5th March

Liddell’s last
1960 - Billy Liddell scored his 228th and final reds goal, becoming our oldest post-war goalscorer, aged 38 years 55 days. We beat Stoke City 5-1 in the Second Division at Anfield, with Jimmy Harrower adding a brace, and Roger Hunt and Dave Hickson also netting. Hickson was in fact on target for the fourth consecutive match, in which time he had struck six times in total.

A new boss
1951 – Don Welsh was officially appointed Manager. His contract awarded him £1,500 per year, with an additional annual £500 for expenses. He took charge of 232 reds games, winning just 81, and has the indignity of being our first boss to get the sack, after presiding over our relegation from the top flight in 1954, and failing to lead us back to the promised land.

A manc thrashing
2023 – We secured our record victory over Manchester United, thumping them 7-0 at Anfield, their joint worst ever defeat. Cody Gakpo gave us the lead shortly before the break, but the floodgates opened in the second half. Darwin Núñez headed in before Gakpo netted again. Mohamed Salah bagged a brace as he became our all-time top Premier League goalscorer. Núñez nodded in again, with Roberto Firmino completing the scoring.

Fernando’s treble
2008 - Fernando Torres scored a hat-trick as we thumped West Ham United 4-0 at Anfield, with Steven Gerrard completing the scoring. This was his second successive home treble.
2022 – Sadio Mané bagged the only goal of the Hammers’ League visit to Anfield.

Crazy Horse OBE
1980 - Emlyn Hughes was presented with the OBE by Her Majesty the Queen. ‘Crazy Horse’ played 665 times in his twelve years at Anfield, netting 49 times and winning two European Cups, four League titles, two UEFA Cups, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and two FA Charity Shields. His greatest season was probably 1976/77 when he captained the side to within a whisker of the treble, as well as being voted the Football Writers’ Player of the Year. Sadly, he died in November 2004.

More goal feasts against the Potters
1983 - We beat Stoke City 5-1 at Anfield again. Kenny Dalglish scored twice, with the other goals coming from Phil Neal, Craig Johnston and Graeme Souness. Kenny netted his 300th senior club goal that day as Ian Rush reached a century of reds outings, with future Toffee Paul Bracewell on target for the visitors.
1955 - A Johnny Evans brace was not enough as we lost 4-2. This was our first home defeat to the Potters after nineteen previous wins and seven draws. Johnny King netted the first two of his five goals past us, with Harry Oscroft nabbing one of his six and Jack Malkin also on target.

Mixed fortunes against the Hoops
We faced Queens Park Rangers twice on this day in the 1980’s.
1986 - We were held 2-2 at Anfield in the second leg of our League Cup Semi-final, despite twice taking the lead on the night. Steve McMahon and Craig Johnston netted our goals, but Jan Mølby missed a penalty and Gary Gillespie and Ronnie Whelan both scored own goals. This put us out of the competition, as we had lost the first game 1-0 away from home. Bruce Grobbelaar was playing his 300th reds game.
1988 - We won at Loftus Road in the League, with John Barnes scoring the only goal of the game. This was our last outing on their controversial plastic playing surface. Alex Watson made the first of his nine senior appearances in this game.

Happy birthdays
1988 - Damien Plessis was born in Neuville-aux-Bois, France. He signed in August 2007 from Olympique Lyonnais on a free transfer, making an impressive debut at Arsenal in the following April. He struck once in eight senior appearances, before being sold to Panathinaikos in August 2010.
1896 - Centre-half David Pratt was born in Lochore, Fife. He played 84 times for the reds after signing from Bradford City in January 1923, scoring just once and being known for his long throw-ins. He left Anfield to sign for Bury in November 1927.

1955 – Reserves keeper Bob Wardle was born in Halifax. He joined from Shrewsbury Town in a straight swap for Steve Ogrizovic in August 1982, but never made our first team, and was forced to retire through injury inside a year.
1986 - Former reserves keeper Paul Willis was born in Northern Ireland. He was released in the summer of 2006 after failing to break through to the first team, later playing for AFC Liverpool.
1993- Centre-back Stephen Sama was born in Bamenda, Cameroon. He signed from Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund in July 2009. He never played a senior game, moving on to VfB Stuttgart in September 2014.

1955 – Scottish keeper Bill McCann died. He signed from Abercorn in May 1894, playing seventeen times before moving on the following March.

Beginning and end
2005 - Scott Carson made his reds debut as we lost 1-0 at Newcastle United thanks to a goal from Laurent Robert. This was Graeme Souness’ first win over the reds as opposing Manager, at the eleventh attempt.
1977 - We also faced the Geordies when Steve Heighway grabbed the only goal of the game at Anfield. Phil Neal had a spot-kick saved by keeper Mike Mahoney.

