14th September

A legend departs
1978 - Ian Callaghan signed for Swansea City on a free transfer. He had helped us to five League titles, two FA Cups, one European Cup, two UEFA Cups, UEFA Super Cup and three FA Charity Shields, as well as winning the Football Writers’ Player of the Year award in 1973/74. He remains the player with the record number of reds appearances, with an amazing 857 outings, during which time he bagged 68 goals.

New boss
1918 - George Patterson was appointed as the club’s Secretary, having been Tom Watson’s deputy for a decade. He returned to more administrative duties in December 1919 after just eighteen games in charge, although he then became Secretary/Manager in March 1928, remaining in charge in this second spell until August 1936.

Into Europe
1964 - Bobby Graham struck on his reds debut in the first European game at Anfield, as we beat Iceland’s Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur 6-1 in our European Cup preliminary round encounter, to progress 11-1 on aggregate. Ian St. John netted a brace with Gerry Byrne, Roger Hunt and Willie Stevenson scoring the other goals, while Alan A’Court was playing his 381st and final reds game. Shanks apparently told Ron Yeats to let the visiting side score once we had gone 7-0 up on aggregate! Gunnar Felixson was the visitors’ goalscorer.

Yet another win
2019 – The reds won a club record fourteenth League game in a row when we beat Newcastle United 3-1 at Anfield. Jetro Willems put the visitors in front early on, but Sadio Mané’s brace gave us a half-time lead. Mohamed Salah completed the scoring after the break.

Other goalscoring debuts
2002 - Milan Baroš netted his first two reds goals on his League debut as we won 3-2 at Bolton Wanderers. Emile Heskey grabbed a late winner to prevent us falling to our fourth consecutive 2-2 draw after Ivan Campo’s late equaliser. Ricardo Gardner had also struck for the home side as we secured our first victory at the Reebok.
1946 - Albert Stubbins scored on his reds bow as we won 3-1, again at Bolton. Berry Nieuwenhuys and Jack Balmer scored the others.
1901 - Right-winger George Bowen and forward Bill White made their reds debuts in our 2-2 derby draw at Anfield, with White scoring his only reds goal after just two minutes. Sam Raybould was also on target that day, with Jimmy Settle netting one of his eleven goals against the reds and Jack Sharp also scoring for the Blues.

Anfield trebles
1895 - Inside-right Jimmy Ross scored a hat-trick as we thumped Newcastle United 5-1 in a Second Division encounter. Centre-forward George Allan and defender John Holmes both made their reds debuts, while Frank Becton and Harry Bradshaw added our other goals.
1935 - Centre-forward Fred Howe bagged a treble in our 7-2 top-flight trouncing of Grimsby Town. Gordon Hodgson added a brace with Lance Carr also on the scoresheet for the reds and forward Tosh Johnson bagging his eighth and last reds goal.

Happy birthdays
1997 – Forward Dominic Solanke was born in Basingstoke. He signed from Chelsea in July for an undisclosed fee that was later agreed without going to a tribunal, netting just once in six starts and 21 substitute appearances before moving to Bournemouth for £19m in January 2019.
2003 – Forward Harvey Blair was born in Huddersfield. He signed as an Under-12 from Manchester United, penning his first professional contract in October 2020.
2004 - Midfielder Tommy Pilling was born in St. Helens. Having been at the Academy since the age of five, he signed his first professional contract in August 2022.
2006 – Midfielder Ben Trueman was born. The Whiston lad turned pro in November 2023, having been with the Academy since the age of five.

New deal
2009 – The club announced a lucrative new shirt sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered for four years, beginning the following July.

Recent debutants
1985 - Steve McMahon made his reds bow in a 2-2 draw at Oxford United. John Aldridge gave Oxford the lead, before goals from Ian Rush and Craig Johnston put us ahead. However, a last-minute own goal from Alan Kennedy, playing his 359th and final reds game, handed a point to the U’s.

1999 - Djimi Traoré made his reds debut in our 5-1 League Cup Second Round win at Hull City. Erik Meijer netted a brace, his only senior goals while at Anfield, with Danny Murphy nabbing his first two reds goals. Steve Staunton grabbed the other a minute from time, his seventh and final goal for the club.
2000 - Bernard Diomède made his first reds appearance in our first match of that season’s triumphant UEFA Cup campaign, as Nick Barmby bagged his first reds strike, the only goal of the game at Rapid Bucureşti. Christian Ziege made his first start for the club.

