Happy birthdays
1972 - Markus Babbel was born in Munich. He arrived on a free transfer from Bayern München in June 2000, and was a vital member of the treble-winning team bagging six goals in 73 games, until he was struck down by Guillain-Barré syndrome, moving to VfB Stuttgart on a free transfer in July 2004 after a loan spell at Blackburn Rovers. He is now back in Germany as Manager of Hertha BSC Berlin, leading them back into the Bundesliga in his first season in charge.
1978 - Icelandic former reserves forward Haukur Ingi Gudnason was born in Keflavik. He never made an official senior appearance for the reds, and only made the bench three times in May 1998.

Anfield christened
1888 - The first ever League game at Anfield was played as Everton beat Accrington 2-1.

On the losing side
1894 - We suffered our first ever defeat in the Football League, going down 2-1 at home to Aston Villa in our third First Division game, having remained unbeaten through the whole of our debut season in the Second Division. Harry Bradshaw struck our consolation that day.
1926 - We also entertained the Villains, with Harry Chambers and Dick Forshaw on target in a 2-1 victory.

Losing debutants
2001 - New signing Jerzy Dudek made his debut in our 3-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa. Steven Gerrard, who scored our goal, was later sent off for a bad tackle on George Boateng.
1947 - Inside-forward Kevin Baron made his League debut in our 3-1 defeat at Sheffield United, with Albert Stubbins nabbing our consolation.

1919 - Forward Dick Forshaw made his reds bow in our 1-0 defeat at Arsenal. He went on to net 124 times in 288 games, winning two League titles.
1948 - Billy Liddell struck as we drew 1-1 at Highbury.
1984 - Alan Kennedy was on target in a 3-1 defeat there.

Big Anfield wins
1917 - We thumped Port Vale 4-0 in a Wartime League game thanks to two from Thomas Bennett and further goals from Harry Lewis and Arthur Metcalf.
1979 - We beat Coventry City by the same score in the First Division, with David Johnson nabbing a brace and Jimmy Case and Kenny Dalglish also netting.
1928 - Gordon Hodgson struck twice with Dick Edmed, Jimmy McDougall and Tom Reid all also on target as we thumped Leicester City 6-3 in another top-flight match, with right-back Robert Done scoring the first of his thirteen reds goals.

Johnny signs on
1956 - Half-back Johnny Wheeler signed from Bolton Wanderers for £9,000, joining his cousin Ronnie Moran at Anfield. He 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.

Yossi at the treble
1999 - Future red Yossi Benayoun struck a hat-trick for Israel in their 8-0 trouncing of San Marino in a Euro 2000 qualifier in Tel-Aviv.
2004 - He was on target as Israel beat Cyprus 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier.

International reds bidding for Euro 2000
1999 - Future red Christian Ziege bagged a hat-trick as Germany thumped Northern Ireland 4-0 in a Euro 2000 qualifier in Dortmund. Fellow future red Markus Babbel also played. On the same day, skipper Steve Staunton scored a 25-yard free-kick winner as the Republic of Ireland narrowly won 3-2 in Malta, with future red Robbie Keane also on target. This was Staunton's first international goal in his second spell at Anfield, while Malta netted against the Irish for the first time, in their seventh encounter. Ex-red Mark Kennedy also played.

Stéphane Henchoz won his first cap as a reds player, and 38th to date, as Switzerland beat Belarus 2-0 in Lausanne. Meanwhile, Patrik Berger converted a penalty as the Czech Republic beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-0 in Teplice. Ex-red Øyvind Leonhardsen scored as Norway thumped Slovenia 4-0 to qualify for the Finals. Vegard Heggem also played. Also playing in qualifiers that day were Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen, under Kevin Keegan's management, and ex-reds Don Hutchison and Steve McManaman.

