1968–69 Liverpool F.C. season

The 1968–69 season was Liverpool Football Club's 77th season in existence and their seventh consecutive season in the First Division. Liverpool came close to a record eighth league title, as they picked up the same number points that won them their seventh title in 1965–66. However, the team finished second to Don Revie's Leeds United.

Liverpool F.C.
1968–69 season
ManagerBill Shankly
First Division2nd
Inter-Cities Fairs CupFirst round
FA CupFifth round
League CupFourth round
Top goalscorerLeague: Roger Hunt (13)
All: Roger Hunt (17)

An early exit in the Fairs Cup, losing on coin toss to Athletic Bilbao in the opening round was the main disappointment, meaning that Bill Shankly was yet to lead the club to a European trophy.

In both the League Cup and FA Cup they would be knocked out by the eventual runners-up in both tournaments.

Squad

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Goalkeepers

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Defenders

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Midfielders

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Attackers

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Squad statistics

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Appearances and goals

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No. Pos Nat Player Total Division 1 FA Cup League Cup Fairs Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
DF   ENG Gerry Byrne 3 0 2+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
MF   ENG Ian Callaghan 51 10 42+0 8 4+0 1 3+0 1 2+0 0
GK   ENG Ray Clemence 1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 1+0 0 0+0 0
FW   ENG Alun Evans 39 7 33+0 7 4+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
FW   SCO Bobby Graham 15 5 11+1 5 0+1 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
MF   SCO Brian Hall 2 0 0+2 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
FW   ENG Tony Hateley 4 1 4+0 1 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
DF   ENG Emlyn Hughes 49 5 40+0 3 4+0 1 3+0 0 2+0 1
FW   ENG Roger Hunt 47 17 38+0 13 4+0 1 3+0 2 2+0 1
DF   ENG Chris Lawler 51 7 42+0 3 4+0 0 3+0 3 2+0 1
GK   SCO Tommy Lawrence 50 0 42+0 0 4+0 0 2+0 0 2+0 0
DF   SCO Ian Ross 4 0 3+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+1 0
DF   ENG Tommy Smith 51 7 42+0 6 4+0 1 3+0 0 2+0 0
FW   SCO Ian St John 50 4 41+0 4 4+0 0 3+0 0 2+0 0
FW   ENG Geoff Strong 38 2 28+3 2 4+0 0 2+0 0 0+1 0
MF   ENG Peter Thompson 51 9 42+0 8 4+0 0 3+0 1 2+0 0
DF   ENG Peter Wall 17 0 13+0 0 0+0 0 2+0 0 2+0 0
DF   SCO Ron Yeats 48 2 39+0 2 4+0 0 3+0 0 2+0 0

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Leeds United (C) 42 27 13 2 66 26 2.538 67 Qualification for the European Cup first round
2 Liverpool 42 25 11 6 63 24 2.625 61 Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round
3 Everton 42 21 15 6 77 36 2.139 57
4 Arsenal 42 22 12 8 56 27 2.074 56 Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round[a]
5 Chelsea 42 20 10 12 73 53 1.377 50
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ^ Everton were ineligible to participate in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup as Liverpool had already qualified. Under the rules of the cup, only one team per city could participate. Arsenal took their place as the highest-ranked team that hadn't already qualified for a European competition.

