Have a rowdy birthday
1937 - Ron Yeats was born in Aberdeen. The giant centre-half played 454 times for the reds, netting sixteen times and captaining us to two League titles, our first FA Cup, the Second Division title and FA Charity Shield. He was one of Bill Shankly’s first and most inspired signings, arriving for just £30,000 from Dundee United in July 1961. He moved on to Tranmere Rovers in December 1971.
Clem departs
2020 – Legendary keeper Ray Clemence died. He arrived from Sc***horpe United for £18,000 in June 1967, usurping Tommy Lawrence as first choice number one after two years. He went on to make 665 reds appearances, winning five League titles, an FA Cup, three European Cups, two UEFA Cups, a League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and four FA Charity Shields, before moving on to Tottenham Hotspur in August 1981.
Technicolor reds
1969 - Our 2-0 home win over West Ham United was the first game screened in colour by the BBC’s Match Of The Day. Chris Lawler and Bobby Graham scored the goals, with forward Steve Peplow making the first of his three senior appearances.
On the move
1999 - Stephen Wright was loaned to Crewe Alexandra for the second time, making seventeen appearances before returning to Anfield. On the same day, ex-red Mark Walters joined Bristol Rovers from Swindon Town on a free transfer. He struck fourteen times in 96 Pirates games.
1928 – Scottish forward John McFarlane signed from Aberdeen. He became our then-youngest ever player when he debuted as we lost 2-1 at home to Everton in the League three months later, aged just seventeen years and 47 days. However, he only played one more senior game, moving on to Halifax Town in July 1930.
1983 - Future reds winger Jimmy Carter signed as a professional for Crystal Palace. He never made the first team, a fate that also befell him at Queens Park Rangers, his next club.
1991 - Ex-reds reserve forward Mike Newell joined Blackburn Rovers from Everton in a £1.1m deal. He went on to net 48 times in 167 appearances for Rovers.
Other birthdays
1895 - Half-back Neil McBain was born in Campbeltown, Argyllshire. He played twelve times after signing from St. Johnstone for £1,000 in March 1928. He moved on to Watford after eight months at Anfield, later managing the Hornets and Ayr United as well as coaching in Argentina.
1979 – Josemi was born in Málaga. Rafael Benítez’s first signing, for £2m from his hometown club in July 2004, made just 35 reds appearances, mostly at right-back, before joining Villarreal back in his native Spain in swap deal for Jan Kromkamp in January 2006.
1983 – Dutch Assistant Coach John Heitinga was born in Alphen aan den Rijn. He was appointed in July 2024, under Arne Slot.
1967 - Forward Wayne Harrison was born in Stockport. He signed from Oldham Athletic for £250,000 in January 1985 at the age of seventeen, then a record fee for a teenager, although he never made a senior reds appearance before having to retire due to injury in the summer of 1991, aged just 23.
A treble against
1952 - Cliff Holton scored a hat-trick for Arsenal as they ran out 5-1 winners at Anfield, the last of his four goals against us, with Ben Marden bagging a brace. Jimmy Payne netted our goal, as early as the fifth minute.
1947 - We were also thumped 5-1 at Sunderland in another First Division fixture with Billy Liddell grabbing our consolation. Dickie Davis netted two of his seven strikes against the reds, with Albert Quinn bagging another brace and Willie Watson also on the scoresheet.
Thumping Wolves
1902 - We beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-1 in a top-flight meeting in L4, with George Livingstone, Jack Cox, Arthur Goddard and Sam Raybould all on the scoresheet inside the opening eleven minutes.
Red farewells
1975 – Brian Hall bagged his 21st and final reds goal as we beat Newcastle United 2-1 at St. James’ Park, with Ray Kennedy nabbing the winner. Future Evertonian Geoff Nulty struck for the home side.
1958 – Louis Bimpson was on target as we lost a Second Division fixture 3-2 at Derby County with the reds also benefiting from an Albert Mays own goal as keeper Tommy Younger had to go off injured. Right-half Roy Saunders appeared for the 146th and final time.
