There are so many ways one could start a review of Peter Kenny Jones’ latest historical deep-dive – this one concerning the simultaneously heartwarming and tragic story of Tommy Lawrence, Liverpool Football Club’s legendary Flying Pig.

I could kick things off chronologically with the family’s move from Scotland to Culcheth in Warrington – the site of Pete’s second book launch date (get your tickets here) – or I could go with the goalkeeper’s incredible achievements under the guidance of Bill Shankly, his poor treatment at international level… or how about that Stan Boardman quote about him being covered in shit all the time? Yes, let’s start things off there, shall we?

“Tommy was always covered in shit because he’d be diving all over the place,” the former Liverpool youth star turned comedian was quoted in Sweeper Keeper: The Story of Tommy Lawrence, Scotland and Liverpool’s Legendary Flying Pig.

“His green sweater was black because the pitches then were not like they are green now, they were just mud.

“If he had a day where he was getting a bit kicked at, he would be covered in shit and he’d have to get in the bathroom. So, I tried to get in the bath before Tommy Lawrence because he was always caked in mud!”

Fear not, you get all the aforementioned critical details of Tommy’s life and more, all told by the people closest to him, from the likes of former teammate Phil Boersma to his daughter, Tracey Murray.

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As ever with Pete’s remarkable storytelling, Liverpool, football and sports fans generally are treated to an honest but fair deconstruction of a man almost as cruelly cut down by the passage of time as he was ultimately neglected by the football club he loved and gave so much to.

It’s a tale of adversity, triumph and heartbreak told expertly by a football historian who intrinsically understands and cares about the finest details of a sportsman’s life, virtues and vices. Most importantly of all, Pete delivers this with a level of grace and empathy you’ll find lacking elsewhere in modern journalism.

If you are to leave reading Peter Kenny Jones’ latest historical foray with only one message, let it be this: We stand on the backs of giants and we owe each and every one of them a debt that we must continually strive to repay no matter the decades that roll by.

Sweeper Keeper: The Story of Tommy Lawrence, Scotland and Liverpool’s Legendary Flying Pig is available on Amazon and Peter Kenny Jones’ website.

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Only two men in the history of Liverpool and Everton have managed both clubs – William Edward Barclay and Rafa Benitez, with the latter sharing a surprising insight into his thoughts on both clubs today.

Writing the foreword for ‘Crossing the Park: The Men Who Dared to Play for Both Liverpool and Everton‘, the Spaniard said: ‘I can’t say I’m more Liverpool or Everton today.

‘Logically, in six years there were a lot of highs at Liverpool, but I still have good friends amongst the Everton fans’.

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It seems clear that the 62-year-old may look back more fondly on his time at Anfield but he’s showing his professional manner, as he holds both clubs in an equally high regard and this is probably an ethos he shares for all of the teams he has managed.

This will be taken badly by both Reds and Blues on Merseyside as they can’t imagine that someone could ever look favourably upon both at the same time but does show the respect the Champions League winner has for the city and everyone within it.

Still calling the Wirral his home today, his family have never left the area since their arrival in 2004 (despite the managerial roles that Benitez has held across the world) and so he will always be proud of the fact he has managed both teams and won’t pick a favourite between them.

Supporters won’t ever be able to understand this way of thinking but it can either be seen as trying to appease everyone in the city he lives in, or an insight into his elite professionalism as a top class football manager.

You can purchase ‘Crossing the Park’ via Amazon and the author’s website, as well as tickets to the book launch via Skiddle.

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In a world where Jurgen Klopp is Liverpool manager and presides over a star-studded squad featuring the likes of world-class attacker, Mohamed Salah, and Alan Hansen regen, Virgil van Dijk, it might seem strange to some to focus on the story of a man who last kicked a, then, leather ball in the famous red shirt 60 years ago.

Indeed, when discussing Billy Liddell, we are not reminiscing about one of the great Liverpool sides but rather an objectively poor and disappointing era in the club’s long history.

