17th April

Liddell signs on
1939 - Billy Liddell signed as a professional at Anfield. He went on to strike 228 times in 534 games. His only club honour was the League title in 1947, although he also played in the FA Cup Final three years later.
1957 – Keeper Tommy ‘The Flying Pig’ Lawrence signed for the reds as an amateur, turning professional in October 1957. He played 390 times for us, winning two League title medals and an FA Charity Shield as well as being a member of the 1965 FA Cup winning side. He left the club in November 1971 to join Tranmere Rovers.

Clinching the title
1922 - We clinched our third League championship on this Easter Monday by beating title rivals Burnley 2-1 thanks to goals from Harry Chambers and Dick Forshaw, as Tottenham Hotspur, the other side in the hunt lost that day. Left-half Tom Bromilow played his hundredth League game that day as we regained the title for the first time in sixteen years, while inside-forward Harry Lewis played his seventieth and final game for the club.
1965 - We also entertained the Clarets, with Tommy Smith on target in a 1-1 draw. Andy Lochhead struck one of his four goals against the reds.

Hat-tricks galore
1993 - Mark Walters scored a hat-trick, including a penalty, in our 4-0 defeat of Coventry City, our first treble in the Premier League. David Burrows nabbed the other goal, his third and final one for the club.
1973 - We also faced the Sky Blues, this time at Highfield Road. Phil Boersma netted both goals in our 2-1 victory as Kevin Keegan reached a century of reds outings.

1907 - Alf Common bagged a treble for Middlesbrough in their 4-2 win at Anfield, the first of his four goals past us, with Birkenhead-born Robert Blanthorne netting in his second and final senior reds appearance. Arthur Goddard also scored for the reds, with Andrew Aitken also on target for the visitors. This was a record eighth home League defeat of the season.

Heading towards Madrid
2019 – We thumped Porto 4-1 in the second leg of our UEFA Champions League Quarter-final, having already won the first fixture 2-0. Sadio Mané opened the scoring before the break, with Mohamed Salah adding a second before Éder Militão pulled a goal back for the home side. Roberto Firmino and Virgil van Dijk both headed in late on to complete the scoring.

Most recently
2023 – We trounced relegation-bound Leeds United 6-1 at Elland Road. Cody Gakpo struck first before Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota each netting twice. Darwin Núñez added a late sixth, with Colombian winger Luis Sinisterra on target for the home side.

Reds birthdays
1894 – Scottish right-half Jock McNab was born in Cleland, Lanarkshire. He signed from Bellshill Athletic in November 1919 and helped us to two League titles in the 1920’s, netting six times in 222 reds games before moving to Queens Park Rangers in June 1928.
1909 - Full-back Ben Dabbs was born in Oakengates, Shropshire. He failed to score in 56 first-team appearances for the reds after arriving from his hometown club in June 1932, moving to Watford in June 1938.

1910 - Defender Fred ‘The Bullet’ Rogers was born in Frodsham, Cheshire. He played 75 reds games without finding the net after signing from Helsby Athletic in 1933.
1912 – Keeper Stanley Kane was born in Workington. He only made six senior appearances after signing on in July 1934, having left Birmingham. He moved on to Southend United in April 1936.
1990 – Former reserves forward Astrit Ajdarević was born in Pristina, Kosova, although he grew up in Sweden. He joined the reds in December 2006, moving on to Leicester City in June 2009 having failed to break through to the first team.

Soto’s farewell
2011 - We drew 1-1 at Arsenal in a game with plenty of late drama. We suffered injuries to Fábio Aurélio, Andy Carroll and Jamie Carragher, with young full-back pairing Jon Flanagan and Jack Robinson impressing. The home side took the lead in the eighth minute of stoppage time through Robin van Persie from the spot, one of his seven goals past us, but Emmanuel Eboué then shoved Lucas in the back, with Dirk Kuyt converting the late, late penalty to equalise. This was Sotirios Kyrgiakos’s 49th and final reds game.

