22nd March

Happy birthday Tosh
1949 - John Toshack was born in Cardiff. He signed from his hometown club for a club record £110,000 in November 1970 and scored 96 goals in 247 reds appearances, helping us to three League titles, two UEFA Cups, FA Cup and FA Charity Shield before returning to Wales to join Swansea City as Player/Manager in February 1978.
1890 – Half-back Charles Hafekost was born in Sunderland. He signed from Gillingham in 1914, but made just one senior reds appearance before joining Darlington Forge Albion the following year.

1997 – Winger Harry Wilson was born in Wrexham. He became the reds’ and Wales’s youngest ever senior international in October 2013 aged just sixteen years and 207 days. He made his reds bow in January 2017 in our FA Cup Third Round replay win at Plymouth Argyle, but only made one further first-team appearance before being sold to Fulham for a reported £12m in July 2021.

Farewell Bugsie
2017 - Reds stalwart Ronnie Moran died. He spent 49 years at Anfield, making 379 senior appearances and bagging seventeen goals. He helped us to win the Second Division in 1963 and the League title the following year, before joining the coaching staff. He took charge of the reds for ten games in between Kenny Dalglish’s departure and Graeme Souness’s appointment and had another spell in temporary charge while Souness recovered from his heart operation.

Stevie’s treble
2009 - We thumped Aston Villa 5-0 at Anfield with Steven Gerrard bagging his first League treble that included two penalties, meaning that he had successfully converted spot-kicks in three consecutive fixtures. Dirk Kuyt opened the scoring before Albert Riera grabbed his fifth and final reds goal, while Pepe Reina kept his hundredth clean sheet in a club record 197 games. Brad Friedel was sent off for the visitors when conceding the second penalty, although this was later rescinded.

Stevie’s unwanted record
2015 - We lost 2-1 at home to Manchester United, with Juan Mata bagging a brace for the visitors. Steven Gerrard was sent off just forty seconds after coming off the bench at the start of the second half, a club record. Daniel Sturridge struck our goal, with Simon Mignolet saving a late Wayne Rooney penalty. Martin Škrtel was later given a retrospective three-match ban after allegedly stamping on David De Gea.

League Cup despair
1978 - The only goal of our League Cup Final replay with Nottingham Forest came from a John Robertson penalty awarded for a Phil Thompson foul on John O’Hare that was actually committed outside the box. We therefore had to wait a further three years for our first triumph in this competition. Ian Callaghan was booked by referee Pat Partridge for the only time in 857 first-class games for the reds, while Terry McDermott had a goal disallowed.

Luis at the treble
2014 - Luis Suárez scored a hat-trick as we won 6-3 at Cardiff City, despite falling behind twice. This was his sixth and last reds treble as he equalled Robbie Fowler’s Premier league club record of 28 goals in a season. Martin Škrtel struck twice and Daniel Sturridge also on target. Frazier Campbell scored one of his four goals past us, with Jordon Mutch nabbing a brace.

New loanees
1990 - Ronnie Rosenthal signed for the reds on loan from Standard de Liège. He made the move permanent for £1m three months later, going on to net a total of 22 goals in 97 reds games before being sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £250,000 in January 1994.
1995 - Keeper Alec Chamberlain arrived on loan from Sunderland as cover for David James. He was on the bench at the Coca-Cola Cup Final later that season, and five subsequent League games, without getting onto the pitch.

Reds promoted
2011 - Damien Comolli was promoted from Director of Football Strategy to Director of Football, while Commercial Director Ian Ayre moved up from Commercial Director to Managing Director. Comolli left the club in April 2012, with Ayre departing in February 2017.

A reds leader passes on
1936 - John McKenna died in Walton Hospital. He served as a Director from the formation of the club until July 1921, having two lengthy spells as the club’s Chairman. He acted as our boss for the 1895/96 season, guiding us to the Second Division title, before being replaced by Tom Watson. He was later Chairman of the Football League for two decades.

Knocking the U’s for six
1986 - Oxford United were the unlucky visitors to Anfield as two goals apiece from Ian Rush and Jan Mølby, plus Mark Lawrenson’s eighteenth and final reds strike and a goal from Ronnie Whelan sent them home on the wrong end of a 6-0 scoreline, as they just escaped relegation back to the Second Division.

Off the mark
1930 – Outside-left Gordon Gunson bagged his first reds goal as we beat Aston Villa 2-0 in a top-flight encounter at Anfield, with Jimmy Smith also netting.

