23rd April

Clinching the title
1988 - We secured our seventeenth League title with four more games remaining, as a curling Peter Beardsley strike was enough to defeat Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield. This was our ninth championship in the space of thirteen years.
1983 – We edged closer to the championship despite losing 2-0 at home to Norwich City, as they became the first side to take all six points off us after the introduction of three points for a win. Mark Lawrenson put through his own net before Martin O’Neill doubled the visitors’ lead from distance. Bob Paisley had received his 21st Bell’s managerial award prior to kick-off.

Robbie signs on
1992 - Robbie Fowler signed as a professional. The ‘Toxteth terror’ went on to bag 171 goals in 330 reds games in his first spell with the club, gaining UEFA Cup, FA Cup and two League Cup winners’ medals during his reds career, and struck a further twelve times in 39 games second time around to become our fifth top all-time goalscorer, before moving on to Cardiff City in July 2007.
2019 – He was appointed Head Coach of Brisbane Roar, leading them to eleven wins in 24 games before stepping down during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2002 – Forward Mark Smyth signed as a professional. He only made one senior appearance, in a League Cup tie at Tottenham Hotspur in December 2004, but was released at the end of that campaign.

Stevie honoured
2006 - Steven Gerrard was named PFA Player of the Year after a successful season that culminated in FA Cup glory and included a total of 23 goals in 53 games for the club. He was also named in the Team of the Year for the fourth of eight times, a record in the Premier League era, alongside Jamie Carragher. Meanwhile, we learnt that our opponents in the FA Cup Final would be West Ham United, who saw off Middlesbrough at Villa Park.

Maxi’s treble
2011 – Maxi Rodríguez bagged a treble as we thumped Birmingham City 5-0 at Anfield, with Dirk Kuyt netting for the seventh time in nine games and Joe Cole adding a late fifth.
1927 – We lost a top-flight fixture 3-0 at Birmingham City, with George Briggs netting one of his ten goals against the reds, John Bradford scoring one of his fifteen and Benny Bond also on target.

Happy birthday Bobby
1937 - Wing-half Bobby Campbell was born in Liverpool. He struck twice in 25 first-team appearances for the reds after signing on as a professional in May 1954, before joining Portsmouth in 1961. He later had a successful managerial career with Fulham, Portsmouth and Chelsea.

Inching towards Wembley
1977 - We drew 2-2 with Everton in our FA Cup Semi-final encounter at Maine Road, with Terry McDermott and Jimmy Case twice putting us in front, before levellers from Duncan McKenzie and Bruce Rioch. Terry Mac’s goal was later named as the BBC’s Goal of the Season, while Evertonians still protest over Clive Thomas disallowing Bryan Hamilton’s last-gasp ‘winner’. We won the replay at the same venue four days later, although we lost the Final at Wembley to Manchester United.

Inching towards the title
1973 – Our 2-0 Anfield defeat of Leeds United on Easter Monday combined with Arsenal dropping a point at Southampton meant that only a series of freak results could prevent the reds from claiming the title with just one of our League games remaining, although other sides had games in hand. Peter Lorimer missed an open goal in the first half, but Peter Cormack and Kevin Keegan netted after the break. The Leeds players lined up at full time to applaud Shankly’s side from the pitch.

Mixed fortunes against Palace
1991 - We beat Crystal Palace 3-0 at Anfield. Ian Rush scored his 300th competitive club goal in 532 games for Chester, Juventus and Liverpool, while John Barnes also struck before a late own goal from Eddie McGoldrick.
2005 - John Welsh played his tenth and final reds game as we suffered yet another away League defeat, 1-0 at Selhurst Park, courtesy of an Andy Johnson strike.
2017 - Crystal Palace won at Anfield for the third consecutive season, despite Phillipe Coutinho giving us the lead. Ex-red Christian Benteke bagged a brace, the most recent of his seven goals past us to date.

Brothers in arms
1938 - Our home League game with Bolton Wanderers brought the unusual sight of the two teams being captained by brothers - the reds by forward Alf Hanson, and Bolton by goalkeeper Stan. Jack Balmer and Phil Taylor netted as we won 2-1.
1921 - We faced the Trotters in another top-flight match, losing 1-0 at Burnden Park with Joe Smith bagging one of his twelve goals past us. This game also counted towards the Lancashire Senior Cup, with outside-left Albert Pearson playing his 51st and last reds game.

2008 - Reserves defender Alex Watson’s more famous brother Dave, who also featured for our second string, joined Wigan Athletic as Youth Team Coach, remaining in this role until moving to Newcastle United’s Academy in November 2011.

Start and ends
1932 - Inside-left Syd Roberts made his reds bow as Portsmouth beat us 3-1 at Anfield. Roberts went on to bag thirteen goals in 62 reds games. Daniel McRorie netted our goal, while wing-half Alastair Henderson played his fifth and final game for us. Jack Weddle struck two of his five goals past us, with Fred Worrall scoring the first of his four against the reds.
1904 – Half-back John ‘Geezer’ Hughes played his 32nd and last reds game as we won 3-2 at Blackburn Rovers, with keeper Peter Platt appearing for the 44th and final time. Sam Raybould, Jack Cox and Arthur Goddard bagged our goals. Jack Dewhurst nabbed the last of his five goals against the reds, with Bob Crompton also netting.

