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Liverpool Football Club

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Liverpool emblem
Full name Liverpool Football Club
Nickname(s) The Reds
Founded 1892
(by John Houlding)
Ground Anfield
Liverpool, England
(Capacity: 45,362)
Chairman Flag of the United States Tom Hicks (co-chairman)
Flag of the United States George Gillett (co-chairman)
Manager Flag of Spain Rafael Benítez
League Premier League
2007–08 Premier League, 4th









































Liverpool FC were founded following a dispute between Everton and John Houlding, the leaseholder of Anfield, over rent. Houlding purchased Anfield outright in 1891, proposing an increase in the rent from £100 to £250 per year. Everton who had been playing at Anfield for seven years refused to meet his demands and moved to a new stadium in Goodison Park.[1]Liverpool F.C. were founded by Houlding on 15 March 1892 to play at the vacated Anfield. The original name was to be Everton F.C. and Athletic Grounds, Ltd., or Everton Athletic for short, but it was changed to Liverpool F.C. when The Football Association refused to recognise the team as Everton.[2]

The club won the Lancashire League in their first season, and successfully applied to join the Second Division for the following season. They subsequently won the league and were promoted to the First Division. They won their first title in 1900–01, and were champions again in 1905–06. They reached their first FA Cup final in 1914, losing 1–0 to Burnley.[3] The club won back-to-back championships in 1921–22 and 1922–23, but after this the club did not win another trophy until 1946–47 when they won the League for a fifth time. Liverpool struggled after this success, suffering relegation to the Second Division in the 1953–54season.[4]

Liverpool floundered until the appointment of Bill Shankly as manager in 1959. On his appointment he released 24 players and began to reshape the squad.[5] Promotion to the First Division was achieved in 1961–62, and the club won the League for the first time in 17 years in 1963–64. Another League title followed in 1965–66, after the club had won their first FA Cup the previous season. The League and UEFA Cup were won in 1972–73, and a year later after winning the FA Cup again, Shankly retired to be replaced by his assistant Bob Paisley.[6] Paisley was even more successful than Shankly and the club won the League and UEFA Cup in 1975–76, his second season in charge. The following season they retained their League title, won the European Cup for the first time, and lost in the FA Cup final, narrowly missing out on a treble. Liverpool retained the European Cup the next season, and the season after won the League again with 68 points—a domestic record. They conceded only 16 goals in 42 league matches.[7] During the nine seasons Paisley managed the club, Liverpool won 21 trophies, including three European Cups, a UEFA Cup, six league titles and three consecutive League Cups. The only domestic trophy to elude him was the FA Cup.[8]


Paisley retired in 1983 and like Shankly before him, Paisley handed the reins to his assistant, veteran coach Joe Fagan. The succession of coaches came from the Anfield Boot Room where the Liverpool staff discussed strategy and allegedly stored gin.[9]Liverpool won three trophies in Fagan's first season in charge: the League, League Cup and European Cup, becoming the first English side to win three trophies in a season.[10] Liverpool reached the European Cup final again in 1985. The match was against Juventus at the Heysel Stadium. Before kick-off, disaster struck: Liverpool fans breached a fence separating the two groups of supporters and charged the Juventus fans. The resulting weight of people caused a retaining wall to collapse, killing 39 fans, mostly Italians. The match was played regardless and Liverpool lost 1–0 to Juventus. English clubs were consequently banned from participating in European competition for five years; Liverpool received a ten-year ban, which was later reduced to six years. Fourteen of their fans received convictions for involuntary manslaughter.[11]









In a town that produced The Beatles,


Liverpool FC remains a headliner,
 

despite rather unpopular co-owner


Tom Hicks



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Liverpool Football Club Members are proud to be a part of one of the oldest Football Clubs

 




Liverpool FC beloved, Hicks or not



 
 

By DAN GALVIS / The Dallas Morning News
01:34 AM CST on Wednesday, December 24, 2008

LIVERPOOL, England – Being on top of the English Premier League, the focus is on the club.

Last year, Liverpool Football Club, a perennial power, was near the top of the standings, but the owners were making the headlines.

So, have fans in this northwest English city changed their opinion of Tom Hicks, who owns the team with fellow American George Gillett?

No chance.

"I don't think he knew what he was getting into," said Bill Hignett, a supporter of Liverpool FC for the last 60 years.

Many fans just sneer hearing Hicks' name. An employee at the club's store could only shake his head. "I could take him or leave him," he said seconds later.

While there is that indifference, the voice on forums from the numerous Web sites devoted to the club is venomous. When rumors circulated about Hicks flying into the city, one blogger was hoping to "service" Hicks' jet engine.

Hicks did not respond to e-mails requesting a comment.

Barry George, a fan for 40 years, has certainly seen plenty. He talks proudly of his favorite club and the dismay he has felt since Hicks and Gillett purchased Liverpool FC in March 2007.

However, fans are not exclusive in voicing their displeasure with the owners.

Jamie Carragher, who came up through the club's academy system, has voiced his disdain for Hicks in his autobiography, Carra, released in September.

Captain Steven Gerrard, also a lifelong Liverpool player, has not been happy with the ownership, but Ian Cotton, the team's media spokesman, said the club tries to keep players from answering questions about the ownership. Carragher's book came out without the team knowing of the comments.

In the book, Carragher said he believed Hicks and Gillett could have helped the team monetarily, especially with acquisition of transfers, but that optimism dissipated. Putting heat on popular coach Rafael Benitez didn't help their cause. Finances and Hicks' contact with Jürgen Klinsmann, who could have been Benitez's replacement, were major factors.

Throw in bickering between Hicks and Gillett and the threat of selling to a Dubai group, and Liverpool's feats on the pitch were put on the backburner.

Fans cried out for the sale to the Dubai group.

That was not going to happen. By September, the sale had fallen through.

The fans attempted to pool enough money to take over the team. That didn't come through.

Hicks and Gillett reconciled early this season as the team started well. A new contract was being worked out for Benitez. The prospects of a new, 73,000-seat stadium loomed.

All seemed rosy, but the fans didn't forget.

"It's like a religion," longtime fan Maureen Blackwell said, beaming.

And its main hymn is "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Gerry and the Pacemakers, who made the Broadway show tune a No. 1 hit in 1963. Liverpool FC fans have made it their anthem ever since, unified as one voice before each home match as they hold scarves and banners over their heads and turning Anfield, the stadium that has stood since 1884, into a sea of red, the team's main color and nickname.