Other international reds on target
1976 - Future red Kenny Dalglish struck as Scotland thumped Finland 6-0 in a friendly at Hampden Park. On the same day, Ray Clemence, Kevin Keegan and Steve Heighway all featured as England drew 1-1 with the Republic of Ireland in a friendly at Wembley.
1985 - Avi Cohen bagged his second and final international goal as Israel beat Taiwan 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Tel-Aviv. Fellow future red Ronnie Rosenthal also played.

1993 - Ian Rush was on target as Wales were held to a 2-2 draw by the Republic of Czechs & Slovaks in a World Cup qualifier in Cardiff, playing alongside ex-red Dean Saunders. Meanwhile, ex-red John Aldridge netted in the Republic of Ireland's 2-0 qualifying defeat of Lithuania at Lansdowne Road. Ronnie Whelan and ex-reds Ray Houghton and Steve Staunton also featured. Also that day, Gérard Houllier's France beat a Finland side that included future red Jari Litmanen 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Tampere, while Roy Hodgson's Switzerland held Scotland 1-1 in another qualifier at Pittodrie, with future red Gary McAllister skippering the Scots. Stig Inge Bjørnebye, Rob Jones, ex-red Jim Magilton and future reds Brad Friedel, Paul Ince and Øyvind Leonhardsen all also featured in World Cup action.

Xabi off
2007 - Xabi Alonso was sent off as Spain were held to a 1-1 draw in a Euro 2008 qualifier in Iceland, with Fernando Torres also featuring. Emile Heskey won his first cap while with Wigan Athletic with ex-red Michael Owen notching as England beat Israel 3-0 in another qualifier at Wembley Stadium. Yossi Benayoun, Steven Gerrard and future red Joe Cole were also in action. Meanwhile, Roy Hodgson's Finland held Serbia to a goalless draw in a qualifier in Belgrade, with Sami Hyypiä, future red Milan Jovanović and ex-red Daniel Sjölund in action. Daniel Agger, Ryan Babel, John Arne Riise, Andriy Voronin, ex-red Nicolas Anelka and future red Robbie Keane all also played in qualifiers on the same day, with John Toshack in charge of Wales.

In World Cup action
2004 - Djibril Cissé struck his first international goal as a reds player as France won 2-0 in the Faroe Islands. Meanwhile, Fernando Morientes won his last cap as a Real Madrid player, and 39th to date, as Spain drew 1-1 in Bosnia-Herzegovina, with Xabi Alonso also featuring. Also representing their countries that day were Milan Baroš, Jamie Carragher, Jerzy Dudek, Steve Finnan, Steven Gerrard, Sami Hyypiä, John Arne Riise, future reds Craig Bellamy, Robbie Keane, Dirk Kuyt and Andriy Voronin and ex-reds Paul Jones, Jari Litmanen and Michael Owen.

Disappointment against Pompey
1934 - Portsmouth won 1-0 at Anfield.
1937 - Jack Balmer struck as we drew 1-1 at Fratton Park in another top-flight fixture.

Le Boss again
2010 - Gérard Houllier was appointed Manager of Aston Villa, taking over a fortnight later. He led them to just twelve victories in 34 games in charge, before having to step down in April 2011 after falling ill.

First cap
2009 - Nikola Sarić won his first cap at any level as a reds player, his first for Denmark Under-19's as they beat Sweden 3-0 in Eksjö.

A mobile arrangement
2000 - Liverpool Football Club announced that Siemens Mobile Phones had become an official ‘Walk On Partner' of the club, in a three-year seven-figure deal.

In and out of old haunts
1992 - Nigel Spackman re-signed for Chelsea from Rangers for £485,000. He made 88 appearances for the Blues in this second four-season spell at the Bridge without scoring, largely under Glenn Hoddle.
2006 - Stéphane Henchoz returned to Blackburn Rovers after a season with Wigan Athletic.
2008 - Terry McDermott left as Assistant Manager of Newcastle United following Kevin Keegan's second resignation as boss.

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