Fagan’s treble
1940 - Willie Fagan scored a hat-trick, including two penalties, as we thumped Crewe Alexandra 6-3 in a Wartime League match at Gresty Road. Len Carney, Jack Balmer and Billy Liddell bagged the other goals.

Mixed fortunes against Spurs
1995 - We held Tottenham Hotspur to a goalless draw at White Hart Lane, with David James saving a penalty from Jürgen Klinsmann.
1987 - We also failed to score at Spurs, losing 1-0 to a Chris Waddle strike.
1975 - Kevin Keegan and Peter Cormack netted as we won 2-0 in north London, with Ian Callaghan playing his 700th reds game.

Derby stalemate
1977 - We held Everton to a goalless draw at Goodison Park, our third consecutive scoreless trip across the park.

Last outing
1947 – Centre-half John Easdale played his second and final reds game in our 1-1 top-flight draw with Derby County at Anfield. Phil Taylor struck for the reds.

Twice against the Seagulls
We twice faced Brighton & Hove Albion in the League on this day in the early 1980’s.
1980 - An Alan Hansen goal was enough for victory at Anfield.
1983 - Ian Rush netted a brace in the final quarter of an hour as we came from two goals down at half time to draw 2-2 at the Goldstone Ground. Future red Michael Robinson and Gary Howlett struck for the home side.

Twice against the Magpies twice
We have twice faced Newcastle United at Anfield on this day in history.
1902 – We went down 1-0, with defender Thomas Hunter playing his fifth and final reds game and inside-forward John ‘Sailor’ Hunter turning out for the 45th and last time for us. Future red ‘Wee’ Ronald Orr struck the goal.
1952 – We won 3-0 when Albert Stubbins struck his last two reds goals, with John Smith also on target as Bob Paisley played his 200th League game for us.

We have also twice visited Notts County on this day over the years.
1913 - We lost 3-0 at Meadow Lane with Jack Peart bagging a treble, the first of his four strikes against us.
1958 - We won 2-0, with Jimmy Melia and Louis Bimpson on the scoresheet.

International beginnings and end
1890 - Future reds player, Manager and Director Matt McQueen won the first of his two senior caps for Scotland, helping them to thump Wales 5-0 in the British International Championships in Paisley.
1994 – Future reds midfielder Jean-Michel Ferri won the first of his five senior caps for France as they beat Chile 3-1 in a friendly in Lyon.
2012 – Future red Samed Yeşil won his third and last cap for Germany Under-18’s in their 3-2 home friendly defeat by France.

2019 - Bobby Adekanye featured for the Dutch Under-20’s for the only time in their 3-2 friendly defeat of Mexico in Rijnsburg. Rhys Williams winning his first cap for England Under-18’s as they lost 1-0 to the Czech Republic in the UAE Sports Chain Cup in Dubai, with Bobby Duncan and Curits Jones also featuring. Bernard Diomède took charge of France Under-20’s as they drew 2-2 with the USA in Spain.
2023 – Dominic Corness and Jarell Quansah won their first caps for England Under-20’s in their 2-0 friendly defeat of Germany at the Manchester City Academy Stadium, with Harvey Davies also in action. On the same day, Luke Chambers, Bobby Clark, Melkamu Frauendorf, Caoimhín Kelleher and Kieran Morrison all also played for their countries.

Strikers on target
2013 – Luis Suárez scored for Uruguay in their 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw with Paraguay in Montevideo. Meanwhile, Daniel Sturridge scored his first senior goal while winning his first cap as a reds player in Roy Hodgson’s England’s 8-0 thumping of San Marino in Serravalle, with future red Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also on target. Ex-red John Arne Riise played his 110th and last game for Norway as they lost 1-0 to Albania in Oslo. Also in international action that day were Daniel Agger, Martin Škrtel, Danny Ward, future reds Christian Benteke, Ragnar Klavan, Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho, and ex-reds Charlie Adam, Álvaro Arbeloa, Craig Bellamy, Yossi Benayoun, Alexander Kačaniklić, Robbie Keane, Javier Mascherano, Raul Meireles, Nikolay Mihaylov, Maxi Rodríguez and Nuri Şahin.
2017 – Adam Lallana faced Emre Can as Germany beat England 1-0 in a friendly in Dortmund, while Trent Alexander-Arnold and future reds Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas were also in international action.