But this is not the only time the fans show their love. They chant and sing throughout, serenading their captain with "Steve Gerrard Gerrard" sung to "Que Sera Sera."

Since being formed in 1892, Liverpool has captured 18 English league titles, five European Cup titles and three European Super Cup titles. In that time, it has gained fans worldwide and is the clear favorite in this city, judging by the red seen throughout the city. Not even the Beatles can overshadow the Reds.

In a souvenir store at Albert Dock, which houses the big tourist attraction The Beatles Story, people first run into a stand of red flags and photos of Anfield.

The Liverpool FC brand stands out. The club's assistant press officer, Stephen Astall, said marketing has not needed to change. Rich history sells itself, and Liverpool FC remains a headliner.

1.5 million: Registered users of Liverpoolfc.tv, the club's official Web site

45 million: High end average hits on the Web site per month

150-plus: Number of countries the Web site receives questions from

155,000: Visitors to the museum at Anfield this year

1: Match out of 15 at Anfield not sold out so far this season

45,362: Capacity of Anfield, about one-tenth the Liverpool population

http://www.premierleague.com/page/Home/0,,12306,00.html

Liverpool FC beloved, Hicks or not

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Barry boosted by going third
Gareth Barry says going above Manchester United has boosted Aston Villa as they target a top four place.


Share Liverpool FC - details of how takeover attempt will work

Posted on January 31st, 2008 by Jim Boardman

The full details of the Share Liverpool FC proposals that - if brought to fruition - would see LFC bought out by fans are due to be revealed this evening.

On their website they claim that this is far from being just a pipe dream: "It's no pipe dream; it's do-able. Liverpool Football Club has millions of fans across the world. Most of them will have been worrying about what has been happening to our Club lately. And they'll be realising that life as a Liverpool fan could get much more expensive."

"We propose a model of ownership similar to that at Barcelona. This club is owned by their 'members'. Over 100,000 fans have bought single 'member' shares, which entitle them to elect a Board who will run the club until the next election. At Barcelona it is once every four years. That way, no one can ever buy the club. Its structure makes its sale to the next sporting conglomerate that fancies a premiership football club a legal impossibility. The shares can never be sold; the club can never be sold. Let's stop Liverpool Football Club becoming a trinket any rich man might like to wear around his neck. This club is close to the hearts of millions of people all over the world."

A great and inspirational statement, but a big question is how much it will cost each potential member. It's as predicted: "We estimate that a sum of £5,000 each will be enough. We need 100,000 members. 100,000 x £5,000 = £500 million. That should buy the club and go a long way towards building a new stadium."

They also talk of how despite the current owners steering clear of major hikes to ticket prices it's only a matter of time before the debt they've put the club into has to be paid somehow, and increases in ticket prices is one way. They also predict a controversial Manchester United scheme for cup tickets could be forced upon Reds fans: "We've seen what's happened already to season ticket holders at Manchester United. You have to commit in advance to buy all home Cup games - without even knowing how many games that will be! Say ten in total on average. That's an extra £400 - £500 to add to the price of your season ticket at Old Trafford."

Another big question is how they see their chances of getting hold of 100,000 people who have a spare £5000 to spend on buying into the club. They're banking on the way that somehow, ever since the earliest days of Liverpool's European adventures, the fans have managed to find the means to go and watch faraway matches. They feel that Reds will do something similar to get a chunk of the club: "We took nearly 50,000 fans to Istanbul - Athens too. In reality, it cost most of us between £1,000 and £2,000 to make the trip; more if we took our partners and kids along. Liverpool fans have always turned out when the Club needed them. They find the money somehow, even at short notice. And remember, there are literally millions of us round the world who really care about LFC."

Five grand is more than many fans can afford, every season more and more season ticket holders are finding it's becoming a struggle to find that cash, but they still desperately want to be a part of this move to get the club back into the hands of people who love it. We've received comments to this site from supporters who wondered if they could team up with some mates and buy a share between them. According to Share LFC, that will be fine: "We don't want to see any Liverpool fan excluded. We will seek to provide opportunities for groups of fans to purchase one 'member share' (carrying one vote) between them, providing they can nominate one individual to represent them."

They are also planning to give the rush for a piece of the action a bit of a boost - there will be a deadline for applications, but also they plan to give perks to the first 20,000 respondents: "We will propose giving the first 20,000 people to respond special status and possibly enhanced advantages for ticket purchase. Those who commit first deserve some reward for their enthusiasm."

According to the group, these schemes can work: "Barcelona and Real Madrid are owned by their fans. So are German clubs, apart from Bayer Leverkusen. In fact, teams owned by their fans like this have won the European Cup 6 times since it became the Champions League in 1992. Even in USA, the NFL Green Bay Packers are run by a not-for-profit company; they've won the Superbowl three times despite having by far the smallest population of any NFL team."

The club's debt, directly and indirectly, now stands at £350m and that's before they take out the other loan they need to cover the bulk of the building costs for the new stadium, at least another £250m at current estimates. There was never any real issue over the idea of borrowing the costs of building the stadium, the big issue with the current owners' borrowings are that it currently covers little more than what should have remained their personal borrowings for their purchase of the club. It looks like the new group would use the £500m to pay off the current owners, and then would borrow to top up the funds needed for the new stadium: "Look at Arsenal. They've no sugar-daddy. The club costed up its plans, secured loans and convinced people to lend to them at a fixed-rate. The Banks trust the club's finances will be well-run and that fans will continue to watch the club. If we could show how much fans of this club care, and how they're prepared to back their faith with hard cash, then everything changes. We don't need a sugar daddy - we are the sugar daddy - because most of the money comes from us in the end anyway."

The first issue to come to light under the new owners, although they tried hard to disguise the facts, was that they weren't putting in the extra investment for new players that had been a material part of the acceptance of their bid. This fans takeover will at least reduce the debt on the club, but will it allow any extra funding for players during the wait for the new stadium? They say it will depend on the decisions of those elected to run the club: "If we have a well run, debt free Club to start with, there will be money to buy players. Also the elected Board may wish to raise money. At Barca, very rich individuals stand for election with promises of further investment. But it doesn't mean they 'own' any part of Club."

There's always the possibility that the group will fail to attract that figure 100,000 fans with a spare £5,000, but if that happens they will consider the option - with approval of those who did sign up - of buying a partial stake in the club: "Let's say we only get £100m - the equivalent of 20,000 fans signing up. At that point we would ask the 20,000 'members' what they want to do. Some of us might want - as a group - to buy a significant portion of the club's shares. Certainly, at that point, any individual member who wanted the money returned would be entitled to it."

