17 September 1974 - They Should Have Saved Some For Later

On September 1974, Liverpool kicked off their Cup Winners' Cup campaign by pounding Norwegian club Strømsgodset by the score of 11-0. It remains Liverpool's greatest margin of victory, with nine separate players scoring goals.

It was the second Cup Winners' Cup appearance for Strømsgodset, who were eliminated in the first round in the 1970-71 competition. They fared no better in 1974, when they traveled to Anfield for the first leg of their first-round match-up with Liverpool.

The Reds wasted no time in establishing their dominance, going ahead in the third minute with a penalty kick by Alec Lindsay. Phil Boersma doubled the lead 10 minutes later and Liverpool went up 5-0 by halftime with a strike from Phil Thompson (30'), another from Boersma (40'), and one from Steve Heighway (42'). The second half was even worse for the Norwegians, as Peter Cormack (65') got on the scoresheet, followed by goals from Thompson (74'), Emlyn Hughes (76'), Tommy Smith (85'), Ian Callaghan (87'), and Ray Kennedy (88').

The Reds were less prolific in the remainder of the tournament, winning the second leg 1-0, then dropping out of the competition on away goals after drawing 1-1 on aggregate with Ferencváros in the second round.