2018 – Harry Wilson scored for Wales as they thumped the host nation 6-0 in the China Cup in Nanning, his first senior strike. Ben Woodburn and ex-red Joe Allen both also featured, with Corey Whelan turning out for the Republic of Ireland Under-21’s on the same day. On the same day, future red Ozan Kabak scored his first goal for Turkey Under-18’s, converting a spot kick as they beat Belgium 2-0 in a friendly in Mons, while Olympiacos’s Kostas Tsimikas scored for Greece Under-21’s for the first time while captaining them in their 4-0 European Championships qualifying defeat of San Marino in Xanthi. Meanwhile, Carl Medjani scored his last goal for Algeria, and only one as a Sivasspor player, captaining them to a 4-1 friendly defeat of Tanzania in Algiers. Future red Dominik Szoboszlai also represented his country that day.

2019 – Ex-red Raheem Sterling bagged a treble in England’s 5-0 thumping of the Czech Republic in a Europeans Championships qualifier at Wembley, with Jordan Henderson also featuring. Nikolay Mihaylov won his first cap in his second spell as a PFC Levski Sofia player as Bulgaria drew 1-1 with Montenegro in a qualifier in Sofia. Ex-red Sebastián Coates and future reds Luis Díaz and Takumi Minamino and also played for their countries that day.
2024 - Harvey Elliott scored in his third consecutive game for England Under-21's, bagging a brace as they thumped Azerbaijan 5-1 in a European Championships qualifier in Baku. Dominik Szoboszlai converted a penalty as he led Hungary to a 1-0 friendly win over Türkiye in Budapest, while ex-red Sadio Mané scored for Senegal as they beat Gabon 3-0 in a friendly in France. Gini Wijnaldum was on target while winning his first cap as an Al-Ettifaq player as the Netherlands beat Scotland 4-0 in another friendly in Amsterdam. Jayden Danns scored in the shoot-out as England Under-18’s beat Germany after their Pinatar Super Cup game in Spain ended goalless. Kaide Gordon debuted for England Under-20’s in their 5-1 friendly win in Poland, while Lewis Koumas netted on his Wales Under-21’s bow as they beat Lithuania 2-1 in their European Championships qualifier in Newport. Conor Bradley, Luke Chambers, Bobby Clark, Luis Díaz, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister, Tyler Morton, Amara Nallo, Trey Nyoni, Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk and ex-reds Péter Gulácsi and Ozan Kabak all played for their countries, with ex-reds coach Steve Clarke taking charge of Scotland.

Other reds games
1989 – We won 3-1 at Coventry City, thanks to goals from John Barnes, John Aldridge and Ronnie Whelan.
1924 – We were held to a goalless draw at Blackburn Rovers.
1922 – Alf Baker netted the only goal as we lost at Arsenal.

Ex-reserves on the move
2001 - Paul Dalglish joined Wigan Athletic on loan from Norwich City. He played six times for the Latics and returned for the whole of the following season. On the same day, reserves defender Alan Navarro temporarily joined Crewe Alexandra. He netted once in eight appearances and returned for a second loan spell five months later.
1999 - Jim Magilton joined Ipswich Town from Sheffield Wednesday for £682,500, after a loan spell. He later took over as Manager at Portman Road.
2003 - Midfielder Neil Prince signed for Leigh RMI from fellow Conference strugglers Southport.
        
Also in international action
2008 - Harry Kewell captained Australia while winning his thirtieth cap, as they were held to a goalless draw in a friendly in Singapore. On the same day, future red Jonjo Shelvey appeared for England Under-16’s as they lost 1-0 to the USA in the Montaigu Tournament in Les Brouzils.
2007 – Future red Philipp Degen played for Switzerland as they beat Jamaica 2-0 in a tournament game in the USA.
1989 – Future red Karlheinz Riedle played for West Germany in their 2-1 friendly win in Bulgaria.
1988 – Future red Nigel Clough played for England Under-21’s as they beat Scotland 1-0 in the second leg of their European Championships Quarter-final at his home City Ground, to progress 2-0 on aggregate. Future reds coach Steve Clarke played for Scotland on the same day.
1972 – Larry Lloyd captained an England Under-23’s side that also included Kevin Keegan as they lost 1-0 to East Germany at Ashton Gate.
1919 – Elisha Scott played for Ireland as they lost 2-1 to Scotland in an unofficial Victory International at Ibrox.