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Semi-final joy and despair 2001 - We played in our 21st FA Cup Semi-final, beating Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 at Villa Park, with Emile Heskey and Robbie Fowler scoring after the underdogs had kept us out for nearly eighty minutes. Keith Ryan bagged a late consolation for Wanderers. 1981 - We were held to a goalless draw at home by Bayern München in the European Cup with Kurt Niedermayer rattling the crossbar, but we went through on away goals after the return in Germany. This game marked Steve Heighway’s 475th and final reds game, as he came on at half time to replace Terry McDermott, while Graeme Souness missed the match through injury. 1990 - We lost 4-3 to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup, also at Villa Park. This is the furthest we have ever gone in the competition as holders. We went in ahead at half time, thanks to an Ian Rush strike, and in total control, although our goalscorer had gone off injured after half an hour. However, the Eagles came out fighting in the second half. The game ended 3-3 after ninety minutes, with Steve McMahon also on target, and John Barnes scoring from spot. Future Eagles boss Alan Pardew grabbed the dramatic winner in extra time, with Mark Bright, Gary O’Reilly and Andy Gray all also on target for Palace. Through to another semi 2008 - We beat Arsenal 4-2 in the second leg of our Champions League Quarter-final. Abou Diaby put the visitors ahead before Sami Hyypiä and Fernando Torres gave us the lead. Emmanuel Adebayor looked to have sent the Gunners through on the away goals rule after a storming run from Theo Walcott, with one of his five goals past us to date, but moments later Ryan Babel was brought down in the box and Steven Gerrard converted the spot-kick to score in his fourth consecutive home game in Europe, a new club record. Babel then added a fourth in stoppage time. In Bob’s honour 1999 - The Paisley Gateway was officially opened at Anfield by his widow Jessie, three years after Bob’s death, to commemorate his service to the club. As Manager, he won an incredible nineteen trophies in nine seasons. He had also played 277 times in our first team, netting twelve times. Quadruple trebles We have three times bagged hat-tricks on this day over the years. 1933 - Gordon Hodgson grabbed three in a 4-3 defeat of Blackpool, with Dave Wright also on target. Phil Watson bagged a brace for the visitors. 1905 - Jack Parkinson netted a treble in our 8-1 thrashing of Burslem Port Vale at Anfield, with Robert Robinson and Jack Cox adding braces and Sam Raybould also scoring. Defender George Latham made the first of his nineteen reds appearances in this game. 1955 - Ex-red Cyril Done bagged four in our 4-3 defeat at Port Vale, as they were by then known. Eric Anderson, Johnny Evans and Billy Liddell netted our goals. 1899 - John Walker struck three times as we beat Derby County 4-0 at Anfield, with Alex Raisbeck also on target. We have also beaten the Rams twice more in First Division matches at Anfield on this day. 1980 – David Johnson netted while playing his hundredth League game for the reds as we won 3-0, with Colin Irwin scoring and Keith Osgood putting through his own net. 1939 - Phil Taylor bagged a brace in a 2-1 victory, with Dave McCulloch netting the last of his seven goals against us. Heading to another European semi 2010 - We faced SL Benfica for the tenth time in European competition, a joint club record along with Chelsea. We overcame a first leg deficit in our UEFA Europa League Quarter-final by winning 4-1 at Anfield. Dirk Kuyt headed us in front from a corner before Lucas Leiva bagged the second. Fernando Torres then struck a brace either side of Óscar Cardozo’s consolation, so becoming the first red ever to net twice in four consecutive home games. For Gerry 1970 - A testimonial match was staged for Gerry Byrne with the reds drawing 8-8 with an All Star XI at Anfield. Bobby Graham, Chris Lawler and Ian St. John each netted a brace, with Roger Hunt and Willie Stevenson also on target. Steve Heighway played his first reds game and was so unfamiliar with his surroundings that he asked a member of the opposition which end was the Kop! Sammy starts off with a bang 1978 - Sammy Lee scored on his reds debut as a substitute for David Johnson, who tore his knee ligaments, in our 3-2 home League win over Leicester City. Tommy Smith nabbed both our other goals, his final reds strikes. Brian’s ton up 1974 – Brian Hall played his hundredth League game as we lost 1-0 at Sheffield United, with Terry Nicholl on