On this day in Liverpool history - 16th April

On this day in Liverpool history - 16th April

Friday, 16th April 2010

Happy birthday Rafa
1960 - Reds boss Rafael Benítez was born in Madrid. He arrived from Valencia in June 2004 and has so far taken charge of the reds on 344 occasions, winning 191 times and leading us to the European Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FA Community Shield as well as three other finals.

A derby classic
2001 - An amazing Easter Monday game ended in a 3-2 win, our first at Goodison for eleven years. Emile Heskey opened the scoring straight after an unsuccessful Blues penalty appeal. Duncan Ferguson then pounced on a defensive mix-up to equalise before Markus Babbel netted a classic breakaway goal. Robbie Fowler missed a penalty that would have made it 3-1, before referee Jeff Winter changed the odds by first giving Igor Bišcan a second booking, and then awarding a dubious penalty, which David Unsworth converted, the hundredth League goal we had conceded under Gérard Houllier's sole charge. Finally, Gary McAllister won the game with a supremely dramatic 44-yard free-kick late into stoppage time. This was Gary Mac's hundredth career League goal.

The birth of the hat-trick king
1904 - Forward Gordon Hodgson was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He signed from Transvaal FC in December 1925 and bagged a club record seventeen hat-tricks amongst his 241 goals in 377 games, but could not claim a club medal in his time at Anfield.

A new man in charge
1991 - Graeme Souness took over as Liverpool Manager. He led us to the FA Cup in his first full season, his only trophy in three years in charge.

Pepe clean again
2006 - Pepe Reina kept his thirtieth clean sheet in his fiftieth game for the club, as Robbie Fowler grabbed the only goal of the game at Blackburn Rovers with Djibril Cissé controversially ruled inactive while in an offside position.

Debuting in 4-0 home League wins
1960 - Ian Callaghan played the first of his 857 reds games in our Second Division win over Bristol Rovers, replacing the legendary Billy Liddell. Wing-half Bobby Campbell bagged his second and final reds goals, with Jimmy Melia, Alan A'Court and Roger Hunt also netting. The People named Cally as man of the match, saying he "put up a fantastic show that even old favourite Billy Liddell couldn't have bettered".

1898 - Romany right-half Raby Howell made his reds bow in our defeat of Aston Villa, with inside-forward Frank Becton scoring his 42nd reds goal in his 86th and final reds game, and our final fixture of the season. Tommy Robertson, John Walker and Hugh Morgan were also on target.
1979 - We also faced the Villains, losing 3-1 at Villa Park, with David Johnson nabbing our consolation and Phil Thompson putting through his own net. We only conceded sixteen goals in the whole of that League campaign.

1974 - Our third 4-0 victory on this day came when Manchester City were beaten at Anfield. Brian Hall struck twice, with Phil Boersma and Kevin Keegan also on target.

Winning on the plastic
1986 - We played our first ever game on Luton Town's controversial new plastic pitch, with Craig Johnston bagging the only goal of the game. This was our third of seven straight League victories as we ended the season with eleven wins and one draw in our final twelve League outings to clinch our sixteenth title.

SteG misses
2005 - Steven Gerrard missed a penalty as we were held to a 2-2 draw at Anfield by Tottenham Hotspur. It was game of stunning strikes, with Erik Edman giving the visitors the lead with a 35-yard effort before Luis García equalised. Spurs went in front again through a deflected Robbie Keane header, but Sami Hyypiä lashed in from eighteen yards to secure a point.

Farewell Redders
2002 - Jamie Redknapp signed for Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer. He was injured for much of his time at White Hart Lane, playing just 49 times for the Lilywhites and bagging four goals, before joining his father at Southampton.

Other eventful Goodison derbies
1996 - Wayne Rooney was the Everton mascot before a game that ended 1-1, with Robbie Fowler netting late on.
1997 - Fowler and Everton's David Unsworth were sent off towards the end of another 1-1 draw, after Duncan Ferguson had equalised Jamie Redknapp's opener.

A century in south London
2000 - Emile Heskey grabbed a brace as we reached a hundred League goals under Gérard Houllier's sole charge, beating Wimbledon 2-1 at Selhurst Park.

A big day for the Bionic Carrot
1980 - David Fairclough netted as we drew our FA Cup Semi-final replay with Arsenal 1-1 after extra time at Villa Park, with Alan Sunderland equalising with a goal that TV replays proved was actually offside. We eventually succumbed in a fourth game nearly three weeks later at Highfield Road.
1977 - We also faced the Gunners, when Phil Neal and Kevin Keegan netted as we won a top-flight fixture 2-0 at Anfield. Ray Clemence was making his 300th League appearance for the reds.

1983 - Fairclough played his 154th and final reds game as we lost 3-2 at Southampton, with Kenny Dalglish and Craig Johnston on the scoresheet.

A poor club record
1904 - Our 3-0 First Division defeat of Bury in our final home game of the season took us to just 24 League goals at Anfield, a club record low for a season. Alf West converted a penalty, with Jack Cox and George Fleming also netting.
1927 - We also entertained the Shakers, when birthday boy Gordon Hodgson netted a brace in a 2-2 draw.

Doing the Boro
We have twice won at Ayresome Park 1-0 in the First Division on this day in history.
1949 - Jack Balmer struck the only goal of the game against Middlesbrough.
1954 - Sammy Smyth was on target.

Mixed fortunes against the Geordies and Rams
1910 - We won 3-1 at Newcastle United, thanks to two goals from Arthur Goddard, including a penalty, and a James Stewart strike.
1994 - We lost another top-flight encounter 2-0 at Anfield.

1921 - We were held to a 1-1 draw by Derby County at Anfield in a First Division fixture, with Harry Chambers on the scoresheet.
1938 - We were beaten 4-1 at the Baseball Ground, with Alf Hanson grabbing our early consolation.

Tosh for the Taffs
1969 - John Toshack struck his first senior goal in his second game for Wales as they lost 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier in East Germany.
1975 - He also netted as they won a European Championships qualifier 2-1 in Hungary.

Stevie honoured again
2007 - Steven Gerrard was nominated for the PFA Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive season, although he eventually lost his crown to Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Jocky, Ted and Tommy for the Scots
1975 - Partick Thistle's Alan Hansen made his Scotland Under-23's debut as they beat Sweden 2-1 in Gothenburg. Ex-reds reserves forward Ted MacDougall, then at Norwich City netted on his Scotland debut on the same day, as they drew 1-1 with the Swedes in a friendly, played in the same city. Future reds Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness both also played.

1969 - Tommy Lawrence won his second cap, nearly six years after his first, in a 1-1 draw with West Germany in a World Cup qualifier at Hampden Park. He went on to win three caps in total.

First and last caps
2002 - Stephen Wright won his tenth and final England Under-21's cap as Portugal won a friendly 1-0 at the Britannia Stadium. Peter Crouch won his first cap as an Aston Villa player in the same game, and his second of six in total while Chris Kirkland and future red Jermaine Pennant also played. On the same day, Pepe Reina won his last Under-21's cap as a Barcelona player as Spain beat Yugoslavia 2-1 in a friendly in Ceuta, with fellow future red Xabi Alonso also in action.

A centenary celebration
1988 - We took part in the Mercantile Credit Football League Centenary Festival, but only survived one 40-minute morning match at Wembley Stadium that ended in a goalless draw with Newcastle United before the Geordies won a sudden-death penalty shoot-out 1-0 after Gary Kelly saved Steve McMahon's spot-kick. Unfortunately, John Barnes suffered an injury in this game that ruled him out of our next League fixture.