Saved!
2004 - Steven Gerrard had a penalty saved as we were held to a goalless draw by Fulham at Anfield, with Fulham’s Zesh Rehman becoming the first British-born Asian player to appear in the Premiership. El-Hadji Diouf made his eightieth and final reds appearance as a substitute, while Jamie Carragher played his 300th game for us.
1954 – Billy Liddell had a spot-kick saved by Cardiff City full-back Alfred Sherwood who had to go between the sticks when keeper Ron Howells broke his thumb. We lost 1-0 in this top-flight fixture at Anfield.

Sami the skipper
2002 - In the light of Jamie Redknapp’s departure for Tottenham Hotspur the day before, Sami Hyypiä was named club captain.

Double benefits at Anfield
1909 - Our top-flight meeting with Bury was played as a benefit game for winger Jack Cox and skipper Alex Raisbeck. Robert Orr netted a first-half brace as we drew 2-2, while left-back Billy Dunlop played his 363rd and final reds game. Billy Hibbert struck one of his thirteen goals against the reds, with Bob Currie also on target.
1911 - Jack Parkinson scored his hundredth League goal for the club as we drew 1-1 with Woolwich Arsenal, in a benefit game for keeper Sam Hardy. Inside-left Ronald Orr reached a century of League outings for the reds that day.

Overall record
Of our 24 fixtures on this day over the years, an amazing nineteen have been at Anfield, with only three away games. Despite this historical home bias, we have only won around a third of our games on this day, with ten draws and five defeats.
1985 - The other game was an FA Cup Semi-final replay at Maine Road which we lost 2-1 to Manchester United, with our goal scored by United’s Paul McGrath before the break. However, Bryan Robson struck one of his seven goals past us after the break with Mark Hughes also grabbing the first of his nine in the second half.

Other beginnings and ends
2016 – Keeper Danny Ward made his senior reds bow as we won 2-1 at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium, as Dean Court was then known. Roberto Firmino and Daniel Sturridge both struck at the end of the first half, with the latter also striking the woodwork twice. Josh King bagged a stoppage time consolation for the home side.

1948 – Inside-left Willie Fagan netted in his hundredth League appearance for the reds as we were held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester City at Anfield, with centre-forward Les Shannon making his reds bow and full-back Jim Harley playing his 131st and last reds game.
1915 - Wilf Bartrop played his third and final reds game, with Billy Banks netting his sixth and last reds goal as we beat Bradford Park Avenue 2-1 in a First Division fixture at Anfield, with Fred Pagnam also on the scoresheet.

Off at Anfield
1995 - Goals from Robbie Fowler and Ian Rush handed us a 2-0 victory over Leicester City at Anfield, for whom Mike Whitlow was dismissed.

Michael the skipper
2002 - Michael Owen captained England for the first time, scoring in a 4-0 defeat of Paraguay at Anfield. Danny Murphy netted his only senior international goal, with Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, future red Joe Cole and ex-red Robbie Fowler all also playing. Yossi Benayoun won his final cap as a Maccabi Haifa player, and 21st to date, as Israel lost a friendly 3-1 to future red Christian Poulsen’s Denmark in Copenhagen. On the same day, John Welsh and future reds Glen Johnson and Gary O’Neil appeared for the Under-19’s as they drew the first leg of their European Championships play-off 1-1 with Lithuania in Kaunas.

Elsewhere, Jerzy Dudek saved a penalty as Poland lost 2-1 to Romania in Warsaw. Abel Xavier won his first cap as a red, and eighteenth in total, as Portugal drew 1-1 with Brazil in Lisbon. Jari Litmanen featured as Finland surprisingly lost 1-0 to FYR Macedonia in Prilep. Future red Fernando Morientes struck in Spain’s 5-0 friendly win in Northern Ireland. Ex-red Rigobert Song’s Cameroon held Austria to a goalless draw in Vienna, with Alex Manninger winning his last cap as an Arsenal player, while ex-red Brad Friedel played in the USA’s 2-1 defeat by the Republic of Ireland in Dublin, who included future reds Steve Finnan and Robbie Keane, and ex-red Steve Staunton.

