Born: 5 May 1876

Born in: Dumbarton

Died: 15 January 1950

Other clubs: Sinclair Swifts, Artizan Thistle, Parkhead, Dumbarton (1895-96), Hearts (1896-1900), Sunderland (1900-01), Celtic (1901-02), Manchester City (1903-06), Rangers (1906-09), Manchester United (1909-14)

Signed from: Celtic

Joined Liverpool: £600, 28.05.1902

Debut: 06 Sep 1902

Final appearance: 25 Apr 1903

Debut goal: 06 Sep 1902

Last goal: 06 Dec 1902

Contract until: 06.05.1903

League: Apps / Goals: 30 / 4

All Competitions: Apps / Goals: 31 / 4

Player Profile

Livingstone was an inside-forward who joined Sunderland from Hearts prior to the 1900/01 season and was their top-scorer with 11 League goals as the Roker Park outfit finished second in the League two points behind champions Liverpool. Sunderland went on to win the League the following season but by then Livingstone had moved back north to Celtic. He scored seven goals in 23 matches and played in the Scottish Cup final. He came closest to score for Celtic when he hit the post. Hibernian won 1-0 and a month later Livingstone joined Liverpool. Livingstone played in 31 of Liverpool’s 34 first division fixtures in 1902/03, the only season he figured in the first team. He scored on his debut in a 5-2 win over Blackburn Rovers at Anfield on the opening day, but would find the net on only three more occasions. Livingstone made his Scotland debut in the ill-fated game against England at Ibrox on 5 April 1902. Twenty-six spectators lost their lives and 517 were injured when the back of the newly-built West Tribune stand collapsed due to heavy rainfall the previous night. Hundreds of supporters fell up to 40 feet (12 meters) to the ground below. Subsequently, this match was deemed unofficial and caps awarded do not show in official records. Livingstone made his official international debut four years later. Even though Livingstone didn't have a particularly successful career at Liverpool, he was certainly popular with his teammates and was said to have been a great joker in the dressing room.

The highlight of Livingstone's career came after he'd left Liverpool and joined Manchester City. His tremendous pass to Billy Meredith resulted in the winning goal for City against Bolton in the 1904 FA Cup final. After a couple of years at Rangers where he scored 20 goals in 47 league appearances, Livingstone joined Manchester United in 1909. United won the League in the 1910/11 season in which Livingstone appeared in quarter of the games. He retired in 1914 and later became coach at Rangers (1920-1927) and Bradford City (1928-1935). The Scotsman played for both Celtic and Rangers and also for Manchester City and Manchester United and could have added the third set of rivals, the Merseyside ones, to his impressive resume. The future Red went on trial to Everton in March 1900 when he was registered at Hearts. A note in Everton's minute books on 23 May 1899 reveals that the Blues had resolved to make a £250 bid for Livingstone but he never joined the Blues as he was sold to Sunderland from Hearts for £175 in May 1900.