Liverpool Football Club

Liverpool FC – A Brief History Tarnished by Hooliganism

Liverpool FC History and Highlights.

Playing their home games at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool FC have really looked to be an imposing team over the last few years, thanks in part to the appointment of Jurgen Klopp as manager, and Mohamed Salah, who has been scoring goals for Liverpool seemingly for fun lately.

Founded in 1892, Liverpool FC is now one of the ‘big four’ in the English Premier League, and they have consistently won trophies, made finals, won leagues, and pushed for league titles since Klopp came in.

With a massive following in the UK, fans in Anfield Stadium can regularly be heard belting out You’ll Never Walk Alone on game day.

Considered the most successful British club in all of Europe, and with a huge following, the club’s history will sadly also be synonymous with two of the worst sporting disasters in the history of the game.

The Birth of Liverpool FC

Back in 1891, a man named John Houlding, who had previously been leasing Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, decided that he would invest in the stadium by buying it outright. He proposed to more than double the rent for the entire year.

At the time, Everton FC were the main team in Liverpool, and they played their home matches here. Disgusted by this rent hike, Everton decided to pack up their kit and relocate to a new stadium. Ultimately, they moved to Goodison Park, which is where they still play to this day.

Now Houlding had a problem. He hadd purchased a lovely new football stadium but didn’t have a football team to use it. So, he decided to establish a new team and, in the ultimate act of British pettiness, named the club Everton Athletic. The FA (Football Association) were none too pleased with the name of this new team, and therefore refused to accept it. Instead, the name was changed to Liverpool Football Club.

Bill Shankly

Liverpool FC quickly established itself as one of the best teams in England. By 1894 the club had secured promotion to the Football League First Division.

By 1923 they had won the league four times and always looked threatening. Then, of course, WWII put the world on hold.

Despite winning the league again in 1947, the club’s momentum had slowed down, and in 1954 they were relegated to the Second Division. Knowing the club needed to get back on top, they brought in Bill Shankly.

Shankly took no prisoners and released the entire squad of Liverpool’s first team. Instead, he wanted to build a brand-new team from the ground up, and by 1962 they were back in the First Division. Shankly would go on to win the league three times with Liverpool, a UEFA Cup, and two FA Cups.

In 1974 after Shankly left, the club continued to dominate. Shankly’s former assistant Bob Paisley took charge for the next nine years, and the team looked as impressive as ever.

The club won 3 league cups and 6 league titles during his run. They would also enjoy success in Europe, winning 3 European Cups and a UEFA Cup.

Shortly after Paisley retired, Joe Fagan took over, and the club would go on to win the treble in his very first season in charge. Again, Liverpool looked dominant, and surely nothing could halt their momentum.

Two Tragedies

1985 – 1989 is considered not only the darkest period in Liverpool FC’s history, but arguably one of the worst in football history.

In 1985, during a European Cup Final against Juventus, the Heysel Disaster took place. A group of out-of-control fans caused damage to a perimeter wall, causing it to collapse, crushing 39 fans to death. As a result, the English fans were blamed, and English clubs were banned from European competition for the next five years.

In 1989 during an FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, the Hillsborough Disaster occurred.

The Hillsborough Disaster was a tragic human stampede at Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield, claiming the lives of 97 people and injuring nearly 1000 more. It is still considered the most severe stadium disaster in the history of English football.

From Mediocrity to Greatness

Liverpool FC would claim a 9th League Title in 1990, but the following season they suffered a dip in form, which plagued them for seasons to come.

Liverpool FC added a few smaller trophies and titles to their cabinet, but their dominance looked like a thing of the past. Now, hungry new managers like Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, were leading their teams (Manchester United and Arsenal, respectively) to the top, with Liverpool left fighting for a place in Europe.

In 2005 however, Liverpool had reached the Champion’s League final against A.C Milan. By half-time, they were 3-0 down and looked set for a thrashing. In the second half, however, the unthinkable happened. Liverpool would go on to equalize 3-3 and win the final on penalties.

After winning their fifth European Title, surely this would mean that Liverpool were back on top? Well, sadly, no. For the next decade, the club looked average at best. They won two smaller trophies, and it looked like they’d never win a League Title again. Enter German manager Jurgen Klopp.

In 2015, Klopp was appointed as manager of Liverpool. Jurgen overhauled the team, changed tactics, and quickly won over the fans. In 2017 he brought in Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah, who consistently scored goals for the club, helping them to reach the finals and push for the league.

After coming close to winning the league for the first time in decades, Klopp’s Liverpool finally won in 2020, finishing 18 points clear of Manchester City in 2nd place. 

Liverpool FC narrowly missed out on the title last season and have added plenty of silverware to their trophy cabinet since then. And with Klopp at the helm and Salah staying put, Liverpool will surely be pushing for the title in the 2022/2023 season.

Liverpool FC is also, and for good reason, one of the most bet on sports teams across sportsbooks around the world, in addition to being a team that secures top-level brand sponsorships.