Happy birthday Brucie
1957 - Bruce Grobbelaar was born in Durban, South Africa. Our eccentric keeper signed from Vancouver Whitecaps for £250,000 in March 1981 and played 628 times for the reds, helping us to six League titles, one European Cup, three FA Cups, three League Cups and three FA Charity Shields.
Other birthdays
1948 - Larry Lloyd was born in Bristol. 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 after joining from Bristol Rovers for £50,000 in April 1969, appearing 218 times and notching five times. He was sold to Coventry City for £240,000 in August 1974.
1988 - Right-back and former reserves skipper Stephen Darby was born in Liverpool. He made the move to Melwood in the summer of 2006 after skippering the reds to FA Youth Cup glory earlier that year, also featuring as they retained the trophy the following year. He made six senior appearances as well as sitting on the bench on a further thirteen occasions, moving on to Bradford City in July 2012 after several loan spells away from Anfield. He retired from professional football in September 2018 after being diagnosed with motor neuron disease.
1940 - Inside-forward Willie Carlin was born in Liverpool. He signed pro terms in May 1958 but only made one first-team appearance for the club, a 1-1 draw at Stoke City in October 1959, and moved on to Halifax Town in August 1962, going on to make a total of over 400 League appearances for a variety of clubs.
Twelve in a row
1990 - We won our twelfth successive League match, a new club record, as Derby County went down 2-0 at Anfield, thanks to a Ray Houghton strike and a penalty from Peter Beardsley past Peter Shilton. Unfortunately, this run came to an end in our next game, as we drew 1-1 at Norwich City a fortnight later.
Being sold
2010 – The club announced that the Board had agreed the sale of the club to New England Sports Ventures. Eventually, the deal went through after a series of delaying tactics by George Gillett Jr. and Tom Hicks.
Double capture
1966 – Full-back Stuart Mason and left-back Peter Wall signed from Wrexham for a combined £35,000. Mason never made the first team, while Wall failed to score in 42 first-team appearances in three and a half years at Anfield, but had greater success with his next club, Crystal Palace, whom he joined in May 1970 for £30,000. He spent eight seasons at Selhurst Park, playing over 200 times for them with one of his rare goals coming at Anfield in January 1972, although we still won 4-1.
1950 – Outside-right Don Woan signed from Bootle Athletic for £1,000, but only played two senior games before moving on to Leyton Orient in November 1951.
A baptism of fire
1991 - Rob Jones made his reds bow, just two days after signing from Crewe Alexandra. It was a real baptism of fire, as he helped us to claim a goalless draw at Manchester United. Gary Ablett and United’s Mark Hughes were both dismissed.
King Kenny on top
2006 - Kenny Dalglish came out on top in the club official website’s first 100 Players Who Shook The Kop poll, finishing ahead of Steven Gerrard, Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler and John Barnes. The votes were cast by over 110,000 fans across the summer.
Bosses in and out
2001 - John Toshack was appointed Manager of Saint-Étienne. He had been in the side when we famously saw off Les Verts in 1977, but only lasted three months at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard before quitting.
2006 - Ex-reserves forward John Durnin resigned as a Coach at Southport, apparently due to other coaching and playing commitments.
2008 – Another former second-string striker, Mike Newell, was named as Grimsby Town boss, leading them to 22nd in League Two at the end of his first season.
Firsts and last
1900 - Inside-left Andy McGuigan made his reds bow in our 3-2 win at Derby County, when Tom Robertson struck a brace, with inside-right Johnny Walker also on the scoresheet. John Boag struck the last of his six goals past us, with Archie Goodall converting a spot-kick.
1906 – Inside-left Bill McPherson scored on his reds debut as we lost 2-1 at Woolwich Arsenal’s Manor Ground in another First Division fixture. David Neave bagged the first two of his four goals against the reds.
1970 – Midfielder Doug Livermore played his eighteenth and last reds game as we lost a League Cup Third Round tie 2-0 at Swindon Town, with Don Rodgers bagging a quick-fire brace for the Robins.
