22nd April

Mo the best
2018 - Mohamed Salah was named the PFA Player of the Year, after his first campaign with the reds that eventually yielded 44 goals in 52 games in all competitions as he helped us to reach the UEFA Champions League Final in Kyiv.

To Cardiff once more
2006 - We beat Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford in the FA Cup Semi-final. John Arne Riise’s free-kick opened the scoring before Luis García extended our lead early in the second half with a sublime volley. Didier Drogba’s header, one of his eleven goals past us, ensured a nervous last twenty minutes, but future red Joe Cole blazed over with the Blues’ only real chance of note as we hung on to reach our thirteenth FA Cup Final.

En route to gay Paree
1981 - Howard Gayle came on as a substitute for the injured Kenny Dalglish after just nine minutes and ran the Bayern München defence ragged, before later himself being substituted by Jimmy Case. We held the German champions to a 1-1 draw in the Olympic Stadium, with Ray Kennedy putting us in front with just seven minutes left before Karl-Heinz Rummenigge equalised, to make it through to our third European Cup Final in five years, on away goals after a goalless first meeting. Boss Bob Paisley had called this “our biggest test since Rome”, prior to the game.

A first treble
1905 - Forward Sam Raybould became the first reds player to score a hat-trick against Manchester United as we beat them 4-0 at Anfield in a Second Division fixture. Jack Cox netted the other goal as this victory secured our promotion, with reds’ fans carrying the players on their shoulders after the final whistle in celebration.
1916 - Fred Pagnam also struck three times as we thumped United 7-1 in a Wartime League match at Anfield. Ernie Pinkney and Walter Wadsworth were also on target with Dave Watson netting twice.

Held by the Blues
2008 – We took the lead in the first leg of our Champions League Semi-final against Chelsea shortly before half-time through Dirk Kuyt, before failing to take a number of other good chances. We suffered a sucker punch in the final seconds of time added on when John Arne Riise headed into his own net. This was the first time we had faced the same team in European competition in four consecutive seasons.
2010 – We also suffered European disappointment, losing 1-0 in the first leg of our UEFA Europa League Semi-final at Club Atlético de Madrid, with the reds having to make the long journey to Spain by train following volcanic eruptions over Iceland causing all flights to be grounded. Diego Forlán gave the home side an early lead with one of his four strikes past the reds, with Yossi Benayoun having an equaliser wrongly ruled out for offside.

Most recently
2023 – Diogo Jota bagged a brace at Anfield, but relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest twice levelled through ex-red Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White. Mohamed Salah then struck as we won 3-2.

Reds farewells
1950 - Winger William Watkinson made his 24th and final reds appearance in our 2-1 defeat at Portsmouth, with keeper Ray Minshull playing for the 31st and last time. Albert Stubbins bagged our consolation as Duggie Reid struck one of his six goals past us, with Jack Froggatt also on target.
1939 - Scottish forward Bill Kinghorn bagged his fourth goal in his nineteenth and final reds game as we were held by Sunderland to a 1-1 draw at Anfield, with the legendary Raich Carter netting one of his six goals against the reds as forward John Shafto appeared for the twentieth and last time.
1899 - George Allan struck his 56th and final goal as we beat Blackburn Rovers 2-0 in a top-flight match at Anfield, with Tom Robertson nabbing the other.

Baggies bouncing
1967 – West Bromwich Albion won 1-0 at Anfield, thanks to one of Jeff Astle’s seven goals past the reds as winger Peter Thompson appeared for the 200th time.
2012 – Peter Odemwingie struck the only goal of the game as the Baggies won at Anfield for the first time in exactly 45 years, under the management of ex-reds boss Roy Hodgson. Jordan Henderson and Dirk Kuyt both struck the woodwork before we fell behind.

Double red
1969 – We were held to a goalless draw at Coventry City with Alun Evans and City’s Maurice Setters both sent off for fighting.

Under twelve thousand
1959 - We hosted our lowest post-war League crowd of only 11,976 as we beat Sc***horpe United 3-0 in the Second Division. Alan Arnell netted his 35th and final reds goal, with Billy Liddell and Fred Morris also on the scoresheet.

Happy birthday to the reserves
1956 - Left-back Brian Kettle was born in Prescot. He signed for the reds in May 1973 but only made four senior appearances as his route to the first-team was blocked first by Alec Lindsay, then Joey Jones and Alan Kennedy, and he moved to Wigan Athletic in August 1980.
1983 – Former Finnish reserves striker Daniel Sjölund was born in Marieham. He never made the first team after arriving Anfield from West Ham United in November 2000 as part of the deal that took Rigobert Song in the opposite direction, moving on to Swedish side Djurgårdens IF in January 2004.

1993 - Midfielder Craig Roddan was born in Fazakerley. He joined the Academy from Wigan Athletic in 2007 but was released in the summer of 2014.
2001 – Centre-back Morgan Boyes was born in Chester. He put through his own net while making his senior debut in the 5-0 EFL Cup loss at Aston Villa in December 2019, also featuring in the FA Cup win over Shrewsbury Town at Anfield two months later. He moved on to Livingston on a free transfer in January 2022.

An eventful friendly for Don
1925 - Scottish left-back Donald McKinlay scored and then replaced Elisha Scott in goal after he was injured at Anfield against Aberdeen. The game ended 1-1.

Beating the Blues
1944 - Cyril Done netted a treble, including a penalty, as we beat Everton 4-2 in a Wartime League match at Anfield, with Stan Polk also on target.
1893 - We also beat the Blues in the Liverpool Senior Cup Final at Goodison Park, with Tom Wyllie bagging the only goal of the game in front of just 10,000 at Bootle’s ground on Hawthorne Road. This was the first ever meeting between the two sides. Some things never change as Everton were denied a penalty and protested a number of decisions made by referee Herbie Arthur, with the ceremony to award the trophy and winners’ medals minted by Bovril having to be abandoned.

