16 April 1905 - Liverpool Runs The Table

On 16 April 1905, Liverpool secured their second league title. It was the first time in league history that a newly-promoted team won the top flight.

Liverpool won their first league title in 1901, but three seasons later, they finished the season as the seventeenth-placed team out of eighteen and were relegated to the Second Division. But they returned at the first opportunity and were back in the top flight for the 1904-05 season.

Their return started poorly, with three losses in their first three matches. They turned things around quickly, however, winning twelve of their next fifteen to reach the top of the table by mid-December. Their good form continued into the second half of the season, with Preston North End in hot pursuit.

At the start of the day on 16 April, Preston were five points back with three games left to play. Liverpool were away to Bolton, where they lost 3-2. But fortunately for them, Preston also lost, falling 2-0 at Sunderland. That result put the title out of Preston's reach and made Liverpool the champions.

13 April 2008 - Tonight, He Dines At Anfield!

On 13 April 2008, Steven Gerrard made his 300th appearance for Liverpool. And he did it in style, scoring one goal and assisting another in a 3-1 win over Blackburn.

Born on Merseyside in 1980, Gerrard has been with Liverpool since joining them as a youth player in 1987. He became a professional in 1997 and made his first appearance in a 2-0 win over Blackburn in November 1998.

He became a regular starter in the 1999-2000 season, then won his first silverware the following season as the Reds claimed the FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Cup. He then became team captain in October 2003.

His 300th appearance came at Anfield, where the midfielder delivered the opening goal in the 60th minute, passing through two defenders and sending the ball through the legs of a third before putting it into the back of the net. He helped double the lead 22 minutes later, providing a cross that was knocked home by striker Fernando Torres. Forward Andriy Voronin added a third in the 90th minute before Rovers got one back in stoppage time to end the day as a 3-1 Liverpool victory.

Gerrard remains with Liverpool and has since pushed his appearance count to 577.

26 March 1983 - A Final Cup For Paisley's Cupboard

On 26 March 1983, Bob Paisley, Liverpool's most decorated manager, won his last major cup, beating Manchester United in the League Cup Final, 2-1.

Paisley spent his entire professional career at Liverpool, playing there from 1939 to 1954, then joining the coaching staff. When manager Bill Shankly retired in 1974, Paisley took charge and proceeded to win an astounding club-record 20 major trophies, including six league titles and three European Cups. The 1982-83 season was his last at Anfield and he went out in style, winning his last two pieces of silverware.

The first of the two was the League Cup, his final tournament trophy. Playing before a crowd of 99,304, Liverpool faced Manchester United and quickly fell behind after United forward and captain Norman Whiteside scored in the 12th minute. They were still trailing deep into the second half until left back Alan Kennedy equalized in the 75th minute.

Still level at 1-1 after 90 minutes, the match went into extra time, where Liverpool midfielder Ronnie Whelan scored in the 98th minute. It proved to be the match-winner, giving the Reds a 2-1 victory.

Liverpool went on to give Paisley his final trophy by winning the league that season, finishing eleven points clear of runners-up Watford.

20 February 1971 - The Mighty Finn

On 20 February 1971, Finnish striker/midfielder Jari Litmanen was born in the city of Lahti. He went on to become the national team's all-time leading scorer, playing for them in four different decades.

He began his professional career in 1987 and spent time with Finnish clubs Reipas (1987-90), HJK (1991), and MyPa (1992) before joining Ajax, where he rose to international prominence. Between 1992 and 1999, he scored 135 goals in 253 appearances or Ajax, winning four league titles and the 1995 Champions League final (he finished as the tournament's second-highest scorer, with 6 goals).

After leaving Ajax, he one and a half relatively quiet seasons with Barcelona, then joined Liverpool in January 2001. In his first season there, he collected four trophies--the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup, and the League Cup--then won a fifth--the Community Shield--at the start of the next season.

He returned to Ajax in 2002 and won another league title in 2004, then moved again to a series of clubs that included Lahti (2004, 2008-10), Hansa Rostock (2004-05), Malmö (2005-07), and Fulham (2007-08) before moving to his current club, HJK, in 2011 at the age of 40. Along the way, he made 137 appearances for Finland from 1989 to 210, scoring a record 32 goals.

