20th September

Goalscoring feats at St. James’ Park
1987 - Steve Nicol grabbed a hat-trick in our 4-1 win at Newcastle United in front of the live TV cameras, following John Aldridge’s opener, who also had another strike disallowed for offside. Neil McDonald converted from the spot for the home side.
1961 - Right-half Gordon Milne scored his first reds goal to help us to a 2-1 Second Division win there, with our other score coming from a George Heslop own goal. Kevin Lewis had a penalty saved by United keeper Dave Hollins, while centre-half Dick White played his 200th game for the club.

Dirk off the mark
2006 - Dirk Kuyt grabbed his first reds goal, and 150th career strike to date, which was also our fiftieth Premier League strike against Newcastle United. We won 2-0 at Anfield, with Luis García playing his hundredth reds game. Xabi Alonso spectacularly scored from inside his own half, the second time he had managed that feat for the reds that year.

Quick-fire Billy
1958 - Billy Liddell scored after sixteen seconds, with Ronnie Moran putting through his own net to level the score at Bristol City in our Second Division meeting. He added another in the second half, with wing-half Bobby Campbell grabbing the first of his two reds goals as we won 3-1. This was Liddell’s third brace in six games.

Barney Rubble departs
1985 - Left-back Alan Kennedy was sold to Sunderland for £100,000. He is best remembered for his winning strikes in two European Cup Finals, but also won five League titles, four League Cups and three FA Charity Shields after moving from Newcastle United for £330,000 in August 1978, netting twenty times in 359 appearances.

Off the mark
2015 – Substitute Danny Ings bagged his first reds goal as we were held to a 1-1 draw at Anfield by Norwich City, with Lucas Leiva playing his 200th League game for the club. Unfortunately, Russell Martin capitalised on a Simon Mignolet error to equalise.

Happy birthdays
1922 - Left-back Eddie Spicer was born in Garston, Liverpool. He was decorated for bravery whilst serving with the Royal Marines in the Second World War, going on to score twice in 168 reds games, helping us to the first post-war League title and playing in the 1950 FA Cup Final. Unfortunately, a second broken leg ended his career in December 1953.

1895 - Full-back Tommy Lucas was born in St. Helens. He signed from Alexandra Victoria in 1916 and played 366 reds games, netting three times, winning one League title and captaining England in his time at Anfield. He moved on to Clapton Orient in July 1933.
2003 – Midfielder James Balagizi was born in Manchester. He signed pro terms in September 2020, having joined as an Under-11 from Manchester City.

A wise move
2012 – Defender Andre Wisdom netted his only goal for the club on his reds bow as we won our UEFA Europa League group game 5-3 at BSC Young Boys, with winger Oussama Assaidi and midfielder Suso also debuting. Juhani Ojala scored an own goal after just three minutes, with Wisdom nodding us back in front after an equaliser from Raphael Nuzzolo. Ojala and then Gonzalo Zárate struck after the break to turn the game around, before Sebastián Coates headed us level, with substitute Jonjo Shelvey bagging a brace to secure victory.

Thiago’s bow
2020 - Thiago Alcântara debuted as we won 2-0 behind closed doors at Chelsea, with Andreas Christensen sent off for the home side on the stroke of half time. Sadio Mané bagged a brace early in the second half, with Alisson Becker later saving a penalty from Jorginho.

East end despair
2014 – We lost 3-1 at West Ham United, with Winston Reid and Diafra Sakho putting the Irons two up inside the first ten minutes, with ex-red Stewart Downing effectively man-marking Steven Gerrard. Raheem Sterling struck past future red Adrián to give the reds hope, but Morgan Amalfitano completed the scoring late on. This meant we set a new club record of scoring in seventeen consecutive away games in the top flight, a record that eventually stopped at eighteen.

Happy birthday Jerome
1996 – Forward Jerome Sinclair was born in Birmingham. He arrived from West Bromwich Albion’s Academy aged fourteen in the summer of 2011, becoming our youngest ever player in September 2012, aged sixteen years and six days, when he featured in a League Cup Third Round tie at his old club. He eventually struck once in five senior appearances before he moved to Watford for £4m in June 2016.

