11th April

A treble for Ron, Ron, Ron
1990 - Ronnie Rosenthal scored a hat-trick in his second reds appearance, his first reds goals in his first start, as we beat Charlton Athletic 4-0 in a League encounter at Selhurst Park. Future Addick John Barnes nabbed the other late on.

Feliz cumpleaños
1991 – Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcântara was born in San Pietro Vernotico, Italy. He signed from Bayern München for an initial £20m in September 2020, scoring three times in 93 outings up to his 32nd birthday, so far helping us to claim the FA Cup.

Andy off the mark
2011 – We beat Manchester City 3-0 at Anfield, with right-back Jon Flanagan making his reds bow. Andy Carroll struck his first two reds goals, with Dirk Kuyt also netting before the break.
1952 – We won 2-1 at Maine Road in a First Division fixture, thanks to goals from inside-forward Kevin Baron and winger Jimmy Payne.

Beginnings and ends
1908 - Ned Doig played his 53rd and final reds game in our 3-1 defeat at Newcastle United. He was aged 41 years 166 days, our oldest ever goalkeeper. Forward Arthur Berry debuted in the same game, with Ronald Orr on target. George Wilson struck one of his five goals against the reds, with George Jobey and Jimmy Howie also netting.
1898 - Winger Tommy Robertson scored on his reds bow in our 4-0 top-flight win over The Wednesday at Anfield, while inside-right John Walker also made his debut. Frank Becton netted a brace, with Hugh Morgan also on target.

1936 – John Shield played his only reds game when he deputised for regular left-half Jimmy McDougall as we lost 3-1 at Preston North End. Berry Nieuwenhuys struck our consolation with Bud Maxwell bagging one of his seven goals past us. Jimmy Dougal and Les Vernon also scored for the home side, while forward Tosh Johnson made his 38th and last reds appearance before moving on to Darwen four months later.
1955 - Wing-half Keith Burkinshaw made his only reds appearance in our 1-1 Second Division draw with Port Vale at Anfield, with Brian Jackson netting. He later found greater fame as the Manager of Tottenham Hotspur, becoming the only ex-red to lead a side out against us in a cup final. Ex-red Cyril Done struck the last of his five goals against us.

Two-ton Pepe
2009 – Keeper Pepe Reina played his 200th reds game, keeping his 102nd clean sheet as we thumped Blackburn Rovers 4-0. Ex-red Stephen Warnock laid a floral tribute in front of the Kop before kick-off, as the game was played four days before the twentieth anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Fernando Torres bagged a first-half brace, with his first being a stunning strike. Daniel Agger added a spectacular long-range effort before David N’Gog completed the scoring late on.
2010 – He kept another clean sheet as Roy Hodgson’s Fulham held us to a goalless draw at Anfield in the League, the first home game we had failed to score in for eleven months.

1977 – We drew 0-0 at Stoke City as Phil Neal reached a century of League outings for the reds.

For Sir Roger
1972 - Anfield hosted a testimonial match for Roger Hunt, with the man himself netting a hat-trick, including a penalty, in the 1965 FA Cup winning team’s 8-6 victory over an England XI that included Kevin Keegan. The 55,214 crowd remains the largest ever for a benefit game at Anfield. Keeper Tommy Lawrence also converted a spot-kick, with Tommy Smith, Ian St. John and Peter Thompson also amongst the goalscorers and Martin Peters scoring an own goal in the reds’ favour.

Reaching yet another European semi
2007 - Peter Crouch bagged the only goal from two yards out against PSV Eindhoven at Anfield as we reached the Champions League Semi-final 4-0 on aggregate. This was Crouch’s sixth European strike of the campaign, while teenager Dirk Marcellis was somewhat unfortunately dismissed for the visitors on his debut.

Sammy puts us ahead
1984 - We kept our fourth Anfield clean sheet in that season’s European Cup, with Sammy Lee heading the only goal of our Semi-final first leg encounter with Romanian champions Dinamo Bucureşti from an Alan Kennedy free-kick, his final goal for the club. We escaped when Ionel Augustin raced clear of the defence and rounded Bruce Grobbelaar, but could only strike the post. Graeme Souness incurred the wrath of the visiting side when Lica Movilă broke his jaw in an off-the-ball challenge by the fiery Scot.

Bamber born
1895 - Left-half Jack Bamber was born in Peasley Cross, St. Helens. He netted twice in eighty official reds games after signing on in December 1915, as well as scoring another eight goals in 118 Wartime outings for the reds. He left for Leicester City in February 1924.

Three times against the Villains
We have faced Aston Villa three times in the top-flight on this day over the years.
1992 - We lost 1-0 at Villa Park with Tony Daley on target, the first time we had been beaten by the Villains for more than eleven years.
1914 - We also lost 1-0 at home, with Joe Bache bagging the eighth of his nine goals against the reds.
1903 - Arthur Goddard and Sam Raybould netted as we won 2-1 at home.

