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Heysel: a black day in our history 1985 - If April 15th is the saddest day in the club’s history, May 29th is surely the lowest. 39 football fans died at the Heysel stadium in Brussels before our European Cup Final against Juventus. Although many factors contributed to the tragedy, it is inescapable that violence by reds fans played a major role in the deaths of 32 Italians, four Belgians, two Frenchmen and one man from Northern Ireland. R.I.P. Rocco Acerra (aged 29), Bruno Balli (50), Alfons Bos, Giancarlo Bruschera (21), Andrea Casula (11), Giovanni Casula (44), Nino Cerullo (24), Willy Chielens, Giuseppina Conto (17), Dirk Daenecky, Dionisio Fabbro (51), Jacques François, Eugenio Gagliano (35), Francesco Galli (25), Giancarlo Gonnelli (20), Alberto Guarini (21), Giovacchino Landini (50), Roberto Lorentini (31), Barbara Lusci (58), Franco Martelli (22), Loris Messore (28), Gianni Mastroiaco (20), Sergio Bastino Mazzino (38), Luciano Rocco Papaluca (38), Luigi Pidone (31), Benito Pistolato (50), Patrick Radcliffe, Domenico Ragazzi (44), Antonio Ragnanese (49), Claude Robert, Mario Ronchi (43), Domenico Russo (28), Tarcisio Salvi (49), Gianfranco Sarto (47), Amedeo Giuseppe Spolaore (55), Mario Spanu (41), Tarcisio Venturin (23), Jean Michel Walla, Claudio Zavaroni (28). The match eventually kicked off late, and was played in a surreal atmosphere, with the reds losing Mark Lawrenson to injury after just two minutes, and then Paul Walsh before half-time. A Michel Platini penalty was the only score, converted after Zbigniew Boniek was brought down by Gary Gillespie outside the box. This was Joe Fagan’s final game in charge and remains our only first-class game on this day in history. Stevie the best 2009 - Steven Gerrard was presented with the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. In the Middle East 1980 - David Fairclough bagged a treble as we thumped Al Nasr Club 8-0 in a friendly in the Three Fives Gulf Football Tour in the United Arab Emirates. Terry McDermott grabbed a brace, with Ray Kennedy, Sammy Lee and Graeme Souness also on the scoresheet. Happy birthday Lee 1973 - Former reserves forward Lee Jones was born in Wrexham. He signed from his hometown club for £300,000 in March 1992, making four senior reds appearances before moving to Tranmere Rovers for £100,000 in May 1997, following several loan spells back with the Robins. Sami for Finland 1996 - Sami Hyypiä won his eighth cap, and first as a Willem II player, as Finland lost 2-0 to France in a friendly in Strasbourg. Fellow future red Jari Litmanen also played. On the same day, ex-red Jim Magilton and future reds Patrik Berger, Vladimír Šmicer and Christian Ziege all also represented their countries in friendlies. International skippers Three reds have captained their countries on this day over the years, all away from home. 1974 - Emlyn Hughes wore the armband as England drew 1-1 with East Germany in a friendly in Leipzig. Fellow reds Ray Clemence, Kevin Keegan and Alec Lindsay all also played. 1982 - Southampton’s Kevin Keegan led England out at Hampden Park where they beat Scotland 1-0 in the British International Championships. Kenny Dalglish, Alan Hansen, Terry McDermott, Graeme Souness and Phil Thompson all also featured. 1996 - Future red Gary McAllister skippered Scotland as they beat Colombia 1-0 in a friendly in the Orange Bowl, Miami. In charge 2005 - Gérard Houllier was appointed Manager of Olympique Lyonnais. He led them to their fifth and sixth consecutive Ligue 1 titles in his two seasons in charge, as well as the knock-out stages of the Champions League. 2012 – John Toshack took charge of his last game as FYR Macedonia boss as they drew 0-0 with Angola in Portugal. Future red Nuri Şahin featured as Turkey beat Montenegro 1-0 in a friendly in Antalya. 2012 – Şahin also played as Turkey beat Bulgaria 2-0 in a friendly in Salzburg. 