July 4, 1923
Liverpool F.C. election
Liverpool F.C. had a most successful annual meeting last night, and the main feature of the evening was the election of Mr. James Troop as director for the vacancy on the board – a very keen election it was between Messrs. John Keating and William Wood, both of whom publicly congratulated the winner of the contest – and the announcements made by Mr. Thomas Crompton, of the Grounds Committee, regarding increased accommodation, &c., at Anfield.
James Troop.
It appears that many schemes are wrapped up into one whole, and the first portion of the scheme is already well under way on the grand stand side, where the Press are to have a new and commodious apartments. But the greater portion of the scheme is that which refers to the Anfield Road End stand. The club are rather cramped for room here, and the proposition is a double-decker stand, with the possibility of even a treble-decker stand being erected. Mr. Crompton rightly said that no other club in the country had such a scheme, and no ground had ever attempted a three-decker stand.
Mr. William Robert Williams, chairman of the club, presiding at the meeting, congratulated all upon the happy circumstances of their further championship win, and paid tribute to the work of the Liverpool Press – a tribute that is not common in sports matters and was, therefore, all the more welcome.
The record attendance
Mr. Williams mentioned that the ground last season broke a record with 56,000 spectators. Prior to that they had never accommodated 50,000. Mr. Williams spoke highly of the players, the staff, the secretary, manager, and to the excellent work of the directors, who had always stood by him.
The election of the retiring directors was made sure by a special motion by which Messrs. John Asbury and Richard Lawson Martindale Snr did not go to the vote for the odd seat that remained for appointment.
Mr. Fred Geary, the former footballer, asked that there should be extra entrances to the shareholders’ stand, as on important occasions some 900 people would wend their way through at a slow pace. Mr. Thomas Crompton promised that the matter should receive attention.
Mr. S. Hayes suggested that the shareholders should make some tangible gift to the directors for their splendid work, but the chairman said that consent of the authorities would be needed and they were only too happy to know they had the support of the general body of shareholders.
The players signed for the season are: –
Goal: Elisha Scott, Algy Wilkinson, Charles Pearson and Stalliker.
Full-backs: Ephraim Longworth, Donald Mackinlay, Tommy Lucas, Ted Parry, John Lillie and Jimmy Garner.
Half-backs: John McNab, Walter Wadsworth, Tom Bromilow, David Pratt, John Bamber, Bill Rogers, Charles Harrison Davis and Roland Mitchell.
Forwards: William Lacey, Dick Forshaw, Dick Johnson, Harry Chambers, Fred Hopkin, Cyril Gilhespy, Jimmy Walsh, Danny Shone, Griff Owen, Jack Keedwell, Harry Lewis, George Harold Beadles, Harold Wadsworth and Billy McDevitt, the player from Ireland.
The board was at full strength, save that Mr. John Hill, through serious illness, could not be present. The gathering asked the chairman to convey their sympathies to Mr. Hill. Mr. Martindale, who was congratulated from the chair, along with Mr. Asbury, on re-election, has recovered from his illness, and a shareholder, Mr. Crosbie, very wisely aimed at the retiring directors going back to the fold without risk, for he moved that they should be returned unopposed straighaway, which, legally speaking, could only be done providing there was unanimity. There was not a dissentient voice.
(Source: Liverpool Echo: July 5, 1923)
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