Liverpool Football Club was established in 1892 when Everton's board failed to secure a deal concerning rental with the owner of Anfield, John Houlding. Everton then relocated to Goodison Park. John Houlding was left with a football ground, but no team to play on it. W.E. Barclay, Houlding’s friend and fellow football fanatic, suggested to create a new team. Houlding liked the idea so Liverpool Association Football Club (as the club was originally known) was born.
Houlding applied immediately for membership of the Football League but his application was rejected. Liverpool had to settle for a season in the more local Lancashire League. Liverpool played its first ever competitive match against Higher Walton on the 3rd September 1892 with a Scotmen dominated team where John McKenna was the club’s first manager.
In season 1893-94, L.F.C. was promoted to the second division of the Football League,then earned promotion to the first division after one season. Liverpool’s first ever league game was away to the now defunct Middlesbrough Ironpolis, with Malclom McVean earning the historic accolade of scoring Liverpool’s first ever League goal, in a 2-0 victory. In 1900-01 season, Liverpool won its first 1st division title through the managerial guidance of Tom Watson.
 In 1914 Liverpool reached their first FA Cup final, but lost to Burnsley at the Crystal Palace ground. Soon the war broke broke out. The league came to a standstill.After the first world war Liverpool showed the country what they were capable of when they won the 1st division title two years running, the first in 1921-22 and then again in 1922-23. After this brief stint of success there wasn't much to talk about around Anfield for a long time. In 1928 the Kop had a roof built over it to protect the fans in the cold winter evenings. The second world war took away a number of years, but when football resumed Liverpool were ready.
The first season after the war (1946-47) saw the title return to Anfield. The team containing Bob Paisley, Jack Balmer and the great Billy Liddel swept the competition away when they lost only one of their last sixteen games.
In 1950 Liverpool came close to winning the FA Cup, but were again beaten in the final, this time 2-0. The team went downhill and in 1954 Liverpool was relegated to the 2nd division.Liverpool then had a period of limited success and it was only when the legendary Bill Shankly arrived, who came into power at Anfield in 1959, that Liverpool began to establish itself as a major force.
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