2014 - Former reds Assistant Manager Pako Ayestarán resigned as Manager of Tecos, having failed to clinch promotion in his only season in charge. Half a century for Ronnie 1994 - Ronnie Whelan won his fiftieth cap for the Republic of Ireland as they beat Germany 2-0 in a friendly in Hannover. Future reds Phil Babb, Jason McAteer and Karl-Heinz Riedle also played, as did ex-reds Ray Houghton and Steve Staunton. First and last caps 2011 – Luis Suárez won his first cap as a reds player as Uruguay lost a friendly 2-1 in Germany. Meanwhile, Charlie Adam played his last international while with Blackpool in their 1-0 defeat by the Republic of Ireland in the Carling Nations Cup in Dublin, with ex-red Robbie Keane on target. 2010 – Krisztián Németh made his senior international debut as a substitute as Hungary lost 3-0 to Germany in a friendly in Budapest, his only cap as a reds player. Martin Kelly, Martin Škrtel and ex-red Jari Litmanen also represented their countries, with John Toshack taking charge of Wales. 2016 – Škrtel played for Slovakia again, with ex-red Mikel San José also in international action. 2014 – Yossi Benayoun played his first game for Israel while with Queens Park Rangers, in their 3-0 friendly defeat in Mexico. Lloyd Jones and ex-red Charles Itandje both also represented their countries on that day. 2013 – Simon Mignolet won his twelfth cap, and last as a Sunderland player, with Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke bagging a brace in Belgium’s 4-2 friendly win over the USA in Cleveland. Glen Johnson, Daniel Sturridge and future reds James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain faced ex-red Robbie Keane on the same day as the Republic of Ireland held Roy Hodgson’s England to a 1-1 friendly draw at Wembley. 2009 – Future red Joe Allen won his first senior cap as John Toshack’s Wales beat Estonia 1-0 in a friendly in Cardiff. 1973 - Future red David Johnson made his debut for England Under-23’s in their 1-0 defeat by the Netherlands in Maastricht. Fellow future red Ray Kennedy also played. Robbie’s farewell 2008 – Future red Robbie Keane skippered the Republic of Ireland and scored the only goal of their friendly encounter with Colombia at Craven Cottage, while winning his final cap in his first spell with Tottenham Hotspur. Christian Poulsen netted his only goal as a Sevilla player as Denmark drew 1-1 with the Netherlands in Eindhoven, with Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt both featuring. Ex-red Jari Litmanen also played in a friendly that day. 2009 – Keane also scored for his country as they drew 1-1 with Nigeria in a friendly at Loftus Road. Ex-red Xabi Alonso netted as Spain beat Saudi Arabia in another friendly in Austria, with Álvaro Arbeloa also in action. Gordon again 1932 – Gordon Gunson scored in his fourth consecutive game of our Danish tour as we beat a Copenhagen Select side consisting of players based in the city 4-1. We fell behind to a spot-kick, with Dave Wright bagging a brace and Robert Done also on target. Thumping Rovers 1940 - We trounced Tranmere Rovers 8-3 in a Wartime League match at Anfield. Berry Nieuwenhuys, Peter Doherty and Len Carney all bagged braces, with Billy Liddell and Alf Hanson also on target. Going home 2008 - Patrik Berger signed for Sparta Praha on a free transfer, having been released by Aston Villa earlier that month. He netted eight times in 31 games before retiring in January 2010. Reds youngsters for the Under-21’s 1994 - Robbie Fowler and Jamie Redknapp both played as England beat Russia 2-0 in the Toulon Tournament in Bandol. 1991 - Steve McManaman and future red David James featured as Mexico were trounced 6-1 in the same competition in Vitrolles. 2000 - Jamie Carragher, Danny Murphy and David Thompson all played as England thumped Turkey 6-0 in a European Championships Finals group game in Slovakia. Meanwhile, future red Milan Baroš was booked while playing for the Czech Republic in their 3-1 defeat of the Netherlands in the same competition. 2006 - Daniel Agger played as Denmark were knocked out of the European Championships in Portugal by losing 2-1 to Ukraine. For Omagh 1999 - Phil Babb and future reds Robbie Keane and Mark Kennedy both played for the Republic of Ireland in a friendly at Lansdowne Road in aid of the Omagh Fund. Northern Ireland won the game 1-0. A happy day for Zico 1971 - Phil Neal married Sue at Cogenhoe, near Northampton. He was then twenty, and three years away from his big move from Northampton Town to Anfield. In South Africa 1994 – We held Iwisa Kaizer Chiefs to a goalless draw at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Phil Neal’s son Ashley suffered knee ligament damage in the game and had to be replaced by the South African-born Andy Harris, while Iain Brunskill made a rare first-team appearance.