There's also some clarification about whether the £5000 share will rise in value over time. It won't. The plan is not quite the same as selling shares in a plc, for example, and there will be restrictions on selling the shares: "There will be no ordinary 'trading' in individual shares, no profit can be made from selling them, otherwise the Club would be permanently up for sale just like Manchester United was. However, if a member can find someone who does not already own a member share, then a transfer at the original price may be arranged through the elected Board."

Money won't need to be paid out straight away: "Nobody will be asked to part with a penny until a detailed Constitution is presented in which all necessary details are made plain." And when payments do begin, they've plans on how to keep track of how much has been raised: "We will have a partner Bank where the monies will be kept until we reach the target. We will ask the two Bishops of Liverpool to act as verifiers for us - they'll see the bank accounts, have access to all the books and be able to speak to the bank to certify that it's all there. We will also ask the Liverpool City Council Treasurer to act as a scrutineer."

Fans will get to vote on various elements that go towards the running of the club: "Members will elect the Board of Directors for Liverpool FC, for a term to be decided by them. After an Election, just like the Government, the Board will have executive control of the Club, but they may want an elected 'Fans' Council' to advise them. The Board will know that - in a few years time - they will be judged on their performance by the owners - the members." The members won't be voting for who manages the club however.

They say this is a first: "Though there have been many formations of 'Fan Supporters' Trusts' at professional clubs in the past decade, and three Football League Clubs are run by a majority shareholder Fans' Supporters' Trusts, Liverpool would be the pioneers in completing a 'members' buy-out. What we propose would probably start a revolution in Club ownership structures in the UK, but then Liverpool fans have often been at the vanguard of changing the culture of football."

To keep costs down, they're also pleading for any volunteers who are in a position to offer free professional advice: "We want this to be a genuine fans' initiative and we know something about the costs of professional advice. Are you in a senior position in banking, accountancy, corporate finance etc? Please contact us if you think you could provide voluntary assistance to this project."

The site also gives a brief background to those who are behind this idea: "Share Liverpool FC is a group of Liverpool fans, advised by some of the foremost experts in supporter and co-operative ownership in football.

"It includes, leading the initiative, Rogan Taylor, Kop season ticket holder and LFC fan for over forty years; founder member and Chair of the Football Supporters' Association, launched in Liverpool after the Heysel Stadium Disaster in 1985. Rogan is currently the Director of the Football Industry Group at the University of Liverpool.

"Advising the group, Supporters Direct; the organisation that assists in the formation of supporters' trusts, and assists them in gaining equity and democratic representation at their clubs. Kevin Jaquis, of the law firm, Cobbetts, the top UK firm for co-operative and mutual law which has played a leading role in the development of mutuals and co-operatives in housing, health and education. Kevin was part of the group which developed the Supporters Trust concept and wrote the model constitution which is now used by over 100 trusts in England, Wales and Scotland."

Andy Burnham, an Everton supporter and now Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport is keen to see this idea work: "The Barcelona model," he said, "to me, is how a football club should be run. They are one of the most pre-eminent names in world football, yet the club is owned by its supporters on a one-member, one-vote basis and they control it. That strengthens it because it's never subject to the whim of one person; it's a collective endeavour. English football should see that as a big strength. I'd love to see if we could grow the Barcelona model here."

For the responses from the Liverpool Football Club  Members and Supporters go to

http://www.anfieldroad.com/news/200801312815/share-liverpool-fc-details-of-how-takeover-attempt-will-work.html/

Archived Articles on Liverpool FC

The Liverpool Stadium Shambles - 14/09/2008
George Gillett made a rare visit to Liverpool yesterday to see his club beat Manchester United, but while fans celebrated their victory, large numbers of them protested against the American owners...

Liverpool Stadium Problems - 02/09/2008
Which of the top four clubs are most vulnerable to the new 'Middle Eastlands' Manchester City's stated ambition to become a top four club? The cost of their new stadium has limited spending at Arsenal, but Liverpool looks more vulnerable under its American owners. Tony Hicks and George Gillett have been forced to delay plans for a new stadium because they do not have the funds. Eighteen months after Gillett had declared that work on a Stanley Park stadium would start within 60 days, Liverpool issued a statement saying the delay had been caused by 'global market conditions'. It is likely to be another year before construction can start. Liverpool have accepted that they need to move to a bigger stadium if they are to challenge the financial muscle of Manchester United and Arsenal and say they will revisit the plans to ensure that if and when the stadium opens it will have a capacity of 73,000, rather than the 60,000 for which it currently has planning permission. The difficulties that both Liverpool and Everton are encountering with new stadium plans has revived talk of a shared stadium. For fans, however, the identity of the club is strongly bound up with the stadium. What might be financially rational in another business is not possible in football, at least in England.

Liverpool Bosses Make Up - 22/06/2008
George Gillett Jr. has revealed that his relationship with his co-owner at Liverpool, Tim Hicks, has improved in recent weeks...

New Doubts Over 'Pool Stadium - 07/06/2008
The head of the North Western Regional Development Agency has cast doubts on the ability of Liverpool's co-owners to raise funds for a new stadium...

Hicks Insists Stadium Plan On Track - 18/05/2008
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has insisted that the club's plans for a new stadium remained on track and were unconnected to his decision to delay a development project in the US because of the credit crunch...

It All Goes Off At Liverpool - Again - 17/04/2008
Some newspapers have published complicated diagrams in the last week showing who is out with whom - or still in with whom - at Liverpool Football Club. However, fans probably don't need to consult them for another flare up of the bad feeling between co-owner Tom Hicks and chief executive Rick Parry...

Hicks Calls On Liverpool CEO To Resign - 12/04/2008
Tom Hicks has asked Rick Parry to resign as chief executive of Liverpool as the feud between the American co-owners intensifies...

Liverpool Co-owner Admits Split - 29/03/2008
Liverpool co-owner George Gillett has admitted what has been widely known for some time: relations with his business partner Tom Hicks are now 'unworkable'...

'Pool Fans See DIC As Saviour - 15/03/2008
ShareLiverpool are maintaining their dream of owning the club for the fans, but in the meantime they have been having discussions with prospective bidders Dubai International Capital...

