July 6, 1956
Liverpool will seek new men for next season
Aiming to reach First Division
Youngsters coming on
The determination of the board of Liverpool F.C. to endeavour to add to the club’s playing strength before the start of next season in the hope of assuring promotion was stressed by Mr. Thomas Valentine Williams (chairman) at the annual meeting of shareholders last evening.
“We are fully aware of the severity of the task,” said Mr. T.V. Williams, “but we intend to tackle it with the utmost vigour and all the resources at our disposal. Next season will be our third in the Second Division. We hope it will be a case of third time lucky.”
Referring to last season’s displays Mr. Williams said that the class of football at most home matches was quite attractive but the club’s away record was disappointing. Although they were badly hit by injuries and illness in the case of some of their best players around Easter, there were weaknesses in the team which the board tried to remedy. In March, when they seemed to have a reasonable chance of securing promotion, they offered a big fee for two young “B” international players.
This attempt was unsuccessful because the men concerned preferred to play in First Division football. Both were, in fact, subsequently transferred to First Division clubs.
In the circumstances Liverpool had no option but to persevere with some of their younger and less experienced players. While they had a number of these on their books, who with experience and coaching might ultimately attain senior status, the Board would continue to pursue active inquiries for first-class players in readiness for next season.
They had been fortunate in signing Tommy Younger, of Hibernian, the reigning Scottish international goalkeeper, who was regarded as a very good capture.
“Parted good friends”
Referring to the resignation last season of Mr. Don Welsh, the club’s team manager, Mr. Williams said they had parted good friends, and the directors wished him well in the future.
To fill the vacancy Mr. Phil Taylor, a former playing captain and coach, had been appointed acting team manager, and it was felt that the experience he had had over 20 years’ association at Anfield would stand him in good stead in carrying out his new office.
Mr. Williams, referring in sympathetic terms to the sad loss suffered by Liverpool in the death during the past year of Mr. William John Harrop, a former chairman, and Mr. Thomas McConnell. The shareholders stood for a few moments in tribute to their memory.
In dealing with the accounts and balance sheet, Mr. Williams drew attention to the heavy burden of entertainment tax, which has absorbed £22,427 out of a gross income of £130,149. There was a surplus on the year’s working of £3,997 and the balance carried forward to the coming season stood at £59,984. The balance sheet and accounts were adopted without any questions being asked.
Mr. Phil Taylor briefly outlined his views regarding the coming season. “We have a splendid lot of players,” he said. “The younger ones are full of potentialities, and when one or two positions have been strengthened I feel we should have a good chance of winning promotion.”
He added that all the players retained for the coming winter had been re-signed.
Although there were seven nominations for the two vacancies on the board three of the candidates – Messrs. H.L. Kinsey, Edward Kinsey and Gerard Harvey Webb – withdrew their names before voting took place. The four remaining candidates then briefly addressed the shareholders.
Directorial voting
Mr. Stanley Ronald Williams, a former director and ex-chairman of the club, said he was not opposing the board or the two retiring directors – Messrs. Herbert Robson Roberts and Harold Cartwright – but was standing because there were two vacancies.
So far as the board was concerned, he counted them as friends, but unfortunately that friendship did not appear to be returned, and he had had no encouragement fro his former colleagues in his candidature. He did not harbour any bitterness on that score, however, and was not afraid to take a hiding.
The voting resulted:
Robson Roberts (9,169 votes); Harry Latham (9,047); Tom Parker (8,902); Harold Cartwright (8,765); Stanley Ronald Williams (1,466); W.H. Bodley (214).
Messrs. Roberts, Latham and Parker were elected for three years and Mr. H. Cartwright for one year – the unexpired term of the last Mr. T. McConnell.
Tom Parker.
Harry Latham.
Lights must wait
Referring to the question of installing floodlights at Anfield, Mr. Williams said that the last estimate obtained by the club was for £33,000. They had decided that rather than spend that amount of money on floodlight at the present time they would prefer to earmark it for improving their playing resources, a remark which drew several murmurs of approval fro the body of the hall.
Mr. Richard Lawson Martindale (director) said that floodlighting might be desirable eventually on all grounds, in order that kick-off times could be standardized at three o’clock throughout the season. That would help to improve gates in the middle of the winter.
(Source: Liverpool Echo: July 7, 1956; via http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) © 2018 Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited
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