24th April

European semi-finals
We have played three European Semi-finals on this day.
1985 - Mark Lawrenson grabbed the only goal of the game in Greece to knock Panathinaikos out 5-0 on aggregate, as we reached our fifth European Cup Final in nine years.
1997 - Our 2-0 defeat of Paris Saint-Germain in the European Cup Winners’ Cup at Anfield was not enough to overcome a three goal first-leg deficit. Robbie Fowler and Mark Wright netted our goals. Robbie Fowler scored his seventh in the competition, a club record with Mark Wright bagging his first goal in his 200th LFC game.

2018 – Mohamed Salah scored in his seventh consecutive reds game, netting twice past future reds keeper Alisson Becker before the break as we beat his former club Roma 5-2 in the first leg of our UEFA Champions League Semi-final. Sadio Mané also scored before Roberto Firmino added a brace to reach fifty goals for the reds. However, the visitors pulled two late goals back through one of Edin Džeko’s five goals past us to date and a Diego Perotti spot-kick. Sadly, the night was spoiled by an injury to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain that kept him out of action for a full year.

Divock again
2022 – We beat Everton 2-0 at Anfield with Andy Robertson headed in the opener after an hour. Divock Origi nodded in his eleventh Premier League goal from off the bench, a club record. This was his 41st and final strike for the club, six of which had come against the Blues.

Going down
1954 – Bill Jones played his 277th and final reds game in our 3-0 defeat at Blackpool to confirm relegation to the Second Division, with inside-right Sammy Smyth appearing for the 44th and last time. Stan Mortensen bagged a brace, the last of his eleven goals against us, with Allan Brown also scoring. Billy Liddell played his 300th League game for the reds.

Mixed fortunes against the Mancs
We have twice visited Manchester United for top-flight fixtures on this day in history.
2004 - Danny Murphy scored the only goal for the third time in four League meetings at Old Trafford, this time from the penalty spot after Gary Neville brought down Steven Gerrard. This was Stéphane Henchoz’s 200th reds game, John Arne Riise’s hundredth League game for us, and Bruno Cheyrou’s 48th and final reds appearance, after he came off the bench to replace Harry Kewell.
1965 - Unfortunately, we lost 3-0 as United went on to claim the title. Denis Law bagged the first two of his six goals past us with United also having two strikes ruled out, hitting the post twice and having two shots cleared off the line. John Connelly netted the other goal for the home side.

Rafa honoured
2006 - Rafael Benítez was named Coach of the Year for 2005 by la Comunidad de Madrid at the annual Seven Stars of Sport Awards ceremony. This was in recognition of leading us to stunning Champions League success in Istanbul in his first season in charge at Anfield.

Banned
2013 - Luis Suárez was banned by the FA for ten matches after being found guilty of biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanović at Anfield two days earlier.

Gary Mac the boss
2002 - Gary McAllister was named Coventry City’s new player-manager, although he would remain at Anfield until the end of the season. He remained in the post until he had to step down due to his wife’s illness in January 2004.

Happy birthday
1976 - Steve Finnan was born in Limerick. He made 217 appearances after signing from Fulham for £3.5m in July 2003, notching once. He helped us to claim the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FA Community Shield before joining R.C.D. Espanyol in September 2008.

A rare defeat
1974 - We lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal with future red Ray Kennedy on target, one of just eleven League defeats at Anfield during the whole of the 1970’s, with the Gunners inflicting three of these. This game was in fact our hundredth meeting in the League.

Red endings
1915 - Billy Banks played his 26th and final reds game as we won 2-0 at Oldham Athletic in a top-flight match, with forward Jimmy Nicholl appearing for the 59th and last time as Fred Pagnam bagged a brace. This was future reds boss David Ashworth’s final game in charge of the home side, with Tom Watson managing the reds for the last time, while the result ensured that Everton were crowned champions, rather than the Latics.
1937 – Centre-forward Fred Howe struck his 36th and final goal for the club as we were held to a 1-1 draw at Anfield by Huddersfield Town. Bobby Barclay netted one of his five goals against the reds.
1948 – We lost 2-1 at Aston Villa as right-winger Alex Muir played for the fourth and last time. Albert Stubbins gave us the lead before Trevor Ford struck two of his seven goals against the reds.

2020 – Outside-right Don Woan died. He signed from Bootle Athletic for £1,000, but only played two senior games before moving on to Leyton Orient in November 1951.
1969 – Left-back Ernie Blenkinsop died in Sheffield. He played 71 reds games without scoring, having won 26 England caps by the time he arrived from Sheffield Wednesday for £6,500 in March 1934. He moved on to Cardiff City in November 1937.
1999 – Sean Dundee featured for the reds for the fifth and last time as we won 3-1 at Blackburn Rovers, with Steve McManaman, Jamie Redknapp and Øyvind Leonhardsen all on target in the first half before Damien Duff pulled a goal back after an hour.
1894 – We lost 3-1 at home to Rovers in a Palatine League game, with the reds fielding a reserves side containing just nine players!

