Liverpool – Liverpool FC is one of the most successful football clubs in England, Europe and even the world. In the long history of the Reds, there have been numerous triumphs, bitter setbacks and even tragedies outside of sport. LFC is also known for its special team spirit, which is reflected and embodied in the club anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.
Liverpool FC (officially Liverpool Football Club) plays its home games at the legendary Anfield stadium on Anfield Road, which has a capacity of 61,276 spectators. The club’s colours are red. Since the 2024/25 season, Liverpool FC has also been the English record champion alongside its rival Manchester United.
The founding of Liverpool FC
Liverpool FC was founded on 3 June 1892. Curiously, the founding of LFC is closely linked to local rivals Everton FC from the Everton district of Liverpool, who first played at Anfield Road. The wealthy brewery owner John Houlding had leased the club a site there until he wanted to increase the lease in 1892. This led to unrest among the club members, who subsequently left Anfield Road and purchased a nearby plot of land at the other end of Stanley Park to build their own stadium.
Everton FC still plays its home games there today, at Goodison Park. John Houlding, who had been left behind, then founded Liverpool FC, which has played at Anfield Stadium ever since. Initially, the club played in blue and white shirts, before new manager Tom Watson changed the shirt colour to red and white in 1896.
The beginnings of Liverpool FC in English football
John McKenna, Liverpool FC’s first manager, recruited 13 Scottish players to build a team. The club’s first match was a resounding 7-1 victory over Rotherham Town. In league competition, LFC initially started in the Lancashire League after the English Football League (EFL, the world’s first professional football league) refused to accept the club. Liverpool immediately won the Lancashire League championship and was finally accepted into the Football League for the following season, where LFC initially started in the Second Division. Without a single defeat, the club was promoted to the First Division in 1994, where it faced Everton FC for the first time in league competition.
While the Toffees finished as runners-up, LFC were relegated straight back to the Second Division as bottom of the table. After promotion again the following year, Liverpool FC managed to stay in the top flight, even winning their first league title in 1901. Remarkably, LFC won their second championship title as a second division promoted team in 1906. Subsequently, the Reds often belonged to the middle of the league and continued to collect occasional titles.
Liverpool FC establishes itself in the top flight and advances to become a top European team
In 1962, under manager and club legend Bill Shankly, Liverpool FC celebrated its return to the top flight, where the club has remained ever since. In the second year after its return (1964), it won its sixth title. Shankly went on to mould LFC into a top team and famously said: ‘Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don’t like that. I can assure you it’s much more serious than that.’ Until the early 1990s, Liverpool FC was always in the top six of the English Premier League. Under other club legends Bob Paisley and Sir Kenny Dalglish, the club won the English championship twelve more times. The Reds also made a name for themselves internationally, first in 1964/66, when the team reached the semi-finals of the European Cup. There, however, they lost to Inter Milan. The quarter-final against 1. FC Köln was only decided by the legendary coin toss in Rotterdam, as no winner could be determined after three games with a total duration of 300 minutes.
LFC celebrated its first international title in 1973 by winning the UEFA Cup, which was celebrated again at Anfield Road three years later. From 1977 to 1984, the Reds also won the European Cup four times, which is considered the predecessor of today’s Champions League. The great national success in England was thus also evident on the international stage. Fans around the world celebrate Liverpool FC’s victories in various ways, from watching games at home to streaming matches online. Some even enjoy gaming platforms to make match day more exciting, where using a Crusino promo code can unlock special offers.
Liverpool FC: Difficult start in the Premier League and a long title drought
In the last season of the First Division (1991/92), Liverpool FC missed out on the top five for the first time, finishing sixth in the league. The Reds then finished in the same position in 1992/93 in the newly founded Premier League. In the following years, LFC frequently finished in the top five of the English top flight, but repeatedly missed out on the top spots without ever falling below the top half of the table. Nevertheless, the 1990s were one of the weaker phases in the club’s history. With several finishes between sixth and eighth place from 2010 onwards, the club repeatedly missed out on participation in the Champions League. In 2004/05, the Reds had won the premier competition for the first time under manager Rafael ‘Rafa’ Benitez.