31 January 2011 - All Those Pounds Bring A Lot Of Pressure

On 31 January 2011, the last day of the British transfer window saw a flurry of activity that resulted in two records being broken for the sales of strikers Fernando Torres and Andy Carroll.

The transfer domino was started by Chelsea, who bought Spanish striker Fernando Torres (center) from Liverpool. Torres, who joined Liverpool in 2007, had scored 65 goals in 102 league appearances for the Merseysiders. His performance drew the attention of defending league champions Chelsea, who made a bid of £35M which Liverpool rejected, even though Torres had submitted a transfer request. But faced with an impending release clause due to be triggered in the summer, they eventally accepted Chelsea's second bid, reported to be approximately £40M--a record amount paid by a British club.

In order to fill the void left by the departure of Torres, Liverpool acted quickly to sign strikers Andy Carroll (right) from Newcastle for £35M and Luis Suárez (left) from Ajax for £22.7M, to reach a grand total of £94.7 spent on the three players. Carroll's fee was the highest ever paid for a British player.

But although Torres and Carroll set the records, Suárez turned out to be the best purchase of the trio, providing four goals and five assists for the remainder of that season. To date, he has twelve goals and eleven assists for Liverpool in 35 appearances across all competitions. Both Torres and Carroll have struggled at their new clubs, scoring a total of eleven goals between them (six from Carroll and five from Torres).

9 January 2007 - Baptista Catches Fire

On 9 January 2007, Liverpool and Arsenal played a 9-goal thriller in the Carling Cup 5th Round, including a missed penalty.

The quarterfinal meeting paired the Premier League's third- and fourth-place teams, with hosts Liverpool sitting one point higher than Arsenal. But the Gunners were confident having beaten Liverpool 1-3 at Anfield in the FA Cup the previous week (they had also won 3-0 in the league back in November).

It was a day to remember for Arsenal striker Julio Baptista, who--after several years of rumors linking him to the club--had finally joined the Londoners at the start of the season on loan from Real Madrid. Despite his reputation as a prolific scorer, he started the day with only one goal to his Arsenal account. That changed in the 40th minute. After a pair of early goals from Arsenal's Jérémie Aliadière and Liverpool's Robbie Fowler, Baptista broke the deadlock with a 25-yard free kick.

Then, after Alex Song put Arsenal ahead 3-1 with what appeared to be a handball off a corner kick in the 45th minute, Baptista quickly struck again before the break, delivering the ball to Aliadière on the wing then receiving it back to tap into an open net. He had a chance for a hat-trick early in the second half when Aliadière earned a penalty, but Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek parried Baptista's shot.

He eventually completed his hat-trick in the 60th minute and added a fourth in the 84th minute, while Liverpool got goals from Steven Gerrard (68') and Sami Hyypia (80') to finish the day at 3-6. Arsenal went on to reach the final, where they lost to Chelsea, while both Baptista and Aliadière moved away from Arsenal at the end of the season.

9 December 1984 - Percudani Pounces On Liverpool

On 9 December 1984, Independiente won their second Intercontinental Cup, beating Liverpool 1-0.

The Argentinians were making their sixth appearance in the competition after a 10-year absence and a previous record of four losses (1964, 1965, 1972, 1974) and one win--a 1-0 victory over Juventus in 1973. Liverpool, meanwhile, were in it for only the second time after losing 3-0 to Flamengo in 1981.

Playing before a crowd of 62,000 at Tokyo's National Stadium, Liverpool's attack featured the high-scoring forward pairing of Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush (Rush was Europe's top scorer that season with 32 goals in 41 league appearances). But it was 19-year old Independiente striker José Percudani (pictured) who got the day's only goal. He sprinted past the Liverpool defense to latch on to a pass that had been sent from beyond the midfield stripe, then beat goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar with a tidy left-footed finish.

It turned out to be the last time in the competition for either club, though Liverpool made an appearance in the 2005 edition of its successor, the FIFA Club World Cup, losing 1-0 to São Paulo.

25 October 2009 - There's Something To Be Said For Consistency

On 25 October 2009, Manchester United center back Nemanja Vidić received a 90th-minute red card against Liverpool--his third ejection in three consecutive games against the Reds.