Clem for the first time 1968 - Ray Clemence played his first reds game as we lost a friendly 1-0 to Porto in their Estádio das Antas. Farewells 2011 - We lost in our final game of the season at Aston Villa, with future red Stewart Downing netting the only goal. David N’Gog played his 94th and last reds game. On the same day, ex-reds keeper Jerzy Dudek announced his retirement from playing. He had made 186 reds appearances, helping us to glory in Istanbul, as well as the Worthington Cup in 2003. He left to join Real Madrid in July 2007, although barely featured for their first team. 1925 - Northern Irish inside-forward Billy McDevitt was sold to Exeter City for a club record fee, having been converted to a centre-half since arriving at Anfield from Swansea Town in 1923. He has played just four reds games. An England debutant 1974 - Reds left-back Alec Lindsay won the first of his four England caps in their 2-2 friendly draw with Argentina at Wembley. Emlyn Hughes was skipper that day, with Kevin Keegan also playing. Roger for England for the last time 1968 - Roger Hunt netted his eighteenth and final international goal as England beat Sweden 3-1 in a friendly at Wembley. He won a total of 34 caps for his country. A Scotland debutant 1979 - Reds reserves forward Frank McGarvey won his first full international cap as Scotland beat Northern Ireland 1-0 in the British International Championships at Hampden Park. Kenny Dalglish captained the side, with Graeme Souness and future red John Wark also featuring. Emile and Digger for England 2003 - Emile Heskey struck as England beat South Africa 2-1 in a friendly in Durban, his final England goal as a red. Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, future red Joe Cole and ex-red David James all also played. 2016 – Jordan Henderson and ex-red Raheem Sterling played for Roy Hodgson’s England as they beat Turkey 2-1 in Manchester. 1990 - John Barnes was on target, although England lost 2-1 in a friendly to Uruguay at Wembley. Clubmate Peter Beardsley also appeared, as a substitute 1985 - Barnes also featured for England in a 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw in Finland 1994 - Beardsley represented his country again, playing with Rob Jones and future red Paul Ince as England were held to a goalless friendly draw by Norway at Wembley. Young debutants 2003 - Reds reserves forward Daniel Sjölund made his senior international debut as a substitute, with ex-red Øyvind Leonhardsen on target as Norway beat Finland 2-0 in a friendly in Oslo. John Arne Riise also played, while Finland were skippered by Sami Hyypiä. Oddly, Finland’s starting line-up included more players from the Norwegian Tippeliga than the eleven that began the game for Norway! 2002 - Sami Hyypiä also featured for Finland, playing alongside clubmate Jari Litmanen as they beat Latvia 2-1 in a friendly in Helsinki. On the same day, John Arne Riise and Øyvind Leonhardsen played as Norway were held to a 1-1 draw in another friendly in Bodø. 2014 – Keeper Peter Gulácsi made his senior bow as Hungary drew a friendly 2-2 with Denmark in Debrecen. Daniel Agger was on the opposing side. Meanwhile, Australian left-back Brad Smith won his first cap for England Under-21’s as they beat Qatar 3-0 in the Toulon Tournament. 