With Oldham Athletic pitted against Liverpool for a third consecutive season in the FA Cup this weekend, MM have produced a team of players to have featured for both clubs.
With most of the players being attackers and the manager of this team active before World War Two the 2-3-5 (the pyramid) is how the team lines up.
Manager: David Ashworth Oldham 1906-1914, Liverpool 1920-22, Oldham 1923-24.
The Irishman was the first ever manager of Oldham Athletic in 1906. In his first season at Boundary Park, Ashworth successfully negotiated five qualifying rounds of the FA Cup before a second round tie with Liverpool.
A record attendance of 21,538 turned up at Boundary Park to see Liverpool win 1-0. Latics were then elected into Division Two in the place of Burslem Port Vale and suffered just five home defeats in their first four seasons of league football. In 1909-10 Ashworth won promotion to Division One.
In his first season in charge at Liverpool he won the First Division title. The following season, while on course for another title and Oldham bottom of the league, he was persuaded to return to Boundary Park but not could not stop Oldham’s first ever relegation.
Goalkeeper: Bruce Grobbelaar Liverpool 1981- 1994 Oldham 1997-98
The Zimbabwean made 440 appearances for Liverpool during their decade of success during the eighties.
He won six league titles, three FA Cup’s, three League Cups and was a European Cup winner in 1984.
He was signed by Oldham manager Neil Warnock towards the end of his career, aged 40. His four Latics appearances yielded three clean sheets. He coached in South Africa and Zimbabwe after his playing days and currently resides in Canada.
Defender: Hugh Lester Liverpool 1911-13 Oldham 1913-15 Liverpool War time guest
The defender was a noted amateur sprinter being able to run the 100m in a time of 10.5 seconds. He played twice for Liverpool against Bradford City and Sheffield United.
The left back moved to Oldham in May 1913 and made his only league appearance in the 1914-15 season against Notts County.
Defender: Miguel ‘Miki’ Roque Liverpool 2005-09 Oldham 2007 (loan)
The Spaniard made his Liverpool debut in the 2006-07 UEFA Champions’ League group match against Galatasary in Turkey.
Later that season Roque moved to Boundary Park on loan for first team experience and made four appearances as Latics qualified for the play-offs in sixth place. Roque died in June 2012, aged just 23, due to pelvic cancer.
Midfielder: John Morrisey Liverpool 1957-1962 Oldham 1972-73
Began his football career as a junior at Anfield and went onto make 36 appearances. He moved to Oldham in May 1972 having made a name for himself at Everton.
He ended his career at Boundary Park making just six appearances, but this took his career total over the 300 mark.
Midfielder: Kenneth ‘Ken’ Brierley Oldham 1945-48 Liverpool 1948-1953 Oldham 1953-55
Born within three miles of Boundary Park, Brierley made 50 appearances for Oldham before Liverpool paid £7,000 for his services at the end of the 1947-48 season. He made just 10 appearances for the Reds but did score his first goal for the club in his maiden Merseyside derby.
He re-joined Oldham for a fee of £2,750 where he played the last 15 matches of the 1952-53 season as Athletic won Division Three North.
Midfielder: Joseph Donnachie Oldham 1908-1914 Liverpool War time guest.
An international teammate of Lester, the Scot signed for Oldham in 1908 from Everton. He spent most of his career at Latics and became known as one of the best wingers to ever play for the club.
During his six years at the club he made 216 appearances and found the net 19 times, including his first ever league goal. He won three international caps for Scotland while at Boundary Park, scoring one goal. He signed for both Liverpool and Everton during World War One.
Inside Forward: Wayne Harrison Oldham 1983-85 Liverpool 1985-1991 Oldham 1985 (loan)
The Liverpool fan scored 35 goals for Oldham in reserve and junior teams. Aged 17, Liverpool paid £250,000 making him the world’s most expensive teenager in football in 1985.
He was loaned back to Oldham between January and March 1985. Regarded as the future ‘king of the Kop’ Harrison was forced to retire due to damaging his cruciate and medial ligaments in his right knee without a first-team appearance.
He retired in 1991 aged just 22 and missed miss his testimonial game at Boundary Park in 1992 between Latics and Liverpool.
After retiring he worked as a HGV driver. Aged 46, he passed away on Christmas Day at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport, after pancreatic problems.
A minute’s silence will be held before Sunday’s game as a mark of respect.
Inside Forward: Thomas ‘Tom’ Devlin Liverpool 1927-28 Oldham 1934-35
He was sold to Liverpool by Preston North End for £250 in May 1927. He failed to make a first team appearance for the Reds, unlike his brother, and ended up at Boundary Park in September 1934 continuing a nomadic career. He made only two appearances for Latics.
Forward: David Fairclough Liverpool 1974-1983 Oldham 1985-86
During his nine years at Anfield, Fairclough became known as ‘super sub’ due to his impact from the bench. Despite only 153 appearances in nine seasons at Liverpool he won a vast array of medals – four league titles, three European cups, one Uefa Cup, one League Cup and a Super Cup.
Overall he scored 55 goals for Liverpool. The ex-England under-21 international moved to Boundary Park from Norwich in August 1985 and went on to make 17 appearances, scoring just once.
He did score 16 goals for the reserves however to help them win their league that year. Fairclough now works as an after-dinner speaker and pundit.
Forward: Frederick ‘Fred’ Howe Liverpool 1935-38 Oldham 1946-47
Howe was playing non-league football until Liverpool player Tommy Johnson recommended that his club signed him at the age of 22. He was the club’s top-scorer in his first two seasons at Anfield and scored 36 goals in 89 appearances.
He netted four goals in Liverpool’s biggest Merseyside derby win in September 1935. World War Two robbed him of a large part of his career. Once the war finished he joined Oldham and became their leading scorer that season with 20 goals in 30 matches.
His release in 1947 signalled the end of his career but his quadruple against Everton at Anfield is still unrivalled.
Forward: Thomas Reid Liverpool 1926-29 Oldham 1933-35
Reid started his career at Liverpool and initially signed on loan for Oldham in March 1933.
After scoring 10 goals in thirteen matches during his loan spell he moved to Boundary Park on a permanent basis with the Latics’ supporters club paying the £400 transfer fee.
He headed the scoring charts the next season. He was unable to continue his good form, being in and out of the side during the 1934-35 relegation season, scoring nine goals in 24 appearances.
Image courtesy of bikkja03 via YouTube, with thanks.
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