Wadsworth passes on
1951 - Centre-half Walter Wadsworth died. He scored eight times in 242 reds games, many alongside his brother, outside-right Harold. He had signed on from Ormskirk as an amateur in April 1912 and remained with the club for fourteen years, interrupted by the First World War, helping us to two consecutive League titles in the 1920’s before joining Bristol City in May 1926.
Mixed derby fortunes
1917 - Inside-forward Harry Lewis scored all the goals in a Wartime League derby at Anfield as we won 4-0.
1923 - We lost 1-0 at Goodison Park in a top-flight match, with Wilf Chadwick on target.
Mixed fortunes against Rovers
1956 - We lost 3-2 at home to Blackburn Rovers in a Second Division fixture, with Eric Anderson bagging his 22nd and final reds goal, with Billy Liddell also on target. Roy Vernon netted the first of his six strikes past us, with Eddie Crossan and Bryan Douglas also scoring.
1987 - We won a League Cup tie at Anfield with John Aldridge heading the only goal of the game very late on to take us through to the Third Round 2-1 on aggregate as John Wark appeared for the 108th and final time.
1938 – We were held to a 2-2 draw in a Lancashire Senior Cup First Round Replay, with Ron Jones and George Paterson scoring.
Other big wins
1979 - We beat Bristol City 4-0 at Anfield in a top-flight match with David Johnson, Kenny Dalglish, Ray Kennedy and Terry McDermott all on the scoresheet.
1992 - Don Hutchison, Jamie Redknapp, Mark Walters and Ian Rush all struck as we came behind to finally see off Third Division Chesterfield 4-1 in the League Cup Second Round at Saltergate, having drawn the home leg 4-4.
1945 - Jack Balmer nabbed a brace with Harold Kaye and Billy Liddell also on target as we beat Bradford City 4-1 in a Wartime League match in L4.
First and lasts against the Blades
1894 - Forward Albert Worgan played his second and final reds game as we were held to a 2-2 draw by Sheffield United at Anfield in a top-flight fixture. Outside-right Neil Kerr struck the first of his three reds goals with Harry Bradshaw also on target. Defender James Cameron made the first of his four appearances for the club in this game.
Internationals on target
2016 – Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino both struck as Brazil thumped Bolivia 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Natal, with this being Firmino’s first goal as a reds player. Meanwhile, Joe Allen scored his first goal since moving to Stoke City as Wales held Austria to a 2-2 draw in Vienna, with future red Diogo Jota scoring his first goal for Portugal Under-21’s as they drew a European Championships qualifying draw in Hungary. Caoimhín Kelleher, future reds Thiago Alcântara, Alisson Becker, Federico Chiesa and Kostas Tsimikas, and ex-reds Sebastián Coates, Javier Mascherano, Brad Smith and Luis Suárez also featured for their countries.
2017 – Joe Allen struck for Wales again as they won a World Cup qualifier 1-0 in Georgia, with Ben Woodburn also featuring. Dominic Solanke bagged his first goal for England Under-21’s in their 3-1 European Championships qualifying defeat of Scotland at the Riverside Stadium, with Joe Gomez winning his seventh and last cap at this level and Trent Alexander-Arnold also in action. Future red Thiago Alcântara scored his first goal for Spain as they beat Albania 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Alicante. On the same day, ex-red Nuri Şahin won his last cap in his second spell as a Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund player, as Turkey were beaten 3-0 at home by Iceland in a World Cup qualifier, with Marko Grujić and future reds Wataru Endō and Ozan Kabak also representing their countries.
Aiming for the Far East
2001 - A host of reds played in World Cup qualifiers around Europe. Future red Milan Baroš was on target in the Czech Republic’s 6-0 thumping of Bulgaria in Prague, with Vladimír Šmicer coming on as a substitute to win his fiftieth cap. Ex-red Jim Magilton also reached his half century as Northern Ireland won 1-0 in Malta.