2019 – Half-back and reds skipper Johnny Wheeler died. He joined his cousin Ronnie Moran at Anfield when he signed from Bolton Wanderers for £9,000 in September 1956 and made 177 appearances, bagging 23 goals. One of his greatest games came in November 1956, when he netted a four-minute hat-trick against Port Vale. He was appointed player-manager of New Brighton in May 1963, but did not take up the post, becoming Assistant Trainer at Bury instead, where he stayed until 1969.
200 up
1924 – Dick Forshaw netted in his 200th reds game as we lost 2-1 at Burnley. George Beel bagged the first of his eight goals against the reds, with Tommy Roberts scoring the last of his four past us.
Most recently
2008 – We won 2-0 at Bolton Wanderers. Dirk Kuyt headed us in front with the home side having a Gary Cahill goal disallowed just before the break. Steven Gerrard added the second.
Management moves
1955 - Bill Shankly resigned as Manager of Workington. He had been in charge for two years as they struggled in the Third Division North, winning 35 of their 87 League games under his leadership.
2011 – Nick Barmby was appointed Caretaker Manager of Hull City, being appointed permanently two months later. However, he was sacked in May 2012.
2005 - Ex-reds defender Nicky Tanner resigned as Manager of Hellenic League side Almondsbury Town after two years in charge.
1995 - Roy Hodgson stepped down as Manager of Switzerland after his final game, a 3-1 friendly defeat to England at Wembley, with Steve McManaman, Jamie Redknapp and future red Stéphane Henchoz all in action. On the same day, future red Patrik Berger scored in the Czech Republic’s 3-0 European Championships qualifying defeat of Luxembourg in Prague. Fellow future clubmate Vladimír Šmicer won his second cap in the same game, coming on as a substitute. Phil Babb, Stig Inge Bjørnebye, Mark Kennedy, Jason McAteer, future reds Markus Babbel, Gary McAllister and Øyvind Leonhardsen, and ex-reds John Aldridge, Ronnie Rosenthal, Dean Saunders and Steve Staunton all also featured in Euro ’96 qualifiers.
International debutants
2018 – Trent Alexander-Arnold scored his first England goal in their 3-0 defeat of the USA at Wembley, with Jordan Henderson also in action. Paul Glatzel made his debut for Germany Under-18’s as they beat Cyprus Under-21’s 1-0, while Dominic Solanke bagged a brace for England Under-21’s in their 2-1 win in Italy. Curtis Jones, Dejan Lovren and ex-reds Iago Aspas and Suso also played for their countries that day.
2006 – Future red Alberto Aquilani made his senior international bow as Italy were held to a 1-1 friendly draw by Turkey in Bergamo, with future red Nuri Şahin also featuring.
1972 - Ray Clemence and Kevin Keegan both made their senior England debuts as they beat Wales 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Cardiff. Emlyn Hughes and John Toshack both also played.
1997 - Future red Dietmar Hamann netted on his full international debut as Germany beat South Africa 3-0 in a friendly in Dusseldorf. Fellow future red Christian Ziege was also in the side.
2000 - Ex-red Dominic Matteo won his first Scotland cap in their 2-0 home friendly defeat by Australia. Ex-red Don Hutchison also featured.
2013 – Future red Adam Lallana made his England bow as Roy Hodgson’s side were beaten 2-0 at Wembley by Chile, with Jordan Henderson, Glen Johnson and future red James Milner also featuring. Ex-reds reserves midfielder Gary Mackay-Steven made his Scotland debut as they were held to a goalless draw by the USA at Hampden Park, winning his only cap while with Dundee United. Daniel Agger, Martin Škrtel, future reds Mario Balotelli and Emre Can, and ex-reds Alexander Kačaniklić, Javier Mascherano, Raul Meireles and Maxi Rodríguez all also played for their countries that day.
Robbie’s treble
2006 - Future red Robbie Keane struck a hat-trick as Steve Staunton’s Republic of Ireland thumped San Marino 5-0 at Lansdowne Road, with Steve Finnan also featuring.
