1st April

Our first League Cup
1981 - We claimed our first League Cup by beating West Ham United 2-1 in a Villa Park replay. Paul Goddard opened the scoring for the Hammers before Kenny Dalglish equalised with a glorious volley, to complete his record of scoring in every round. Alan Hansen was the unlikely match-winner, with a deflected header from a corner after half an hour. Ian Rush made only his second ever reds appearance in this game as veteran winger Steve Heighway had failed a late fitness test. This was the first time that the winners received medals, rather than tankards!

Reds honoured
2002 - Gérard Houllier was awarded the Légion d’Honneur, one of the highest civil awards in France, for his achievements in the football world, both with the reds and the French national set-up.
2003 - El-Hadji Diouf was named African Footballer Of The Year for the second successive season.

Emile off the mark
2000 - We won a Premiership meeting 3-0 at Coventry City, with our goals coming from a Michael Owen brace and Emile Heskey’s first reds strike. Ex-red Steve Ogrizovic made his 600th appearance for the Sky Blues in this game. Owen’s second goal was our 500th in the Premier League.

First and last goals
1922 – Winger Cyril Gilhespy scored the first of his three reds strikes as we beat Oldham Athletic 2-0 at Anfield, after Harry Chambers had opened the scoring.
1961 – Winger Johnny Morrissey struck his sixth and last goal for the club as our Second Division trip to Sheffield United ended in a 1-1 draw.

Beating the Baggies
2006 - We won 2-0 at West Bromwich Albion, thanks to goals from Robbie Fowler and Djibril Cissé, from a sixty-yard Xabi Alonso pass. This was Robbie’s 173rd reds goal, moving him up to fifth in our all-time scoring list ahead of King Kenny. This was our eighth straight win at The Hawthorns.
1972 - We won there by the same score when Tommy Smith converted a penalty with Chris Lawler also on target.

Feeling blue at Goodison
1904 - Our biggest defeat on this day came when Alex ‘Sandy’ Young scored four of his twelve goals past us for Everton in their 5-2 win on a not so Good Friday, which helped us on our way to relegation, while the Blues ended the season in third. Right-half Maurice Parry bagged his first reds goal, with Bobby Robinson also netting and Sam Raybould missing a penalty. Keeper Charles Cotton played his twelfth and final reds game, with Sam Wolstenholme also on target for the Toffees.
1916 - We also lost across the park in a Wartime League match, going down 1-0.

2017 – We beat Everton 3-1 at Anfield with Sadio Mané on target before Matthew Pennington equalised. Philippe Coutinho and Divock Origi then secured the victory.

European ton up
2010 – We played our hundredth game in the Fairs Cup/UEFA Cup/Europa League at SL Benfica in the first leg of our UEFA Europa League Quarter-final. We took the lead through a Daniel Agger strike from a Steven Gerrard free-kick before Ryan Babel was dismissed. We went on to lose 2-1 after two penalties converted by Óscar Cardozo, but won the Anfield return to reach the Semi-final.

Signing on
1908 – Scottish forward ‘Wee’ Ronald Orr signed from Newcastle United for £350. He netted 39 times in 112 reds games, returning to Scotland in January 1912, signing for Raith Rovers.

Manc defeats
1907 - We lost 1-0 at home to Manchester United, despite being the reigning champions, with forward John Carlin playing his 35th and final reds game. Jimmy Turnbull struck the first of his six goals against the reds.
1911 - We lost another top-flight match at Old Trafford 2-0, as United edged towards their second League title. Enoch West bagged two of his eight goals past us as inside-left Ronald Orr reached a century of reds appearances.
2023 – We lost 4-1 at Manchester City, despite Mohamed Salah putting the reds in front. Julián Álvarez levelled the scores before the break, but Kevin de Bruyne netted the most recent of his four goals past us straight after half time. İlkay Gündoğan scored the latest of his four against us, with Jack Grealish completing the scoring, also the most recent of his four strikes past us.