Battle For Control Of Liverpool Goes On (And On) - 06/03/2008
DIC, Hicks, Gillett, and now the organisers of ShareLiverpoolFC, are all bidding to take full control at Anfield...

Liverpool Sale Rumours Persist - 26/02/2008
Rumours that Liverpool Football Club may soon have new owners in the form of Dubai International Capital (DIC) continue to circulate despite a robust denial by co-owner...

Can Fan Buy Out Plan Work? - 03/02/2008
Can the plan of the Share Liverpool FC Group to buy the club from its American owners work? It has already been welcomed by culture, media and sports secretary Andy Burnham who called the plan, headed up by football academic Rogan Taylor, 'a fascinating development...'

Liverpool Secures Refinancing Package - 27/01/2008
The US owners of Liverpool have completed its long-awaited refinancing, securing a £350m loan from Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia. The package will need to be refinanced again in 18 months' time...

Battle To Control Liverpool Is On - 20/01/2008
Liverpool could change hands for the second time in a year as their American owners run into difficulties in refinancing £350m of debt incurred in taking over and running the club...

Liverpool Could Be Sold Again - 14/01/2008
Liverpool could change hands for the second time in a year as their American owners run into difficulties in refinancing £350m of debt incurred in taking over and running the club...

Liverpool Sale Denied - 26/12/2007
Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have told friends that they have no 'interest whatsoever' in selling the club. They made their stance plain to friends and business associates after it was reported at the weekend that Dubai International Capital were poised to take over because the Americans were allegedly having problems re-financing the debt taken out to buy Liverpool. It is understood that Hicks and Gillett are poised to re-finance the £220m loan with a new £350m loan with the Royal Bank of Scotland to include £60m for work on Stanley Park and £25m to cover the cost of last summer's signings. Stadium plans are apparently proceeding according to a revised schedule that would see the new ground open in time for the 2011/12 season.

Liverpool Stadium Plans Hit Financial Snags - 18/12/2007
Futuristic designs for new Stanley Park stadium submitted by a Texan company in July are to be replaced by what chief executive Rick Parry described as a 'slightly downgraded' version...

Liverpool Tensions Raise Broader Issues - 02/12/2007
The tensions at Liverpool between manager Rafael Benitez, the American owners and the fans are important for the future of a major club, but they also raise broader issues...

Liverpool Seek Success And A Profit - 15/07/2007
Liverpool are hoping to challenge for the Premiership title in the coming season, but there has not been quite the mass injection of funds for players that was hinted at when the new owners took over...

Liverpool's New Owners Want Bigger Stadium - 17/03/2007
Now that they have completed their purchase of Liverpool, American tycoons George Gillet Jr and Tom Hicks have urged the club to expand the new stadium at Stanley Park beyond the planned 60,000 capacity...

American Duo Go 50:50 On Liverpool - 04/02/2007
Tom Hicks, co-founder of the US investment firm Hicks Muse, Tate and Furst is dipping into his personal fortune to provide half the equity for George Gillett's purchase of Liverpool FC...

Angry Sheikh Pulls Out If Liverpool Bid - 31/01/2007
Liverpool's plans for the funding of a new stadium are in turmoil after an angry Sheikh Mohammed pulled Dubai International Capital out of their takeover bid for the club...

Second Bid For Liverpool - 28/01/2007
Liverpool has received a second foreign takeover bid for the club, this time from George Gillett, owner of the Montreal Canadians ice hockey club...

Liverpool May Choose Gulf State Owners - 04/12/2006
The seemingly endless saga of Liverpool's takeover looks like it is coming to an end with the club becoming the first Premiership club to be owned by the investment vehicle of a Gulf state...

Liverpool Considers Two Bids - 26/11/2006
It was recently suggested on this page that Liverpool might be the next Premiership club to be sold to foreign owners and the club is currently in discussions with US sports entrepreneur George Gillett and Dubai Capital International...

Liverpool Court Date With Reebok - 08/10/2006
Liverpool have a trial date next April for their dispute with sportswear manufacturers Reebok International...

Liverpool Given Deadline On New Stadium - 23/09/2006
Liverpool have been told to provide evidence of how they will fund their proposed new £180m stadium at Stanley Park or risk losing European funding...

Norwegians Interested In Liverpool - 23/04/2006
Liverpool's attempts to gain outside investment to underwrite its new stadium at Stanley Park have been a long saga, but now the FA Cup finalists have attracted promising interest from Norwegian investors...

New Liverpool Bid Speculation - 30/03/2006
Prodded by the Takeover Panel, Liverpool have confirmed that they are in talks that could lead to a bid for the club...

Liverpool 'A Great Brand' says Kraft - 14/11/2005
American billionaire Robert Kraft has told Radio 5 'Liverpool is a great brand and it's something our family respects a lot...

Liverpool Could Lose Stadium Funding - 13/11/2005
Liverpool could lose a major source of funding for their new stadium at Stanley Park if, in three months' time, they failed to secure the estimated £120 million...

Liverpool Get Champions League Boost - 29/05/2005
The chances of Liverpool defending their Champions League title have improved after the intervention of Uefa president Lennart Johansson and other senior officials...

Problems Over Liverpool Shirt Deal - 02/05/2005
Liverpool may not be able to produce replica shirts in time for the start of next season if it does not secure a new sponsorship deal soon to replace that with Carlsberg...

Liverpool Stadium Worries - 31/03/2005
Spiralling costs are raising questions about the viability of Liverpool's new stadium project at Stanley Park...

Liverpool In Danger of Becoming 'Relic' Club - 25/01/2005
Liverpool are in danger of becoming a footballing relic according to former captain and television pundit Alan Hansen...

Liverpool To Go It Alone - 18/01/2005
Liverpool hope that work on a new £120m stadium at Stanley Park could start within months after they formally rejected a Government-backed proposal for a groundshare with Everton...

Morgan Pulls Out Of Liverpool Deal - 22/12/2004
Entrepreneur Steve Morgan has pulled out of a £70m investment offer to Liverpool, letting it be known that he has 'lost patience' with the club's board...

Carlsberg To End Liverpool Sponsorship - 22/12/2004
Carlsberg is expected to end its twelve year old deal with Liverpool at the end of the season. The brewer considers that it is not getting value for money from its £6m a year shirt sponsorship deal...

It All Goes Off At Liverpool - 05/12/2004
Outside of Manchester, most genuine fans have considerable respect for Liverpool Football Club. But the club has been going through a troubled period off the pitch which, whatever anyone says to the contrary, can have implications for what happens on the pitch....