2013 – Ex-red Keane also scored as his country beat Latvia 3-0 in a friendly in Dublin.
For Jackie
1922 – We beat Derby County 3-1 at Anfield in a testimonial match for Jackie Sheldon, who had recently retired after breaking his leg. Guest player Owen apparently scored all three of our goals. Sheldon grabbed twenty goals in 147 reds games after joining from Manchester United in November 1913 and played in our first ever FA Cup Final in 1914. Unfortunately, his name was forever tainted by being the go-between in our match-fixing scandal with Manchester United in April 1915.
Two more legends honoured
2007 - Peter Beardsley and Graeme Souness were both inducted into the Football Museum’s Hall of Fame. Beardsley won two League titles, the FA Cup, and two FA Charity Shields while at Anfield, as well as 59 England caps and a ‘new’ Second Division title with Fulham. Souness claimed five League titles, three European Cups, four League Cups and three FA Charity Shields while with the reds, also winning 54 Scottish caps, a Second Division championship, Coppa Italia and Scottish League title as a player.
More first and last caps
1997 - Ex-red Ray Houghton was on target while winning his 73rd and final cap in the Republic of Ireland’s 2-1 World Cup play-off defeat in Belgium. Mark Kennedy made his seventeenth appearance, and final one as a reds player, while ex-red Steve Staunton also featured.
2000 - David James won his first cap as an Aston Villa player, only his second to that point, as England lost 1-0 to Italy in a friendly in Turin. This was Peter Taylor’s only game in charge, and he also selected Nick Barmby, Jamie Carragher, Robbie Fowler and Emile Heskey. Dietmar Hamann, Stéphane Henchoz and Christian Ziege all also featured in friendlies that day.
2023 – Kieran Morrison debuted for Northern Ireland Under-19’s as they lost 2-1 to Hungary in a tournament game in Larne. Keyrol Figueroa struck for USA Under-17’s as they beat Burkina Faso 2-1 in a World Cup Finals group game in Indonesia. Calum Scanlon and ex-red Marko Grujić also played for their countries, with Bernard Diomède taking charge of France Under-19’s.
2011 – Future red Daniel Sturridge made his senior debut as Scott Carson won his first cap as a Bursaspor player as England beat Sweden 1-0 in a friendly at Wembley, with Stewart Downing and future red James Milner also featuring. Ryan Babel won his last cap as a TSG 1899 Hoffenheim player as the Netherlands lost a friendly 3-0 in Germany, with Dirk Kuyt and future reds John Heitinga and Gini Wijnaldum also featuring.
2021 - Xherdan Shaqiri won his last cap as an Olympique Lyonnais player, appearing for Switzerland for the hundredth time as they thumped Bulgaria 4-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Lucerne. Ex-red Ki-Jana Hoever scored his first goal for the Dutch Under-21’s in their 7-0 trouncing of Gibraltar in a European Championships qualifier. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah, future red Federico Chiesa and ex-red Conor Coady also represented their countries that day, with Steve Clarke taking charge of Scotland.
2006 – Porto’s Raul Meireles made his international bow in Portugal’s 3-0 European Championships qualifying defeat of Kazakhstan in Coimbra. Meanwhile, Milan Baroš won his final cap as an Aston Villa player, his 53rd to date, and struck the Czech Republic’s goal in their 1-1 friendly draw with Daniel Agger’s Denmark in Prague, with fellow future red Christian Poulsen also in action. Alex Manninger won his first cap as a Robur Siena player as Austria beat Trinidad & Tobago 4-1 in Vienna. Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard, Sami Hyypiä, Dirk Kuyt, John Arne Riise, future reds Joe Cole, Ragnar Klavan, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Martin Škrtel and Kolo Touré, and ex-reds Nicolas Anelka, Alou Diarra and Frode Kippe all also represented their countries on the same day, while Roy Hodgson took charge of Finland.
