18th April

Clinching the title
1964 - Our biggest win on this day came when we beat Arsenal 5-0, with goals from Ian St. John, Alf Arrowsmith, Roger Hunt and a brace from Peter Thompson. This was enough to hand us our sixth League title, and first under Shanks. BBC’s Panorama programme filmed the Kop at the game, to report on this “extraordinary cultural phenomenon”. The game was an entertaining affair, with Tommy Lawrence saving a George Eastham penalty after a handball by Ron Yeats with the score at 1-0, and Ian Callaghan having a spot-kick saved by ex-reds keeper, and Gunners captain for the day, Jim Furnell late on with keeper Tommy Lawrence initially stepping forward to take it before Bill Shankly waved him back. The team celebrated with the home-made ‘Curlett Cup’ as the actual trophy was still at Goodison from the season before.

We have twice also made the trip to Highbury on this day in history.
1931 - We lost 3-1, with our strike being a Herbert Roberts own goal. Jack Lambert struck one of his seven goals past us, with David Jack scoring one of his nine and Cliff Bastin bagging the first of his four against us.
1990 - John Barnes scored late on as we drew 1-1, with Paul Merson netting one of his seven goals past us in the first half. Ronnie Whelan broke a bone in his ankle, leaving the Irish national side sweating on his fitness ahead of that summer’s World Cup Finals in Italy, although he recovered in time to make one substitute appearance.

1923 - We also claimed the League title, winning it for the fourth time. Dick Forshaw’s goal earned us a share of the spoils at Bolton Wanderers, giving us enough points so that neither Sunderland nor Huddersfield Town could catch us. John Smith scored the first of his seven goals against the reds in a game that also counted for the Lancashire Senior Cup.

A century for Rushie
1984 - Ian Rush bagged his hundredth reds goal in his 166th game for us. Ronnie Whelan and John Wark were also on target as we came from 2-1 down to draw 3-3 with Leicester City at Filbert Street, with Gary Lineker scoring the first of his six goals against the reds. Andy Peake and Steve Lynex also netted for the Foxes.
1936 – We shared a goalless draw with Brentford in L4 as outside-right Berry Nieuwenhuys reached a century of League games for the reds.
1930 – Full-back Tommy Lucas played his 300th game for the reds as we lost 3-1 at Newcastle United with Jimmy Smith nabbing our consolation. Sam Weaver bagged the first of his four goals past us, with Hughie Gallacher netting one of his eight and Jack Hill also on target.

Boro again and again
We have faced Middlesbrough four times in the top flight on this day in history, winning just once.
2007 - We won 2-0 at Anfield when Steven Gerrard grabbed two goals, including a penalty.
1914 - Walter Tinsley scored the first of two hat-tricks against us in our 4-0 defeat at Ayresome Park, with Stewart Davidson also netting as Tom Watson took charge of the reds for the 700th time.
1938 – We were held to a 1-1 draw in L4, with Jack Balmer on target early on as keeper Arthur Riley played his 300th reds game.
1908 - We lost 1-0 at Anfield, when forward Charlie Hewitt played his sixteenth and last reds game.

Other goalscoring feats
1968 - Tony Hateley bagged his eighth FA Cup goal of the season, a club record, in our Sixth Round second replay with West Bromwich Albion at Maine Road. We lost the game 2-1 as Albion went on to claim the trophy for the fifth, and most recent, time. Jeff Astle put the Baggies in front with one of his seven strikes past us, with Clive Clark netting the winner after an hour, the last of his seven goals against the reds.

1987 - Less prolific was Gary Ablett, who scored his only reds goal in our 3-0 home win over Nottingham Forest, with Kenny Dalglish netting his 172nd and final goal for us and Ronnie Whelan also on the scoresheet.
We have twice also lost to Forest on this day in history.
1903 – We went down 1-0 at the City Ground.
1963 – We lost 2-0 in L4 with full-back Bobby Thomson making his reds bow in place of Ronnie Moran, who was suffering with flu.

Moving on
1954 – Former Manager George Kay died in Liverpool, having won 142 of his 357 games in charge. He had led us to our first League title in 24 years in 1947, and the FA Cup Final three years later. Amongst the players who joined the club during his tenure were the great Billy Liddell and Bob Paisley.
1956- Right-winger Jimmy Payne was sold to Everton. He had notched 43 times in 243 appearances for the reds, playing in the 1950 FA Cup Final. He was dogged by injury while at Goodison Park before retiring to become a newsagent.

Reds birthdays
1940 - Winger Johnny Morrissey was born on this day in Liverpool. He signed on as a professional in April 1957 and struck six times in 37 outings before crossing the park to Everton for £10,000 in September 1962, for whom he scored fifty times in 314 appearances, helping them to two League titles.
1995 – Belgian forward Divock Origi was born in Ostend. He was signed from Lille OSC Métropole for £9.8m in July 2014 but was immediately loaned back to spend another season in France. He netted 41 times in 175 reds games before moving on in the summer of 2022, including a crucial goal as we won the UEFA Champions League in Madrid in June 2019 and six derby strikes, as well as helping us to claim the Premier League title, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup and League Cup.

