17th September

A Norwegian nightmare
1974 - We secured our record victory, thumping Norwegians Strømsgodset 11-0 at Anfield in our opening game of that season’s European Cup Winners’ Cup campaign. Midfielder Brian Hall was the only outfield player not to score, with Phil’s Boersma and Thompson grabbing a brace apiece. For the record, our other goals that day came from an Alec Lindsay penalty, Steve Heighway, Peter Cormack, Emlyn Hughes, Tommy Smith, Ian Callaghan and Ray Kennedy.

Debuting at the back
1988 - Steve Staunton made his reds bow in a 1-1 home draw with Tottenham Hotspur, when Peter Beardsley nabbed our goal with Terry Fenwick equalising a minute later, one of his four strikes against the reds.
1994 - New record signing Phil Babb made his first appearance, as we lost 2-0 at Manchester United. Andrei Kanchelskis struck the first of his five goals past us, with Brian McClair scoring the other.
1938 – Matthew John Fitzsimmons played his only senior reds game, standing in for regular centre-half Fred Rogers in our 3-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers. Phil Taylor bagged our consolation, with George Hunt nabbing two of his five goals against us, and Jackie Roberts also on target for the Trotters.

2015 – Midfielders Cameron Brannagan and Pedro Chirivella both made their reds debuts as we drew 1-1 with Girondins de Bordeaux in our UEFA Europa League group game with keeper Simon Mignolet reaching a century of reds games. Adam Lallana struck our goal in France.

Two-ton Bob
2019 – Forward Roberto Firmino played his 200th reds game as we eventually lost our UEFA Champions League group game 2-0 at SSC Napoli, so losing our first game as holders from the previous season. Dries Mertens' penalty and a late Fernando Llorente goal condemned us to defeat with the match still goalless with ten minutes remaining.

To and from Upton Park
1993 - We undertook a complex transfer deal with West Ham United. Julian Dicks arrived at Anfield, with David Burrows, Mike Marsh and £1.5m heading in the opposite direction. None of them lasted much beyond a year at their new club.

Signing on
2007 – Centre-half Daniel Ayala signed from Sevilla for £160,000. He made five senior appearances, sitting on the bench on a further eleven occasions before moving to Norwich City for £850,000 in August 2011.
1992 – Defender Torben Piechnik signed from F.C. København for £500,000. He only played 24 times, having helped his country to a shock win at Euro ’92, but Roy Evans released him after just two seasons at Anfield.
1924 – Defender Bert Shears signed from Aberdare Athletic. He played sixteen reds games without notching, moving to Tranmere Rovers in May 1930.

Reds dismissed
2002 - Dietmar Hamann was sent off in our 2-0 UEFA Champions League defeat at Rafael Benítez’s Valencia, with Salif Diao given the run-around at centre-back. Pablo Aimar and Rubén Baraja struck, while Jerzy Dudek said, “We didn’t close down quickly enough and we weren’t strong enough. We played like girls.”
1983 - Future red Steve McMahon was dismissed as Aston Villa lost 2-1 at Anfield, thanks to second-half goals from Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush as we extended our unbeaten run to the first six League games of that season. Colin Gibson netted for the Villains.

Another defeat at the Bridge
2006 - We lost 1-0 at Chelsea, despite Michael Ballack being sent off for the home side. This was our fifth straight League defeat against the Blues. Didier Drogba struck one of his eleven goals against the reds.

Red birthdays
1864 - Right-back Andrew Hannah was born in Renton, joining the reds from his hometown club in May 1892. He was the first ever captain of the club, and cousin of inside-left Davy Hannah who also turned out for the reds in the 1890’s. Andrew made 69 reds appearances, netting once as he led us to the Lancashire League and Second Division titles in his first two seasons at Anfield.
2003 – Midfielder Luca Stephenson was born in Sunderland. He signed pro terms in September 2020.

First win at The Dell
1966 - We finally won at The Dell, at our seventh attempt, as Ian’s St. John and Callaghan scored in our 2-1 victory as Ron Yeats played his 200th League game for the reds.
1985 - We also faced the Saints, when Jan Mølby and Kenny Dalglish struck as we won our Screen Sport Super Cup match 2-1 at Anfield, with Danny Wallace on target for the visitors.

Mixed fortunes in Europe
We have played two other European ties on this day, without securing a win, although the seasons were both successful in the end.
1975 - We lost 1-0 at Hibernian in our first game of that victorious UEFA Cup campaign, with the goal scored by former Evertonian Joe Harper. Full-back Chris Lawler played his 549th and last reds game.
1980 - Terry McDermott netted our goal as we were held 1-1 at Finnish champions Oulun Palloseura.