2005 – Future reds coach Gary O’Neil won his ninth and last cap for England Under-21’s as they lost 2-1 to France in the second leg of their European Championships Play-off in Nancy, with Scott Carson and Anthony Le Tallec both also in action and ex-red Rigobert Song also playing for his country.
International reds on target galore
2020 – Naby Keïta was on target for Guinea in their 1-1 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying draw in Chad, with Sadio Mané scoring the only goal as Senegal won a qualifier in Guinea-Bissau. Gini Wijnaldum struck twice as the Netherlands beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-1 in a UEFA Nations League group game in Amsterdam, while Dominik Szoboszlai won his last cap as a Red Bull Salzburg player in Hungary’s 1-1 draw with Serbia in Budapest. Jordan Henderson, Marko Grujic, Neco Williams, future red Ozan Kabak and ex-reds Steve Clarke and Danny Ward also represented their countries that day.
2018 – Future red Cody Gakpo bagged a treble, his first goals for the Dutch Under-20’s as they beat Switzerland 3-1 in an Elite League group game in Fislisbach.
2016 – Ex-red Iago Aspas netted for Spain on his senior bow with Adam Lallana converting a penalty and Pepe Reina winning his first cap as a permanent S.S.C. Napoli player in Spain’s 2-2 draw with England in a friendly at Wembley. Krisztián Németh won his last cap as an Al-Gharafa player as Hungary lost a friendly 2-0 to Sweden in Budapest. Trent Alexander-Arnold converted a penalty and Ben Woodburn bagged a brace at Under-19’s level, with Nathaniel Clyne, Philippe Coutinho, Marko Grujic, Jordan Henderson, Lazar Markovic, future reds Thiago Alcântara, Alisson Becker, Federico Chiesa, Diogo Jota and Dominik Szoboszlai, and ex-reds Javier Mascherano, Brad Smith, Raheem Sterling and Luis Súarez all also representing their countries that day as Sebastián Coates won his last cap as a Sunderland player and Abel Xavier took charge of Mozambique.
2015 – Naby Keïta scored his second and last goal as a Red Bull Salzburg player, as Guinea beat Namibia 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Morocco. On the same day, Krisztián Németh won his final cap while with Sporting Kansas City in Hungary’s 2-1 Euro 2016 qualifying defeat of Norway in Budapest, while Sheyi Ojo featured for England Under-19’s.
2014 – Jordan Henderson put through his own net as Roy Hodgson’s England beat Slovenia 3-1 in a friendly at Wembley. Adam Lallana, Raheem Sterling and future reds James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all also featured, with Southampton’s Nathaniel Clyne making his senior international bow. Sheyi Ojo, ex-red Carl Medjani and future reds Naby Keïta, Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah, Xherdan Shaqiri and Dominic Solanke all also played for their countries that day.
2011 – Denmark captain Daniel Agger scored as they beat Finland 2-1 in a friendly in Esbjerg. Sebastián Coates, Péter Gulácsi, future reds Mario Balotelli, Ádám Bogdán, Ragnar Klavan, Mamadou Sakho and Xherdan Shaqiri, and ex-reds Xabi Alonso, Álvaro Arbeloa, Milan Baroš, Robbie Keane, Javier Mascherano, Raul Meireles, Christian Poulsen, Daniel Sjölund and Fernando Torres also featured in international action that day, with John Toshack taking charge of FYR Macedonia.
2006 - Future red Yossi Benayoun notched for Israel as they lost a European Championships qualifier to Croatia in Tel-Aviv by the odd goal in seven.
2003 - El-Hadji Diouf scored the only goal of Senegal’s friendly with Ivory Coast in Dakar, with Salif Diao also playing. Ex-red Don Hutchison won his 26th and last senior cap as Scotland beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the first leg of their ultimately unsuccessful Euro 2004 play-off. John Arne Riise and future reds Mark González, Paul Jones, Ragnar Klavan, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Albert Riera, Martin Škrtel and Fernando Torres also played for their countries that day.