In both of the teams' meetings the previous season, Vidić failed to make it to the final whistle and both ended as Liverpool victories. The first, at Anfield in September 2008, saw the defender receive a second yellow card in the 90th minute as the Reds edged to a 2-1 win. In the return fixture in March, he drew a straight red for a 76th-minute foul on Steven Gerrard, who had gotten through on a clear goalscoring opportunity. Liverpool won 1-4.

Things got no better for Vidić in the next meeting. Playing at Anfield, Fernando Torres put the hosts up 1-0 in the 65th minute after fending off pressure from Rio Ferdinand and driving the ball over Edwin Van der Sar into the roof of the net. Ten minutes later, Vidić earned his first yellow card of the day.

His second came in the 90th minute. With Dirk Kuyt about to blow past him to latch onto a deep ball, the Serbian defender delivered a flying challenge that stopped Kuyt cold. Referee Andre Marriner then produced a yellow and a red card in quick succession. (It was the first of two reds on the day, as Javier Mascherano joined Vidić with a stoppage-time exit.) And David N'Gog's strike in the sixth minute of stoppage time sealed the 2-0 win for Liverpool.

28 August 1994 - Fowler Flies To A Fast Record

On 28 August 1994, Liverpool beat Arsenal 3-0 thanks to 19-year old striker Robbie Fowler, who delivered the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history.



A member of Liverpool's youth team, Fowler joined the senior side in 1993 and quickly established himself as a talented goalscorer with 18 goals in 34 appearances that first season. But nothing quite prepared the Liverpool faithful for his performance against Arsenal in the second match of the 1994-95 season.



Playing before a crowd of over 30,000 at Anfield, Fowler opening the day's scoring in a 26th minute when Arsenal defender Martin Keown failed to clear a cross from a free kick. The ball dropped to the feet of Fowler, who scored with a simple finish from eight yards out. He had to work a little harder for his second goal three minutes later, shooting across the goal to send the ball in off a rebound from the far post.



But his best goal of the day was his last. In the 31st minute, he beat both Keown and goalkeeper David Seaman, who collided with one another, then slotted the ball into the open net from a narrow angle. Arsenal failed to mount a serious challenege after that point as the hosts were content to sit on the lead and the match ended 3-0.



Officially, only 4 minutes, 33 seconds passed between Fowler's first and third goals. Although there have been faster hat-tricks, including Tommy Ross's 90-second tally for Ross County in 1964), Fowler's remains the fastest in the history of the Premier League.

13 July 1979 - Bellamy Is Born

On 13 June 1979, future Wales captain and famously volatile striker Craig Bellamy was born in Cardiff. He has spent the majority of his career in England, with brief loan spells in Scotland and Wales.

Bellamy began his professional career in 1996 with Norwich City and established himself as a regular first-teamer by his second season. But after 32 goals in 84 league appearances, he drew substantial interest from other clubs, eventually moving to Coventry City in 2000 for a transfer fee of £6.5 million. Then, when Coventry were relegated at the end of his first season there, he moved on Newcastle.

He did well on the pitch at Newcastle, scoring 14 times in his first season, but he fell out with members of the coaching staff and several players, including his strike partner Alan Shearer. Manager Graeme Souness sent him out to Celtic on loan for the second half of the 2004-05 season. Afterward, he spent time with Blackburn Rovers (2005-06), Liverpool (2006-07), West Ham (2007-09), and Manchester City (2009-10) before moving to Cardiff City on loan in August 2010.

Along the way, Bellamy was accused of assault in four separate instances, though never convicted. Most recently, he was arrested in Cardiff in January 2011 for an alleged assault on two men.

Bellamy debuted for Wales in 1998 and rose to captain the team in 2006. To date, he has made 62 national team appearances and has scored 18 goals to place fifth on the list of the Wales national team's top scorers.

4 July 2007 - Liverpool Breaks The Bank

On 4 July 2007, striker Fernando Torres completed a move from Atlético Madrid to Liverpool, becoming the Anfield club's most expensive signing at the time.