1981 – Forward Milan Jovanović was born in Bajina Bašta in Yugoslavia. He signed on a free transfer from Standard de Liège in July 2010, finding the net just twice in eighteen appearances before moving to RSC Anderlecht for free in August 2011.
1987 – Ex-reds midfielder Danny Guthrie was born in Telford. The former Manchester United trainee made just seven senior reds appearances before moving to Newcastle United for £2.5m in July 2008, after a season-long loan spell at Bolton Wanderers.
1967 - Veteran keeper Paul Jones was born in Chirk, near Wrexham. He made two appearances while on loan from Southampton at Anfield in January 2004.

Red beginnings and an end
1970 - Midfielder John McLaughlin made the first of his 55 reds appearances in our 2-1 defeat at Chelsea, with Bobby Graham on target in our final game of the season and Peter Osgood bagging both the Blues’ goals, including one from the spot. This match was originally postponed two months earlier.
1924 - We lost by the same score in West London, with our score being a very late own goal from Benjamin Baker.

1925 - Keeper John Jones played his fourth and final senior reds game, keeping a clean sheet as Fred Baron struck the only goal of our top-flight game against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield. Harry ‘Smiler’ Chambers played his 200th League game for the reds.
2002 – Midfielder Darren Potter signed as a professional. He made seventeen senior appearances under Rafael Benítez but moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2007 after a successful loan spell.

Derby memories
1919 - Albert Pearson struck as we were held to a 1-1 draw in the Lancashire Section Subsidiary Competition, as the Lancashire Senior Cup was then known.
1942 - Jack Balmer grabbed the only goal of the game at Goodison Park in a Wartime League match that also counted for the War League Cup.

Mixed fortunes against the Terriers
We have twice travelled to Leeds Road to face Huddersfield Town in top-flight fixtures on this day in history.
1949 - Jack Balmer bagged a brace as we triumphed 4-0 with Kevin Baron and Billy Liddell also on target.
1933 – Right-back Jimmy ‘Parson’ Jackson nabbed our consolation in his 224th and final reds game as we lost 3-1, the last of his two goals for the club. Jackie Williams bagged a brace, with Wilf Bott netting one of his five goals past us.

Joy against the Tractor Boys
We have twice entertained Ipswich Town on this day in history, without tasting defeat.
1959 - Jimmy Melia, Billy Liddell and Alan A’Court struck as we won our Second Division encounter 3-1, with centre-half Dick White reaching a century of reds outings.
1978 - Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness netted in a 2-2 draw at Anfield in a game postponed from two months earlier, with Bob Paisley declaring the reds’ performance to be “rubbish”. Trevor Whymark struck the last of his six goals against us, with Mick Lambert also on target.

No goals with Leeds
We have twice faced Leeds United in the top-flight on this day in history, with both games ending goalless.
1981 - We met at Elland Road.
1992 – We hosted Leeds, with Bruce Grobbelaar pulling a hamstring and Michael Thomas having to be replaced at half time after damaging an ankle. They therefore joined Ronnie Whelan and skipper Mark Wright on the treatment table ahead of the FA Cup Final.

Liddell and Shanks in tandem
1942 - Billy Liddell and Preston North End’s Bill Shankly both scored as Scotland beat England 5-4 in a Wartime International at Hampden Park. Reds skipper Matt Busby also played.
1953 - Liddell also represented his country, winning his 23rd senior cap as they held England to a 2-2 draw in the British International Championships at Wembley.

Reds honoured
2018 – Mohamed Salah was named in the PFA Team of the Year after a highly impressive first campaign with the reds. He went on to claim the PFA Player of the Year award, having netted 44 times in 52 games in all competitions as he helped us to reach the UEFA Champions League Final in Kyiv.
2008 – A statue of reds legend Emlyn Hughes was unveiled in his hometown of Barrow.

Other reds games
1960 – We beat Rotherham United 3-0 in a Second Division encounter at Anfield on Easter Monday. Dave Hickson struck twice, with Roger Hunt also on target.
1953 – We lost 3-1 at Blackpool with Sammy Smyth bagging our goal.
1927 – We lost 2-0 at Cardiff City.

Redders says farewell
2002 - Tottenham Hotspur’s new signing Jamie Redknapp returned to Melwood to say his goodbyes. “Everyone was so good to me during my eleven years with Liverpool that it would be wrong to just leave and not say goodbye. I have a lot of friends at the club and that will always be the case, no matter where I am playing.”

Dan arrives
2012 – Sixteen-year-old midfielder Dan Trickett-Smith signed from Crewe Alexandra for £300,000. He was released in April 2016 having failed to break through.

First and last caps
1984 - Ex-red Howard Gayle made his debut for England Under-21’s as they beat Italy 3-1 in their European Championships Semi-final first leg at Maine Road. Ex-red Dave Watson also played.
2018 – Future red Mateusz Musiałowski won his fourth and last Under-15’s cap for Poland as they beat Finland 2-0.

Alberto il papa
2011 - Alberto Aquilani became a father, to Aurora.

Also in international action
1925 – Maurice Parry faced Elisha Scott as Wales and Ireland shared a goalless draw in the British International Championships in Wrexham.
1970 – Emlyn Hughes featured as England drew 1-1 with Wales in the same tournament in Cardiff.
1978 – Joey Jones played for Wales in their 1-0 friendly win in Iran.
1981 – Bruce Grobbelaar was in action for Zimbabwe as they thumped Mozambique 6-1 in the Semi-final of their Independence Cup game in Bulawayo.