Results

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First Division

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Date Opponents Venue Result Scorers Attendance Report 1 Report 2
10-Aug-68 Manchester City H 2–1 Graham   24' Thompson   73' 51,236 Report Report
14-Aug-68 Southampton A 0–2 24,453 Report Report
17-Aug-68 Arsenal A 1–1 Hunt   50' 43,535 Report Report
20-Aug-68 Stoke City H 2–1 Callaghan   63' Own Goal   75' 46,674 Report Report
24-Aug-68 Sunderland H 4–1 Smith   1' Lawler   16' Callaghan   44' Hateley   66' 46,547 Report Report
27-Aug-68 Everton A 0–0 63,898 Report Report
31-Aug-68 Leeds United A 0–1 38,929 Report Report
07-Sep-68 Queens Park Rangers H 2–0 Yeats   43' Graham   55' 46,025 Report Report
14-Sep-68 Ipswich Town A 2–0 Graham   48' St. John   89' 24,514 Report Report
21-Sep-68 Leicester City H 4–0 Yeats   2' Smith   4 pen' Evans   10' Callaghan   12' 48,375 Report Report
28-Sep-68 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 6–0 Hunt   15', 74' Thompson   25', 80' Evans   30', 63' 39,310 Report Report
05-Oct-68 Burnley A 4–0 Hunt   20', 35' Thompson   62' Strong   87' 26,238 Report Report
08-Oct-68 Everton H 1–1 Smith   75' 54,496 Report Report
12-Oct-68 Manchester United H 2–0 St. John   14' Evans   82' 53,392 Report Report
19-Oct-68 Tottenham Hotspur A 1–2 Hunt   37' 44,122 Report Report
26-Oct-68 Newcastle United H 2–1 Evans   23' Thompson   85' 45,323 Report Report
02-Nov-68 West Bromwich Albion A 0–0 34,600 Report Report
09-Nov-68 Chelsea H 2–1 Callaghan   25' Smith   28 pen' 47,248 Report Report
16-Nov-68 Sheffield Wednesday A 2–1 Lawler   28' Callaghan   71' 31,245 Report Report
23-Nov-68 Coventry City H 2–0 Strong   36' Callaghan   83' 44,820 Report Report
30-Nov-68 Nottingham Forest A 1–0 Hunt   24' 25,175 Report Report
03-Dec-68 Southampton H 1–0 Callaghan   14' 45,527 Report Report
07-Dec-68 West Ham United H 2–0 Hughes   44' Thompson   47' 48,632 Report Report
14-Dec-68 Manchester United A 0–1 59,000 Report Report
21-Dec-68 Tottenham Hotspur H 1–0 Hughes   70' 43,843 Report Report
26-Dec-68 Burnley H 1–1 Lawler   43' 52,515 Report Report
11-Jan-69 West Bromwich Albion H 1–0 Thompson   83' 47,587 Report Report
18-Jan-69 Chelsea A 2–1 Hunt   65' Evans   72' 51,872 Report Report
01-Feb-69 Sheffield Wednesday H 1–0 Hunt   65' 45,406 Report Report
15-Feb-69 Nottingham Forest H 0–2 42,359 Report Report
22-Feb-69 West Ham United A 1–1 Hunt   51' 36,498 Report Report
15-Mar-69 Sunderland A 2–0 St. John   39' Evans   62' 17,855 Report Report
29-Mar-69 Queens Park Rangers A 2–1 Smith   28 pen' Strong   78' 16,792 Report Report
31-Mar-69 Arsenal H 1–1 Smith   52 pen' 44,843 Report Report
05-Apr-69 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 1–0 Hunt   20' 45,399 Report Report
07-Apr-69 Stoke City A 0–0 27,389 Report Report
12-Apr-69 Leicester City A 2–1 Hughes   30' Callaghan   56' 28,671 Report Report
19-Apr-69 Ipswich Town H 4–0 Thompson   13' Graham   40', 66' St. John   90' 40,449 Report Report
22-Apr-69 Coventry City A 0–0 35,106 Report Report
28-Apr-69 Leeds United H 0–0 53,750 Report Report
12-May-69 Manchester City A 0–1 28,309 Report Report
17-May-69 Newcastle United A 1–1 Hunt   68' 34,910 Report Report

Football League Cup

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Date Opponents Venue Result Scorers Attendance Report 1 Report 2
04-Sep-68 Sheffield United H 4–0 Hunt   54' Lawler   71' Callaghan   75' Thompson   83' 32,358 Report Report
25-Sep-68 Swansea Town H 2–0 Lawler   52' Hunt   85' 31,051 Report Report
15-Oct-68 Arsenal A 1–2 Lawler   75' 39,299 Report Report

FA Cup

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Date Opponents Venue Result Scorers Attendance Report 1 Report 2
04-Jan-69 Doncaster Rovers H 2–0 Hunt   70' Callaghan   84' 48,330 Report Report
25-Jan-69 Burnley H 2–1 Smith   13 pen' Hughes   23' 53,677 Report Report
01-Mar-69 Leicester City A 0–0 42,002 Report Report
03-Mar-69 Leicester City H 0–1 54,666 Report Report

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

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Date Opponents Venue Result Scorers Attendance Report 1 Report 2
18-Sep-68 Athletic Bilbao A 1–2 Hunt   67' 28,004 Report Report
02-Oct-68 Athletic Bilbao H 2–1 Lawler   78' Hughes   87' 49,567 Report Report

References

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