Liverpool City were a professional rugby league team from the city of Liverpool in England.
A professional club first emerged in Liverpool, called Liverpool City, in 1906. They hold an unwanted record in the professional game in the United Kingdom as being a team who lost every game in the season. In 1906-1907 they lost 30 games - they drew one against Bramley which was expunged because the return game wasn't played and also lost to Pontefract, but that result was expunged after Pontefract withdrew from the league. At the end of that season they were replaced by two Welsh clubs, Merthyr Tydfil and Ebbw Vale.
Wigan Highfield were formed around 1880 and went out of existence for a few years following the rugby schism of 1895. They reformed in 1902 and were admitted to the Rugby League in 1922/23. In 1933 they finished second from bottom in the league and were saved by the intervention of the owners of the White City Greyhound Stadium in London who agreed to pay off their debts.
The Rugby League gave approval to the club's move to the White City in 1933 and they were renamed London Highfield. The White City Company lost money on the venture and decided not to continue with rugby league.
In 1934, Highfield returned north to the Stanley greyhound stadium in Liverpool and became Liverpool Stanley. During the Second World War Liverpool Stanley continued playing, but in 1942 they dropped out, returning after the war in 1945-1946.
For the start of the 1950/51 season the club moved to Mill Yard, Knotty Ash and was renamed Liverpool City.
In 1956 they hosted the touring Australian national team, losing 40-12 in front of a crowd of over 4,700.
In July 1964 the club's board were informed that the Knotty Ash lease would not be renewed and negotiations then took place with Huyton (a suburb of Liverpool) local authority for a 21 year lease at the new Alt Park Ground which was eventually ready in August 1969. The club continued as Huyton RLFC and struggled in the second division until 1985, when the club moved to Canal Street, Runcorn (the home of Runcorn Football Club) and became Runcorn Highfield.
The club became infamous when they forfeited home advantage in the Challenge Cup tie against Wigan on 13 November 1988. This provoked a players' strike and the team that faced Wigan comprised a number of trialists and reserves together with the coach, Bill Ashurst, who had come out of retirement. Highfield lost 92-2 in front of a crowd of 7,233 at Central Park and Ashurst was sent off.
When Runcorn Football Club increased the rent for Canal Street Runcorn signed a 99-year agreement with St Helens Town FC during August 1990 and moved to Hoghton Road, Sutton. The move was opposed by St Helens RLFC and the Rugby League Board but approved by the full Rugby League Council by 26 votes to 6 on 5 October 1990. The club was renamed Highfield for the 1991-92 season.
The 1994-95 season was a disaster for Highfield. They won only two games all season - against amateurs Ovenden 12-6 in the first round of the Regal Trophy and against Barrow 14-12 in the league. They lost to amateurs Beverley 27-4 in the Challenge Cup and their final game (played at Rochdale Hornets ground on 23 April 1995) was a humiliating 104-4 defeat by Keighley Cougars. Their final home game was on 17 April 1995 when they lost 34-8 to Barrow in front of a crowd of 195. Needless to say they finished bottom of the Second Division with only two points. They conceded a grand total of 1,604 points in 30 league games.
Despite all this Highfield survived into the Super League era but fared even worse in the 1995-96 season gaining just 1 point all season (a 24-24 draw against York), their only win coming against amateurs Hemel Hempstead in the first round of the Regal Trophy and. Their final game was a 82-0 defeat away at Hunslet on 21 January 1996.
Highfield emerged as Prescot Panthers for the start of the 1996 season and they enjoyed by their standards a comparatively successful season winning two games. They struggled on for the 1997 season again winning two games but bowed to the inevitable and resigned from the league at the end of the season. Ironically the club's final game was a 72-10 defeat by Carlisle, who were also playing their final league game. Prescot finished at the bottom for a fifth successive season.
Chairman Geoff Fletcher accepted a one-off payment of about £30,000 for the club to resign from the Rugby Football League.
Rugby league is not a major sport in Liverpool, which is dominated by soccer. However there is a Super League team in the neighbouring town of St Helens and the city has a thriving student rugby league scene. Liverpool University took part in the first university game in 1968. Today there are a number of amateur teams in the city, including Liverpool Buccaneers, who in 2006 reached the regional final of the Rugby League Conference.