20th May

Wembley glory for the 96
1989 - We clinched the FA Cup for the fourth time, in an all-Merseyside final, five weeks after the Hillsborough disaster that claimed 96 lives. John Aldridge, who was playing his hundredth reds game, opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a strike that was named as the BBC’s Goal of the Season, the only time the same player has claimed the award in consecutive seasons. We led until Stuart McCall equalised towards the end of the second half. Ian Rush put us back in front in extra-time before McCall became the first substitute to score twice in an FA Cup Final to level the match again. McCall’s achievement was then matched by Rushie who won us the cup with his 23rd FA Cup goal.

The departure of a legend
1996 - Ian Rush signed for Leeds United on a free transfer, after his 346 strikes in 660 games had helped shoot us to countless honours. However, he bagged just three goals in 43 games for Leeds.

Last win of the season
1985 - We played our only other first-class game on this day, winning 3-0 at West Ham United, our last win of a season that saw us finish second in the First Division, thirteen points behind Everton, and then go on to lose the European Cup Final on a tragic day at the Stade du Heysel in Brussels. Paul Walsh netted a brace, with Jim Beglin bagging the other. Jan Mølby played at centre-back, but lost five teeth in a collision with the Hammers’ Dave Swindlehurst.

Most recently
2023 – Ollie Watkins missed a first-half penalty before Jacob Ramsay gave Aston Villa the lead inside the first half hour. Roberto Firmino bagged a late leveller in our last Anfield game of the season, with Jürgen Klopp watching from the stands as he started a touchline ban. Afterwards, there was a guard of honour for the departing Firmino, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keïta.

Jimmy, Jimmy
1922 - Centre-forward Jimmy Walsh signed from Stockport County. He netted 27 times in 77 reds games, before moving on to Hull City in June 1928.
1925 - Right-back Jimmy ‘Parson’ Jackson signed from Aberdeen for £1,750. He struck twice in 224 games for the reds, appearing in every outfield position, and was renowned for his on-field arguments with notoriously foul-mouthed keeper Elisha Scott! He became reds skipper in 1928, and also wrote a regular column for the Liverpool Weekly Post before leaving the reds in 1933 to become ordained as a Presbyterian minister.

2002 – Defender David Raven signed as a professional. He made four first-team appearances but left Anfield to sign for Carlisle United in July 2006.

Jack’s treble
1948 - Jack Balmer scored a hat-trick as we beat a Baltimore All Stars side 9-2, with Ken Brierley netting a brace and Billy Liddell, Willie Fagan, Jim Harley and Albert Stubbins all also on the scoresheet.
1953 - We played another friendly in the USA, beating a New England Select 4-0 in Fall River, thanks to two goals from Mervyn Jones and strikes from Jack Smith and Don Welsh.

A special day for Emlyn
1972 - Emlyn Hughes nabbed his only full international goal as England beat Wales 3-0 in the British International Championships in Cardiff, up against John Toshack.
1980 - He played in the same tournament, no longer as a red, as England drew 1-1 with Northern Ireland at Wembley, as he captained them for the last time. This was his 23rd full international as skipper, and 61st in total. David Johnson, Terry McDermott and future red coach Joe Corrigan all also featured.

Crazy Horse in fact turned out for England twice more on this day in history.
1978 - He captained Ray Clemence and Phil Neal against Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness as England won 1-0 at Hampden Park in the British International Championships.
1970 - He played in a B international as England won 1-0 in Colombia.

In training for their birthdays
1869 - Left-half George Fleming was born in Bannockburn, Stirlingshire. He struck six times in 82 reds games after signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers in May 1901, helping us to the Second Division title in 1905, before becoming Assistant Trainer the following year.

1895 - Another Assistant Trainer, Jimmy Seddon, was born. He was in this role for fifteen years from 1939, during which time his son Kenneth was on our books.
1916 - Jack Westby was born in Aintree in 1916. He only featured for us during the Second World War.

On the committee
2011 – The inaugural members of the club’s Supporters’ Committee were announced.

Macca on the move
1983 - Steve McMahon signed for Aston Villa from Everton for £175,000, having turned down the chance to move to Anfield. He netted seven times in 91 games for the Villains, before eventually arriving at Anfield in September 1985 for double the money.

Rushie on target
1992 - Ian Rush bagged Wales’s consolation as they were thumped 5-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Romania. Clubmate Dean Saunders also played. On the same day, future red Gary McAllister netted a brace as Scotland beat Canada 3-1 in a friendly in Toronto.

