28th December

Death of a legend
2002 - Legendary reds centre-forward Albert Stubbins died. He struck 83 times in 178 reds matches after signing from Newcastle United for a British record £12,500 fee in September 1946, helping to power us to the first League championship played after the Second World War. He was also the only footballer to appear on the cover of The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album, and became a scout for the club in 1954, a post he held for the rest of the decade.

2010 – Israeli defender Avi Cohen died in Tel-Aviv, following a motorcycle crash. He was actually born in Egypt, and only made 24 appearances during his Anfield career after signing for £200,000 from Maccabi Tel-Aviv in July 1979, with his most memorable game coming in May 1980 as we clinched our twelfth League title. He put through his own net before scoring his only reds goal at the same end in the second half, as we beat Aston Villa 4-1.
2021 – Scouse forward Steve Peplow died. He joined the reds in June 1964, turning pro in January 1966 on his seventeenth birthday. He struck nineteen goals for the reserves in 1968/69, but only played three senior games, without finding the back of the net. He left for Swindon Town in June 1971 after a successful loan spell there.

Two off at Goodison
2005 - Our away derby ended in a 3-1 win with Phil Neville and Mikel Arteta both sent off for the Blues. Peter Crouch, Steven Gerrard and Djibril Cissé struck our goals, with James Beattie netting for the home side.

Sami’s last strike
2008 – We trounced Newcastle United 5-1 at St. James’ Park, with Sami Hyypiä heading his 35th and last reds goal to add to a Steven Gerrard strike as Shay Given pulled off a series of stunning saves. David Edgar unjustly headed the home side back into contention before the break, with Ryan Babel and Gerrard netting in the second half before Xabi Alonso completed the rout from the spot.

A heavenly milestone
1999 - Robbie Fowler scored his 150th reds goal, in just 260 games, as we won 3-1 at home to Wimbledon. Michael Owen and Patrick Berger were also on target.

Second time lucky
1977 – Phil Neal converted a penalty at the second attempt, after keeper Paul Bradshaw was adjudged to have moved before the kick was taken. We beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 at Anfield.

Solitary goals
1991 - Nicky Tanner bagged his only reds goal as we held Everton to a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park, with Mo Johnston netting for the Blues.

1909 – Inside-left Bert Goode netted his only reds strike as we lost 4-2 at Sheffield United, having been four goals down. John McDonald grabbed our other goal as forward Jack Parkinson played his hundredth League game for us. This was Goode’s seventh and last game for us, while forward Joe Hewitt was making his 164th and final appearance for the club. Joe Kitchen netted the first two of his eight goals against us, with keeper Augustus Beeby also saving one of his spot-kicks. Wally Hardinge also bagged a brace, the first of his four against the reds. Due to rain, both sides changed their strips at half time, with the reds emerging in more of a pink shade after the break!

We have also twice entertained the Blades on this day in history.
1907 – Full-back Percy Saul bagged his first goal for the club with Robbie Robinson and Joe Hewitt also on target as we won 3-0.
1946 - Albert Stubbins struck as we lost 2-1.

Beginnings and ends
1935 - Legendary striker Gordon Hodgson played his 377th and final reds game as we lost 3-2 at home to Chelsea with Fred Howe and Berry Nieuwenhuys on the scoresheet. Eric Oakton nabbed a brace for the home side, with Harry Burgess bagging one of his nine strikes against the reds.
1959 - Left-half Tommy Leishman made his reds bow in a 2-0 Second Division home defeat of Charlton Athletic. Alan A’Court and Roger Hunt were on target.
1903 – Keeper Charles Cotton made the first of his thirteen reds appearances as we lost 4-2 at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Jack Parkinson and Alex Raisbeck struck our goals, while Billy Wooldridge bagged a treble, the last of his five goals past us, with Adam Haywood also scoring for the home side.

City three times
2003 - We played our first game at Manchester City’s new City Of Manchester Stadium. Vladimír Šmicer scored our 250th League goal against City, a header that was missed by the TV cameras. Nicolas Anelka had put the home side in front with one of his five goals past us, but Didi Hamann also struck to give us the lead before another ex-red, Robbie Fowler, nabbed a very late goal as the game ended 2-2. Jon Otsemobor played his sixth and final reds game.

We have also twice recently hosted City at Anfield
1992 – We were held to a 1-1 draw when Ian Rush struck our goal and Niall Quinn struck for the visitors.
1994 - Robbie Fowler netted as we won 2-0, with our first strike being a Terry Phelan own goal.

Most recently
2021 - Mohamed Salah had an early penalty saved as we lost 1-0 at Leicester City, with Ademola Lookman scoring with the Foxes’ only shot on target.

Fined
2011 – The club was fined £20,000 by the FA and warned as to their future conduct for “failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion” during the League game at Fulham earlier in the month, following Jay Spearing’s sending off. On the same day, Luis Suárez was banned for one match and fined £20,000 after he admitted an FA charge of improper conduct relating to the same match.

