William Barclay holds a unique place in the club's history, as the first manager of Liverpool Football Club.

Early Life and Career

Born in 1857 in Dublin, Ireland, Barclay was active in football before his involvement with Liverpool, working as a secretary and administrator for Everton Football Club (Liverpool's great city rivals).

A Key Figure in Liverpool's Founding

Following a dispute between the Everton board and John Houlding, the owner of Anfield, Everton voted to move out of Anfield and established a new ground (Goodison Park), just across Stanley Park.  This left Houlding with an empty stadium, so he turned to Barclay to help him create a new team - Liverpool Football Club.

Barclay was actually the 'Secretary-Manager' of the club during its initial formation and was involved at Anfield before John McKenna (who would become the joint manager with Barclay during the club's early years).

Barclay's tenure as manager was brief, lasting from 1892 - 1896, but during this period he helped establish the club as a competitive team, winning the Lancashire League in their first season (1982/93), gaining election to the Second Division, and won the Second Division title in 1893/94.

Barclay's contribution to the club should not be overlooked, as his organisational skills created the great 'Team of the Macs' and laid the foundations for the early successes of the club.

Life after Liverpool

After stepping down as Liverpool manager in 1896, Barclay's role at the club slowly diminished, and he eventually returned to Everton, continuing his involvement in football in an administrative capacity.

A well-respected and well-liked man throughout the city, Barclay would later go on to a career in teaching.

For over 100 years, William Barclay remained the only person to have managed both Everton and Liverpool, until Rafa Benitez was appointed Everton manager in 2021, having led the Reds in the early 2000s.

William Barclay passed away in 1917 and is buried in Anfield Cemetary, where a commemorative headstone and plaque list his many achievements for both Everton and Liverpool.

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• Hired as Liverpool Manager on the 15th March 1892
• Liverpool FC crowned Lancashire League Champions in 1892/93
• Liverpool FC crowned Second Division Champions in 1893/94

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