target and Ray Clemence saving a penalty from Keith Eddy. Beaten by the Blues 2009 – We lost 3-1 at home to Chelsea in the first leg of our Champions League Quarter-final after Fernando Torres had handed us the lead, to suffer our only defeat of the season at Anfield. Branislav Ivanović twice headed in when unmarked at set pieces, with Didier Drogba rounding off the scoring late on with one of his eleven goals past us to equal our worst ever home defeat in European competition. Pepe Reina played his fiftieth European Cup game. Three off the mark 1912 - Outside-left Henry Lester and James Scott both debuted as we won 2-0 at Bradford City in a top-flight fixture, with forward James Speakman grabbing his only reds goal. Sam Gilligan also got on the scoresheet. Red beginnings and ends 1944 - Outside-left Hugh McQueen died in Norwich. He had made 61 reds appearances after signing from Leith Athletic in October 1892, bagging eighteen goals and helping us to the Lancashire League and Second Division titles in successive seasons before joining Derby County in July 1895. 1889 - Inside-forward Arthur Metcalf was born in Sunderland. He signed from Newcastle United for £150 in May 1912 and netted 28 times in 63 reds games, playing in every position on the park. Most recently 2015 - Philippe Coutinho bagged the only goal of our FA Cup Sixth Round replay at Blackburn Rovers. Sadly, we crashed out to Aston Villa in the subsequent Semi-final at Wembley. 2017 – We won 2-1 at Stoke City’s rechristened bet365 Stadium, despite falling behind to the last of Jon Walters’ seven goals past us on the stroke of half time. The Brazilian pair Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino both came off the bench to score within two minutes of each other to hand us victory. Mixed fortunes against Oldham We have faced Oldham Athletic three times on this day in history. 1911 - Sam Gilligan netted the only goal of our top-flight meeting at Anfield, with centre-half Jimmy Harrop playing his hundredth League game for the reds. 1916 - Dave Watson struck our consolation as we lost a Wartime League match 2-1 at Boundary Park. 1922 - We were thumped 4-0 away from home in another First Division meeting, on the way to our third League title, with left-half Tom Bromilow away on international duty. Harry ‘Smiler’ Chambers played his hundredth League game for the reds as Jack Marshall bagged a treble for the home side, the last of his five goals past us, with Reuben Butler also scoring. Beating the Owls 1989 - We thumped Sheffield Wednesday 5-1 in a top-flight encounter at Anfield that kicked off at 11:30am due to it being Grand National day. Peter Beardsley was on target twice, with Steve McMahon, Ray Houghton and John Barnes also netting. This remains our joint record victory over the Hillsborough outfit. 1896 - We also beat the Owls, with Clarke netting the only goal of our friendly against The Wednesday at Anfield. Disappointment at St. James’ Park We have twice visited Newcastle United on this day in history. 1950 - Willie Fagan grabbed our consolation as we were thumped 5-1 in a top-flight match. Robert Mitchell bagged two of his eight goals against the reds, with Ernest Taylor netting the first of his five past us, with Tommy Walker and George Hannah also on target. 1893 - Our friendly ended goalless. Derby stalemate 1963 - Our top-flight trip to Goodison Park ended without score. International beginnings 1992 - Myllykosken Pallo-47’s Sami Hyypiä won his first Under-21’s cap for Finland as they drew 1-1 in a friendly in Poland. 2007 – Future reds reserves forward Nikola Sarić won his only official cap for Denmark Under-16’s, netting in their 3-2 defeat by Georgia in Portugal. 2009 – Conor Coady played for England Under-16’s for the first time as they beat Russia 3-1 in the Montaigu Tournament. International endings 1970 - Emlyn Hughes won his eighth and final England Under-23’s cap as they thumped Bulgaria 4-1 in Plymouth. 1905 – John ‘Geezer’ Hughes made his third and final senior international appearance for Wales as they drew 2-2 with Ireland in the British International Championships in Belfast. 1900 - England’s Raby Howell and Scotland’s Hugh Morgan both won their second and final caps, and only ones as reds players, as the Scots won 2-1 at Villa Park in the same tournament. Future reds keeper Ned Doig was in the Scotland goal. 1999 - Future red Gary McAllister announced his international retirement after a total of 57 caps. Razor sheathed 2001 - Neil Ruddock was released by Crystal Palace after 28 games for them. He joined Roy Evans at Swindon Town four months later.

