Happy birthdays
1947 - Winger Steve Heighway was born in Dublin. He signed from Skelmersdale United in May 1970 and made 475 appearances for the reds, scoring 76 times and helping us to win four League titles, two European Cups, two UEFA Cups, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and two FA Charity Shields, before moving to the USA to sign for Minnesota Kicks in 1981. He later returned to the club in 1989 as Youth Development Officer, becoming Academy Director before leaving at the end of the 2006/07 season. He actually scored on his 25th birthday as we won 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur, with Kevin Keegan also netting.

1981 - Xabi Alonso was born in Tolosa. He arrived from Real Sociedad for £10.7m in August 2004, and bagged nineteen goals in 210 reds games, including two strikes from inside his own half, helping us to claim the European Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup and FA Community Shield. He moved on to Real Madrid for £30m in August 2009.
1933 - Forward Alan Arnell was born in Chichester. He struck 35 times in 75 reds games having arrived from non-league Worthing in March 1953. He stayed with the club until February 1961 when he was sold to Tranmere Rovers.

In the red
1964 - We played our first European game in an all-red strip, beating Belgian champions RSC Anderlecht 3-0 at Anfield in a European Cup Second Round first leg tie, thanks to goals from Ian St. John, Roger Hunt and Ron Yeats, who notched his first goal at Anfield.

Robbie's first farewell
2001 - Robbie Fowler played the final game in his first spell with the club as Emile Heskey handed us a 1-0 home win over Sunderland, breaking his duck after seventeen games without a goal. Robbie was sacrificed at half-time following the dismissal of Dietmar Hamann for a two-footed tackle on Bernt Haas, and joined Leeds United four days later.

Roger's treble
1961 - Roger Hunt bagged a hat-trick with Jimmy Melia adding a brace in a 5-0 drubbing of Swansea Town at Anfield. This was Sir Roger's third treble of the season.

Youngsters celebrating
1988 - Jay Spearing was born in Wallasey. The central midfielder graduated to Melwood in the summer of 2007 after captaining the reds as they retained the FA Youth Cup that May. He has so far made 31 senior appearances, without finding the back of the net.
1988 - Ex-reserves left-back Robbie Threlfall was born in Liverpool. He was part of FA Youth Cup winning sides in consecutive years, scoring in the first leg of the 2006 Final, and made his first appearance with the first eleven in our pre-season friendly at Wrexham in July 2006. He moved to Bradford City in May 2010 after a successful loan spell, where he remains.

Mixed fortunes against Wolves
We have faced Wolverhampton Wanderers three times in the top flight on this day in history, winning one, drawing one and losing the other.
1899 - We drew 1-1 at Anfield with John Walker on target.
1967 - We won 2-1 when we entertained them again, with Tony Hateley striking in the first minute and Willie Stevenson converting a late penalty. The spot-kick was originally taken by Tommy Smith with Evan Williams saving it, but the referee ordered a re-take because the keeper had moved too early, with Stevenson taking responsibility at the second attempt.

1980 - We were thumped 4-1 at Molineux, with Phil Neal grabbing our goal. Ex-red Emlyn Hughes bagged their fourth, and was then whisked away by Eamonn Andrews to film ‘This Is Your Life'.

Mixed fortunes against Boro
1978 - We beat Middlesbrough 2-0 at home thanks to goals from Terry McDermott and former Boro star Graeme Souness.
1995 - We lost 2-1 on our first visit to the Riverside Stadium, with Neil Ruddock grabbing our goal and future red Nick Barmby scoring the winner a minute later.

Ged's au revoir
1993 - Gérard Houllier resigned as Manager of France after their failure to qualify for the World Cup Finals in the USA. He had been in charge for twelve games, winning seven of these.

McQueen between the sticks
1893 - Utility player and future Manager Matt McQueen played in goal for the first of 41 times, keeping a clean sheet in our goalless Second Division draw at Newcastle United on our first ever visit there.
1905 - We returned to St. James' Park in the top flight, winning 3-2 thanks to a Sam Raybould goal and two penalties from Alf West. This completed our first ever treble of League wins on the North East in a season, having already won at Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

On the move
1897 - Left-half Bill Goldie signed from Clyde for the reds, joining his brother Archie at Anfield. He went on to score six times in 174 appearances, helping us to the League title in 1901 before joining Fulham in January 1904.
1995 - Steve Nicol joined Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer from Notts County. He made just 54 appearances in three seasons with the Owls, without scoring.

Not going to the Far East
2001 - Future red Harry Kewell played as Australia lost 3-0 in Uruguay in the second leg of their World Cup play-off, to fall at the final hurdle 3-1 on aggregate.

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