Up to that point, Torres had spent his entire career with Atlético. From 2001 to 2007, he made a total of 249 appearances in all competitions, scoring 91 times. His most prolific season there was in 2003-04, when he scored 21 goals, 19 in the league. During that season, he also made his first appearance for Spain's senior side.

His scoring prowess drew the attention of Liverpool manager Rafa Benítez, who completed the signing in July 2007. Neither club announced the fee, but it is believed to have been close to £20 million, setting a new club transfer record. Torres proceeded to enjoy the best season of his career, scoring a total of 33 goals in all competitions as Liverpool finished fourth in the Premier League and reached the semifinals of the Champions League.

After three and a half seasons at Anfield, Torres moved to Chelsea for an undisclosed fee reported to have been approximately £50 million. The move opened the door for Liverpool to break their transfer fee record on successive days with the signing of strikers Luis Suárez (£22.8 million on 30 January 2011) and Andy Carroll (£35 million on 31 January 2011).

14 May 1988 - Game, Set, Match For Wimbledon

On 14 May 1988, Wimbledon won the FA Cup thanks in part to the first-ever penalty save in the history of the tournament final. It was the last major trophy for the club, who moved to Milton Keynes in 2004 to become the MK Dons.

Wimbledon's opponents in the Final were Liverpool, who had won the league by finishing nine points clear of Manchester United. Prior to the Final, they had lost only three times--twice in the league and once in the League Cup--and were heavily favored over Wimbledon, who were seventh in the final table and who had taken only a single point from Liverpool in their two league meetings that season.

Playing before a crowd of over 98,000 at Wembley, Wimbledon took a shock first-half lead when midfielder Lawrie Sanchez headed a free kick home in the 37th minute. Liverpool looked certain to equalize in the second half when the referee awarded them a penalty kick in the 60th minute. But Wimbledon keeper and captain Dave Beasant guessed correctly, diving to his left to stop the shot from John Aldridge. It was the first time in the history of the FA Cup that a keeper saved a penalty in the Final.

Manager Kenny Dalglish subbed Aldridge out four minutes later for Craig Johnston, but the Reds were unable to crack Wimbledon's defense and the score held, 1-0 to Wimbledon. With their reputation as the "Crazy Gang," rumors swirled about wild post-match celebrations, but Beasant later said that he and his teammates were so exhausted after the match that they enjoyed a small party with their families then got to bed early.

24 April 1954 - Liverpool Sinks

On 24 April 1954, Liverpool ended 50 consecutive seasons in the top flight with a 3-0 loss to Blackpool. They would not return for eight years.

Founded in 1892, Liverpool joined the Football League in 1893 and had been in the First Division since the 1905-06 season. In 1947, they won their fifth league title, but they had finished no higher than eighth in the intervening years and dropped all the way to 17th in 1953.

The 1953-54 season started poorly, with five losses in their first eight matches. They hit bottom on 19 December after a 5-1 loss to Manchester United and remained there for the remaining 19 weeks. At one point, they set a current club record by going 14 matches without a win.

They rallied in early April, rattling off four wins in six matches, but it was not enough to lift them up from last place. A loss at home to Cardiff City on 17 April guaranteed their relegation. A win against Blackpool in their last match would have put them above Middlesbrough on goal average, but Blackpool won 3-0, firmly sticking Liverpool on the bottom.

They remained in Division 2 until 1962 when Bill Shankly, in only his second full season in charge, guided them back to the top flight, where they have remained ever since.

3 April 1999 - Somebody Was On Drugs, But It Wasn't Fowler

On 3 April 1999, Liverpool won the Merseyside derby over Everton 3-2 in a match best remembered for a provocative goal celebration.

Although Everton were sitting seven spots below Liverpool in the table and the two teams had played to a scoreless draw earlier that season at Goodison Park, the visitors stunned the home crowd with a goal from midfielder Olivier Dacourt after only 41 seconds. He unleashed a powerful volley from 30 yards out that skimmed the head of defender Steve Staunton and beat keeper David James.

But the lead did not last long. A trip by Everton's Marco Materazzi on Paul Ince led to a 15th-minute penalty kick, which Robbie Fowler converted with ease. Fowler, who previously had been accused of drug abuse by the Everton supporters, then raced to the goal line, dropped to his knees, and pretended to snort the white line in front of the visiting fans. Police soon stepped into the area to quiet the ensuing uproar.

