Date of Birth
18 Jan 1882
Birthplace
Dundee
Nationality
Scottish
Signed for LFC
1910
LFC Debut
24 Sep 1910
LFC Appearances
40
LFC Goals
16
Samual Gilligan moved south from Scottish cup champions Celtic, where he had scored 13 goals in 14 games, to Second Division Bristol City before the 1904-5 season.
He was an instant success, scoring 17 goals in 37 games in his debut season, and 20 goals in 37 league games when City won the Second Division in the 1905-6 season.
He played for the Bristol City team that lost 1-0 to Manchester United in the 1909 FA Cup final and a year later moved from 16th placed Bury to League runners-up Liverpool.
Gilligan made a scoring debut at Manchester City on September 24, 1910, and although he was also selected for the next game at home to Everton, he wasn't picked for the first-team again until February, when he started a run of 13 matches until the end of that 1910-11 season.
His appearances were more frequent the following year, but Liverpool were one step away from relegation on the last day when the Reds faced Oldham at Boundary Park.
However, Gilligan scored the winning goal in the second minute, his 11th goal from 23 games, and saved the Reds from the drop.
Gilligan would only play twice more for the first-team though, in October and December 1912, and left for his old club, Clyde, the following summer.
Other clubs:
Dalry, Belmont Athletic, Dundee Violet, Dundee, Celtic, Bristol City, Gillingham, Dundee Hibernian, Forfar Athletic