9th December

Team of the Year
2001 - We were named Team of the Year at the BBC’s Sports Personality Of The Year ceremony. Ian Rush presented the award to the recovering Gérard Houllier, who said, “My thoughts and my thanks go to my players. Not only this season’s players, but also the players who have left, like Christian and Robbie. I would also like to express my gratitude to David Moores, Rick Parry and the board because they have all been very supportive of what we are trying to do. I would like to thank my backroom staff because you don’t win things just like that. Above all I would like to thank the fans. Nobody knows better than I how fantastic and how supportive they have been to me.”

Careless hands
1967 - Anfield witnessed a truly special own goal when Leeds United keeper Gary Sprake threw the ball into his own net at the Kop end. Straight away the Kop responded by singing Des O’Connor’s recent top ten hit “Careless Hands”. Roger Hunt had already scored, as we won 2-0.

Careful hands
2006 - Pepe Reina kept his 28th clean sheet in his first fifty League games, a new club record, as we thumped Fulham 4-0 at Anfield. This was also Rafael Benítez’s fiftieth League victory, in his 93rd match. Jamie Carragher grabbed his first League goal in eight years, after Steven Gerrard had opened the scoring by converting the rebound of his own saved penalty kick. Luis García also scored with Mark González bagging his third and final reds goal.

1995 - Our most recent game on this day prior to that resulted in a 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers at Burnden Park thanks to a Stan Collymore strike, our first victory in eight matches. This was despite us missing three players who were away on international duty with the Republic of Ireland. Nigel Clough played his 44th and final reds game.

McVean’s treble
1893 - Former shipyard worker Malcolm McVean scored all three goals as we beat Walsall Town Swifts 3-0 in a Second Division meeting at Anfield.

Rafa’s records
2008 – We secured our 39th win in European competition under Rafael Benítez, excluding by penalty shoot-outs, as we won 3-1 at PSV Eindhoven despite falling behind. This equalled Bob Paisley’s club record as we reached fourteen points, still our highest ever total in the Champions League group stage. Martin Kelly and Jay Spearing both made their senior bows as David N’Gog bagged his first reds goal after Ryan Babel had headed in and Albert Riera struck a spectacular long-range effort.
2005 - Benítez was named Manager of the Month for the first time after we had won five and drawn the other of our six games in November, all without conceding.

Continental defeats
1984 - We lost 1-0 in Tokyo to Argentina’s Independiente in the World Club Championship, with José Alberto Percudani on target.
2009 – Dani Pacheco made his reds bow as Fiorentina won 2-1 at Anfield in our dead rubber Champions League group encounter. Yossi Benayoun headed us in front shortly before the break, but second-half strikes from Martin Jorgensen and Alberto Gilardino in injury time sent us to defeat as Alberto Aquilani made his first reds start.

Ending a run
1978 - We brought Nottingham Forest’s remarkable 42-game unbeaten run to an end. Terry McDermott struck twice at Anfield, including one from the spot after an Archie Gemmill foul on Kenny Dalglish, as we won 2-0. Brian Clough said, “They murdered us. We hardly got a kick of the ball.”

England captain
1931 - Future reds left-back Ernie Blenkinsop captained England for the first of four occasions as they trounced Spain 7-1 in a friendly at Highbury, with future red Tommy Cooper also in action and Tosh Johnson netting twice while winning his first cap as an Everton player, his last international goals.

Stevie again
2014 – Steven Gerrard scored his hundredth goal at Anfield late on as we crashed out of the Champions League in the group stage thanks to a 1-1 draw with Basel. We had fallen behind to a Fabian Frei goal, with half-time substitute Lazar Marković laughably sent off on the hour mark. Lucas Leiva reached a century of European games for the club.

2012 - We won 3-2 at West Ham United, with ex-Hammer Glen Johnson handing us an early lead. Mark Noble equalised from the spot before Steven Gerrard headed into his own net. Late goals from ex-United player Joe Cole and Jonjo Shelvey ensured we left with all three points. These were Cole and Shelvey’s last reds strikes.

Management moves
1959 – The Huddersfield Town board agreed to release Bill Shankly early from his notice period, so he was able to take over as reds boss a few days later.
2009 – Jim Magilton was suspended as Manager of Queens Park Rangers, following an alleged headbutt on one of his players after a game at Watford. He left the club by mutual consent a week later.

Thumping Wolves
1905 - Sam Raybould scored his hundredth League goal for the reds as we beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0 at Anfield on our way to our second League title, while they ended the season bottom. Arthur Goddard also struck to add to a Joe Hewitt brace.

Wheels off
1961 - Half-back Johnny Wheeler played his 177th and final reds game in our 2-1 Second Division defeat of Plymouth Argyle at Anfield, their most recent visit in all competitions. Alan A’Court and Ian St. John scored our goals to secure Bill Shankly’s fiftieth win as reds boss in his 91st game in charge.
1899 - Don Wilson played his second and final reds game in our top-flight defeat of Preston North End at Anfield, with John Walker bagging the only goal of the game.

Mixed fortunes against the Geordies
We have twice faced Newcastle United in the top flight on this day in history, with the away side winning 1-0 on each occasion.
1911 - We lost at Anfield as Jimmy Stewart struck the last of his five goals against the reds.
1922 - Harry Chambers nabbed the only goal of the game on the hour mark in the North East, to avenge a 2-0 defeat in L4 the previous week.

A European away win close to home
1970 - John Toshack netted the only goal of the game as we won at Hibernian in the first leg of our Third Round Fairs Cup tie. We had earlier survived a good penalty shout against Larry Lloyd, with the home side also having a goal ruled out for offside. Tosh had already scored for Cardiff City in the European Cup Winners’ Cup that season, against Nantes Atlantique, at a time when there was no concept of being ‘cup-tied’.

Dismissed
1972 - Midfielder Peter Cormack was sent off in our 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion, for violent conduct after a clash with Asa Hartford. However, he successfully appealed against his three-match suspension. Phil Boersma scored our goal at The Hawthorns, before Tony Brown equalised with the last of his eight strikes past us.

Spot-kick win in Arabia
1986 - We claimed the Dubai Super Cup by beating Celtic 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out after the game ended 1-1, with Owen Archdeacon opening the scoring in the second half before Alan Hansen struck late on. Steve McMahon, Ronnie Whelan, Jim Beglin and Steve Nicol were all successful from the spot. Bruce Grobbelaar saved from Archdeacon in the shoot-out, with Mo Johnston hitting the post.

Berry on target again
1944 - South African outside-right Berry Nieuwenhuys scored in his third consecutive game as we lost 3-2 at Chester’s Moss Road Ground in a Wartime League match. Jackie Campbell bagged our other goal.

Happy birthday Mac
1890 - Left-half John McConnell was born in Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire. He netted just once in 53 first-team appearances leading up to the First World War after signing from Airdrieonians for £80 in April 1909, including one in goal in only his second game!

Brucie on the move again
1998 - Bruce Grobbelaar signed for Lincoln City on non-contract terms. He only stayed until the New Year, playing twice in the Second Division.

Knocked out
2003 - Michael Foley-Sheridan played as the Republic of Ireland Under-20’s lost 3-2 on a golden goal to Colombia in the World Championship Finals in the United Arab Emirates, in their Second Round encounter.