New Liverpool Offer - 10/10/2004
Property tycoon Steve Morgan has indicated that he is prepared to invest £100m in Liverpool Football Club, a substantial advance on the £70m he offered three months ago...

New Bid For Liverpool? - 26/09/2004
A third bid for Liverpool has emerged from two US-based entertainment executives with Hollywood links. Mike Jeffries and Stuart Ford have Merseyside roots and state that they have started talks with the club...

Thai Music Group Will Now Lead Liverpool Bid - 20/06/2004
The controversial bid by Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to bid for a stake in Liverpool 'on behalf of the Thai people' is effectively over...

Thai Bid For Liverpool Runs Into Trouble - 06/06/2004
The Thai bid to acquire a stake in Liverpool has run into trouble after increased opposition within Thailand...

Thais Step Up Interest in Liverpool FC - 15/05/2004
Foreign takeovers are the flavour of the month as the globalisation of sport gathers pace and Bangkok's Thai Rath newspaper has reported that Thaksin Shinawatra, the country's billionaire prime minister is about to sign a deal to take a Bt4.6bn (£64m) 30 per cent stake in Liverpool...

First Shot Fired in Battle For Control of Liverpool - 26/03/2004
With Liverpool knocked out of the UEFA Cup, the first shot has been fired in the battle for control of the faltering Merseyside club...

Shared Stadium For Pool? - 11/10/2003
With the promise of public funds being made available for up to a third of the cost, the North-West Development Agency has re-opened the vexed question of a shared stadium for Liverpool and Everton...

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Liverpool Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Liverpool, England. The club plays in thePremier League, and it is the most successful club in the history ofEnglish football, having won more trophies than any other English club. Liverpool Football Club have won a record 18 First Division titles, and seven League Cups. The club has won five European Cups; an English record. They have also won the FA Cup seven times.

The club was founded in 1892, though it had limited success until the appointment of Bill Shankly as manager. Under Shankly's management, Liverpool won three League Championship titles, two FA Cups and a UEFA Cup, the club's first European trophy. During the past 30 years they have been one of the most successful clubs in English and European football, having won four European Cups between 1977 and 1984. The club experienced a lean period during the 1990s, but saw a revival when they won the treble in 2001, and the club's fifth European Cup in 2005.

The club's traditional colours were red and white, but this was changed to all red in the 1960s. The club's crest has changed throughout its history, with flames added to the crest following theHillsborough Disaster in honour of the 96 Liverpool fans who lost their lives. At the Heysel Stadium Disaster, 39 Juventus fans died when a wall collapsed before the 1985 European Cup Final.

Liverpool FC have played at Anfield since their formation, but there are plans to move to a new stadium in Stanley Park, which is due to be completed by 2011. Liverpool have a large and diverse fan base, who hold a string of long-standing rivalries with several other clubs. The most notable of these are their rivalry with Manchester United, due to the success of both clubs, and their proximity to each other; and with Everton, with whom they regularly contest the Merseyside derby.


The statue of former manager Bill Shankly, outside Anfield

Liverpool's team during its first season, 1892–93


History of the Liverpool Football Club

For more details on this topic, see History of Liverpool F.C..

Liverpool FC were founded following a dispute between Everton and John Houlding, the leaseholder of Anfield, over rent. Houlding purchased Anfield outright in 1891, proposing an increase in the rent from £100 to £250 per year. Everton who had been playing at Anfield for seven years refused to meet his demands and moved to a new stadium in Goodison Park.[1]Liverpool F.C. were founded by Houlding on 15 March 1892 to play at the vacated Anfield. The original name was to be Everton F.C. and Athletic Grounds, Ltd., or Everton Athletic for short, but it was changed to Liverpool F.C. when The Football Association refused to recognise the team as Everton.[2]

The club won the Lancashire League in their first season, and successfully applied to join the Second Division for the following season. They subsequently won the league and were promoted to the First Division. They won their first title in 1900–01, and were champions again in 1905–06. They reached their first FA Cup final in 1914, losing 1–0 to Burnley.[3] The club won back-to-back championships in 1921–22 and 1922–23, but after this the club did not win another trophy until 1946–47 when they won the League for a fifth time. Liverpool struggled after this success, suffering relegation to the Second Division in the 1953–54season.[4]

Liverpool floundered until the appointment of Bill Shankly as manager in 1959. On his appointment he released 24 players and began to reshape the squad.[5] Promotion to the First Division was achieved in 1961–62, and the club won the League for the first time in 17 years in 1963–64. Another League title followed in 1965–66, after the club had won their first FA Cup the previous season. The League and UEFA Cup were won in 1972–73, and a year later after winning the FA Cup again, Shankly retired to be replaced by his assistant Bob Paisley.[6] Paisley was even more successful than Shankly and the club won the League and UEFA Cup in 1975–76, his second season in charge. The following season they retained their League title, won the European Cup for the first time, and lost in the FA Cup final, narrowly missing out on a treble. Liverpool retained the European Cup the next season, and the season after won the League again with 68 points—a domestic record. They conceded only 16 goals in 42 league matches.[7] During the nine seasons Paisley managed the club, Liverpool won 21 trophies, including three European Cups, a UEFA Cup, six league titles and three consecutive League Cups. The only domestic trophy to elude him was the FA Cup.[8]

Paisley retired in 1983 and like Shankly before him, Paisley handed the reins to his assistant, veteran coach Joe Fagan. The succession of coaches came from the Anfield Boot Room where the Liverpool staff discussed strategy and allegedly stored gin.[9]Liverpool won three trophies in Fagan's first season in charge: the League, League Cup and European Cup, becoming the first English side to win three trophies in a season.[10] Liverpool reached the European Cup final again in 1985. The match was against Juventus at the Heysel Stadium. Before kick-off, disaster struck: Liverpool fans breached a fence separating the two groups of supporters and charged the Juventus fans. The resulting weight of people caused a retaining wall to collapse, killing 39 fans, mostly Italians. The match was played regardless and Liverpool lost 1–0 to Juventus. English clubs were consequently banned from participating in European competition for five years; Liverpool received a ten-year ban, which was later reduced to six years. Fourteen of their fans received convictions for involuntary manslaughter.[11]