Stevie on and off again
1998 - Steven Gerrard came on as a substitute for Steve McManaman who had been hurt by future red Dietmar Hamann, later himself being replaced by David Thompson after being injured in a challenge with Stuart Pearce, as we staged a comeback to beat Newcastle United 4-2 at Anfield. Michael Owen and Karlheinz Riedle both netted braces, while Hamann was sent off for two bookable offences. Nobby Solano struck the first of his four goals against us, with Andreas Andersson then putting the visitors two goals ahead. Jason McAteer played his hundredth and last League game for the reds.

We have beaten the Geordie outfit twice more on this day in history.
1987 - John Aldridge struck a brace, including a penalty, as we won 4-0 at Anfield, with Steve McMahon and Ray Houghton also on the scoresheet. This was our 23rd consecutive unbeaten League game, and the seventh time we had racked up four goals that season.
1997 - We won 2-1 on Tyneside, with Steve McManaman nabbing both our goals and future Blue Steve Watson on target for the home side.

Scales for the wrong side
1993 - Future red John Scales scored an own goal as Wimbledon held us to a 1-1 draw, with John Fashanu netting at Anfield for the third consecutive season in the League, the last of his six strikes against the reds. We had already benefited from an own goal against the Dons in a League Cup tie exactly two weeks earlier. Rob Jones reached a century of reds games that day.

Thumping wins
1893 - We beat Crewe Alexandra 5-0 at Nantwich Road in a Second Division match with Harry Bradshaw, Patrick Gordon, David Henderson, Hugh McQueen and Malcolm McVean all scoring.
1918 - We trounced Burnley 7-0 at Anfield in a Wartime League game. John Miller bagged a treble, with Harry Lewis netting a brace, and Reginald Phillips and Walter Wadsworth also on target.

Signing on
2004 - Dietmar Hamann signed a new two-year contract. He nabbed eleven goals in 283 appearances for the reds in total, helping us to claim the Champions League, UEFA Cup, two FA Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, two League Cups and the FA Charity Shield after signing from Newcastle United for £8m in July 1999, but moved on to Manchester City in July 2006 after a bizarre detour to Bolton Wanderers.
2022 – Forward Cody Gakpo agreed to sign from PSV Eindhoven in January for a reported initial £40m. He struck seven times in 26 appearances in his first half-season with the reds.

Other reds games
2004 – Florent Sinama-Pongolle bagged the only goal of Southampton’s visit.
1985 – Kevin MacDonald was on target as we drew 1-1 at Nottingham Forest after Neil Webb had put the home side ahead with the first of his five goals against the reds. Bruce Grobbelaar saved a penalty from Peter Davenport to ensure a share of the spoils.
1982 – Sunderland held us to a goalless draw at Roker Park as future red Barry Venison impressed for the home side.

1964 – Sunderland returned home with a share of the spoils as our encounter ended goalless.
1957 – We were thumped 6-1 in a second Division match at Cardiff City with Johnny Wheeler bagging our late consolation as we slipped down a place from the top of the table. Brayley Reynolds scored the first two of his seven past us, with Joe Bonson bagging the first two of his five. Colin Hudson and Ron Hewitt were also on the scoresheet.
1936 – We lost 2-1 to West Bromwich Albion in L4. Alf Hanson scored for the reds, with Teddy Sandford netting the last of his five goals against us, and Walter Robbins also on target.

1929 – We beat Middlesbrough 5-2 at Anfield. Fred Hopkin and Jimmy Smith each struck twice, with Dick Edmed also scoring. Jack Elkes nabbed the last two of his four goals past the reds.
1926 – Bolton Wanderers returned home on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline. Harry Chambers struck twice after Gordon Hodgson had opened the scoring. Joe Smith netted the last of his twelve goals against us, with Rollo Jack also on target.
1901 – Andy McGuigan netted the only goal as Blackburn Rovers lost 1-0 in L4.

On the move
2007 - Reserves centre-half James Smith left Anfield to sign for Stockport County on a free transfer after a successful loan spell.
2009 - Florent Sinama-Pongolle joined Sporting Clube de Portugal from Club Atlético de Madrid for €6.5m. He had bagged five goals in forty outings for the Madrid side.
2016 – Left-back Kostas Tsimikas joined Esbjerg on loan from Olympiacos, notching twice in thirteen appearances in Denmark.

International bow
1995 – Forward Haukur Ingi Guðnason made his debut for Iceland Under-19’s as they lost 1-0 to Cyprus in the Israel Tournament.
1994 – He also featured for the Under-17’s as they were beaten 3-1 by Sweden in another tournament in Israel.

Management appointments
2007 - Roy Hodgson was appointed Manager of Fulham, taking over two days later with the side in the relegation zone. He led them to just nine points from his first thirteen games in charge. However, twelve points from the last five games kept them in the Premiership. They finished seventh in his first full campaign, their best-ever League finish. He took them to the UEFA Europa League Final in the following campaign, where they lost out to Club Atlético de Madrid, also finishing twelfth in the League. He was subsequently named LMA Manager of the Year by a record margin.

2023 – Dirk Kuyt was named Head Coach of Beerschot, leading them into the Belgian top flight in his first season in charge.
1970 - Ex-red Sir Matt Busby was re-appointed as Manager of Manchester United following the sacking of Wilf McGuinness, remaining in the role for the rest of the season.
1921 - Alex Raisbeck was named as Secretary/Manager of Second Division Bristol City. He stayed in charge for nearly eight years.