Mixed fortunes against the other Blues
We have twice faced Birmingham City in First Division matches on this day in history.
1933 - Gordon Hodgson grabbed the only goal of the game in L4, with centre–forward Harold Barton playing his hundredth reds game.
1964 - Roger Hunt was on target in a 3-1 defeat at St. Andrews.

Tons up
1972 – John Toshack struck twice as we beat Ipswich Town 2-0 at home as Tommy Smith made his 300th League appearance for the reds.
1957 – Centre-half Laurie Hughes played his 300th League game for the reds in our goalless Second Division trip to Bristol Rovers.
1922 – We lost 2-0 at Cardiff City with Jimmy Gill bagging the first of his six goals against the reds, with Len Davies nabbing the first of his seven as keeper Elisha Scott played his hundredth League game for the reds.
1901 – Sam Raybould and Charlie Satterthwaite were on target as we won 2-0 at Sheffield United as inside-right Johnny Walker reached a century of reds outings.

Stevie again
2007 - Steven Gerrard was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the fifth of eight times, a record in the Premier League era.

Joy against the Potters
We have also twice met Stoke City on this day in history.
1935 - Our top-flight meeting at the Victoria Ground ended in a draw, with Berry Nieuwenhuys on the scoresheet and Tommy Sale netting one of his five goals past us.
1961 - We won 3-0 in a Second Division fixture at Anfield. Roger Hunt and Kevin Lewis were on target, with Dave Hickson bagging his 38th and last goal for the club.

Tony for the only time
1959 - Ex-reds inside-right Tony Rowley won his only senior cap for Wales. Their 4-1 defeat by Northern Ireland in Belfast was enough to hand the Ulster side a share of the British International Championships with England that season. This cap was even more special in that Rowley was a Tranmere Rovers player at the time, then in the Third Division.

Welsh Englishman
2001 - John Welsh scored for England Under-16’s as they lost 3-1 to Italy in the European Championships at Bramall Lane, with future red Alberto Aquilani on the winning side. On the same day, future red Fernando Torres scored for Spain Under-21’s in their 3-0 defeat of Romania in the European Championships Finals in Durham. Future reds Rigobert Song and Kolo Touré both played in World Cup qualifying wins on the same day.
2002 - Welsh starred for England Under-19’s as they qualified for the European Championship Finals by beating Lithuania 2-1 at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, with future red Jermaine Pennant on target and future reds Glen Johnson and Gary O’Neil also in action. Aquilani featured for his country again, playing for the Under-18’s as they beat Poland 2-0.

Stan the Irish Villain
1998 - Steve Staunton won his 74th cap, and final one in his first spell as an Aston Villa player, as the Republic of Ireland lost 2-0 to Argentina in a friendly at Lansdowne Road. Phil Babb and future red Robbie Keane also played. On the same day, Abel Xavier won his final cap as an SL Benfica player, and fifth in total, as Portugal lost 3-0 to England in a friendly at Wembley. Paul Ince and Michael Owen both featured.

Meanwhile, future red Nicolas Anelka made his senior international debut in France’s goalless draw in Sweden and future red Vladimír Šmicer netted as the Czech Republic won 3-1 in Slovenia. Also representing their countries that day were Stig Inge Bjørnebye, Øyvind Leonhardsen and future reds Markus Babbel, Dietmar Hamann, Stéphane Henchoz, Sami Hyypiä and Jari Litmanen.

Richard devalued
2008 – Ex-reserves defender Richard Money resigned as Manager of Walsall having failed to receive assurances over transfer funds. He had led them to 44 victories in his 103 games as they won the League Two title in his first full season in charge. He joined Newcastle United as Academy Director two months later.
1982 – Money left the reds to sign for Luton Town after seventeen first-team outings with the reds, having joined from Fulham for £50,000 in May 1980.

First cap
1995 - Brad Friedel won his first cap as a Brøndby IF player, and 28th in total as the USA lost 1-0 to Belgium in a friendly in Molenbeek.

A record for Jameo
2007 - Ex-red David James broke the all-time Premiership clean sheets record with his 143rd shut-out as Portsmouth held Aston Villa to a goalless draw in the Midlands.

Other reds games
2001 – We beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 at Anfield with Emile Heskey opening the scoring. Willem Korsten equalised before the break with Patrik Berger putting us ahead from the spot with Robbie Fowler also on the scoresheet.
1992 – Ian Rush netted our equaliser as we drew 1-1 at Nottingham Forest after Teddy Sheringham had scored the first of his seven goals past us.
1978 – We bet Norwich City 3-0 in L4. John Ryan put through his own net with David Fairclough on target either side of half time.

Signing on
1978 - Reserves defender Alan Harper signed as a professional. However, he never played a senior reds game, later enjoying greater success across the park.
2021 – Centre-half Tom Clayton signed a new contract. He can also play in midfield, regularly turning out for the Under-23’s.

Also in international action
1944 – Matt Busby captained Scotland as they drew 2-2 with England in a Wartime International at Hampden Park.
2002 – Conal Platt played for the Republic of Ireland Under-18’s as they beat Portugal 1-0 in Viseu to clinch the tournament in which they were competing.
2004 - John Paul 'Joxer' Kelly featured as the Irish Under-17’s lost a friendly 1-0 in Turkey.
2008 – Future reds reserves forward Nikola Sarić played for Denmark Under-19’s as they beat Estonia 1-0 in Tallinn.
2019 – Bobby Duncan and Curtis Jones both featured as England Under-18’s lost 1-0 to the Czech Republic in a friendly in Dubai.