John Arne Riise played for Norway, alongside ex-red Øyvind Leonhardsen, as they were held to a goalless draw by Sweden, and Nicolas Anelka had a goal disallowed as France also had to settle for a 0-0 scoreline at home to Russia. This was the only cap he won as a red. Future red Sotirios Kyrgiakos played in Greece’s goalless friendly against the Czech Republic in Ioannina while Alou Diarra appeared for France Under-20’s in their 1-0 defeat of Egypt in Villeneuve.

Eight-goal thriller
1976 - We beat Stoke City 5-3 at Anfield in a League match. Phil Neal equalised from the spot after we had fallen behind to the last of Terry Conroy’s four goals past us, with our other goals coming from John Toshack, Ray Kennedy, Emlyn Hughes and David Fairclough. Ian Moores and Alan Bloor also struck for the Potters.

Derby stalemate
1908 - We were held to a goalless draw at Anfield by Everton.

Mo’s debut
2011 – Future red Mohamed Salah converted a penalty while winning his first cap for Egypt Under-20’s as they beat Lesotho 2-0 in an African Championship Finals group game in South Africa.

Up against the Baggies
We have twice entertained West Bromwich Albion in the top flight on this day in history, without tasting defeat.
1920 - We were held to a goalless draw by the Baggies
1982 - Kenny Dalglish netted the only goal of our meeting, with Joe Fagan taking charge of the reds in Bob Paisley’s absence through illness.

Youngsters in action
1972 – We lost the first leg of the FA Youth Cup Final 1-0 at Aston Villa, thanks to a John Gidman penalty. The reds included Brian Kettle and Phil Thompson, but also lost the second leg 4-2.

Adam on target
2006 – Future red Adam Lallana scored while winning his only cap for England Under-18’s as they beat Slovenia 2-1 in a friendly in Bournemouth.

Facing the neighbours
We have twice beaten Southport 3-0 at Anfield on this day in history.
1943 – George Paterson, Michael Hulligan and Cyril Done struck in a Wartime League fixture.
1961 - Dave Hickson, Roger Hunt and Ian Callaghan scored as we reached the Liverpool Senior Cup Final.

Other reds games
1999 – Aston Villa won 1-0 at Anfield with Ian Taylor scoring against an uninspired reds team.
1971 – Tottenham Hotspur held us to a goalless draw in L4.

1937 – We lost 4-2 at Sunderland. Dirk Kemp saved a penalty from Len Duns in the opening minute, but Bobby Gurney netted the last two of his sixteen goals against the reds, with Duns and Eddie Burbanks also netting for the home side. Berry Nieuwenhuys and Alf Hanson grabbed our goals.
1929 – We drew 0-0 with Portsmouth at Anfield.
1926 – Blackburn Rovers held us to a 2-2 draw at home with Harry Chambers and Dick Forshaw on target.

Beattie’s bow
1937 - Full-back Andy Beattie won the first of his seven full caps for Scotland as they beat England 3-1 in the British International Championships at Hampden Park. He went on to guest for the reds during the war, as well as joining our backroom staff later in life.

Also in international action
1943 – Billy Liddell and future reds boss Bill Shankly featured as Scotland lost a Wartime International 4-0 to England at Hampden Park.
1991 – Future reds Stig Inge Bjørnebye and Øyvind Leonhardsen both played in Norway’s goalless friendly draw in Austria, with future reds István Kozma and Jari Litmanen both featuring in European Championships qualifiers.
1993 – Roy Hodgson took charge of a Switzerland side that included future red Stéphane Henchoz as they won a World Cup qualifier in Malta 2-0.
2007 – Future red Dejan Lovren played for Croatia Under-19’s as they drew a friendly 1-1 in Austria.
2018 - Future red Mateusz Musiałowski played for Poland Under-15’s as they thumped Slovakia 6-0.