Red Dawn: The Ballad of Tom Watson and Liverpool FC's First Champions

Red Dawn: The Ballad of Tom Watson and Liverpool FC's First Champions is the remarkable tale of how Tom Watson, a man from the North East of England and a serial champion with Sunderland, led Liverpool to their first top-flight titles in 1901 and 1906. The book reveals Watson's Reds in stunning detail.

"We are all aware Liverpool Football Club is steeped in rich history, but there is something enriching about delving into untouched club history, and few do it better than Goulding and Smith. Red Dawn expertly sets the scene using key figures before, during and after his time at Liverpool, giving justice to the story of a man who helped Liverpool Football Club become what it is today. In an age when information is so easily at our fingertips, looking back in time on Watson’s story is refreshing and leaves you questioning why he has gone unheralded for so long."

"A long overdue and much welcome addition to the Liverpool FC library. Red Dawn: The Ballad of Tom Watson is a detailed account of an era in Anfield history that has never been covered in such meticulous depth before. Almost 130 years since he took charge of the club, Watson - the clubs longest serving and first title winning manager - finally gets the recognition he deserves in what is another great body of work from Jeff Goulding and Kieran Smith."

"A fascinating insight into the career of a man who laid the groundwork for the winning mentality we still see at Liverpool Football Club today. The level of detail about his life is meticulous. More people should know about Watson’s story – this book is long overdue. This is the man who transformed the Reds from a fledgling club into a major force in English football. A marvellous biography. Without Tom Watson, the club could have taken a very different path. His legacy lives on through the many legendary managers who followed him."

"Insightful, entertaining, riveting, Red Dawn is a fascinating reflection on the life of a man who helped shape Liverpool FC into the modern successful club it is today. Watson was a moderniser and a hugely popular character at the very birth of football. To this day, he remains Liverpool FC''s longest serving manager - and was one of the first to believe in football science, but whose methods would raise a few eyebrows today... Red Dawn perfectly reflects the attitudes of the day and charts a fledgling club taking its first steps to glory. Beautifully written, this book is the definitive account of a man whose legacy should never be forgotten."

"Truly excellent work. I have long been a champion of Tom Watson since I became curator of Liverpool FC Museum in 1997. He deserves to be remembered, celebrated and acknowledged as the manager who set our club on its amazing journey. I hope all Reds who care about the full, rich, nuanced history of the club will read this. Congratulations to the authors."

Red Dawn: The Ballad of Tom Watson and Liverpool FC''s First Champions is the remarkable tale of how Tom Watson, a man from the North East of England, provided the spark that led to the Anfield club''s first two top-flight titles in 1901 and 1906.

Watson was a visionary whose training methods, advice to players on diet and somewhat controversial recruitment strategy would no doubt raise eyebrows in the modern era. However, he would provide the blueprint for success that saw him become Liverpool''s longest-serving manager.

Watson''s men were the superstars of their day, and included heroic captain Alex Raisbeck and lethal marksman Sam Raybould, not to mention the incomparable Matt McQueen, a future title-winning manager in his own right.

Red Dawn is Jeff Goulding and Kieran Smith''s second collaboration, and like their previous title, The Untouchables: Anfield''s Band of Brothers, the book sheds new light on a previously unheralded period in the club''s history.

• | Author: Jeff Goulding, Kieran Smith
• | Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd
• | Publication Date: Nov 10, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Hardback
• | ISBN-13: 9781801507073
• | ISBN-10: 1801507074