John Houlding statue,founder of LFC,LFC,Liverpool Football Club, Anfield, Premier League, Merseyside,North West England, UK, L4 2UZ

John Houlding (c. August 1833 – 17 March 1902) was an English businessman, most notable for being Lord Mayor of Liverpool, and the founder of Liverpool Football Club. In November 2018, Houlding was commemorated with a bronze bust outside Anfield to mark the 125th anniversary of Liverpool F.C. Prior to his election Houlding was involved with the city's first professional football team, Everton F.C. In 1882, a ruling forced Everton to play their games at an enclosed ground, having previously played them on the public Stanley Park. A meeting held in the Sandon Hotel in Anfield, Liverpool, owned by Houlding, led to Everton F.C. renting a field off Priory Road. When the owner of this field eventually asked them to leave, Houlding secured a new pitch at Anfield Road, paying a small rent to John Orrell, a fellow brewer. The first football match at Anfield was on 28 September 1884, when Everton beat Earlestown 5-0. At Anfield stands were erected, attendance figures reached 8, 000 per game, and Everton became a founding member of the Football League in 1888. However, Houlding was beginning to annoy the club; he increased the rate of interest on his loan to the club, and the players were forced to use the Sandon Hotel in Oakfield Road for changing, both before and after games. Memorial to Houlding outside Anfield on the 125th anniversary of Liverpool F.C. Houlding purchased the land at Anfield Road from Orrell in 1885 and charged rent to Everton F.C. Orrell owned land next to the ground and planned to build an access road across Houlding’s land. The only way to stop this was to rent Orrell’s land or buy it. Houlding wanted Everton F.C. to buy his land and Orrell’s land by floating the club. If his proposals had been accepted, Houlding would have made a lot of money from the purchase of the land and the club would have been run by a small number of large shareholders. Many of the club's members accused Houlding of trying to make a profit at the club's expense