Liverpool proceeded to win 3-2 after another goal from Fowler (21') and a one from Patrik Berger (82'), while Everton's Francis Jeffers (84') provided the day's last goal.

Afterward, Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier attempted to explain Fowler's celebration by saying the striker was really pretending to eat the grass, claiming it was a Cameroonian tradition learned from teammate Rigobert Song. The FA clearly disagreed, suspended Fowler for six matches (including time for another incident) and fining him £32,000. Liverpool also fined him an additional £60,000 for bringing the game into disrepute.

22 February 1991 - The King Has Left The Building

On 22 February 1991, Kenny Dalglish resigned as Liverpool manager after guiding the club for five and a half seasons. During that period, they won three league titles and two FA Cups.

He got his start at Anfield in 1977 when then-manager Bob Paisley spent a British record £440,000 to bring him from Celtic as a replacement for recently-departed striker Kevin Keegan. He soon became a fan favorite and a key contributor, winning five league titles, four League Cups, and three European Cups under Paisley and Paisley's replacement, Joe Fagan and earning the nickname "King Kenny."

When Fagan retired in May 1985, Dalglish took over as player-manager only hours before the Heysel stadium disaster. But despite that tragedy marking his debut, he led Liverpool to the Double the following season. More success followed, including the 1988 and 1990 league titles and the 1989 FA Cup. But more tragedy followed, as well, in the form of the Hillsborough disaster which claimed the lives of 96 people, all of whom were Liverpool supporters.

Less than two years later, Dalglish resigned as manager, clearly suffering from the effects of both Heysel and Hillsborough in addition to the pressures of management. But he returned to the touchline eight months later for Blackburn and led them from the Second Division to the 1995 Premier League title--their first league title since 1914.

After further spells with Newcastle United (1997-98) and Celtic (1999-2000), he returned to Anfield in 2009 as club ambassador. He was a popular candidate to replace Rafa Benitez in June 2010, but the job went instead to Roy Hodgson. Hodgson lasted barely half a season, though, and Dalglish returned as manager in January 2011.

23 January 1919 - Liverpool's Other Greatest Manager

On 23 January 1919, Liverpool legend Bob Paisley was born in Sunderland, England. Although Bill Shankly is widely--and correctly--recognized as Liverpool's greatest manager, Paisley actually produced a better record and more silverware than his former boss.

Paisley joined the club as a half-back in May 1939, making the move from non-League side Bishop Auckland FC. But World War II intervened, so he did not make his first appearance until January 1946, almost 7 years later. Despite the delay, he quickly established himself as a regular in the first team, making 253 League appearance before his retirement in 1954, winning both the 1947 League title and the 1950 FA Cup (Paisley did not play in the Cup final, but played in enough matches to earn a winner's medal).

After hanging up his boots, he remained with the club as a staff member, first as a physiotherapist, then as a reserve coach. He was there when Shankly arrived in December 1959 and helped the new boss guide the Reds to unparalleled heights, winning three League titles, two FA Cups, one UEFA Cup, and one European Cup Winners' Cup. When Shankly retired unexpectedly after the 1973-74 season, Paisley took up the reins.

Under Paisley, Liverpool amassed a monumental silverware collection, including 6 League titles, 3 European Cups, one UEFA Cup, 3 League Cups, one European Super Cup, and one Intercontinental Cup. Paisley himself won 6 Manager of the Year Awards. When discussing his amazing run of success, Paisley once quipped "Mind you, I've been here during the bad times, too. One year we came second."

He retired in 1983, after winning that 6th League title. All told, he had spent 44 years at Anfield. He died in 1996 at the age of 77.

See a video tribute to Paisley here.

7 January 2006 - Alonso's Long-Distance Delivery

On 7 January 2006, Liverpool overcame a two-goal second half deficit against Luton Town in the FA Cup Third Round, capping the win with a 65-yard goal from midfielder Xabi Alonso (pictured).

The reigning Champions League winners, Liverpool were sitting third in the Premier League table, having just ended a 10-match winning streak with a draw against Bolton. So it was no surprise when they opened the scoring with a 16th-minute Steven Gerrard to take the lead against Luton, then a mid-table Championship side freshly promoted from League One.