International beginning and ends
1931 - Reds left-half Jimmy McDougall won his second and final Scotland cap, skippering them from centre-half in their 3-0 defeat by Italy in Rome.
2016 - Péter Gulácsi won his first cap as an RasenBallsport Leipzig e.V. player as Hungary were held to a goalless draw by Ivory Coast in Budapest.

2017 – Sheyi Ojo played his first game for England Under-20’s in their 3-0 World Championship Finals defeat of Argentina in South Korea. Future red Dominic Solanke converted from the spot, with Ovie Ejaria also in action.
2018 – Future red Ryan Gravenberch won his fourth and last cap for the Dutch Under-17’s as they beat Italy on penalties to win the European Championships, after the Final ended 2-2 in Rotherham.

More international goals
1975 - Celtic’s Kenny Dalglish and ex-red Ted MacDougall both scored as Scotland beat Northern Ireland 3-0 in the British International Championships at Hampden Park.
1990 - Future red Dean Saunders grabbed the only goal of Wales’s friendly encounter with Costa Rica at Ninian Park.

1998 - Milan Baroš was on target as the Czech Republic Under-17’s drew 1-1 in a friendly in Poland. Stig Inge Bjørnebye also played for his country that day.
2007 - Craig Lindfield struck while winning his seventh and final cap for England Under-19’s as they beat the Czech Republic 2-0 in a European Championships qualifier in Northampton, with Stephen Darby and Jack Hobbs both also featuring.
1964 - Roy Evans struck as England Schoolboys drew 2-2 with their Republic of Ireland counterparts in Cork. Future red Dave Wilson played for England Under-23’s on the same day, in their 3-0 friendly defeat in Turkey.

In Denmark
1914 – We beat Kampartenna 5-2 in Copenhagen, with Billy Lacey bagging a brace, Jackie Sheldon converting a penalty and William Banks and Tom Miller also on target.

New coaches
2010 - Dietmar Hamann joined MK Dons as player-coach, while Gary McAllister was appointed First Team Coach at Middlesbrough, although he moved on to Aston Villa just four months later. Hamann played thirteen first-team games while in Milton Keynes, moving on to become a First Team Coach at Leicester City in February 2011.
2016 – Ex-reds boss Brendan Rodgers was appointed Manager of Celtic on a twelve-month rolling contract, leading them to domestic trebles in each of his first two campaigns before leaving for Leicester City in February 2019.
2019 – Former reds First Team Coach Steve Clarke was appointed Manager of Scotland, after a successful spell in charge of Kilmarnock.

Also on the move
1955 – Full-back Steve Parr was released by the reds, then joining Exeter City. He made twenty appearances without notching after signing on a free transfer from Farrington Villa in May 1948.
2004 - Reserves right-back Stephen Vaughan left Anfield to join Chester City on a free transfer, making 85 appearances in two spells with the Blues. Meanwhile, Jason McAteer and Phil Babb were both released by Sunderland. McAteer went on to join Tranmere Rovers, while Babb retired from the game.
2008 - Former reserves forward Conal Platt signed for Conference National side Forest Green Rovers.

European joy
1998 – Future reds forward Fernando Morientes featured for Real Madrid as they beat Juventus 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League Final in Amsterdam, the first of three European Cups he won.

Also in international action
1981 – Ian Rush and future red Joe Corrigan and ex-red Joey Jones all featured as England and Wales shared a goalless draw in the British International Championships at Wembley.
1999 – Vegard Heggem and Øyvind Leonhardsen both played in Norway’s 6-0 thumping of Jamaica in Oslo.
2001 – Future red Kolo Touré played as Ivory Coast drew a World Cup qualifier 1-1 in Tunisia.
2002 – Future reds Peter Crouch, Paul Konchesky and Jermaine Pennant all featured for England Under-21’s as they lost 2-1 to Italy in a European Championships Finals group game in Basel.

2006 – Carl Medjani and future red Martin Škrtel both played in internationals.
2008 – Škrtel featured as Slovakia lost a friendly 1-0 in Turkey, with Damien Plessis also representing his country.
2010 – Future red Mamadou Sakho played for France Under-21’s as they drew 3-3 with Argentina Under-20’s.
2012 – Future red Mohamed Salah appeared for Egypt as they beat Cameroon 2-1 in a friendly in Sudan.
2015 – Future red Ibrahima Konaté played for France Under-16’s in their 2-0 friendly win in Germany.