2012 – Gini Wijnaldum won his first cap as a PSV Eindhoven as the Dutch Under-21’s were beaten 1-0 by Macedonia in a friendly in Austria. Feliz aniversário 2000 – Reserves forward Rafael Camacho was born in Lisbon. He made his senior bow at right-back in an FA Cup Third Round defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers last January, so far playing twice for the first team. Other friendlies 1932 – We trounced Århus Workers Sports Club 8-0 on our Danish tour, with Dave Wright, Gordon Gunson and Archie McPherson all bagging braces. Robert Done and Harold Barton also scored. 1969 - RCD Mallorca used ten substitutes at the start of the second half as we won a friendly there 2-1. Ian Callaghan and Bobby Graham netted our goals. Bizarrely, Bob Paisley was escorted to the dressing room by civil guards after trying to make a second substitution for the reds! 1984 - We defeated the Israeli national team 4-1, with Ronnie Whelan scoring twice and Michael Robinson and Graeme Souness also grabbing goals. For the King 1967 - We took part in a testimonial match for Tranmere Rovers legend John King, winning 3-1 at Prenton Park thanks to strikes from Gerry Byrne, Ian St. John and an own goal. Internationals on target 2012 – Future red Mohamed Salah struck twice as Egypt beat Togo 3-0 in a friendly in Sudan. 2002 - Future red Fernando Torres bagged a brace for Spain Under-19’s as they beat FYR Macedonia 4-0 in a European Championships Qualifier. On the same day, future reds Paul Konchesky and Jermaine Pennant played for England Under-21’s in their 3-1 European Championships Finals defeat to Portugal in Switzerland. 1991 - Future red Nick Barmby scored a brace as England Under-18’s beat Wales 3-0 at Yeovil in a European Championships qualifier. 1998 - Ex-reserves midfielder Kevin Sheedy struck as the Republic of Ireland beat Poland 3-1 in a friendly at Lansdowne Road. John Aldridge and Ronnie Whelan both also played. 2001 - Sheedy also played for his country at the same venue, alongside reds Ray Houghton and Steve Staunton in a 1-1 friendly draw with Chile. Tosh for Wales John Toshack twice played for Wales on this day in the 1970’s. 1971 - They lost 1-0 in Northern Ireland in the British International Championships. Chris Lawler faced future red Peter Cormack on the same day as England beat Scotland 3-1 at Wembley. 1976 - Wales were held to a 1-1 draw in a European Championships qualifier. For Billy 2010 - A memorial cairn in the Billy Liddell Sports Complex in Townhill, Dunfermline was unveiled in honour of the reds legend. Youngsters in action 2008 - Mikel San José played for Spain Under-19’s as they beat their Ukrainian counterparts 3-1 in a European Championships qualifier in Armenia. Meanwhile, Damien Plessis featured for France Under-20’s in their 2-1 defeat by Japan in the Toulon Tournament in Hyères. Titi in charge 2009 - Titi Camara was appointed National Technical Director of Guinea, additionally becoming Head Coach a month later. An international first 1938 – Ireland met Poland in an international fixture for the first time, with the home side triumphing 6-0 in Warsaw. Ex-reds reserves centre-half Matt O’Mahoney played for the Irish.

In comes Jocky 1977 - Alan Hansen signed from Partick Thistle for £100,000. He went on to make 620 reds appearances, netting fourteen times as he helped us to three European Cups, eight League titles, two FA Cups, three League Cups and four FA Charity Shields. Final strikes 1996 - Ian Rush scored his 346th and final reds goal in a 2-2 draw at Manchester City, with our other strike being a Steve Lomas own goal, the hundredth time we had benefited to date in this way in the League, as City were relegated. We were actually two goals up before Uwe Rosler and Kit Symons struck for the home side. 1981 – Centre-half Colin Irwin bagged his third and last goal while playing his 44th and final game for the club. Ray Kennedy also scored as we won 2-1 at Middlesbrough. David Shearer netted one of his four goals past us. European disappointment 1966 - We played our first European final against Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund at Hampden Park in the European Cup Winners’ Cup. The game ended 1-1 after ninety minutes, with Roger Hunt bagging our equaliser after Siegfried Held’s goal, but with eleven minutes of extra time remaining, Reinhard ‘Stan’ Libuda’s shot hit the crossbar, and rebounded off Ron Yeats to hand the cup to Dortmund, who became the first German side to claim a European trophy. 