But the tide turned midway through the first half, as the Luton midfield took control of the match. They were rewarded with a 31st-minute equalizer from forward Steve Howard, then took the lead 12 minutes later with a goal from midfielder Steve Robinson. In the second half, the hosts were awarded a penalty when Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson brought striker Rowan Vine down in the box. Luton captain Kevin Nicholls converted the 53rd-minute spot kick to extend the lead to 3-1.

But the hosts began to wear down, conceding three goals in the space of 12 minutes, including a brace from substitute Florent Sinama-Pongolle (62', 74') and one from Alonso (69'). Alsono secured the win with a flourish in stoppage time, collecting the rebound from a Luton corner, rounding the keeper who had come up for the kick, then driving a left-footed shot from inside his own half that curled into the center of the unguarded Luton net.

Liverpool used the victory as a springboard, going on to win the Cup that year.

29 December 2009 - El Niño Turns Fifty

On 29 December 2009, Spanish striker Fernando Torres scored his 50th league goal for Liverpool, reaching that milestone faster than any other player in the club's history.

Nicknamed "El Niño," Torres arrived in Liverpool from Atlético Madrid in July 2007 when he was only 23. He made his league debut for the Reds on 11 August 2007, then scored his first league goal one week later in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea. He provided a total of 33 goals in all competitions that first year, helping Liverpool to a 4th-place league finish and the Champions League semifinals. His 24 league goals tied him for second in the Premier League.

Injuries hampered his second season on Merseyside, limiting him a still-respectable haul of 14 league goals as Liverpool secured a second-place finish.

The record 50th goal came the following season, his third with Liverpool. Deep into stoppage time at Aston Villa with the match scoreless, Torres latched on to a 93rd-minute rebound and slotted it past Villa keeper Brad Friedel for the win. It was Torres' 72nd league match for Liverpool, eight matches fewer than the club's former record-holder Sam Raybould and 12 matches fewer than Liverpool's all-time leading goalscorer, Ian Rush.

27 December 1915 - They Probably Got Coal In Their Stockings, Too

On 27 December 1915, the FA issued lifetime bans against seven Manchester United and Liverpool players for participating in a match-fixing scheme the previous season.

The match in question was played on 2 April 1915, near the end of the season. United were in 18th place, only one point clear of relegation, while Liverpool were sitting comfortably in 13th, not in danger of relegation, but out of contention for any silverware. United won 2-0, thanks in part to a missed Liverpool penalty.

Rumors swirled immediately about a fix, prompting the FA to investigate. They determined that seven players--Sandy Turnbull (pictured), Arthur Whalley, and Enoch West from United; Jackie Sheldon, Tom Miller, Bob Pursell, and Tom Fairfoul from Liverpool--had colluded to determine the outcome. The motivation appeared to be financial, with all seven players placing bets on United to win. But the two points helped United's survival, as they finished 1 point above the relegation zone. West vehemently denied any involvement, even suing the FA--unsuccessfully-for libel.

All seven participants received lifetime bans, though all but West's were eventually lifted in 1919 in recognition of their service during World War I. In Turnbull's case, the reprieve was posthumous, as he died in action.

14 December 1979 - Ready To Score Owen Goals

On 14 December 1979, future Liverpool star and Ballon d'Or winner Michael Owen was born in the English city of Chester.

Owen signed a youth contract with Liverpool in 1991, then jumped to the first team in 1996. A prolific striker, he netted 18 league goals in his first full season, earning honors as joint top scorer and and being named the PFA Young Player of the Year. After winning additional golden boots in 1998 and 1999, he was instrumental in Liverpool's successful League Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Cup runs in 2000-01, leading to him being named the 2001 European Footballer of the Year.

The success drew the attention of Real Madrid, who signed him in August 2004 for a transfer fee of £8 million. But despite an impressive scoring record, he never settled in Spain and moved to Newcastle in August 2005 for a fee of £16 million.

His four seasons with Newcastle were hampered by injuries so that, in his second season there, he made only three appearances. In all, he scored 30 goals in 79 appearances for Newcastle, but the club was relegated in 2009, prompting Owen to make another move, this time to Manchester United, his current club.