It’s the middle of the week and as other clubs turn their attentions to Champions League qualifying, Liverpool gets to rest up for its weekend encounter with Swansea City. There is no European football this season as the team rebounds from a rough period.Things haven't always been this way of course, from humble beginnings Liverpool became the most successful English club ever, and one of the most successful clubs in the world. Let’s take a moment then for a brief overview of the club’s 120-year history.
1. Liverpool Football Club Is Formed: June 3rd 1892
Liverpool Football Club, 1892
On this historic day Liverpool Football Club and Athletic Grounds Ltd was formally recognized by the British Board of Trade. Four years earlier Everton FC was formed as one of the foundation clubs of the fledgling Football League, and the club played its games on a stretch of green between Anfield Road and Walton Breck Road. The ground was owned by John Houlding who was a Tory Member of Parliament, and who would become club President, and future Mayor of Liverpool. A dispute between Houlding and the rest of the Club executives over the rent to be paid resulted in Everton vacating the grounds. Between 1884 and 1889 the rent increased from £100 to £250 per year, yet here was Houlding proposing another rent increase in 1890, plus the bold suggestion that the club should buy Anfield (and an adjacent property from him). The Board demurred, and the two factors parted ways.The reality, however, was that Houlding had made an interest-free loan to Everton FC and saw this opportunity as a great way to be rewarded for his initial risk in the club, as well as for the club to own its own grounds, with room for expansion.Whether he was being mercenary or a visionary depends on whether one’s perspective ran Red or Toffee blue, but no matter, Liverpool FC rose from the ashes of the dispute, and the rest as they say, is history.
2. Reds Crowned Champions for the First Time: 29th April, 1901
1901 League Champions Liverpool FC
Back row: Ottey, John Glover, Andy McGuigan, Foster, John “Sailor” Hunter, Thomas John Hunter, Raby Howell.
Middle row: Soulsby, Charlie Wilson, Sam Raybould, Tom Robertson, Bill Perkins, William Goldie, Maurice Parry, J. Chapman (Trainer)
Front row: John Walker, Richard Morris, Alex Raisbeck, Jack Cox, Billy Dunlop.
| | P | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts |
1 | | 34 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 59 | 35 | 1.686 | 45 |
2 | | 34 | 15 | 13 | 6 | 57 | 26 | 2.192 | 43 |
3 | | 34 | 18 | 4 | 12 | 54 | 46 | 1.174 | 40 |
4 | | 34 | 16 | 7 | 11 | 53 | 36 | 1.472 | 39 |
5 | | 34 | 16 | 7 | 11 | 53 | 37 | 1.432 | 39 |
6 | | 34 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 42 | 37 | 1.135 | 38 |
7 | | 34 | 16 | 5 | 13 | 55 | 42 | 1.310 | 37 |
8 | | 34 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 52 | 42 | 1.238 | 36 |
9 | | 34 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 39 | 47 | 0.830 | 33 |
10 | | 34 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 39 | 55 | 0.709 | 33 |
11 | | 34 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 48 | 58 | 0.828 | 32 |
12 | | 34 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 55 | 42 | 1.310 | 31 |
13 | | 34 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 39 | 55 | 0.709 | 31 |
14 | | 34 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 35 | 52 | 0.673 | 31 |
15 | | 34 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 45 | 51 | 0.882 | 30 |
16 | | 34 | 11 | 5 | 18 | 46 | 57 | 0.807 | 27 |
17 | | 34 | 9 | 7 | 18 | 49 | 75 | 0.653 | 25 |
18 | | 34 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 35 | 62 | 0.565 | 22 |
3. Bill Shankly Hired as Manager: 1st December, 1959
On this day Liverpool Football Club announced that Huddersfield Town boss Bill Shankly was hired to replace Phil Taylor, and a legendary association was born.Liverpool had first offered the job to Shankly, but he passed on the opportunity since the manager was not given freedom to choose the side at the time. Nine years later the club would make Shankly the first manager to name his own lineup in hiring him on his own terms.