Out-foxed again
2003 - Michael Owen netted from the spot before Emile Heskey struck the winner against his old club Leicester City at Anfield for the third consecutive season as we won 2-1, with Marcus Bent bagging a very late consolation for the visitors.

Disappointment at The Dell
1986 - Kevin MacDonald broke his leg shortly after coming on as a substitute as we lost 2-1 at Southampton, with Steve McMahon equalising after David Armstrong opened the scoring with the last of his four goals against the reds. However, Glenn Cockerill struck the winner for the Saints.
1980 - Graeme Souness and David Fairclough netted as we drew 2-2, with Phil Neal missing a penalty. Avi Cohen was heavily criticised in the Israeli press for playing on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.
1997 - We also drew on the south coast, with Karl-Heinz Riedle nabbing our goal before Kevin Davies equalised with the first of his four strikes past us as centre-half Mark Wright played his 210th and final game for the reds.

A milestone day at Old Trafford
2004 - We lost 2-1 at Manchester United, as we benefited from a John O’Shea own goal, sandwiched between a Mikael Silvestre brace for the home side. Steven Gerrard broke a bone in his foot in front of 67,857, the largest crowd to watch the reds in the Premier League to that point. This was our 2,000th away League match, and 4,000th League game overall, as United reached 200 League goals against us, with keeper Jerzy Dudek playing his hundredth reds game, and Ryan Giggs appearing for the 600th time for United.
1893 - We had previously visited United, playing Newton Heath as they were then known in a friendly at Bank Street. Patrick Gordon, Hugh McQueen and Malcolm McVean all struck as we won 3-0.

Centenary defeat
1988 - We lost 2-1 at Arsenal in the Mercantile Credit Centenary Trophy, staged to celebrate a hundred years of the Football League. Perry Groves opened the scoring in the first half with Steve Staunton bagging a late equaliser with his first reds goal, but Brian Marwood struck the winner. Charlie Boyd sat on our bench for one of only two times, on his nineteenth birthday.

Derby joy
1913 - Billy Lacey struck a brace as we beat Everton 2-1 at Goodison Park in a First Division meeting, to secure our first win of the season in our fourth fixture. Full-back Sam Speakman made the first of his 26 reds appearances in this game.
2016 – Centre-half Ragnar Klavan opened the scoring with his first reds goal as we won 3-0 at Derby County in a League Cup Third Round match, as midfielder Ovie Ejaria and keeper Loris Karius made their debuts. Philippe Coutinho and Divock Origi both scored after the break.

Bill begins
1924 – Defender Bill Cockburn played the first of his 67 reds games as we held Bury to a goalless draw at Gigg Lane in a top-flight meeting.

Mixed fortunes against the Villains
We have faced Aston Villa three times in the top flight on this day in history, winning twice.
1975 - John Toshack bagged his fiftieth League goal for the club with Kevin Keegan and Jimmy Case also netting in the final half hour as we won 3-0 at home.
1919 - Dick Forshaw bagged the only goal of the game at Villa Park to hand us victory, which was the first of his 124 reds strikes.
1930 - Gordon Hodgson struck a brace as we lost 4-2 in the Midlands. Eric Houghton scored the first of his six goals against the reds, with George Brown netting one of his nine, Billy Walker one of his five past us, and Tom Waring nabbing the first of his six.

Three times against the Potters
2008 - We were held to a goalless draw by Stoke City at Anfield, with Steven Gerrard having a legitimate second-minute free-kick strike ruled out.
1969 - We saw off the Potters 3-1 at home, with Emlyn Hughes on target in his hundredth League game for the reds. Roger Hunt and Ian Callaghan also struck in our tenth consecutive League defeat of Stoke in what was Bill Shankly’s 500th game in charge of the reds.
1902 - Leigh Roose struck through the wrong net in the second minute as were held to a 1-1 top-flight draw by Stoke in L4.

Beattie beaten
1983 - Andy Beattie died, aged seventy. He guested for the reds at full-back during the Second World War, and later spent some time on our backroom staff. He managed a host of clubs as well as the Scotland national side, working with Bill Shankly at Huddersfield Town, having played alongside him at Preston North End.