1949 – We lost 2-1 at Chelsea despite going in at the break ahead through Jimmy Payne. Roy Bentley scored the first of his five past us with Ken Armstrong nabbing the winner. Winger Bob Priday was making his fortieth and last reds appearance.

International goalscorers
1923 - Ephraim Longworth netted his only goal for England as they drew 2-2 with Wales in the British International Championships in Cardiff, playing alongside clubmate Harry Chambers. Ex-red Robert Matthews won his second Welsh cap in this game, the only one he won while a Bristol City player. Reds right-half Maurice Parry also played for Wales.

2014 – Daniel Sturridge scored the only goal of Roy Hodgson’s England’s friendly meeting with Denmark at Wembley. Mohamed Salah struck while winning his first cap as a Chelsea player in Egypt’s 2-0 friendly defeat of Bosnia-Herzegovina in Austria. Ex-red Raul Meireles netted as Portugal thumped Cameroon 5-1 in Leiria, while Gabriel Paletta made his senior debut for Italy as they lost 1-0 to Spain in Madrid. Sadio Mané struck his last goal as a Red Bull Salzburg player as Senegal drew 1-1 with Mali in a friendly in Dakar.

Future red Andy Robertson also won his first cap in Scotland’s 1-0 win in Poland. Tom Ince won his first cap while on loan at Crystal Palace as England Under-21’s beat Wales 1-0 in a European Championships qualifier, with Nuri Şahin playing for Turkey for the final time as a Real Madrid player as Turkey beat Sweden 2-1 in Ankara.

Daniel Agger, Joe Allen, Cameron Brannagan, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Glen Johnson, Brad Jones, Jack Robinson, Martin Škrtel, Raheem Sterling, Luis Suárez, Kolo Touré, future reds Thiago Alcântara, Christian Benteke, Ádám Bogdán, Danny Ings, Ragnar Klavan, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Lazar Marković, Joël Matip, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Xherdan Shaqiri, and ex-reds Charlie Adam, Xabi Alonso, Nabil El Zhar, Charles Itandje, Alexander Kačaniklić, Javier Mascherano and Maxi Rodríguez all also featured for their countries that day.

Mixed fortunes against the Owls
We have twice faced The Wednesday in top-flight encounters on this day in history, with the home side winning 3-0 on each occasion.
1910 - We lost at Owlerton as Tom Brittleton netted twice, with Billy Lloyd also on target. On the same day, Ernest Peake played for Wales as they lost 1-0 in the British International Championships in Scotland.
1927 - Harry Chambers struck twice as we won in L4, with Donald McKinlay adding the third, his 35th and last reds goal.

Other wins
1921 - We won 2-1 at Huddersfield Town to complete a League double over the Terriers inside a week, with Harry Chambers and Dick Johnson finding the net.
1958 - Billy Liddell and Bobby Murdoch struck as we beat Derby County 2-0 at Anfield in a Second Division fixture.

Buying the site
2008 - The club announced that it had completed the purchase of 100% of the official club website, liverpoolfc.tv.

Other reds games
1994 – We lost 2-0 at Blackburn Rovers. Jason Wilcox bagged one of his four goals against us before Tim Sherwood struck.
1963 – We drew 2-2 at Ipswich Town. Kevin Lewis scored before Ted Phillips scored the last of his five past us. Ian St. John gave us a half-time lead, but Royston Stephenson netted the final of his four goals against the reds.

1949 – We lost 2-1 at Chelsea despite going in at the break ahead through Jimmy Payne. Roy Bentley scored the first of his five past us with Ken Armstrong nabbing the winner.
1938 – We drew 2-2 at Leicester City with Alf Hanson netting both our goals.
1932 – We drew 2-2 at Blackpool. Jimmy Hampson scored one of his six goals against us before Dave Wright and Gordon Hodgson struck. Phil Watson struck one of his five past us in the final minute.

Nando again
2009 - Fernando Torres was named the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month for February of that year, so becoming the third consecutive reds winner after two straight wins by Steven Gerrard. Nando had notched three times in three League outings during the previous month.

International beginning and end
1989 - Ronnie Rosenthal netted his first goal for Israel as a Standard de Liège player, the only goal of their World Cup qualifier against New Zealand in Tel-Aviv.
2013 – Jordon Ibe won his second and last cap for England Under-18’s in their 1-0 friendly defeat in Belgium.

On the move
1996 - Future red Steve Finnan joined Notts County on loan from Birmingham City. He played twenty times, before signing permanently seven months later.
2015 – Former reds left-winger Albert Riera re-signed for his first club Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, having been sacked by Udinese four months earlier. He played just six times in this second spell.