25th December

Happy birthday Gary Mac
1964 - Gary McAllister was born in Motherwell. He arrived on a free transfer in July 2000, and proved inspirational in the run-in to the treble that season. He netted nine goals in 87 reds games before moving back to Coventry City as Player/Manager in May 2002. He returned to Anfield as a First Team Coach last summer, moving into an ambassadorial role after Brendan Rodgers was sacked.
1896 – Winger Chris Harrington was born in Edge Hill. He signed from South Liverpool in December 1920, failing to score in four senior outings, before returning to his former club the following year.

A sad day
1984 - Jack Balmer died in Liverpool. He had bagged 111 goals in 309 reds games after signing from Everton in May 1935, including trebles in three consecutive matches on our way to the League title in 1947. He also played in the FA Cup Final three years later.
1899 - Thomas ‘Harry’ Bradshaw died of tuberculosis in Tottenham. He joined from Northwich Victoria in October 1893 and netted 51 times in 138 games for the reds, helping us to our first two Second Division titles and was the first reds player to win senior international honours. He left Anfield to join Tottenham Hotspur in May 1898.

2004 - Left-back Eddie Spicer died. He was decorated for bravery whilst serving in the Royal Marines in World War Two, and went on to net twice in 168 reds games, helping us to the first post-war League title and also featuring in the 1950 FA Cup Final. Unfortunately a second broken leg ended his career in December 1953.
2013 - Forward Wayne Harrison died aged just 46 after suffering from pancreatic cancer. He signed from Oldham Athletic for £250,000 in January 1985 at the age of seventeen, then a record fee for a teenager, although he never made a senior reds appearance before having to retire due to injury in the summer of 1991, aged just 23.

King Billy’s four
1954 - Billy Liddell scored four goals as we thumped Ipswich Town 6-2 at Anfield in our first season after relegation. Also on the scoresheet were Louis Bimpson and John Evans.

Rushie starts out
1979 - Ian Rush signed as a professional for Chester. He bagged seventeen goals in 39 games at Sealand Road, before moving to Anfield for £300,000 the following April.

Smiling at a treble
1925 - Harry ‘Smiler’ Chambers and the visitors’ Hughie Gallacher each bagged a hat-trick as we beat Newcastle United 6-3 at Anfield. Centre-half David Pratt scored his only reds goal, with Cyril Oxley and Dick Forshaw also on the scoresheet. These were the first of Gallacher’s eight goals past us.
1923 - The Geordies left Anfield with both points after winning 1-0.

A pair from The Valley
1953 - Don Welsh signed full-back Frank Lock and forward John Evans from Charlton Athletic, for £7,500 and £12,500 respectively. On the same day, right-half and future Manager Phil Taylor made his 314th and final League appearance as we lost 5-2 at West Bromwich Albion. Alan A’Court was on target for the reds, with Ray Lambert scoring from the spot. Frank Griffin struck the last two of his six goals against the reds, with Ronnie Allen scoring the final one of his five, and Ray Barlow and Johnny Nicholls also on target.
1936 - We also lost 3-1 at The Hawthorns, with Fred Howe grabbing our consolation. Harry Jones bagged a brace for the Baggies, with Stan Wood netting one of his five goals past us.

Most recent Christmas goal
1957 - Tony Rowley scored our most recent goal on Christmas Day as we lost 3-1 in a Second Division fixture at Grimsby Town.
1930 - We also visited Blundell Park for a game that ended goalless.

Christmas derbies
1916 – We were beaten 1-0 in a friendly at Goodison Park.
1939 - We lost a friendly 3-2 to Everton at Anfield with both our goals coming from Willie Fagan.
1940 - We won a Wartime League game 3-1 at home, thanks to a Len Carney brace and Berry Nieuwenhuys.

Bradley into the breach
1909 - Left-half James Bradley stepped in as an emergency goalkeeper, helping us to a 3-0 top-flight win over Bolton Wanderers at Anfield. Arthur Goddard and Ronald Orr grabbed our goals, to add to a Jack Parkinson penalty.

We have faced Bolton seven times in the First Division on Christmas Day, winning five and losing just once.
1902 - Our biggest win was a 5-1 thumping at Anfield when Charlie Wilson struck a brace, Jack Cox and Edgar Chadwick were on the scoresheet, and Sam Raybould added a penalty. Peter Platt saved a penalty from Laurie Bell.
1897 – Forward Abe Hartley debuted as we won an away meeting 2-0, thanks to goals from Dan Cunliffe and Andrew McCowie.
1914 – Centre-half Bob Ferguson played his hundredth reds game in our 1-0 win at Burnden Park. Forward Billy Lacey was our scorer.

Arsenal again
1935 - Arsenal won for the fourth consecutive season in the League at Anfield, with Joe Hulme scoring one of his ten goals against the reds. No team has since equalled this feat.
1947 - They also left L4 with both points when Bob Priday netted in a 3-1 defeat. Ronnie Rooke struck twice for the Gunners, with Don Roper netting the first of his five past us.

Eased in on his debut
1946 - John Easdale made his reds bow as we lost 2-1 at Stoke City, with Albert Stubbins netting late on for the reds after a Freddie Steele brace had put the Potters in control.
1941 - We also lost at the Victoria Ground, going down 4-3 in a Wartime League match, with our goals coming from Berry Nieuwenhuys, Stan Polk and Billy Liddell.

Two ton Jimmy
1931 - Right-back Jimmy ‘Parson’ Jackson played his 200th reds game in our 3-1 defeat of Sheffield Wednesday in a top-flight encounter at Anfield. Harry Burgess struck one of his nine goals past us, with Gordon Gunson bagging a brace and Harold Barton also on target.

Tommy’s last
1913 – Centre-forward Tommy Gracie bagged his fifth and final reds goal as we beat Manchester City 4-2 at Anfield, with Jackie Sheldon netting a brace and Billy Lacey also on the scoresheet. Fred Howard struck two of his nine goals against the reds, both from the spot.

Match abandoned
1893 - Our friendly with Accrington Stanley at their Crown Ground was abandoned after 75 minutes due to bad weather. We were losing 1-0 at the time.