Fagan resigned after the disaster and Kenny Dalglish was appointed as player-manager.[12][13] His reign saw the club win another three League Championships and two FA Cups including a League and Cup "Double" in 1985–86. Liverpool's successes were overshadowed by the Hillsborough disaster: in an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989, hundreds of Liverpool fans were crushed.[14] 94 fans died that day; the 95th victim died in hospital from his injuries four days later, and the 96th died nearly four years later having never regained consciousness. After the Hillsborough tragedy there was a governmental review of stadium safety. Known as the Taylor Report, it paved the way for legislation requiring top-division teams to have all-seater stadiums. The report ruled that the main reason for the disaster was overcrowding due to a failure of police control.[15][16]Dalglish resigned in 1991 citing the fallout from Hillsborough as the reason; he was replaced by former player Graeme Souness. Apart from winning the FA Cup in 1992, Souness achieved little success and was replaced by a former member of the "Boot Room", Roy Evans. Evans fared little better: a League Cup victory in 1995 was his only trophy.Gérard Houllier was appointed as co-manager in 1998–99, but was left in sole charge after Evans resigned in November 1998.[17]

In his second season in charge Houllier won a unique treble of the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup.[18] In the 2001-02 season, during which Houllier underwent major heart surgery, Liverpool finished second behind Arsenal.[19] The following season failed to live up to expectations and Houllier was replaced by Rafael Benítez. The club finished fifth in his first season in charge but won the UEFA Champions League beating Milan 3–2 in a penalty shootout after the match finished 3–3.[20] The following season Liverpool finished third with 82 points—their highest points total since 1988. They won the FA Cup in similar circumstances to their Champions League victory the previous season, beating West Ham United in another penalty shootout after the match finished at 3–3. In 2006–07, the club's search for investment came to an end when American businessmenGeorge Gillett and Tom Hicks became the owners of Liverpool in a deal which valued the club and its outstanding debts at £218.9 million.[21] That season, the club reached another Champions League final, but this time lost 2–1 to Milan.[22]


Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Liverpool's original home colours (1892–1894)


Colours and crest


Liverpool's traditional colours are red and white, and the home kit has been all red since the mid 1960s; but red has not always featured. In the early days, when the club took over Anfield from Everton, they used the Toffees' colours of blue and white, wearing a kit almost identical to that worn by the Everton team of the time. By 1894 Liverpool had chosen the colour of red, and in 1901 the city's liver bird was adopted as the club badge.[23] For the next 60 years Liverpool's kit was red shirts with white shorts. Socks alternated over the years from red, to black, to white, and back to red again.

In 1964, then Liverpool manager Bill Shankly decided to send the team out in all red for the first time against Anderlecht, as Ian St. John recalled in his autobiography:

He thought the colour scheme would carry psychological impact—red for danger, red for power. He came into the dressing room one day and threw a pair of red shorts to Ronnie Yeats. “Get into those shorts and let’s see how you look,” he said. “Christ, Ronnie, you look awesome, terrifying. You look 7ft tall.” “Why not go the whole hog, boss?” I suggested. “Why not wear red socks? Let’s go out all in red.” Shankly approved and an iconic kit was born.[24]

Liverpool's away colours are traditionally either white shirts and black shorts or all yellow. However, in 1987 an all grey kit was introduced, which was used until the centenary season of 1991–92, when it was replaced by a combination of green shirts and white shorts. After various colour combinations in the 1990s, including gold and navy, bright yellow, black and grey, and ecru, the club alternated between yellow and white away kits until the 2008–09 season when they re-introduced the grey kit.[25] The current kits are designed by Adidas,[26] who also made the club's kits between 1985 and 1996. The only other branded shirts worn by the club were made by Umbro up until 1985, and Reebok for ten seasons from 1996.[27] A third kit, consisting of a turquoise top and black shorts, has been designed primarily for Champions League away games, but is also used for any domestic games where both red and grey would clash.[28]

Liverpool were the first British professional club to wear a sponsor's logo on their shirts,[29] agreeing a deal with Hitachi in 1979. In the years since, the club has had relatively little variation in sponsorship deals, linking up with Crown Paints and Candy before signing their current deal with Carlsberg in 1992—a deal which is the longest-standing current agreement in English top-flight football.[30] The current Liverpool badge is based around the city's liver bird, which is placed inside a shield. Above the shield is a representation of the Shankly Gates bearing the title of club's famous anthem, "You'll Never Walk Alone". The twin flames at either side are symbolic of the Hillsborough memorial, where an eternal flame burns outside Anfield, in memory of those who died in the disaster.[31]





Anfield, home of Liverpool F.C.

The Kop, as it stands after redevelopment in 1994




Stadia


Main article: Anfield

The Anfield Road stand is positioned at the opposite end to the Kop, and houses the away team's fans. It is the newest stand at Anfield, having been rebuilt in 1998 with a capacity of 9,074. The two stands adjacent to these are the Main Stand, with a capacity of 12,227; and the Centenary Stand, which has a capacity of 11,762. The Main Stand is the oldest part of Anfield, having remained largely untouched since its redevelopment in 1973. It houses the players' changing rooms and the director's box, with the dug-outs in front of the stand. The Centenary Stand was previously known as the Kemlyn Road Stand until it was rebuilt for the club's centenary in 1992. The redevelopment saw the houses in Kemlyn Road demolished and the address become non-existent. The current overall capacity of the stadium is 45,362. It is rated as a four Star Stadium in the UEFA Stadia List.[36]

On 30 July 2004, Liverpool City Council granted the club planning permission to build a new 60,000 seat stadium just 300 yards (270 m) away from Anfield at Stanley Park,[37] and on 8 September 2006 Liverpool City Council agreed to grant Liverpool F.C. a 999-year lease on the land on the proposed site.[38] Following the takeover of the club in February 2007 by George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks, the proposed stadium was re-designed. In November 2007, the new design was approved by the council, and construction started in June 2008.[39][40] The new stadium is being built by HKS, Inc. and is expected to be completed in 2011.[41] Melwood, in West Derby, Liverpool, has been the home of Liverpool's training ground since the 1950s. It is not attached to The Academy, which is in Kirkby. The ground previously belonged to St Francis Xavier, a local school.[42]


Shankly Gates

Supporters

Liverpool have a large and generally loyal fanbase, and nearly all home matches selling out. During the current season Liverpool have the fifth-highest average League attendance for an English club: 43,398, which is 95.6% of available capacity.[43] Liverpool fans often refer to themselves as "Kopites", which is a reference to the fans who once stood, and now sit, on the Kop at Anfield.[44]

The song "You'll Never Walk Alone", originally from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicalCarousel and later recorded by Liverpool musicians Gerry & The Pacemakers, is the anthem of the club, and has been sung by the Anfield crowd since the early 1960s. It has since gained popularity among fans of other clubs around the world. Claims that "You'll Never Walk Alone" was first sung by fans at other clubs have been dismissed as very unlikely.[45] The song's title adorns the top of the Shankly Gates, which were unveiled on 2 August 1982 in memory of the former manager Bill Shankly. The "You'll Never Walk Alone" portion of the Shankly Gates is also reproduced on the club's crest.