Young Englanders
1983 - Future red Paul Walsh grabbed a brace as England Under-21’s beat their Danish counterparts 4-1 in a European Championships qualifier at Carrow Road. Ex-red Dave Watson and future red Mark Walters both made their debuts in this game, while fellow future red Mark Wright also played.
2003 - Michael Foley-Sheridan and David Raven both played for their countries at Under-19’s level in European Championships qualifiers, with the latter making his debut for England at this level. The Republic of Ireland trounced San Marino 10-1 in Serravalle, while England beat Liechtenstein 2-0 in Moscow.

2010 – Samed Yeşil scored his first goal for Germany Under-17’s as they drew a friendly 2-2 with Italy in Elversberg with fellow future red Emre Can also featuring.
1950 – Centre-half Laurie Hughes played for an England World Cup XI against the FA Canadian Touring Team in the FA Charity Shield at Stamford Bridge, with England winning 4-2.

Reds aiming to go to Italy
1978 - Phil Neal scored his third goal in four England games as they won 4-3 in a European Championships qualifier in Denmark. Emlyn Hughes skippered a side that also included Ray Clemence and ex-red Kevin Keegan, who netted twice. On the same day, Steve Heighway and future red Mark Lawrenson both played in the first ever senior international between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, at Lansdowne Road. Meanwhile, Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness both appeared for Scotland in their 3-2 win in Austria, as they too opened their campaign to qualify for the finals in Italy.

Nice one Cyril
1941 - Cyril Done scored a hat-trick as we beat Manchester City 4-2 in a Wartime League game at Anfield, with Dickie Dorsett netting the other.

Twice against the Trotters
1897 – Forward Dan Cunliffe bagged a brace with John McCartney also on target as we beat Bolton Wanderers 3-1 in a friendly at Anfield.
1947 - The Trotters returned for a First Division fixture, with the game this time ending goalless.

Jameo saves
1995 - David James saved a penalty from Michael Gray as we beat Sunderland 2-0 in a League Cup Second Round first leg match at Anfield, thanks to goals from Steve McManaman and substitute Michael Thomas.

Fabs at the Olympics
2000 – Future red Fábio Aurélio played for Brazil as they beat Japan 1-0 in an Olympics match in Brisbane.

Only cap
1989 – Future reds goalkeeping coach José Ochotorena won his only cap in Spain’s 1-0 friendly defeat of Poland in A Coruña.

On the move
2013 – Argentine ex-reserves midfielder Gerardo Bruna signed for Spanish Segunda División B side S.D. Huesca, netting once in seventeen outings during his one season there.
2016 – Former Assistant Manager Pako Ayestarán was sacked as Head Coach of Valencia, having only been in charge for three months.
2021 – Centre-half Terence Miles, the nephew of former Academy forward John Miles, turned pro with the reds, having arrived at Under-7’s level. On the same day, Harry Kewell was sacked as Manager of National League side Barnet, having lost five and drawn two of his seven games in charge.

Other reds game
1952 – We beat Middlesbrough 4-1 at Anfield, with Jimmy Payne, Jack Smith, Bryan Williams and Kevin Baron all on target.

Also in international action
2018 - Future red Mateusz Musiałowski played for Poland Under-16’s in their 3-1 defeat of the Czech Republic.
2006 – Future red Astrit Ajdarević appeared for Sweden Under-17’s as they drew 1-1 with Liechtenstein in a European Championships qualifier in Greece.
2005 – Future reds loanee Nuri Şahin plated for Turkey Under-17’s as they beat Uruguay 3-2 in a World Cup Finals group game in Peru.

2001 - Future reds Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres faced each other in the Under-17’s World Championship Finals in Trinidad, with Argentina beating Spain 4-2.
1988 - Future red goalkeeping coach Cláudio Taffarel appeared as Brazil beat Australia 3-0 in an Olympics Finals group game in South Korea.
1977 – Joey Jones and John Toshack both featured as Wales drew a friendly 0-0 in Kuwait.