On this day in Liverpool history - 22nd April

On this day in Liverpool history - 22nd April

Thursday, 22nd April 2010

To Cardiff once more
2006 - We beat Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford in the FA Cup Semi-final. John Arne Riise's free-kick opened the scoring before Luis García extended our lead early in the second half with a sublime volley. Didier Drogba's header ensured a nervous last twenty minutes, but Joe Cole blazed over with the Blues' only real chance of note as we hung on to reach our thirteenth FA Cup Final.

En route to gay Paree
1981 - Howard Gayle came on as a substitute for the injured Kenny Dalglish after just nine minutes and ran the Bayern München defence ragged, before later himself being substituted by Jimmy Case. We held the German champions to a 1-1 draw in the Olympic Stadium, with Ray Kennedy putting us in front with just seven minutes left, to make it through to our third European Cup Final in five years, on away goals after a goalless first meeting. Boss Bob Paisley had called this "our biggest test since Rome", prior to the game.


A first treble
1905 - Forward Sam Raybould became the first reds player to score a hat-trick against Manchester United as we beat them 4-1 at Anfield in a Second Division fixture. Jack Cox netted the other goal.
1916 - Fred Pagnam also struck three times as we thumped United 7-1 in a Wartime League match at Anfield. Pinkney and Walter Wadsworth were also on target with Dave Watson netting twice.

Held by the Blues
2008 - We took the lead in the first leg of our Champions League Semi-final against Chelsea shortly before half-time through Dirk Kuyt, before failing to take a number of other good chances. We suffered a sucker punch in the final seconds of time added on when John Arne Riise headed into his own net. This was the first time we had faced the same team in European competition four consecutive seasons.

Reds farewells
1950 - Winger William Watkinson made his 24th and final reds appearance in our 2-1 defeat at Portsmouth, with Albert Stubbins bagging our consolation.
1939 - Scottish forward Bill Kinghorn bagged his fourth goal in his nineteenth and final reds game as we were held by Sunderland to a 1-1 draw at Anfield.
1899 - George Allan struck his 58th and final goal as we beat Blackburn Rovers 2-0 in a top-flight match at Anfield, with Tom Robertson nabbing the other.

Under twelve thousand
1959 - We hosted our lowest post-war League crowd of only 11,976 as we beat Scunthorpe United 3-0 in the Second Division. Alan Arnell netted his 35th and final reds goal, with Billy Liddell and Fred Morris also on the scoresheet.

Barton the centurion
1933 - Centre-forward Harold Barton played his hundredth reds game as Gordon Hodgson bagged the only goal of our top-flight defeat of Birmingham City at Anfield.

Happy birthday to the reserves
1956 - Left-back Brian Kettle was born in Prescot. He signed for the reds in May 1973 but only made four senior appearances as his route to the first-team was blocked first by Alec Lindsay, then Joey Jones and Alan Kennedy, and he moved to Wigan Athletic in August 1980.

1983 - Former Finnish reserves striker Daniel Sjölund was born in Marieham. He never made the first-team after arriving Anfield from West Ham United in November 2000 as part of the deal that took Rigobert Song in the opposite direction, and moved to Swedish side Djurgårdens IF in January 2004.

An eventful friendly for Don
1925 - Scottish left-back Donald Mackinlay scored and then replaced Elisha Scott in goal after he was injured at Anfield against Aberdeen. The game ended 1-1.

Beating the Blues
1944 - Cyril Done netted a treble, including a penalty, as we beat Everton 4-2 in a Wartime League match at Anfield, with Stan Polk also on target.
1893 - We also beat the Blues in the Liverpool Senior Cup Final at Goodison Park, with Tom Wyllie bagging the only goal of the game in front of just 10,000 in Bootle. This was the first ever meeting between the two sides.

Mixed fortunes against the other Blues
We have twice faced Birmingham City in First Division matches on this day in history.
1933 - Gordon Hodgson grabbed the only goal of the game in L4.
1964 - Roger Hunt was on target in a 3-1 defeat at St. Andrews.

Joy against the Potters
We have also twice met Stoke City on this day in history.
1935 - Our top-flight meeting at the Victoria Ground ended in a draw, with Berry Nieuwenhuys on the scoresheet.
1961 - We won 3-0 in a Second Division fixture at Anfield. Roger Hunt, Dave Hickson and Kevin Lewis were on target that day.

Tony for the only time
1959 - Ex-reds inside-right Tony Rowley won his only senior cap for Wales. Their 4-1 defeat by Northern Ireland in Belfast was enough to hand the Ulster side a share of the British International Championships with England that season. This cap was even more special in that Rowley was a Tranmere Rovers player at the time, then in the Third Division.

Welsh Englishman
2001 - John Welsh scored for England Under-16's as they lost 3-1 to Italy in the European Championships at Bramall Lane, with future red Alberto Aquilani on the winning side.
2002 - He starred for England Under-19's as they qualified for the European Championship Finals by beating Lithuania 2-1 at Nottingham Forest's City Ground. Jon Otsemobor was an unused substitute that day. Aquilani featured for his country again, playing for the Under-18's as they beat Poland 2-0.

Stan the Irish Villain
1998 - Steve Staunton won his 74th cap, and final one in his first spell as an Aston Villa player, as the Republic of Ireland lost 2-0 to Argentina in a friendly at Lansdowne Road. Phil Babb and future red Robbie Keane also played. On the same day, Abel Xavier won his final cap as an SL Benfica player, and fifth in total, as Portugal lost 3-0 to England in a friendly at Wembley. Paul Ince and Michael Owen both featured.

Meanwhile, future red Nicolas Anelka made his senior international debut in France's goalless draw in Sweden and Vladimír Šmicer netted as the Czech Republic won 3-1 in Slovenia. Also representing their countries that day were Stig Inge Bjørnebye, Øyvind Leonhardsen and future reds Markus Babbel, Dietmar Hamann, Sami Hyypiä and Jari Litmanen.

Richard devalued
2008 - Ex-reserves defender Richard Money resigned as Manager of Walsall having failed to receive assurances over transfer funds. He had led them to 44 victories in his 103 games as they won the League Two title in his first full season in charge. He joined Newcastle United as Academy Director two months later.
1995 - Brad Friedel won his first cap as a Brøndby IF player, and 28th in total as the USA lost 1-0 to Belgium in a friendly in Molenbeek.
2008 - Future reds reserves forward Nikola Sarić played his first game for Denmark Under-18's as they beat Estonia 1-0 in Tallinn.

A record for Jameo
2007 - Ex-red David James broke the all-time Premiership clean sheets record with his 143rd shut-out as Portsmouth held Aston Villa to a goalless draw in the Midlands.

Harper signs on
1978 - Reserves defender Alan Harper signed as a professional, but never played a senior reds game, later enjoying greater success across the park.