Pepe off
2012 - Pepe Reina was sent off while playing his 183rd consecutive League game as we lost 2-0 at Newcastle United’s recently rebranded Sports Direct Arena. Papiss Cissé bagged a brace, with former United player José Enrique ending up in goal as we had already used our three allotted substitutes. Reina’s dismissal meant he would miss the upcoming FA Cup Semi-final derby at Wembley.
1914 – We won another top-flight game 2-1 at St. James’ Park, with Jackie Sheldon converting from the spot and Tom Miller also on target.

Rushie for Wales
1987 - Ian Rush was on target as Wales thumped Finland 4-0 in a European Championships qualifier in Wrexham. On the same day, John Aldridge and Ronnie Whelan played in the Republic of Ireland’s 2-1 qualifying defeat in Bulgaria, while future reds Peter Beardsley and Mark Wright appeared in England’s 2-0 win in Northern Ireland.

Diarra’s day
2003 - Alou Diarra netted his only goal for France Under-21’s as they won a European Championships qualifier 3-0 in Israel. Florent Sinama-Pongolle also played. On the same day, Xabi Alonso won his ninth and final cap at the same level, playing alongside fellow future reds Pepe Reina and Albert Riera as Spain thumped Armenia 5-0 in a qualifier in Zamora.

Happy birthdays
2000 – Forward Rhian Brewster was born in London. He made his first-team debut in September 2019, failing to score in four senior appearances before moving to Sheffield United in October 2020 for a club record £23.5m.
1989 – French forward David N’Gog was born in Gennevilliers. He signed from Paris St. Germain for £1.5m in July 2008, netting nineteen times in 94 reds outings, although he only started on 41 of those occasions. He was sold to Bolton Wanderers for £4m in August 2011.
1957 - Former reserves centre-back Alex Cribley was born in Liverpool. He moved to Wigan Athletic in November 1980 after failing to make the grade at Anfield. He spent eight years with the Lancashire side, nabbing eighteen goals in 328 games before retiring due to injury and becoming a physio with Wigan, being employed by the club for more than two decades.

1933 - Outside-right Brian Jackson was born in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey. He signed from Leyton Orient in November 1951 for £6,500 and forward Don Woan. He netted eleven times in 133 reds games before joining Port Vale for £1,700 in July 1958.
1903 – Centre-forward Les Bruton was born in Foleshill, Coventry. He signed from Blackburn Rovers in February 1932 but notched just once in eight senior appearances before returning to the amateur game with Leamington Town in August 1933.

Nice one Cyril
1944 - Cyril Done scored a hat-trick as we thumped Southport 6-2 in a Wartime League match at Anfield. Berry Nieuwenhuys converted from the spot, while William Wilson Hall and Robert Beattie were also on target.

Disappointment against the Trotters
We faced Bolton Wanderers three times on this day around the turn of the nineteenth century, failing to win on either occasion.
1895 – We were thumped 7-2 in a Palatine League meeting at Pikes Lane, with Jimmy Ross and John Drummond scoring our goals.
1899 - Hugh Morgan was on the scoresheet as we lost a top-flight encounter 2-1 at Burnden Park as future reds boss Matt McQueen made his 103rd and last reds appearance.
1905 - Tom Chorlton struck from the spot as we drew 1-1 at Anfield in a Second Division meeting as wing-half Charlie Wilson played his 92nd and last reds game.

Quasi emigrates
1982 - Peter Beardsley signed for Vancouver Whitecaps for the first time, joining for £275,000 from Carlisle United. He was in Canada for five months before moving to Old Trafford, but returned to Vancouver in March 1983.

Internationals on target
2009 – Dirk Kuyt bagged a brace as the Netherlands thumped FYR Macedonia 4-0 in a friendly in Amsterdam. Ex-red Harry Kewell converted a penalty in Australia’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying defeat of Uzbekistan in Sydney, while Peter Crouch bagged his first goal as a Portsmouth player in England’s 2-1 win over Ukraine at Wembley. Albert Riera struck his first goal as a red with Xabi Alonso netting from the spot in Spain’s 2-1 victory over Turkey in Istanbul. John Arne Riise bagged his first goal for Norway while with Roma as they beat Finland 3-2 in a friendly in Oslo.