Forward beginning and end
1910 - Joseph Brough bagged the first of his three reds goals as we lost 3-2 at home to Nottingham Forest, with ‘Wee’ Ronald Orr also on target. Grenville Morris nabbed one of his six strikes past us, with JB Ford and Harry Lockett also netting.
1898 – Fred Geary played his 45th and final reds game in our 1-0 top-flight victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield, with Jack Cox on target.

Twice against the Iron
We faced Sc***horpe United in the Second Division on this day in consecutive years.
1959 - We drew 1-1 at the Old Show Ground, with Jimmy Melia nabbing our goal.
1960 - Jimmy Harrower, Tommy Leishman and Roger Hunt netted as we won 3-2 at Anfield.

Big Anfield wins
1904 - We thumped Bradford City 4-1 in a Second Division meeting, thanks to a Jack Cox brace, Dickie Morris’s fifth and last reds strike and a Maurice Parry goal.
1923 – Forwards Harry ‘Smiler’ Chambers and Jimmy Walsh each scored a hat-trick as we thumped Preston North End 7-3 in a Lancashire Senior Cup Second Round tie, with Dick Forshaw also netting.
1927 - Willie Devlin netted twice as we beat Derby County 5-2 in the top flight, with Jock McNab bagging his sixth and last reds goal and Gordon Hodgson and Dick Edmed also on the scoresheet. Harry Bedford bagged a brace for the Rams, two of his nine strikes against us. Keeper Elisha Scott played his 300th League game for the reds.
1928 – Albert Whitehurst bagged a treble as we thumped Bury 6-1 in a Lancashire Senior Cup Second Round tie at Anfield. Dick Edmed added a brace, with Kelly also on target.

Another first
1892 – We played our first game in the Lancashire Senior Cup, beating Southport Central 2-0 at Anfield, thanks to goals from Tom Wyllie and John Smith.

Double ton
1932 - Centre-half Tom ‘Tiny’ Bradshaw played his hundredth reds League game as we won 1-0 at Middlesbrough thanks to a Gordon Gunson strike, with inside-left Archie McPherson reaching a century of games for clubs in all competitions.

Fabs at the Olympics
2000 – Future red Fábio Aurélio played for Brazil as they lost 3-1 to South Africa in an Olympics group game in Brisbane.

Youngsters starting out
2003 - Unione Sportiva Triestina’s Alberto Aquilani bagged his only goal at this level while winning his first Under-20’s cap in Italy’s 2-0 defeat of Romania.
1998 – Future red Christian Poulsen won the first of his four caps for Denmark Under-19’s as they thumped Switzerland 4-0 in a friendly in Vejle.

Youngsters on the world stage
2001 - Fernando Torres played for Spain Under-17’s as they lost 1-0 to Burkina Faso in the World Championship Finals in Trinidad. Unfortunately, they also lost their third group game to crash out at this stage. Fellow future red Javier Mascherano featured for Argentina in the same tournament as they beat Oman 3-0 as they went on to top the same group.

Digger in charge
2008 – John Barnes was named as Manager of Jamaica. He took over that November, moving on in June 2009 to take charge of Tranmere Rovers.

Other reds games
2000 – Steven Gerrard netted as we drew 1-1 at West Ham United, with Paolo Di Canio scooring for the home side.
1955 – We lost a Second Division fixture 3-1 at Leicester City, with Billy Liddell on the scoresheet.

1949 – We won 3-2 at Birmingham City. Billy Liddell struck twice after Cyril Done had opened the scoring.
1947 – We lost 2-0 at Charlton Athletic.
1921 – Harry Chambers struck as Sheffield United held us to a 1-1 draw at Anfield, with Fred Tunstall nabbing the first of his eight goals against the reds.

On the move again
1999 - Ex-loanee Mark Prudhoe joined Darlington on loan from Bradford City, ten years after he had first joined the Quakers. However, he did not make a senior appearance this time around.
2010 - Péter Gulácsi rejoined Tranmere Rovers on loan, playing fourteen times in this second spell.
2020 – Aussie left-back Brad Smith signed for Seattle Sounders, having been on loan since August 2018.
22021 – Scouse keeper Oscar Kelly signed pro terms with the reds, having been at the Academy since Under-9’s level.

Future reds in international action
1978 – Gary Gillespie played for Scotland Under-21’s as they beat a senior USA side 3-1 in a friendly at Pittodrie.
2006 – Astrit Ajdarević appeared for Sweden Under-17’s in their 2-0 European Championships qualifying win in Greece.
2010 – Emre Can represented Germany Under-17’s as they beat Israel 2-0 in a friendly in Villingen-Schwenningen.