1981 - A commemorative match was staged at the Westfalenstadion in aid of the children’s holiday party in Dortmund, an event organised for children staying at home during the summer break! Wembley disappointment 2012 – We lost the FA Cup Final 2-1 to Chelsea, falling behind to an early goal from Ramires. Didier Drogba struck his eleventh and final goal against us after the break. Substitute Andy Carroll pulled a goal back, his eleventh and last one for the reds, before his late header was deemed not to have crossed the line when pushed onto the bar by keeper Petr Čech. Heading to another European final 2016 – We beat Villarreal 3-0 at Anfield to reach the UEFA Europa League Final in Basel, 3-1 on aggregate. Bruno Soriano diverted a Daniel Sturridge strike into his own net early on, with Sturridge putting us ahead after an hour before Víctor Ruiz was sent off for the visitors. Adam Lallana completed the scoring. The dream is over 2014 - Joe Allen scored a club record 59th first-half goal in a season at Crystal Palace, with Damien Delaney putting through his own net after the break. Two minutes later, Luis Suárez scored his 82nd and final reds goal, a club record fourteenth away goal of the season and joint all-Premier League record 31st goal in a campaign as we took a three-goal lead, reaching a new club record of 48 away League goals. This was an all-Premier League record 21st time in a season that we had scored three or more goals in a game. However, Delaney pulled one back with just eleven minutes remaining before Dwight Gayle nabbed a brace as the game ended 3-3 to deliver our League title hopes a near-decisive blow, two of his four goals past us to date, although we went back to the top of the table with less than a week of the season to go. Victor Moses came off the bench for his 22nd and last reds game on loan from Chelsea. Happy birthday Yossi 1980 - Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun was born in Dimona. He arrived from West Ham United in a £5m deal in July 2007, and bagged 29 goals in 134 reds games, including hat-tricks against Beşiktaş JK, Havant & Waterlooville and Burnley. He was sold to Chelsea in July 2010 for a reported £5m. 1933 – South African half-back Hugh Gerhardi was born. He signed from Johannesburg-based Thistle in August 1952 but only played six senior games before returning to his homeland after just one season. 1994 – Spanish loanee right-back Javier Manquillo was born in Madrid. He arrived from Club Atlético de Madrid in August 2014 for a potential two-year spell, making nineteen senior appearances before returning after a single campaign. Treble hat-tricks 1990 - John Barnes scored a hat-trick as we came from behind in our 6-1 win at Coventry City, taking him to 22 League goals that season, with Kevin Gallacher bagging the home side’s opener. Ronnie Rosenthal netted a brace, with Ian Rush also on target in our final game of the season, in which we had clinched the title for the eighteenth and most recent time. 2001 - Michael Owen scored a hat-trick as we beat Newcastle United 3-0 at Anfield in Gérard Houllier’s hundredth League game in sole charge. 1930 – Jimmy Smith struck four times in our 6-0 thumping of Tranmere Rovers in a Birkenhead Hospitals Cup game at Prenton Park. Robert Done converted a penalty, with Dave Wright also netting. Despair against the Mancs 1928 - We were thrashed 6-1 at Manchester United to end the season in fifteenth, with Joe Spence netting three of his five goals past us. Gordon Hodgson grabbed our goal with Bill Rawlings bagging a brace and Jim Hanson also scoring for the home side 1999 - We also played United, with Jamie Redknapp and ex-United star Paul Ince netting as we came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Anfield, with Denis Irwin sent off for the Mancs, after converting a penalty. Dwight Yorke had opened the scoring with one of his eight goals against the reds. The Walton Breck Road reverberated to cries of “you lost