2000 - Steve Staunton grabbed his final Republic of Ireland goal while winning his last cap as a reds player, and 86th in total, as they beat Finland 3-0 in a friendly at Lansdowne Road. Steve Finnan bagged his first international goal, and only one as a Fulham player, while ex-red Jason McAteer and future red Jari Litmanen also played, with Robbie Keane playing his final game for his country before joining Leeds United on loan from Internazionale. On the same day, Yossi Benayoun struck his final goal as a Maccabi Haifa player as Israel lost a friendly 2-1 in Portugal.
1997 - Robbie Fowler was on target in England’s 2-0 friendly defeat of Cameroon at Wembley. Paul Ince skippered a side that also featured Steve McManaman, while the Africans included future red Rigobert Song.
1989 - John Aldridge grabbed a brace, including a penalty, his first goals for the Republic of Ireland while a Real Sociedad player. The Irish won their World Cup qualifier 2-0 in Malta, skippered by Ronnie Whelan, with Ray Houghton, Steve Staunton and ex-red Kevin Sheedy all also in the side. John Barnes, Peter Beardsley, Steve McMahon and future reds Stig Inge Bjørnebye, Dean Saunders, István Kozma and Colin Pascoe all also featured in internationals that day.
1988 – Kozma played for Hungary again in their 3-0 friendly defeat in Greece.
1972 - Celtic’s Kenny Dalglish scored his first senior international goal in Scotland’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying defeat of Denmark at Hampden Park.
Young future reds on target
1994 - Sami Hyypiä netted in the second of five consecutive games for Finland Under-21’s as they lost a friendly 2-1 in Germany.
2003 - Djibril Cissé struck a brace as France Under-21’s won the first leg of their European Championships play-off in Portugal 2-1. Alou Diarra and Florent Sinama-Pongolle both also played.
Other reds games
1987 – John Aldridge struck as we drew 1-1 at Manchester United, before Norman Whiteside netted the last of his four goals against the reds.
1980 – We drew 2-2 at Crystal Palace. Ray Kennedy scored before Gerry Francis converted a spot kick. Avi Cohen put through his own net, then Terry McDermott netted.
1930 – We beat Leicester City 3-1 at Anfield with Jimmy Smith netting twice. Arthur Lochhead struck one of his five goals past us before Adam Black scored an own goal.
1919 – Dick Forshaw bagged a brace as we were held to a 3-3 draw in L4 by Bradford Park Avenue, with Albert Pearson also on the scoresheet. David McLean scored one of his eight goals past us, with Bobby Turnbull scoring from the spot and Joe Crozier also on target. We had to play the last half hour with just ten men as William Jenkinson had to go off injured. There was no half-time interval due to freezing weather as the referee just made the teams switch ends after 45 minutes.
1913 – Donald McKinlay netted the only goal of our visit to Preston North End.
On the move
2002 - Jermaine Pennant joined Watford from Arsenal for a second loan spell. He grabbed one goal in fourteen games this time around.
2016 – Ex-reds winger Oussama Assaidi was released by Shabab Al-Ahli after three goals in 29 games since moving to the United Arab Emirates from the reds for a reported £4.7m in January 2015.
Also in international action
2019 – Alisson Becker, Rhian Brewster, Fabinho, Roberto Firmino, Kamil Grabara, future reds Thiago Alcântara, Luis Díaz, Melkamu Frauendorf, Arthur Melo and Dominik Szoboszlai, and ex-reds Philippe Coutinho, Sebastián Coates, Luis Suárez all played for their countries, with Bernard Diomède taking charge of France Under-20’s as they thumped Turkey 4-0 in Salon-de-Provence.
2009 – Chris Mavinga played for France Under-19’s as they drew 2-2 with Switzerland in the Limoges Tournament.
2001 – Future reds Steve Finnan and Robbie Keane and ex-red Jason McAteer and Steve Staunton all featured in the Republic of Ireland’s 1-0 World Cup Play-off defeat in Iran.
1978 – Future red Avi Cohen played for Israel in their 1-0 friendly defeat of Belgium in Jaffa.
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