Liverpool's longest-established rivalry is with fellow Merseyside team Everton, against whom they contest the Merseyside derby. This stems from Liverpool's formation after a dispute with Everton officials and the owners of Anfield, the ground Everton were using at the time. Religious differences have been cited as a cause of division, although both teams stem from a Methodist origin, undermining the notion of a CatholicProtestant split.[46] The Merseyside derby is usually a sell-out fixture and tends to be a scrappy affair; more players have been sent off in it than in any other fixture in Premier League history.[47] It is one of the few local derbies that does not enforce fan segregation.[48] Liverpool also have a significant rivalry with north-west neighboursManchester United. This is mostly due to the success enjoyed by the two clubs and the geographical proximity of the two cities.[49] The rivalry is so intense that the last player to be transferred between the two clubs was Phil Chisnall in 1964, when he moved to Liverpool from United.[50]

Liverpool's fans are associated with hooliganism; this stems from the Heysel stadium disaster, in which 39 Juventus fans were killed. They were penned into a corner by Liverpool fans charging in their direction, and the sheer number of fans cornered caused a wall to collapse. After the final UEFA laid the blame for the incident solely on the fans of Liverpool.[51] English clubs were banned from European competition for five years; Liverpool served a ten-year ban.[52] During an FA Cup semi-final in 1989 between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, 96 Liverpool fans died due to overcrowding in what became known as the Hillsborough Disaster. The Sun newspaper publish an article entitled "The Truth", in which it claimed that Liverpool fans had robbed and urinated on the dead and had attacked the police.[53] Subsequent investigations proved the allegations to be false, and the allegations sparked a city-wide boycott of the newspaper.[54] Many organisations were set up as a result of the disaster, such as the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, which represents bereaved families, survivors and supporters campaigning for justice for the 96 people who died in Sheffield on 15 April 1989.[55]




Ownership and finances

Liverpool is owned by 


George Gillett 

and


    Tom Hicks

who acquired the club on 6 February 2007 from previous chairman David Moores. The deal valued the club and its outstanding debts at £218.9 million. The pair paid £5,000 per share, or £174.1m for the total shareholding in the club, and £44.8m to cover the club's debts.[56] Tensions between the Americans and their lack of support from the fans has precipitated rumours that Dubai International Capital (DIC), who were looking to buy the club before Hicks and Gillett took over, would bid for the club.[57] Another group, Share Liverpool FC, also expressed an interest in purchasing the club. They proposed to pay £500m, funded by 100,000 fans paying £5,000 each for a club share. The group have been unable to raise the required capital to make an offer for the club, though.[58]

In April 2008, business magazine Forbes ranked Liverpool as the fourth most valuable football team in the world, after Manchester United, Real Madrid and Arsenal. They valued aluing the club at $1.0bn (£605m), excluding debt.[59] Accountants Deloitte rate Liverpool eighth in the 2008 Deloitte Football Money League, which ranks the world's football clubs in terms of revenue. Liverpool's income of £133.9m in the 2006–07 season moved them up from tenth the previous season.[60]




Liverpool in popular culture

As one of the most successful teams in the country, Liverpool have often featured when football is depicted in British culture and have appeared in a number of media "firsts". The club featured in the first edition of the BBC's Match of the Day, which screened highlights of their match against Arsenal at Anfield on 22 August 1964. They were also the subject of television's first colour football transmission, which showed their match against West Ham United live.[61] Liverpool fans singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" were featured in the Pink Floyd song, "Fearless".[62] Liverpool released a song known as the "Anfield Rap" in 1988. It was the club's FA Cup anthem for the final against Wimbledon, and featured John Barnes performing a rap with other members of the squad participating.[63]

A documentary drama on the Hillsborough Disaster written by Jimmy McGovern was screened in 1996. It featured Christopher Eccleston as Trevor Hicks, whose story formed the focus of the script. Hicks, who lost two teenage daughters in the disaster, went on to campaign for safer stadia and helped to form the Hillsborough Families Support Group.[64] Liverpool is featured in the film The 51st State (also known as Formula 51). Ex-hitman Felix DeSouza (Robert Carlyle) is an avid fan of the team and the last scene of the film takes place at match between Liverpool and Manchester United match.[65] The club was featured in a children's television show called Scully, whose plot revolved around a young boy named Francis Scully trying to win a trial with Liverpool. The show featured prominent Liverpool players of the time such as Kenny Dalglish.[66]




Statistics and records

Liverpool's first competitive game was in the Lancashire League against Higher Walton. A team of mostly Scottish players won the match 8–0.[67] Ian Callaghan holds Liverpool's appearance record, having played 857 matches over the course of 19 seasons from 1958 to 1978.[68] He also holds the record for League appearances with 640.[69] Of the current squad, Jamie Carragher has the most appearances; he played his 500th game for the club early in 2008.[70]

Liverpool's all-time leading scorer is Ian Rush, who scored 346 goals in two spells at the club from 1980 to 1987 and 1988 to 1996.[69] Rush holds the record for the most goals in a season with 47 in 1983–84. However, during his career, Rush could not surpass Roger Hunt's record number of league goals, which has stood at 245 since 1970.[71] In the 1961–62 season, Hunt scored 41 goals, setting the club record for league goals in a single season.[72] Gordon Hodgson, the club's third highest scorer with 240 goals,[73] holds the club record of 17 hat tricks.[69] The most goals scored by a player in a single match is five; John Miller, Andy McGuigan, John Evans, Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler have achieved this feat.[74] Fowler also holds the club and Premier Leaguerecord for the fastest hat trick, scoring three goals against Arsenal in four minutes, 32 seconds in the 1994–95 season.[75] Steven Gerrard is Liverpool's all-time leading goalscorer in European competition with 29 goals.[69]