the League on Merseyside” after the match, which sadly did not prove true. Defeat at the Cottage 2007 - Papa Bouba Diop was sent off for Fulham as Craig Bellamy played the last game of his first spell at Anfield, with Mark González and Gabriel Paletta also making their final appearances for the reds in our 1-0 defeat that came just four days after we had seen off Chelsea to reach Athens. Harry Kewell played his first game since the previous season’s FA Cup Final, while young left-back Emiliano Insúa played just his second game. Clint Dempsey struck the only goal of the game. Happy McBirthdays 1936 - Keeper Bert Slater was born in Musselburgh, Midlothian. He arrived from Falkirk in a swap deal for Tommy Younger in June 1959 and played 111 times, winning a Second Division title medal in 1962, before returning to Scotland to join Dundee that July under the management of his brother Bob. 1876 - Inside-right George Livingstone was born in Dumbarton. He signed from Celtic in May 1902 and bagged four goals in 32 games the following season. He moved on to Manchester City after just one year at Anfield, helping them to claim the FA Cup in 1904. Farewell Jimmy 1965 - Club Secretary Jimmy McInnes sadly hanged himself above the Archway Stile, the old turnstile between the Kop and Kemlyn Road stands, just four days after we had claimed the FA Cup for the first time. He had been in this role for a decade, having previously been on our books as a left-half during the Second World War. Title joy 1951 – Tottenham Hotspur were presented with the championship trophy by Football League President Arthur Drewry, having secured the title in the previous game after being promoted as Second Division champions only the previous season. We lost 3-1 at White Hart Lane that day, with Albert Stubbins on target late on. Sonny Walters struck the first of his four goals against the reds, with Peter Murphy and Len Duquemin also scoring. The greatest at St. Andrews 1984 - Muhammad Ali was in the crowd to watch us play out a goalless draw at Birmingham City. Mixed fortunes against the Latics 1993 - We lost a Premiership fixture 3-2 at Oldham Athletic, with Ian Rush on the scoresheet twice at Boundary Park. David James scored an own goal while Don Hutchinson was sent off, our sixth dismissal that season. Darren Beckford and Ian Olney also struck for the home side. This game had originally been postponed back on Boxing Day. 1945 - We beat Oldham 3-2 in a Wartime League match at Anfield. Phil Taylor, Berry Nieuwenhuys and Les Shannon grabbed our goals. Beginning and end 1958 - Inside-forward Willie Carlin signed as a professional. He played just one senior game before joining Halifax Town in August 1962, going on to play more than 400 League games for a series of clubs. 2013 – Forward Alan Arnell died. He had struck 35 times in 75 reds games after arriving from non-league Worthing in March 1953. He stayed with the club until February 1961 when he was sold to Tranmere Rovers. Award winners 2009 - Steven Gerrard was named the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year, after netting 24 times in 44 outings that season. 2019 – On-loan winger Ryan Kent was named as the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year after scoring six goals in 43 games in a successful season with Rangers. Final victory 1959 – We beat Everton in the Lancashire Senior Cup Final at Anfield, with Billy Liddell nabbing the only goal of the game. Derby disappointment 2013 – We were held to a goalless draw by Everton at Anfield, with Sylvain Distin having a header ruled out for a Victor Anichebe foul on Pepe Reina. At the double 2006 - Future red Krisztián Németh bagged a brace for Hungary Under-17’s as they beat Luxembourg 4-0 in the European Championships Finals in Mondorf Les Bains. Miles away 2003 - Ex-reds reserves forward John Miles signed for Macclesfield Town on a free transfer from Crewe Alexandra, following a loan spell. Roy in charge 1999 - Roy Hodgson was reappointed Manager of Internazionale, in a caretaker role, before returning to Switzerland to coach Grasshopper Club Zürich.