 3-0 (3-0).
Attendance: 15,000.
Referee: Mr. H. Boldison (Middlesbrough), linesmen: W.R. Thornton and A.H. Downs.
Liverpool (2-3-5): Bill Perkins, John Glover, Billy Dunlop, Maurice Parry, Alex Raisbeck, William Goldie, Arthur Goddard, George Livingston, Sam Raybould, Edgar Chadwick, John Cox.
Newcastle United (2-3-5): Matt Kingsley, Bob Benson, William Agnew, Alec Gardner, Andrew Aitken, Jack Carr, Arthur Turner, Robert McColl, Bob Roberts, Andy Gardner, Bobby Templeton.
The goals: 1-0 Raybould (10 min), 2-0 Raybould (20 min), 3-0 Raisbeck.
A “walk-over” at Liverpool.
After an eight weeks’ absence from Anfield it was a sort of relief to attend at the Liverpool enclosure once more, the visitors being the Newcastle United eleven. The latter were experimenting with their forward line, after their previous disastrous experiences, whilst Liverpool had, owing to the accident to Charlie Wilson, to revert to their original side – the one that opened the season for them so auspiciously.
Liverpool had the issue safe right from the start, and had they fully extended themselves throughout the ninety minutes, they must have completely swamped their opponents. They led by three goals at the interval, and fully deserved it, for there was no comparison between the keen, incisive efforts of the Anfielders and, the comparatively weak attempts of the visitors.
When the United were at Everton in the incipient stages of the season, they created a distinctly favourable impression, but some spell must have been cast on them since that time, for the exhibition given in the match under notice was not only common place, it was out and out feeble.
The scoring.
Raybould opened the scoring in a rather curious manner, for Agnew dallied with the ball from a long return until the Liverpool centre whipped round him, and the ball was in the straight away. Another weak bit of defensive play by Benson let in Cox, who raced up to Kingsley, and with a stinging shot brought that worthy to his knees. The custodian could only knock the ball down, and Raybould dashing up crashed it into the net.
The third came from Raisbeck, whom from fully forty yards’ range drove the ball into the corner of the net, and this was the state of affairs at the interval. Perkins had scarcely been troubled in the meantime, and the United never gave one the impression that they would score if they went on for a month. Andrew Gardner did flash the ball against the crossbar after some tricky work by Templeton, but this was only a momentary changes in procedure.
In the second half Liverpool simply toyed with their opponents, and a more one-sided game has seldom been seen in this city. Liverpool didn’t appear to want to increase their lead, and Newcastle couldn’t reduce the adverse, and thus the game stood.
A few impressions.
Liverpool quickly weighed up the opposition, and, at half-time had evidently decided the question to their own satisfaction. Raisbeck played a grand game at centre-half, and Goldie likewise did well, but Parry was not too particular in his methods, and he evidently had Templeton too much in his mind’s eye.
Glover was the best back on the field, though even he was not too particular in his attention to the latest Newcastle capture, but I suppose this is one of the penalties of publicity that certain League players have to contend against. Perkins did not create a favourable impression.
The forwards were a fine set, the halves were too good for the Newcastle front line, and the backs were in rare trim, and if Liverpool do not yet seriously trouble the more fancied candidates for the League championship, I am much mistaken.
Roberts were never seen in the Newcastle centre, McColl was not one bit more effective, and Turner was unable to do himself justice. Templeton was clever, but erratic; nevertheless, he was a long way the best of the United front line, which, however, was too disjointed and lacking in determination to trouble a set of capable defenders.
The halves were only moderate, the full backs were strangely inconsistent, though Agnew was a long way the better of the pair, and Kingsley in goal had no chance with the first two shots that scored, whilst the third completely beat him.
Newcastle are certainly in s curious quandary, and what to do with such men as they have at command, to produce an effective side, is a problem I should not care to tackle.
(Source: Athletic News: March 9, 1903)
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Bill Perkins, Liverpool (Lichfield Mercury: November 11, 1898).
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"Play Up, Liverpool" 