Liverpool and Manchester United met on Sunday and renewed hostilities in English football's greatest rivalry, but 100 years ago they were making headlines for all the wrong reasons in a scandal that shocked the nation. The events ultimately cost one player his life and left another broken. It was Good Friday, April 4 1915 and Britain was at war. As the two sides met, Manchester United were struggling to avoid relegation, while Liverpool were in mid-table. In an oddly tame affair, George Anderson put United 1-0 up before Liverpool defender Bob Pursell conceded a penalty yet United's Patrick O'Connell missed by some distance. Anderson added a second before Liverpool forward Fred Pagnam hit the crossbar and was seemingly chastised by teammates for trying to score. Sandy Turnbull (second row, third from right) sits next to Enoch West and Arthur Whalley sits on the left of the front row (all three are circled) The sparse 18,000 Old Trafford crowd, sensing something was awry, jeered and booed, the match referee and local reporters noted Liverpool's lack of commitment. United manager John Robson is alleged to have left the stadium in disgust. 'The second half was crammed with lifeless football,' reported The Manchester Daily Dispatch. 'United were two up with 22 minutes to play and they seemed so content with their lead that they apparently never tried to increase it. Liverpool scarcely ever gave the impression that they would be likely to score.' A fortnight later, handbills were circulated alleging that a large amount of money had been bet at odds of 7/1 on a 2–0 win to United. A suspiciously large number of bets had been made on that very scoreline causing odds to shorten to 4/1. The two points United won from the game were enough to earn them 18th place and safety. United with the three trophies they won in 1909. Turnbull is seated front right . The Sporting Chronicle published a notice from a bookmaker called 'Football King' who promised a substantial reward for information that would lead to punishment of the 'instigators of this reprehensible conspiracy'. It stated: 'We have solid grounds for believing that a certain First League match played in Manchester during Easter weekend was 'squared,' the home club being permitted to win by a certain score.' Mark Wylie, curator of the Manchester United museum, has been reflecting on the scandal this week as the 100th anniversary approaches with many questions still unanswered. 'Football was under intense scrutiny anyway, with it being wartime,' he said.' There had been so many complaints in the newspapers, in parliament, from the military, that professional football was being played while British soldiers, sailors and airmen were being killed, so the powers-that-be were anxious to see that football wasn't tarnished any further and they launched an investigation.' The Football League's lengthy delving found that players from both sides had been involved in rigging the match: Sandy Turnbull, Arthur Whalley and Enoch West of United, and Jackie Sheldon, Tom Miller, Bob Pursell and Thomas Fairfoul of Liverpool. United captain Charlie Roberts holding the FA Cup on the steps of Manchester Town Hall . They were accused of plotting the events during clandestine meetings at the Dog and Partridge pub in Stretford. Sheldon, a former United player, was found to be the plot's ringleader. Liverpool's Fred Pagnam and United's George Anderson had refused to take part; Pagnam had threatened to score a goal to ruin the result hence his teammates remonstrating with him when he hit the crossbar. He later testified against them and claimed Sheldon had offered him £3 in a taxi en route to the game. At the same hearing, United legend Billy Meredith denied any knowledge of the match-fixing, but said that he became suspicious when none of his teammates would pass the ball to him. Manchester United 2 Liverpool 0 (April 2, 1915) Anderson (2) MANCHESTER UNITED: Beale; Hodge, Spratt, Montgomery, O'Connell, Haywood, Meredith, Potts,  Anderson, West, Norton. Manager: Jack Robson . LIVERPOOL: Scott; Longworth, Pursell, Fairfoul, Bratley, MacKinlay, Sheldon, Banks, Pagnam, Miller,  Nicholl. Manager: Tom Watson. Attendance: 18,000. On December 23, 1915, the seven were banned from playing for life. Stockport County's Lawrence Cook, a first class Lancashire cricketer, and Manchester City's Fred Howard were also suspended for their part in placing bets. A distraught West, the only United player to have appeared in the game, protested his innocence and sued the FA for libel. 'It wasn't a glorious episode,' says Wylie. 'Players could see that football was changing. With the sport under such scrutiny amid wartime, it was pretty obvious that football in 1915/16 would be very different, if it happened at all. Summer wages were being abolished, so once you got to the end of April there would be no wages until the end of August, and it was still unclear what would happen the following season. They could see their livelihood going. That was supposed to be encouragement for players to do things for the war effort.' By the time their bans were handed down, the Football League had suspended operations for the duration of the First World War. It was suggested that if the men joined the armed forces their punishment would be rescinded. All except West, signed up. For Turnbull it was to have tragic consequences. The death certificate of Sandy Turnbull (right), featuring the memorial at Arras in France . A forward of great repute, Turnbull was a Boys' Own character who had joined United from Manchester City with Meredith. The fiesty Scot, pioneered the first footballers union and his 1909 FA Cup final winning goal prompted United's owners to build Old Trafford to herald a new dawn. Fittingly, Turnbull, who lived in Maine Road, scored United's first goal at the Theatre of Dreams. Yet following the betting scandal and facing a life without football, Turnbull went to war. Sadly, on May 3 1917, at the age of 33, Lance Sergeant Sandy Turnbull was killed during a muddled, unsuccessful night attack on German lines just east of Arras, France. His body was never found. He left a widow, Florence, and four young children. The FA gave him a posthumous reinstatement. All the other players, except West, had their bans lifted by the FA in 1919 in recognition of their service to the country. West, who had been good friends with Turnbull, had continued to fight a different battle, one to clear his name. In February 1916, when United and Liverpool played in a regional match, he took to standing outside Old Trafford handing out handbills: '£50 reward. To all whom it may concern: I, Enoch James West (late Manchester United), offer the above sum to be given to any Red Cross Fund if any person or persons can prove that I bet or won any money in any way over the match at Old Trafford, Manchester United v. Liverpool, on Good Friday, 1915, the said match over which I got suspended. (Signed) Enoch James West, 68 Railway Road, Old Trafford. West twice unsuccessfully attempted to sue the FA for libel and in 1918 was caught and banned again for playing under an assumed name for a club in Ireland. He was eventually pardoned under a general amnesty in 1945, by which time he was aged 59. He had served the longest ban in football and maintained his innocence until his death in 1965. His family carried on his fight. A book entitled 'Free the Manchester United One' by Graham Sharpe pleaded Enoch's case. On publishing, Sharpe said: 'I am confident that at the very least, I have established that there is little or no genuine evidence which can be interpreted as conclusive proof of the guilt of Enoch West as he was charged.' West's great grandson, Graham West, said: 'I would just like to set the record straight, Enoch 'Knocker' West was wrongly accused of match fixing and he protested his innocence till his death bed. Having been accused of this, it broke his heart, all he lived for was football. He died a broken man thanks to these accusations that were never proved.' Sadly, the full truth may now never be known. The Liverpool Daily Post reported: 'A more one-sided first half would be hard to witness.' The . Sporting Chronicle wrote 'The Liverpool forwards gave the weakest . exhibition in this half [the second] seen on the ground during the . season.' The Manchester Daily Dispatch reported, maybe most . tellingly: 'The second half was crammed with lifeless football. United . were two up with 22 minutes to play and they seemed so content with . their lead that they apparently never tried to increase it. Liverpool . scarcely ever gave the impression that they would be likely to score.'
Manchester United were visitors at Anfield as they took on rivals Liverpool . But 100 years ago the headlines were stolen for reasons other than rivalry . Both sides were involved in a betting scandal that shocked the nation . The sorry events ultimately cost one player his life and left another broken .