“Billy was painfully unlucky to not be part of the better teams that followed and went on to achieve reams of domestic and European medals. Instead, he made his legacy in the worst Liverpool team in history.”

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It is precisely for the reason that Liverpool have been gifted with the glorious trifecta of a once in a generation manager, a world-class squad and the reality of silverware that we must, as Peter Kenny Jones established within Liddell at One Hundred, visit the demons of the pre-Bill Shankly era.

Things weren’t all bad, of course; under the leadership of George Kay, the Merseyside-based outfit did go on to win a league title in the 1946/47 campaign before later falling foul of relegation to set the scene for Shankly’s future revival.

Despite popular opinion, as the author notes, Liverpool’s story does not begin with Bill Shankly. That’s not to undermine the boisterous Scot, nor his significance with regard to the club’s renaissance from the early 60s onwards. Rather, it’s to highlight how another man’s legacy has, albeit unintentionally, been undermined by the passage of time and the increasing inception of younger generations of fans worshipping modern heroes.

But what exactly is the point of trudging up old, second-hand memories of a footballer whose time with the club, from a cursory glance, appears inherently tragic?

Billy certainly didn’t view his career with the aid of such a critical lens, but the first answer that comes to mind is perhaps best served by one of the former Scottish international’s old Liverpool teammates, Billy Howard: “He was the one constant that kept LFC at the forefront of English football all through our lean times in the 1950s.”

The fact that Billy Liddell managed to receive call-ups to the Scottish national side despite plying his trade in England’s Second Division (a rather rare occurrence) certainly speaks volumes of his significance within the sport and to Merseyside.

The fact he was a tremendous servant to the game and club – by many accounts, a name that deserves to at least be held on par with Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard’s – is far too obvious and limiting an answer to commit to, of course, though certainly worth considering as part of his overall legacy.

In interviews, Jones made it clear that he did not wish his book to be perceived as simply a love letter to Billy’s playing days. Make no mistake though, a more than clear indication is provided in terms of the quality and calibre of the player prior to, during and after the second World War, but not at the cost of a detailed portrait of the man behind the wicked shooting ability and the Kop’s adulation.

Though we are invited to express admiration for the Liverpool icon’s devotion to his family, the community and his Scottish roots, this isn’t an image of a truly ‘perfect’ man – despite the many accounts within from former colleagues devoted to convincing us otherwise!

That’s not to sound haughty, of course, as perfection is objectively unattainable. However, it is to raise attention to the humanity of an icon whose family life suffered slightly at the hands of Billy’s inability to strike an ideal work-life balance.

Much as some may be keen to return to the ‘so what’ question, we’re reminded of the impact of Billy Liddell’s legacy, keeping Liverpool, both the club and city, relevant and on the map.

Long after Jurgen Klopp has retired and the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have moved on, footage will keep alive what word of mouth can only do so much to replicate. As such, one can’t overlook the importance of the written recollections of Billy Liddell’s contributions in keeping Liverpool relevant in a fashion none too dissimilar (though, dare I say, under more challenging conditions) to Steven Gerrard’s captaincy of the club. Effectively laying down the foundations for a later change in fortunes.

We’ve mostly recollections, a banner on the Kop and a bench outside Anfield to remember a man so gifted fans called Liverpool ‘Liddellpool’.

Rather than instilling within us all a clearer sense of the significance of one of the three true greats of the club (in the eyes of many), perhaps Jones’ best achievement is to reinforce the importance of the present whilst correcting the mistakes of the past.

“There are too many examples in football and in life of posthumous appreciation for significant individuals who should have been celebrated when they were alive. Maybe in contradiction to writing a book and celebrating the 100^th birthday of a man who is no longer alive, too much is done after people die, which could have been done when they were able to witness it first-hand.”

In essence, then, Peter Kenny Jones’ debut stands for so much more than simply honouring Billy Liddell’s legacy – Liverpool’s perfect man at an entirely imperfect time.

All quotes obtained first hand by the author. Billy Liddell at One Hundred is available now.

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