Billy Liddell honoured in SFA Hall of Fame

Campaigners bidding to have the name of Townhill footballing legend Billy Liddell immortalised are delighted that the Scottish Football Association (SFA) has decided to add him to the Scottish Hall of Fame.

The decision follows pressure from the Billy Liddell Memorial Campaign to have the Liverpool star’s achievements recognised.

Dunfermline and Mid Scotland MSP John Park—who wrote to the SFA and initiated a parliamentary campaign to recognise his talents—said, “I was delighted to learn of Billy’s elevation into the hall of fame.

“In the modern game he would be on a par with Steven Gerrard or Kenny Dalglish.

“Despite being a Liverpool legend, I was conscious that not enough people knew of Billy in his home town.

“The progress made in the last year to have him properly recognised has been a fantastic local campaign which I have been pleased to support,” Mr Park said.

It was important not to forget that Liddell was a role model to thousands of football players, young and old, the Labour MSP added.

“And that is why I look forward to working with the memorial campaign in the future to make sure that the Dunfermline hero is fittingly remembered in his home town.”

Dunfermline North councillor Bill McCulloch, who is leading the campaign group to get recognit- ion for the player, also welcomed the news.

“I am really delighted that has happened, as we have been campaigning hard for that over the last few months,” he said.

“Since the group was formed we have gotten support from Fife Council and the sports centre in Townhill is to be renamed after Billy Liddell and now he is to be admitted to the hall of fame.”

Mr McCulloch added that other projects were in the pipeline, including a community garden within Townhill park and a memorial cairn with a plaque listing Liddell’s achievements.

Born in Townhill in 1922, Billy Liddell started playing for Lochgelly Violet at the age of 15.

He went on to be capped 29 times for Scotland and helped Liverpool to the top of the league during the 1940s—scoring 229 goals for the side.

His contribution at Anfield was so great that the club was nicknamed Liddellpool.

Liddell died seven years ago from Alzheimer’s disease.

While a commemorative plaque was erected at Anfield in 2004, there was no permanent tribute in his home village.

So the memorial campaign was set up by a group of local people who believed Liddell’s life and achievements had not been recognised to the extent they should be in his own community.

One of its aims was to have his name added to the hall of fame.

Other ambitions are to put up a memorial in Townhill, raise awareness of the man as a role model and encourage the young in Townhill and the surrounding area to participate in sport. The Courier