17th December
Event created by Will
Event details
This event begins 12/17/2015 and repeats every year until 12/17/2020
Michael named Europe’s greatest
2001 - Michael Owen was named European Footballer of the Year, winning the Ballon d’Or ahead of Real Madrid’s Raúl and Bayern München keeper Oliver Khan. Lúis Figo had won it the previous year. Michael had enjoyed a fantastic year, helping us to claim five trophies, while bagging 31 goals in 49 reds games, and a further six in eight outings for England.
Sander’s been and gone
2001 - Sander Westerveld left for Real Sociedad in a £3.49m deal. He had kept goal for us 103 times, helping the reds to five trophies in that year. He is currently goalkeeping coach for Ajax Cape Town in South Africa.
Ged the centurion
2000 - Gérard Houllier’s hundredth game in sole charge was a 1-0 win at Manchester United, our fiftieth against them in all competitions. Danny Murphy’s free-kick after Gary Neville handled the ball shortly before half time sent United to their hundredth League defeat under Sir Alex Ferguson, with Michael Owen striking the crossbar after the break. United’s facially-challenged Luke Chadwick was sent off late on for bringing down Vladimír Šmicer.
More victories over the Mancs
We have twice beaten Manchester United in the top flight at Anfield on this day in history.
1995 - Robbie Fowler netted both in a 2-0 win, including a superb free-kick at the Kop end, while his second took him to fifty League goals. He also later struck twice in that season’s 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.
1921 - Billy Lacey and Harry Chambers netted in our 2-1 victory as we came from behind.
A goalscoring debut
1955 - Jimmy Melia scored a left-foot volley in front of the Kop on his reds bow as we thumped Nottingham Forest 5-2 in a Second Division fixture. Billy Liddell scored a second-half hat-trick, with John Evans netting our opener. James Barrett netted one of his four goals past us, with Peter Small also on target for Forest.
1996 - We also beat Forest at Anfield when Stan Collymore struck a brace against his old club as we won 4-2. Robbie Fowler was also on target, with our other strike being a Des Lyttle own goal. Kevin Campbell struck the first of his four goals against the reds, with Stuart Pearce also netting.
Debut strikes
2014 - We beat Bournemouth 3-1 in a Capital One Cup Fifth Round tie at their Goldsands Stadium, thanks to a Raheem Sterling brace and Lazar Marković’s first reds goal, with ex-Evertonian Dan Gosling on target for the home side.
1997 - Michael Owen won his only Under-21’s cap, netting in England’s 4-2 play-off defeat of Greece at Carrow Road, with strike partner and future red Emile Heskey bagging a brace. Jamie Carragher also played. Unfortunately, the Greeks qualified for the European Championships, 4-4 on the away goals rule.
Joy against the Baggies
1932 - Gordon Hodgson and Harold Barton scored as we beat West Bromwich Albion 2-0 at Anfield.
1898 - We also entertained the Baggies, when Hugh Morgan and John Walker were on the scoresheet as we drew 2-2.
Bradley’s farewell
1910 - Left-half James Bradley played his 185th and final reds game, as goals from Jack Parkinson and James Stewart handed us a 2-0 home win over Sheffield United. In fact, his last three reds games were against the two Sheffield clubs!
Mixed fortunes on Wearside
1938 - We won 3-2 at Roker Park thanks to goals from Bill Kinghorn and Phil Taylor and wing-half Tom Bush’s only reds strike.
1949 - Ken Brierley and Cyril Done netted as Sunderland beat us by the same score in another First Division encounter as centre-half Laurie Hughes played his hundredth reds game. Len Shackleton bagged the first of his five goals against the reds, with Harry Kirtley and Tommy Reynolds also on the scoresheet.
Parson off the mark
1927 – Right-back Jimmy ‘Parson’ Jackson scored the first of his two reds strikes as we lost 3-1 at Tottenham Hotspur. Frank Osborne bagged the last of his four goals past us with Jack Elkes nabbing the first two of his four against the reds.
Thumping the Magpies
1983 - Graeme Souness bagged a brace, including one from the spot, as we beat Notts County 5-0 at Anfield. Steve Nicol and Ian Rush were also on target, with David Hunt putting through his own net.
A Fox once more
1987 - Kevin MacDonald joined his old club Leicester City on loan as he continued his comeback from a broken leg suffered in September 1986. He later returned to Anfield, but only made a further seven senior appearances before returning to Filbert Street permanently.
Vlad’s Arabian night
1997 - Future red Vladimír Šmicer bagged a treble in the Czech Republic’s 6-1 thumping of the United Arab Emirates in a Confederations Cup game in Saudi Arabia.
Toni on the move
2013 – Former reserves right-winger Toni Silva signed for CSKA Sofia, having been released by Barnsley six months previously.
Scots in action
1975 - Ex-reds reserves striker Ted MacDougall won his seventh and final cap for Scotland as a substitute in their 1-1 European Championships qualifying draw with Romania at Hampden Park. Future red Kenny Dalglish also played.
2003 - Robbie Foy won his only cap for Scotland Under-20’s as they won 2-1 in Portugal in a friendly.