Heading towards Istanbul 2005 - Luis García netted twice before Milan Baroš struck his 27th and final reds goal as we beat Bayer 04 Leverkusen 3-1 in the BayArena to reach the Quarter-finals of the Champions League 6-2 on aggregate. We were able to take our feet off the gas towards the end, as John Welsh made his Champions League debut and we ended the match with Antonio Núñez at right-back and Igor Bišcan alongside Welsh in the centre of defence, although Jacek Krzynówek grabbed a late consolation – cue “Rocking All Over The World”! Rafa was also able to replace Dietmar Hamann with Vladimír Šmicer on the hour, in a replica of the switch made by his predecessor three years earlier that some people claimed had tipped the balance towards the German outfit. Yanks in 2007 - It was announced that George Gillett Jr. and Tom Hicks now owned 80.7% of the club’s shares. John’s bow 1901 – Forward John Davies played the first of his ten reds games as Sam Raybould bagged the only goal of our home top-flight fixture with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Leaving the reds 1999 - Steve Harkness was sold to SL Benfica for £750,000 after three goals in 139 reds games since signing from Carlisle United for £75,000 in July 1989. He only stayed five months in Portugal, playing nine League games for the Eagles before joining Blackburn Rovers. 1972 – Forward Bobby Graham left for Coventry City after 42 goals in 137 reds games, having been pushed down the pecking order by John Toshack and Kevin Keegan. Twice from twelve yards 1991 - We won 3-0 at Manchester City to go joint top of the table, with Jan Mølby scoring two from the spot in a six-minute first-half spell, and John Barnes netting late on. 1982 - Our previous game on this day was a 5-1 thumping of Stoke City at the Victoria Ground, postponed from the previous December. Five different scorers bagged our goals, with Terry McDermott, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Sammy Lee and Ronnie Whelan all on target. 1918 - We also visited the Potters in a Wartime League fixture when George Schofield netted in a 3-1 defeat. On our way to Wembley 1974 - John Toshack netted the only goal of the game as we won our FA Cup Quarter-final at Bristol City. The reds enjoyed the rare luxury of flying back from the game. Derby disappointment 1895 – We lost our Lancashire Senior Cup Semi-final 1-0 at Goodison Park. Happy birthdays 1996 – Centre-half Dan Cleary was born in Dublin. He arrived in 2011, moving up to the Under-21’s for the 2014/15 season. He made his first-team debut against a Malaysia XI in July 2015, but moved on in the summer of 2016. 1983 - Midfielder Michael Foley-Sheridan was born in Dublin. He left Anfield in the summer of 2004, without having broken through into the first-team to return to Irish football. 1950 - Ex-coach Christian Damiano was born in France. He only spent one season with the reds after making the move from Fulham, before moving on for a second spell at Southampton, working as Steve Wigley’s assistant. International starts against the Irish 1901 - Winger Jack Cox won the first of his three England caps as they beat Ireland 3-0 in the British International Championships at The Dell. 1895 - Future reds right-half Raby Howell netted on his debut as England triumphed 9-0 at Derby, winning his only cap as a Sheffield United player. Fellow future reds inside-forward Frank Becton added a brace on his debut, also his only appearance while with Preston North End. 1889 - Future reds keeper Ned Doig won his second and final cap as an Arbroath player as Scotland trounced Northern Ireland 7-0 at Ibrox. 1949 – Future red Sammy Smyth played for Ireland as they lost 2-0 to Wales in the British International Championships at Windsor Park. Bish Bash Taff Tosh 1994 - A bittersweet day for John Toshack, who managed the Welsh national team for the first and only time in his initial 47-day reign in charge. The game ended in a 3-1 defeat by Norway with Stig Inge Bjørnebye, Ian Rush and ex-red Dean Saunders all playing at Ninian Park. Meanwhile, Roy Hodgson took charge of Switzerland as they beat Hungary 2-1 in a friendly in Budapest. Red against red in Cardiff 1903 - Alex Raisbeck captained Scotland for the first time as they lost 1-0 to Wales in the British International Championships at Ninian Park. Richard Morris won his first Welsh cap as a red, alongside team-mate Maurice Parry. A half century for Quasi 1994 - Ex-red Peter Beardsley won his fiftieth cap for England as they beat Denmark 1-0 in a friendly at Wembley. Future red Paul Ince also played. Disappointment in North London 1963 - Goals from Kevin Lewis and Roger Hunt helped us to a 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Highbury. 1929 - Gordon Hodgson and Dick Edmed both scored as we lost 4-2 to the Gunners at Anfield. Joe Hulme struck two of his ten goals against the reds, with Jimmy Brain bagging the last of his eight and Charlie Jones also on target. We have also twice visited Tottenham Hotspur on this day in history. 1977 – We lost a League fixture as Ralph Coates scored the last of his four goals past us. 1968 - We held them to a 1-1 draw in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup. Tony Hateley struck our goal, and we eventually went out to West Bromwich Albion in the next round, after two replays. Jimmy Greaves scored for Spurs, one of his twelve strikes against the reds. Wednesday twice We faced The Wednesday twice at Owlerton on this day in successive years early last century. 1908 - Goals from Robert Robinson and Joe Hewitt handed us a 2-1 League win. 1907 - We lost 1-0 in the FA Cup Fourth Round as Harry Chapman scored his sixth and final goal past us.