Other European adventures
We have three times won other European Cup opening matches on this day.
1976 - Phil Neal converted a dubiously-awarded penalty, with John Toshack also on target as we beat Northern Irish side Crusaders 2-0 at Anfield, our first game of that victorious continental campaign.
1982 - Ronnie Whelan struck a brace as we won 4-1 at Dundalk, with Ian Rush and David Hodgson also netting. The loudest roar of the night came when Leo Flanagan converted a free-kick for the home side after Bruce Grobbelaar was penalised for taking too many steps with the ball. Dundalk were managed by Jim McLaughlin, who was also the reds Irish scout, who had recommended Whelan to Bob Paisley.
1983 - Kenny Dalglish grabbed the only goal of the game in Denmark against OB Odense.

200 up
1908 – We beat Sheffield United 2-0 at Bramall Lane with Ronald Orr bagging a brace. Right-half Maurice Parry made his 200th appearance for the reds.

Lauri’s day
1991 – Former reserves forward Lauri Dalla Valle was born in Kontiolahti, Finland. He arrived from Joensuun Iloiset Peli-Pojat for a reported £600,000 in November 2007, signing professional terms with the reds in September 2008. He moved to Fulham in August 2010 after just one brief substitute appearance, as part of the deal that brought left-back Paul Konchesky to Anfield.

A new scout
1999 - It was announced that Alex Miller, then Scotland’s Assistant Manager, had joined the club as a scout, to work alongside Ron Yeats. He later became First Team Coach under Rafael Benítez, but left to manage JEF United Ichihara Chiba in Japan, although he lost his job there in July 2009.

Mixed fortunes
We have twice entertained Blackburn Rovers on this day in history.
1907 - Arthur Goddard nabbed a brace as we won a First Division fixture 2-0, with centre-half Alex Raisbeck playing his 300th reds game.
1940 - Berry Nieuwenhuys was on the scoresheet in a 1-1 Wartime League draw.

We have also twice hosted West Ham United in the top-flight.
1929 - Dick Edmed grabbed a brace and John Lindsay netted his third and final reds goal in a 3-1 victory, with Vic Watson bagging one of his nine goals past us.
1963 - Martin Peters struck the first of his fourteen goals against the reds, with fellow England hero-to-be Geoff Hurst scoring the first of his nine before Ronnie Moran had a penalty saved and then Roger Hunt bagged our consolation. This was the Irons’ most recent Anfield victory, and our third consecutive 2-1 reverse in the League at home, although we went on to claim the title for the first time under Bill Shankly that season.

1938 - We beat Middlesbrough 3-1 at Anfield in a First Division meeting, thanks to a Willie Fagan brace and a goal from Berry Nieuwenhuys. Micky Fenton struck one of his nine goals past us.
1957 - Jimmy Melia and Tony Rowley netted as we drew 2-2 in a Second Division match at Ayresome Park.

Sinama on target
2001 - Florent Sinama-Pongolle scored in France Under-17’s 2-1 defeat by Nigeria in the World Championship Finals in the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Tobago, while Anthony Le Tallec also played. The French won their final two group games to progress, eventually going on to claim the title.

A first for Rushie
1988 - Ian Rush won his first cap in his second spell as a reds player as Wales lost 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier in the Netherlands. Future reds strike partner Dean Saunders also played. John Aldridge, Peter Beardsley, Gary Gillespie, Ray Houghton, Jan Mølby, Steve Nicol, Ronnie Whelan and ex-red Kevin Sheedy all also represented their countries that day.

Fabs at the Olympics
2000 - Future red Fábio Aurélio scored in Brazil’s 3-1 defeat of Slovakia at the Sydney Olympics.

Other reds games
1974 – We lost 2-0 at Manchester City, with Bill Shankly in attendance.
1968 – Bobby Graham and Ian St. John struck as we won 2-0 at Ipswich Town.

1960 – We lost a Second Division fixture 2-1 at Luton Town. Ronnie Moran followed up to score the rebound after his penalty was saved by Ron Baynham.
1912 – We lost 2-0 at Bradford City.

Sometime reds on the move
2023 – Jonjo Shelvey joined Çaykur Rizespor on a free transfer from Nottingham Forest, netting three times in 33 outings before switching clubs in Turkey to Eyüpspor in August 2024.
2020 – Young Scottish left-back Tony Gallacher joined Major League Soccer side Toronto on loan from the reds, playing ten times.
1997 - Bruce Grobbelaar signed for Oxford United, although he only remained there just over a week.

1995 - Paul Walsh re-joined Portsmouth from Manchester City for £500,000. He scored five times in 22 appearances in his second spell with Pompey.
1989 - Future red Paul Ince joined Manchester United for £1m from West Ham United after twelve goals in 95 outings for the Irons.

Also in international action
2007 – Future red Nikola Sarić featured for Denmark Under-17’s in their 1-1 draw with Slovenia in a European Championships qualifier in Athlone.