Ex-red Robbie Keane scored as the Republic of Ireland held Italy to a 1-1 draw in another qualifier in Bari, while Martin Škrtel put through his own net as Slovakia beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in Prague. Juventus’s Christian Poulsen struck as Denmark beat Albania in a World Cup qualifier in Copenhagen, with Daniel Agger also featuring. Also in action that day were Ryan Babel, Yossi Benayoun, Andrea Dossena, Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres, Andriy Voronin, ex-reds Milan Baroš, Alou Diarra, Mark González, David James, Jari Litmanen and Daniel Sjölund, and future reds Glen Johnson, Milan Jovanović, Ragnar Klavan, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Maxi Rodríguez, Nuri Şahin and Luis Suárez, with John Toshack managing Wales.

1996 – Future reds reserves forward Haukur Ingi Guðnason struck as Iceland Under-19’s lost 4-1 to Turkey in an Italy Tournament group game.
1997 – Future red Alex Manninger played for Austria Under-21’s in their 2-1 European Championships qualifying win in Scotland, with Jamie Carragher also in action at this level that day.
2013 – Future red Dominic Solanke played for England Under-16’s as they drew 2-2 with Turkey in a friendly at St. George’s Park, before losing a penalty shoot-out.

First and last caps
1933 - Future reds left-back Ernie Blenkinsop won his 26th and last cap for England, captaining his country in their 2-1 defeat by Scotland in the British International Championships at Hampden Park as he appeared in a record 26 consecutive England games. Fellow future reds right-back Tommy Cooper was also on the losing side.
2003 – Future red Glen Johnson won his first cap for England Under-21’s as they drew 1-1 with Turkey in a European Championships qualifier at St. James’ Park. Joe Cole won his eighth and last cap at this level, with fellow future red Paul Konchesky also featuring.
2010 – Jack Robinson won his fifth and final cap for England Under-17’s as they beat Slovakia 2-0 in Northampton. Meanwhile, keeper Tyrell Bedford won his first cap for the Under-16’s, with Matty Regan and Raheem Sterling also playing in the Montaigu Tournament as England thrashed Gabon 6-0.

Other reds games
1991 – Matt Le Tissier bagged the only goal of our Easter Monday trip to Southampton, one of his seven goals against the reds.
1989 – Ronnie Whelan was on target as we won 1-0 at Norwich City.
1980 – Kenny Dalglish scored the only goal against Stoke City at Anfield.
1978 – We won 3-0 at Aston Villa. Kenny Dalglish struck twice with Ray Kennedy also scoring inside the opening half hour.

1967 – We lost 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur with Jimmy Greaves nabbing two of his twelve goals past us before Peter Thompson struck our late consolation, with keeper Pat Jennings in fine form.
1965 – We drew 2-2 at Nottingham Forest as Ian Storey-Moore headed the home side in front with the first of his five goals against us. Peter Thompson and Roger Hunt scored, but John Barnwell levelled from the spot in the final minute.

1950 – Billy Liddell netted the only goal of Charlton Athletic’s visit to Anfield from the spot.
1939 – We drew 1-1 at Blackpool with Willie Fagan on the scoresheet after Dai Astley had scored the last of his six goals past us.
1933 – We were held to a 1-1 draw at Derby County with Harold Barton scoring our goal.
1929 – Harry Race was on target as we won 2-1 at Cardiff City, with Bob Done converting a spot-kick.

Sami in charge
2012 - Sami Hyypiä was appointed joint Caretaker Coach of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, along with Under-19’s Coach Sascha Lewandowski. He was appointed Team Manager permanently the following month, remaining in charge until April 2014.

For Bryce
2009 – A service of Celebration for Club Secretary Bryce Morrison was held at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral, eleven days after his death.

Also in international action
1893 – Future red Edgar Chadwick played for England as they thumped Scotland 5-2 in the British International Championships in London.
2015 – Future red Ozan Kabak featured for Turkey Under-15’s in their 2-0 friendly defeat of Northern Ireland in Belgium.
2016 – Rafael Camacho played for Portugal Under-16’s as they beat Norway 1-0 in a friendly in Póvoa de Varzim, while fellow future red Dominik Szoboszlai appeared for Hungary at the same level as they drew with Switzerland in Portugal.
2019 - Future red Jakub Ojrzynski played for Poland Under-16’s as they lost a friendly 2-0 to Turkey in Lomza.