In and out
1895 – Scottish centre-half Robert Neill signed on loan from Hibernian, arriving permanently in May 1896. At five feet four inches he is probably our shortest ever central defender, scoring three times in 27 games. He left to join Rangers in April 1897.
2009 – Reserves centre-half Jack Hobbs joined Leicester City for £400,000 after spending the whole of the season on loan at the Walkers Stadium. He had made just five senior reds appearances.

All-star SteG
2005 - Steven Gerrard was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the second season running, the only reds player to be so honoured. He was eventually named in the team eight times, a record in the Premier League era.

International beginning
1977 - Future red Mark Lawrenson made his senior debut for the Republic of Ireland as they were held to a goalless draw in Dublin by Poland. He went on to amass a total of 39 caps.
2008 – Future reds reserves forward Nikola Sarić played for Denmark Under-19’s as they lost 2-1 to Estonia in Tallinn.
2019 – Curtis Jones scored, with Bobby Duncan also playing, as England Under-18’s beat Mexico 3-2 in a friendly in Dubai.

Disappointment against the Trotters
1893 - We drew 1-1 with Bolton Wanderers in a friendly at Anfield with Hugh McQueen notching our goal.
1943 - We thumped Wanderers 6-3 in a Wartime League match at Burnden Park that also counted for the Lancashire Cup. Cyril Done and Don Welsh both bagged braces, with George Kaye and Michael Hulligan also on the scoresheet.

Twice at The Dell
1979 - We visited Southampton with David Johnson heading us into the lead as we returned with a point from a game originally postponed from Christmas.
1982 - Ian Rush added to a brace from Ronnie Whelan as we won 3-2, with Joe Fagan taking charge of the reds in the absence of Bob Paisley through illness. Ex-red Kevin Keegan scored from the spot, his only goal against the reds, with Mick Channon bagging one of his seven goals past us.

Youngsters in Euro action
2001 – John Welsh and future reds Alberto Aquilani and Glen Johnson all represented their country at Under-16’s level in the European Championships Finals, with England beating Switzerland 2-0 in Huddersfield, and Italy losing 4-3 to Hungary in Harrogate. Meanwhile, Christian Poulsen played for Denmark Under-21’s as they lost 2-0 to Slovenia in a friendly in Farum, while fellow future red Fernando Torres struck twice as Spain Under-21’s thumped Belgium 5-0 in a European Championships Finals group game in Durham.

Harry for the League
1897 - Forward Harry Bradshaw played for the Football League as they lost 3-0 to a Scottish League side.

Other reds games
2021 – Mohamed Salah gave us an early lead over Newcastle United behind closed doors at Anfield, but Joe Willock scored a stoppage-time equaliser after the Geordies had had a last-minute leveller already ruled out.
1962 – We were held to a goalless draw in a Second Division fixture at Stoke City.
1926 – We drew 2-2 at Cardiff City with Harry Chambers nabbing a brace.
1920 – We were held to a 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion. Fred Morris scored for the Baggies with Donald McKinlay levelling a minute later.

Also in international action
1976 – John Toshack played for Wales in their 2-0 European Championships qualifying defeat in Yugoslavia.
1990 – David Burrows and future red Michael Thomas both played for England B as they beat Czechoslovakia 2-0 at Roker Park.
1994 – Future red Brad Friedel featured in the USA’s 2-1 friendly defeat by Iceland in California.
1996 – Phil Babb, Stig Inge Bjørnebye, Robbie Fowler, Mark Kennedy, Steve McManaman, Mark Wright, future reds Markus Babbel, Patrik Berger, Stéphane Henchoz, Paul Ince, Gary McAllister and Christian Ziege, and ex-red Ray Houghton all played for their countries.

2001 – Future red Yossi Benayoun featured in Israel’s 3-2 defeat in a friendly in Georgia.
2004 – John Paul Kelly played as the Republic of Ireland Under-17’s beat Turkey in a friendly.
2013 – Future red Arthur Melo featured for Brazil Under-17’s as they beat Peru 2-1 in a South American Championships Finals game in Argentina.
2015 – Ex-Academy Manager Steve Cooper took charge of England Under-16’s as they lost a friendly 3-1 to Italy Under-15’s.
2016 - Elijah Dixon-Bonner, Bobby Duncan and Curtis Jones all featured for England Under-15’s as they won a friendly 3-2 in Italy.