Centre-halves incoming
1969 – Larry Lloyd joined from hometown club Bristol Rovers for a fee of £50,000. He is one of a rare breed to leave Anfield in his prime, and go on to better things – helping Nottingham Forest to two European Cups, one League title, League Cup and FA Charity Shield. He had won League and UEFA Cup medals, appearing 218 times and notching five times. He was sold to Coventry City for £240,000 in August 1974.
1912 - Centre-half Walter Wadsworth signed from Ormskirk as an amateur. He went on to net eight times in 242 reds games, being joined by his brother, outside-right Harold, after the First World War. Together they helped us to back-to-back League titles in the early 1920’s. Walter joined Bristol City in May 1926 when aged 36, but skippered them to the Third Division South title.

Potters fired twice
We have twice beaten Stoke City in League matches on this day over the years.
1962 - We won 2-1 at Anfield in our promotion season, thanks to a Ronnie Moran penalty and a late Jimmy Melia winner. That night, the match takings of around £4,000 were stolen in a burglary at Anfield, although the club’s allocation of FA Cup Final tickets were left behind!
1980 - We met at the Victoria Ground in a First Division fixture postponed from New Year’s Day, with the two David’s, Johnson and Fairclough, handing us a 2-0 win.

Held by the Geordies
We have twice drawn with Newcastle United in top-flight encounters at Anfield.
2016 – Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana struck inside half an hour, but we were pegged back after the break by Papiss Cissé and Jack Colback to draw 2-2 with Rafael Benítez’s side.
1949 - Bobby Mitchell grabbed the first of his eight goals past us in this top-flight meeting. Kevin Baron scored for the reds.

Boro twice
We have also played Middlesbrough twice on this day over the years.
1910 - We drew 2-2 in the top flight at Ayresome Park, with our goals coming from Jack Parkinson and Arthur Goddard. George Elliott netted the first of his eight goals against us, with Tim Williamson also on target.
1955 - Tony Rowley and Billy Liddell struck as we won 2-1 in the Second Division at the same venue with full-back Frank Lock playing his 42nd and final reds game.

International bows
1996 - Future red Harry Kewell made his senior international debut as Australia lost a friendly 3-0 in Chile.
2000 – Stade Rennais’ El-Hadji Diouf won his first senior cap as Senegal beat Benin 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Dakar on their way to the Finals in the Far East. Meanwhile Titi Camara bagged his first goal as a reds player as Guinea beat Uganda 3-0 in another qualifier in Conakry. Rigobert Song appeared for Cameroon on the same day as they beat Somalia 3-0 in a qualifier in Yaoundé.

Les gems on target
2011 – Future red Florent Sinama-Pongolle bagged a brace, with Anthony Le Tallec also on target as France Under-16’s beat Scotland 3-0 in a European Championships Finals group game in Barnsley.

Other reds games
1994 – We won 2-1 at West Ham United despite Martin Allen giving the Hammers a first-minute lead. Robbie Fowler equalised with Ian Rush bagging a late winner.
1966 – We lost 2-0 at Burnley with Willie Irvine heading in before Ralph Coates nabbing the first of his four goals against the reds. That meant the wait to secure our seventh League title continued for another game.
1960 – Dave Hickson nodded in the only goal of our visit to Ipswich Town early on as right-back John Molyneux played his 200th game for the club.

Scot coming back from Italy
1986 - Graeme Souness won his final cap as a Sampdoria player, and 52nd in total, as Scotland beat England 2-1 in a Rous Cup game at Wembley. He struck from the spot, with Steve Nicol also in the away side. Future reds John Aldridge and Ray Houghton both played for the Republic of Ireland on the same day as they drew a friendly 1-1 with Uruguay at Lansdowne Road.

Seven and out for A’Court
1958 - Alan A’Court won his seventh and final England Under-23’s cap as they lost 2-1 to Wales in Wrexham.

Also signing on
2015 - Jordan Henderson signed a new contract until 2020. He helped us to claim the Premier League title, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, two League Cups and FA Community Shield as he struck 33 times in 492 outings, moving on to Al-Ettifaq for a reported £12m in July 2023.
1928 – Left-half Jimmy McDougall signed from Partick Thistle, going on to score twelve times in 356 games for the reds. He moved on to South Liverpool in May 1938 and later set up a successful chandlery business in Liverpool. He was later nominated into the club’s official Hall of Fame for the 1930’s.

Also in international action
1986 – England Under-21’s were held to a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their European Championships Semi-final in Swindon to crash out 3-1 to Italy on aggregate, with future red Mark Walters and ex-red Mike Newell both in action.
1995 – Future red Fernando Morientes played for Spain Under-20’s as they thumped Russia 4-1 in their World Championships Quarter-final in Qatar.

2002 – Future red Alberto Aquilani featured as Italy Under-18’s drew a friendly 1-1 in Czechoslovakia.
2011 – Future red Mohamed Salah played as Egypt Under-20’s beat the host nation South Africa 1-0 in an African Championships Finals group game.
2017 - Bernard Diomède took charge of France Under-18’s as they beat Mexico 1-0 in a friendly in Portugal.