Nick Barmby made his 23rd and last appearance for England, with Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard and Emile Heskey also starting as their 2-2 draw with Greece at Old Trafford took them through to the finals. Steve McManaman came off the bench to claim his 37th, and also final, cap. In the same group, Sami Hyypiä and Jari Litmanen were both in the Finnish side that held Germany to a goalless draw in Gelsenkirchen that ensured the Germans had to negotiate a play-off. Ex-red Christian Ziege appeared for the Germans. Jerzy Dudek, John Arne Riise, ex-reds Don Hutchison, Mark Kennedy and Steve Staunton, and future reds Craig Bellamy, Steve Finnan, Paul Jones and Bolo Zenden all also represented their countries on that day.
H & H in opposition
1996 - Future reds centre-back pairing Stéphane Henchoz and Sami Hyypiä faced each other in a World Cup qualifier in Helsinki, with Switzerland beating Finland 3-2.
More reds games
2002 – Michael Owen netted the only goal of Chelsea’s visit to Anfield late on.
1984 – West Bromwich Albion held us to a goalless draw in L4.
1973 – We beat Newcastle United 2-1 at home. Peter Cormack struck before Alec Lindsay converted a penalty.
1962 – Roger Hunt nabbed the only goal as Bolton Wanderers visited Anfield.
1951 – We lost 2-0 at Charlton Athletic. Billy Kiernan scored one of his five goals against the reds before future red John Evans bagged the first of his five past us.
1934 – Gordon Hodgson struck our consolation as we lost 4-1 at Sheffield Wednesday. Harry Burgess struck one of his nine goals against the reds, with Ellis Rimmer netting the last of his five and Mark Hooper scoring the final two of his eight.
1928 – Jimmy McDougall was on target as we drew 1-1 at West Ham United as Stan Earle equalised with one of his four goals past us.
Off on loan
2020 – Serbian midfielder Marko Grujić joined Porto on loan, netting twice in 36 appearances before signing on permanently for £10.5m in July 2021. On the same day, Colombian defender Anderson Arroyo moved to Salamanca Club de Fútbol UDS in Spain for the season, playing 21 times.
Young Czechs on target
1998 - Future red Milan Baroš scored in the Czech Republic Under-18’s 2-1 European Championships qualifying win in the Ukraine.
2000 - He scored for the Under-21’s as they beat Iceland 2-1 in Liberec in another qualifier.
1995 - Vladimír Šmicer bagged a brace as the Czech Republic Under-21’s won their European Championships qualifier in Belarus 3-0.
Mixed fortunes for the youngsters
2000 - Stephen Wright was sent off for England Under-21’s in their 1-1 draw with Germany at Pride Park in a European Championships qualifier.
2006 – Scott Carson and future red James Milner featured as England Under-21’s beat Germany 1-0 in the first leg of their European Championships Play-off in Coventry.
2009 – Hungary Under-20’s beat their Czech Republic counterparts 4-3 on penalties after their World Championship Finals Round of 16 match in Egypt had ended 2-2. Péter Gulácsi saved three spot-kicks in the shoot-out, with Krisztián Németh’s effort being saved.
2021 – Future red Federico Chiesa played as Italy lost 2-1 to Spain in their UEFA Nations League Semi-final in Milan. Meanwhile, Jakub Ojrzyński featured for Poland Under-19’s as they lost 3-1 to Finland in a European Championships qualifier in Grodzisk Wielkopolski.
2015 – Trent Alexander-Arnold played for England Under-17’s in their 8-0 friendly thumping of DR Congo in Burton, with ex-Academy Manager Steve Cooper in charge.
2011 – Jon Flanagan, Jordan Henderson, Martin Kelly, Dani Pacheco, Danny Wilson and future red Fabio Borini were all on the winning side for their respective Under-21’s in European Championships qualifiers, with Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain bagging a treble, his first goals at this level as Pacheco won his second and last Under-21’s cap and Borini dismissed.
2007 – Pacheco also played for Spain Under-17’s as they drew a European Championships qualifier 2-2 in Wales.
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