A right back of pace and tenacity, Andrew Hannah was Everton’s first great captain, leading the club to their first League Championship in 1891.

Signed from his home town club of Renton, Hannah had established a reputation as a leading light in one of Victorian football’s most formidable teams.  Renton had won the 1889 Scottish Cup and then proved their superiority over the English by conquering ‘the Invincibles’ of Preston North End, who had won the League Championship without losing a single game. The Evening Telegraph described Hannah as a ‘man to be respected by opponents, for he could break up an attack either by skilful tackling or robust charging.’ 

A renowned athlete in his native Dumbartonshire, he was a championship ‘jumper’ and sprinter and had competed at the Highland Games.  He later claimed in an interview with the Liverpool Echo that he earned more £300 in prize money from these exploits – this at a time when a professional footballer took home around £3 per week.

He was installed as captain on arriving at Anfield ahead of the 1889 season and made a great impact, revitalising the previous seasons’ strugglers and elevating them into genuine title challengers.

‘Mr. Hannah,’ wrote the Echo in an interview in November 1889, ‘Is a quiet unassuming gentlemanly young Scotchman without very much appearance of the professional athlete about him.’  The Everton captain explained how he had started playing football ‘as soon as I was able to walk’ and ‘seriously aged fourteen’ and went on to detail his athletic career – jumping exploits and all. 

He said that Everton should aspire for the level of ‘scientific football’ shown by Renton and Preston, who ‘are the two best for scientific play.’ ‘The great art of football is the short passing game,’ he said. ‘It is better to tackle a man when they are all closed up than it is in long passing. The short passing is the best playing game right up to the goal, when you have the best chance of shooting through. The best rule is to work well up to the goal, and then “Don't hesitate to shoot.”’

Everton were top at the time, and – Hannah said – would be favourites for the title if they beat Preston North End on the Saturday.  18,000 – a record crowd at Anfield – turned out in hope and expectation, but were left disappointed. Everton lost 5-1 and the Championship remained at Deepdale. Everton finished runners up by just two points.

A year later, however, Hannah captained Everton to their first title, as they finished two points ahead of Preston.  However he rejected the chance to build on this success, returning to Renton – who were to be admitted to the Scottish league as professionals for the first time – at the end of the season. 

He came back to Anfield a year later as part of John Houlding’s renegades and played in Liverpool’s first league match in 1893.  His experience and natural authority helped Everton’s rivals through these early years of struggle and established them as a football force.