Liverpool changed hands in 2010, when the owners of the Boston Red Sox completed a £300m takeover after days of legal battles in London and Texas.
The date also brought the club’s first FA Cup tie in 1892, Michael Robinson’s treble at West Ham in 1983, Emile Heskey’s perfect hat-trick at Derby in 2000 and Steven Gerrard’s appointment as captain in 2003.
New owners at last
It was 2010, and Roy Hodgson’s side were in the Premier League relegation zone, having lost at home to Blackpool before the international break.
The deal went through once Tom Hicks and George Gillett dropped the restraining order they had obtained from a court in Texas two days earlier, and the contract was signed at the offices of the law firm Slaughter and May in London. John W Henry, the head of New England Sports Ventures, said he was “proud and humbled”, adding: “We’re here to win.”
On the same day, Jamie Carragher signed a two-year contract extension that would keep him at Anfield until June 2013.
The new owners’ first match came two days later and ended in a 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park, where Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta scored for Everton.
NESV was renamed Fenway Sports Group the following March. Under FSG, Liverpool have gone on to win the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020 and 2025.
Heskey’s perfect hat-trick
Twenty-six years ago today, in 2000, Emile Heskey scored the first senior hat-trick of his career as Gérard Houllier’s side won 4-0 at Derby County, who were bottom of the Premiership.
His first, after 17 minutes, was a header from Gary McAllister’s corner. In the same goalmouth scramble Michael Owen was accidentally caught on the back of the head by Chris Riggott’s knee. He was stretchered off with mild concussion and needed six stitches.
Robbie Fowler replaced him and set up the second, a fierce right-foot shot from Heskey after the break. The third, a left-foot finish from Nick Barmby’s cross midway through the second half, completed the set, and Patrik Berger added the fourth.
A crowd of 30,532 saw the win lift Liverpool to fourth. Houllier’s team went on to win the League Cup, the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup that season.
Liverpool’s first FA Cup tie
In 1892, a few weeks into the club’s first season, Liverpool played their first FA Cup tie, away to Nantwich in the first qualifying round.
Only 700 people watched, and it was goalless at half-time. Tom Wyllie scored after 70 minutes and John Miller then scored three in the space of ten minutes to make it 4-0.
Liverpool were playing in the Lancashire League at the time. Their first cup run ended five weeks later with a 2-1 defeat at Northwich Victoria.
Gerrard takes the armband
Back in 2003, Gérard Houllier took the captaincy away from Sami Hyypiä and handed it to Steven Gerrard, hours before a UEFA Cup tie against Olimpija Ljubljana at Anfield.
Houllier explained that he had spotted Gerrard’s leadership qualities early in his career: “Now he is 23 and he is ready.”
Gerrard led the team out that night as Liverpool won 3-0 to go through 4-1 on aggregate. Anthony Le Tallec scored what proved to be his only goal for the club, Emile Heskey and Harry Kewell got the others, and Florent Sinama-Pongolle came off the bench to make his debut.
Nineteen months later, Gerrard lifted the European Cup in Istanbul.
Robinson’s hat-trick at Upton Park
The year was 1983, and Michael Robinson, signed from Brighton in the summer, was still waiting for his first league goal for Liverpool. He scored three of them at Upton Park, two before half-time, as Joe Fagan’s side won 3-1 at West Ham.
Alan Devonshire pulled one back late on in front of 32,555. Robinson had opened his Liverpool account a little over two weeks earlier with two goals against Odense in the European Cup.
Fagan’s side finished the season with the league title, the League Cup and the European Cup. Robinson, a Republic of Ireland international, died in April 2020, aged 61.
A draw with United, and what followed
Fifteen years ago today, in 2011, Steven Gerrard put Liverpool ahead against Manchester United at Anfield with a 68th-minute free-kick, and Javier Hernández headed the equaliser nine minutes from time.
The game is remembered for what came after. Patrice Evra accused Luis Suárez of racially abusing him during the match, and in December an independent FA commission found Suárez guilty of using insulting words that included a reference to Evra’s colour. He was banned for eight matches and fined £40,000. Liverpool did not appeal.
Birthday: Ben Woodburn
Born on this day in 1999, Ben Woodburn is 27 today. The Nottingham-born forward made his Liverpool debut against Sunderland in November 2016, and three days later scored against Leeds United in the League Cup quarter-final. At 17 years and 45 days he became the club’s youngest scorer, a record that stood until Rio Ngumoha’s winner at Newcastle in August 2025.
Woodburn scored the only goal on his Wales debut, against Austria in September 2017, and left Liverpool for Preston North End in 2022.
England book their World Cup place
In 2013, Steven Gerrard scored his 21st and last goal for England, running through to finish two minutes from time as Roy Hodgson’s side beat Poland 2-0 at Wembley to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. Wayne Rooney had headed the first from Leighton Baines’ cross.
The same night, Harry Wilson, then a Liverpool academy player, became the youngest player to appear for Wales. He came on late in a 1-1 draw in Belgium aged 16 years and 207 days, 108 days younger than the previous record holder, Gareth Bale.
Also on this day
- 1898: Liverpool 0-3 Aston Villa at Anfield.
- 1904: Liverpool 3-2 West Bromwich Albion in the Second Division. Jack Parkinson scored twice and Bobby Robinson got the other.
- 1910: Liverpool 4-0 Bristol City. Jack Parkinson scored twice, with Joe Brough and Jimmy Harrop also on target.
- 1921: Liverpool 4-0 Preston North End. Harry Chambers, Dick Forshaw and Tommy Lucas, with a penalty, were among the scorers.
- 1924: Liverpool 0-0 Blackburn Rovers at Anfield.
- 1927: Everton 1-1 Liverpool. Dick Edmed equalised Alec Troup’s goal in front of 65,729 at Goodison Park.
- 1932: Liverpool 4-3 Portsmouth at Anfield. Gordon Hodgson scored a hat-trick and Dave Wright got the other.
- 1938: Liverpool 3-0 Aston Villa. Harman van den Berg, Jack Balmer and Willie Fagan scored.
- 1949: Blackpool 0-0 Liverpool.
- 1955: Liverpool 3-1 West Ham United in the Second Division. Alan A’Court, Jimmy Payne and Billy Liddell scored.
- 1960: Liverpool 3-3 Portsmouth in the Second Division. Dave Hickson scored twice and Roger Hunt once.
- 1966: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Liverpool, with Roger Hunt scoring.
- 1968: Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool in the League Cup fourth round. Chris Lawler scored for Liverpool.
- 1977: Leeds United 1-2 Liverpool. Jimmy Case scored both goals.
- 1994: Blackburn Rovers 3-2 Liverpool. Robbie Fowler and John Barnes scored, but Chris Sutton struck twice for Kenny Dalglish’s side.
- 1997: West Bromwich Albion 0-2 Liverpool in the League Cup third round, with Patrik Berger and Robbie Fowler scoring.
- 2005: Liverpool 1-0 Blackburn Rovers. Djibril Cissé scored with a free-kick.