On this day in Liverpool history - 17th April

On this day in Liverpool history - 17th April

Saturday, 17th April 2010

Liddell signs on
1939 - Billy Liddell signed as a professional at Anfield. He went on to strike 228 times in 534 games. His only club honour was the League title in 1947, although he also played in the FA Cup Final three years later.

Clinching the title
1922 - We clinched our third League championship on this Easter Monday by beating title rivals Burnley 2-1 thanks to goals from Harry Chambers and Dick Forshaw. Left-half Tom Bromilow played his hundredth League game that day as we regained the title for the first time in sixteen years.
1965 - We also entertained the Clarets, with Tommy Smith on target in a 1-1 draw.

Hat-tricks galore
1993 - Mark Walters scored a hat-trick, including a penalty, in our 4-0 defeat of Coventry City, our first treble in the Premier League. David Burrows nabbed the other goal, his third and final one for the club.
1973 - We also faced the Sky Blues, this time at Highfield Road. Phil Boersma netted both goals in our 2-1 victory.

1937 - Bobby Gurney scored a hat-trick for Sunderland in their 4-2 home win. This was his third treble against the reds, and he remains the record League goalscorer against the reds with nineteen goals. Berry Nieuwenhuys and Alf Hanson netted our goals.
1907 - Alf Common bagged a treble for Middlesbrough in their 4-2 win at Anfield, with Arthur Goddard and Jack Cox on target for the reds. This was a record eighth home League defeat of the season.

Reds birthdays
1894 - Scottish right-half Jock McNab was born in Cleland, Lanarkshire. He signed from Bellshill Athletic in November 1919 and helped us to two League titles in the 1920's, netting six times in 222 reds games before moving to Queens Park Rangers in June 1928.

1909 - Full-back Ben Dabbs was born in Oakengates, Shropshire. He only made 56 first-team appearances for the reds after arriving from his hometown club in June 1932, moving to Watford in June 1938.

1910 - Defender Fred ‘The Bullet' Rogers was born in Frodsham, Cheshire. He played 75 reds games after signing from Helsby Athletic in 1933.

Most recently
2004 - Steven Gerrard had a penalty saved as we were held to a goalless draw by Fulham at Anfield. Fulham's Zesh Rehman became the first British-born Asian player to appear in the Premiership. El-Hadji Diouf made his eightieth and final reds appearance as a substitute, while Jamie Carragher played his 300th game for us.

Sami the skipper
2002 - In the light of Jamie Redknapp's departure for Tottenham Hotspur the day before, Sami Hyypiä was named club captain.

Double benefits at Anfield
1909 - Our top-flight meeting with Bury was played as a benefit game for winger Jack Cox and skipper Alex Raisbeck. Robert Orr netted a brace as we drew 2-2.
1911 - Jack Parkinson scored his hundredth League goal as we drew 1-1 with Woolwich Arsenal, in a benefit game for keeper Sam Hardy.

Overall record
Of our 22 fixtures on this day over the years, an amazing nineteen have been at Anfield, with only two away games. Despite this historical home bias, we have only won a third of our games on this day, with nine draws and five defeats.
1985 - The other game was an FA Cup Semi-final replay at Maine Road which we lost 2-1 to Manchester United, with our goal scored by United's Paul McGrath.

Red finales
1915 - Wilf Bartrop played his third and final reds game, with William Banks netting his sixth and last reds goal as we beat Bradford Park Avenue 2-1 in a First Division fixture at Anfield, with Fred Pagnam also on the scoresheet.

1907 - Birkenhead-born Robert Blanthorne struck in his second and final senior reds appearance as we lost 4-2 to Middlesbrough at Anfield. Arthur Goddard also netted.

Off at Anfield
1995 - Goals from Robbie Fowler and Ian Rush handed us a 2-0 victory over Leicester City at Anfield, for whom Mike Whitlow was dismissed.

Michael the skipper
2002 - Michael Owen captained England for the first time, scoring in a 4-0 defeat of Paraguay at Anfield. Danny Murphy also netted his first senior international goal, with Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and ex-red Robbie Fowler all also playing. Yossi Benayoun won his final cap as a Maccabi Haifa player, and 21st to date, as Israel lost a friendly 3-1 in Denmark. On the same day, John Welsh appeared for the Under-19's as they drew the first leg of their European Championships play-off 1-1 with Lithuania in Kanus.

Elsewhere, Jerzy Dudek saved a penalty as Poland lost 2-1 to Romania in Warsaw. Abel Xavier won his first cap as a red, and eighteenth in total, as Portugal drew 1-1 with Brazil in Lisbon. Jari Litmanen featured as Finland surprisingly lost 1-0 to FYR Macedonia in Prilep. Future red Fernando Morientes struck in Spain's 5-0 friendly win in Northern Ireland. Rigobert Song's Cameroon held Austria to a goalless draw in Vienna, while ex-red Brad Friedel played in the USA's 2-1 defeat by the Republic of Ireland in Dublin, who included future reds Steve Finnan and Robbie Keane, and ex-red Steve Staunton.

John Arne Riise played for Norway, alongside ex-red Øyvind Leonhardsen, as they were held to a goalless draw by Sweden, and Nicolas Anelka had a goal disallowed as France also had to settle for a 0-0 scoreline at home to Russia. This was the only cap he won as a red. Future red Sotirios Kyrgiakos played in Greece's goalless friendly against the Czech Republic in Ioannina while Alou Diarra appeared for France Under-20's in their 1-0 defeat of Egypt in Villeneuve.

Eight-goal thriller
1976 - We beat Stoke City 5-3 at Anfield in a League match. Phil Neal equalised from the spot after we had fallen behind, with our other goals coming from John Toshack, Ray Kennedy, Emlyn Hughes and David Fairclough.

Derby stalemate
1908 - We were held to a goalless draw at Anfield by Everton.

Up against the Baggies
We have twice entertained West Bromwich Albion in the top-flight on this day in history, without tasting defeat.
1920 - We were held to a goalless draw by the Baggies
1982 - Kenny Dalglish netted the only goal of our meeting.

Beattie's bow
1937 - Full-back Andy Beattie won the first of his seven full caps for Scotland as they beat England 3-1 in the British International Championships at Hampden Park. He went on to guest for the reds during the war, as well as joining our backroom staff later in life.