Up for awards
2008 - Steven Gerrard was nominated for the PFA Player of the Year for the fifth consecutive season, with Fernando Torres being put forward for that and the Young Player of the Year award in his first season in England. Ex-red David James was also on the shortlist for the main trophy. The titles were eventually taken by Cristiano Ronaldo and Cesc Fabregas.
2014 - Steven Gerrard and Luis Suárez were named joint Barclays Players of the Month for the previous month, with Brendan Rodgers named as Manager of the Month after leading us to five straight wins in March.

Disappointment against the Wearsiders
We have twice faced Sunderland in First Division matches on this day in history, winning on neither occasion.
1966 - We drew 2-2 at Roker Park as Chris Lawler bagged a brace, with his first goal coming after just twenty seconds. Neil Martin scored the first of his four goals past us, with Martin Harvey also on target.
1931 - Archie McPherson was on the scoresheet as we were beaten 4-2 at home, with Gordon Hodgson converting a spot-kick in his 200th reds game. Bobby Gurney struck two his sixteen goals against the reds, adding to the hat-trick he had already scored against us in the reverse fixture that season. James Connor bagged one of his five goals past us, with Jimmy Leonard also on the scoresheet.

Derby disappointment
1942 - We lost 2-0 to Everton at Anfield in a Wartime League match that also counted for the War League Cup.

Canaries chirping
1987 – Ian Rush put us in front at Norwich City, but we then lost a League game for the first time in which he had scored as Trevor Putney and Kevin Drinkell struck in the second half to help ensure Everton took a three-point lead in the title race.

Yet another win
1989 - We won 2-1 at Millwall to secure our eleventh straight victory, and ninth in the League, with John Barnes and John Aldridge both on target in the first half after Denis Salman had opened the scoring in our last game before the Hillsborough tragedy.

Morris bows out
1908 - Ex-reds inside-left Richard Morris won his eleventh and final Welsh cap, his only one as a Plymouth Argyle player. Reds right-half Maurice Parry also played as Wales lost 1-0 to Ireland in the British International Championships in Aberdare.

Representative honours
1910 - Winger Arthur Goddard played for the Football League in a 2-2 draw with a Southern League representative side at Stamford Bridge. On the same day, Ernest Peake’s Wales faced future red Billy Lacey’s Ireland in the British International Championships in Wrexham, with the home side triumphing 4-1.

Management moves
1959 - Andy Beattie managed Scotland for the first time in his second spell as they lost 1-0 to England at Wembley in the British International Championships. Beattie had guested with the reds during the war, and later joined the backroom staff at Anfield after a successful management career.
2023 = Ex-reds midfielder Paul Ince was sacked as Manager of Reading, having led them to eighteen wins in 58 games since taking charge in February 2022.

International firsts
1981 - Bruce Grobbelaar won his first cap for Zimbabwe since his arrival at Anfield. Unfortunately, they lost the first leg of their African Cup on Nations qualifier 1-0 at home to Zambia.
1989 - Reserves midfielder Jim Magilton became the first reds player to win an Under-23’s cap for Northern Ireland as they lost 3-0 to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. Ex-reserve Ken DeMange won his first cap at this level for the home side.

Up against the Clarets
We twice faced Burnley on this day in the space of three years, failing to win on either occasion.
1894 – We lost a Palatine League game 2-0 at Anfield, our first home defeat for 26 fixtures, which had included 24 wins and one draw.
1896 – Davy Hannah, Malcolm McVean and Clarke netted as we drew a friendly 3-3 at Turf Moor.

Other reds games
1981 – We shared a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
1977 – We drew 0-0 at Stoke City.
1959 – We lost 3-0 at Bristol Rovers in a Second Division match. Peter Hooper struck two of his seven goals against the reds, with Dai Ward also on the scoresheet.

1953 – Sammy Smyth netted as we drew 1-1 with Derby County at Anfield.
1925 – We drew 0-0 at West Bromwich Albion.

Dirk the dad again
2008 - Dirk Kuyt became a father for the second time, with his wife Gertrude giving birth to a boy called Roan.

Also in international action
1964 – Roger Hunt and Gordon Milne both featured as England lost 1-0 to Scotland in the British International Championships at Hampden Park.
1984 – Future red Jan Mølby played as Denmark lost a friendly 2-1 to Spain in Valencia.
1990 – Glenn Hysén featured for Sweden in their 1-1 friendly draw in Algeria.

1999 – Rigobert Song played as Cameroon thumped Mozambique 6-1 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Maputo.
2009 – Conor Coady featured for England Under-16’s as they beat Ivory Coast 3-0 in the Montaigu Tournament.
2013 – Future red Arthur Melo featured for Brazil Under-17’s in their 3-0 defeat of Peru in a South American Championships Finals group game in Argentina.