Liverpool's biggest victory is 11–0 against Strømsgodset IF in 1974.[69] Rotherham Town, beaten 10–1 in 1896, were the victims of Liverpool's biggest league win.[72] This margin of victory was matched in the modern era when Crystal Palace were defeated 9–0 at Anfield in 1989.[76] Liverpool's heaviest defeat, 1–9, came against Birmingham City in 1954.[69] Liverpool's 8–0 victory on 6 November 2007 against Besiktas J.K. in the Champions League is the record win in the competition.[77]




Current squad
As of 27 November 2008.[78][79]

First team players

No. Position Player
1 Flag of Brazil GK Diego Cavalieri
2 Flag of Italy DF Andrea Dossena
4 Flag of Finland DF Sami Hyypiä
5 Flag of Denmark DF Daniel Agger
7 Flag of Ireland FW Robbie Keane
8 Flag of England MF Steven Gerrard (captain)
9 Flag of Spain FW Fernando Torres
11 Flag of Spain MF Albert Riera
12 Flag of Brazil DF Fábio Aurélio
14 Flag of Spain MF Xabi Alonso
15 Flag of Israel MF Yossi Benayoun
16 Flag of England MF Jermaine Pennant
17 Flag of Spain DF Álvaro Arbeloa
18 Flag of the Netherlands FW Dirk Kuyt
19 Flag of the Netherlands MF Ryan Babel
20 Flag of Argentina MF Javier Mascherano
21 Flag of Brazil MF Lucas Leiva
No. Position Player
22 Flag of Argentina DF Emiliano Insúa
23 Flag of England DF Jamie Carragher (vice-captain)
24 Flag of France FW David N'Gog
25 Flag of Spain GK Pepe Reina
26 Flag of England MF Jay Spearing
27 Flag of Switzerland DF Philipp Degen
28 Flag of France MF Damien Plessis
29 Flag of Hungary FW Krisztián Németh
30 Flag of France GK Charles Itandje
31 Flag of Morocco MF Nabil El Zhar
32 Flag of England DF Stephen Darby
34 Flag of England DF Martin Kelly
36 Flag of England MF Steve Irwin
37 Flag of Slovakia DF Martin Škrtel
39 Flag of England FW Nathan Eccleston
41 Flag of Denmark GK Martin Hansen
42 Flag of Hungary GK Péter Gulácsi

Players out on loan

No. Position Player
38 Flag of England FW Craig Lindfield (at Bournemouth until the end of December 2008)
–– Flag of England MF Adam Hammill (at Blackpool until the end of December 2008)
40 Flag of England GK David Martin (at Leicester City until the end of December 2008)
–– Flag of Ghana DF Godwin Antwi (at Tranmere Rovers until the end of December 2008)
35 Flag of Scotland MF Ryan Flynn (at Wrexham until 3 January 2009)
33 Flag of Argentina MF Sebastián Leto (at Olympiacos until the end of 2008–09 season)
–– Flag of England MF Paul Anderson (at Nottingham Forest until the end of 2008–09 season)
–– Flag of England DF Jack Hobbs (at Leicester City until the end of 2008–09 season)
–– Flag of England DF Robbie Threlfall (at Hereford United until the end of 2008–09 season)
–– Flag of Spain DF Miki Roque (at FC Cartagena until the end of 2008–09 season)
10 Flag of Ukraine FW Andriy Voronin (at Hertha Berlin until the end of 2008–09 season)
–– Flag of Bulgaria GK Nikolay Mihaylov (at FC Twente until the end of 2009–10 season)

Notable players

Reserves and Academy squad



Managers
For more details on this topic, see List of Liverpool F.C. managers.
Rafael Benítez, manager of Liverpool since 2004

Liverpool have had 17 permanent managers and one caretaker manager since the club's first professional managers, W.E. Barclay and John McKenna, were appointed in 1892. The longest-serving manager in terms of time was Tom Watson, who managed Liverpool for 19 years from 1896 to 1915. Bill Shankly managed the club for more games than any other manager; he served for 783 matches. Kenny Dalglish was the first player-manager in English football when he was appointed in 1985. Bob Paisley, who won 19 trophies during his tenure, was the club's most successful manager.[80]

Current coaching staff

As of 1 December 2008.[78]
Position Name Nationality
Manager Rafael Benítez  Spanish
Assistant manager Sammy Lee  English
First team coach Mauricio Pellegrino  Argentinean
Reserve team coach Gary Ablett  English
Goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero  Spanish
Fitness Coach Paco de Miguel  Spanish
Physiotherapist Rob Price  English
Chief Scout Eduardo Macia  Spanish



Honours

For more details on this topic, see Liverpool F.C. seasons.

Liverpool have won the English League Championship a record 18 times.[81] They have also won the FA Cup and League Cupseven times, holding the record number of wins for the latter. The club achieved a League and FA Cup "Double" in 1986, and have won the League and European Cup double twice, in 1977 and 1984. They also won the League Cup in 1984 to complete a uniquetreble, a feat they repeated (albeit with different trophies) in 2001 when they won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup.[82]Liverpool have won the European Cup, Europe's primary club competition, five times, which is an English record. They are third on the overall list behind Real Madrid and Milan. The club's fifth triumph meant that they won the trophy outright and were awarded the UEFA Badge of Honour.[83] They have won the UEFA Cup, Europe's secondary club competition, three times, a record they share with Juventus and Internazionale.[84]

Domestic

League

Winners (18): 1900–01, 1905–06, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1946–47, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79,1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90
Runners-up (11): 1898–89, 1909–10, 1968–69, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1977–78, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1990–91, 2001–02
Winners (4): 1893–94, 1895–96, 1904–05, 1961–62
Winners (1): 1892–93

Cups

Winners (7): 1965, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992, 2001, 2006
Runners-up (6): 1914, 1950, 1971, 1977, 1988, 1996
Winners (7): 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003
Runners-up (3): 1978, 1987, 2005
Winners (15, 10 outright and 5 shared): 1964 (shared), 1965 (shared), 1966, 1974, 1976, 1977 (shared), 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986 (shared), 1988, 1989, 1990 (shared), 2001, 2006
Runners-up (6): 1922, 1971, 1983, 1984, 1992, 2002
Winners (1): 1986

International

Winners (5): 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005
Runners-up (2): 1985, 2007
Winners (3): 1973, 1976, 2001
Winners (3): 1977, 2001, 2005
Runners-up (2): 1978, 1984
Runners-up (1): 1966
Runners-up (3): 1981, 1984, 2005

Reserve and Youth Team





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External links
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