4. Reds Win First FA Cup Title: 1st May, 1965
1965 FA Cup Final: Liverpool v. Leeds
Third time was the charm for Liverpool, who having lost their previous two FA Cup finals in 1914 and 1950, faced a surging at Wembley. Three seasons before Leeds had narrowly avoided relegation from the Second Division, now they competed for best club in the land.The scoreless game went into extra time where Liverpool took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Roger Hunt in the 93rd minute, only to see Billy Bremer equalize for Leeds seven minutes later. The victory was sealed for Liverpool on a diving header by Ian St. John in the 113rd minute.
5. First UEFA Cup Title: 23rd May, 1973
1973 UEFA Cup Final: Liverpool v. Borussia Dortmund
On this day Liverpool won its first UEFA cup title by defeating Borussia Dortmund 3-2 on aggregate. Two weeks earlier Liverpool won 3-0 at Anfield, on the strength of a Kevin Keegan brace and a Larry Lloyd 61st minute strike.On the return leg the Reds held off a determined Dortmund side, which got a brace of its own from former West German great Jupp Heynckes (one of which was a curling beauty), but which could not overcome the three-goal deficit to prevent the Reds from winning their first of five UEFA Cups.
6. Kenny Dalglish Arrives at Liverpool: 10th August, 1977
As a teenager, Kenny Dalglish was deemed neither good enough for his boyhood team, Glasgow Rangers, nor for Liverpool itself, where he went on trial. However, by the fall of 1977 he was a bona fide star, and it cost Liverpool a then record £440,000 fee to pry him off of Celtic’s payroll.Arriving on the heels of the departure of the legendary, Kevin Keegan, Dalglish quickly silenced any doubts in the minds of supporters by scoring early in his debut with the team. He would go on to set the team single-season scoring mark that year (since topped by Ian Rush), as well as to score the lone goal in the 1978 UEFA Cup Championship (at 4:10) against FC Bruges. All told he would suit up for Liverpool for 13 seasons, representing the club 515 times and scoring 172 goals in the process. Voted the greatest Red ever, and one of our finest managers, the King has returned to once more lead the club to the promise land.
7. The 1983-1984 Treble Season
Liverpool Football Club enjoyed arguably its greatest period ever during the mid-1980s, culminating with a unique treble of winning the League, League Cup and European Cup titles in the same season.For many fans this was the last of the golden years, as tragedy soon followed on the heels of spectacular success, and it would be 20 years before Liverpool would again be crowned Champions of Europe.
8. Heysel and Hillsborough: 1985-1989
This period is without doubt for many supporters, the least favorite aspect of our history, but it represents an indelible part of the unique history of LFC, and a testament to the club and to its supporters.We salute the 39 fans who lost their lives on that May day in 1985 in Heysel, and the 96 who perished at Hillsborough in 1989. Enough has been written of the tragedies of late, but we can never forget those who lost their lives both in Heysel and at Hillsborough. We keep their memories alive so that they may never be forgotten, but also so that history would not be repeated in future. To this day the clarion call for justice continues, and our voices will be heard until there is justice for those who died.
9. Fifth UEFA Champions League Title vs. AC Milan: 25th May, 2005
Liverpool met AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League Final of 2005, played in Istanbul Turkey. In what is beyond doubt the greatest game in club history, Liverpool overcame a 3-0 halftime deficit to tie the game and take it into extra time and then penalty kicks where the club prevailed.
10. Kenny Dalglish Returns to Liverpool: 8th January, 2010
Kenny Dalglish was named caretaker manager on this day, after Roy Hodgson was relieved of his duties and thanked for his service. Dalglish had been advising at the club’s Academy, assisting with the development of the club’s young talent before being named manager.Today with new ownership in place, Liverpool has spent over £100 million on fresh talent so as to provide Dalglish with the talent he needs to secure the clubs return to its winning ways. The Anfield renaissance remains very much a work in progress, but spirits are buoyed both in the stands and on the pitch.There is much work to be done, and the club hopes to continue to build on the rich foundation established by men such as John Houlding, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Rafa Benitez and Kenny Dalglish.
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