In February 2007, the club was bought by American businessmen George Gillett and Tim Hicks for £470 million, with the club hoping for more success at national level in the future. After finishing second in the 2008/09 season, LFC came close to winning the English championship again for the first time in 2013/14. However, in the third-last game of the season for the then league leaders, club legend, captain and key player Steven Gerrard slipped, leading to a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea FC, one of two championship rivals. At the end of the season, the Reds finished runners-up, two points behind Manchester City.
Liverpool FC’s major successes in the Jürgen Klopp era
The club now belongs to John Henry’s Fenway Sports Group. However, its major successes are primarily associated with one name: Jürgen Klopp. The German coach took over from Brendan Rodgers, who was dismissed after the eighth matchday of the 2015/16 season, and led the Reds to continuous success in the following years. From eighth place in the same season onwards, LFC became a permanent fixture in the Champions League and repeatedly fought exciting battles for the championship title, especially with Manchester City. In addition to local rivals Everton FC and arch-rivals Manchester United, a rivalry with the Cityzens also developed. The 2018/19 season remains unforgettable, as Liverpool FC finished second despite only one defeat and an incredible 97 points, because Man City collected 98 points. Despite missing out on the championship, the LFC team at the time, featuring world stars such as Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, was crowned the best in the club’s history and the best runner-up in England thanks to its points tally.
The sadness over the incredible missed championship was overshadowed by one triumph in particular: winning the UEFA Champions League, where Liverpool turned around a 0-3 deficit from the first leg against FC Barcelona with a legendary 4-0 victory in the semi-final second leg at Anfield Road. One season later, the long-awaited championship was finally achieved with a brilliant 99 points. It was their first championship title in 30 years and also their first since the introduction of the Premier League, making Jürgen Klopp ‘immortal’ by that season at the latest. In general, the manager, who iconically referred to himself as ‘The Normal One’ at the beginning of his tenure, was an absolute crowd favourite in Liverpool with his authentic, emotional manner.
The special spirit of Liverpool FC and its dramatic tragedies
Liverpool FC is generally considered one of the most emotional clubs in the world, with a particular emphasis on a sense of togetherness. This is reflected above all in the legendary club anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. However, the song and the Liverpool spirit are also deeply rooted in the club because LFC has experienced two major tragedies in its history. The Hillsborough disaster in particular is deeply embedded in the club’s identity. On 15 April 1989, 96 people lost their lives during the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield.
In addition, one of the many people injured in the Hillsborough disaster died in July 2021. As his injuries at the time were ‘life-changing’, he was declared the 97th victim. The disaster was caused by serious mistakes made by the police, which led to overcrowding in individual blocks. Due to the dense crowd, 94 people died at the scene, another died in hospital a few days later and another after almost four years in a coma. According to reports, 766 people were also injured. Even today, the deep sadness of Liverpool FC and its fans over this incident plays a major role on memorial days and in the overall identity of the club.
Another disaster had already occurred on 29 May 1985 at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels. At the time, Liverpool fans had stormed the adjacent block with many Italian fans during the European Cup final against Juventus Turin through a wire mesh fence that was far too thin. As a result of a mass panic, 39 people died. In Liverpool, it was initially difficult to accept responsibility for this disaster.
The special crest of Liverpool FC
The fact that Liverpool FC is a special football club is also reflected in the LFC crest. The so-called ‘Shankly Gates’ in the upper part of the crest immortalise LFC legend Bill Shankly, whose wife Ness opened the gates on 26 August 1982. Incidentally, the gates have since been moved to the other side of the stadium so that they no longer stand next to the Hillsborough memorial. The tragedy is also incorporated into the crest in the form of two torches on the left and right. They are intended to serve as a permanent reminder of the disaster, which has now claimed 97 lives.
Of course, the legendary anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ is also a must, appearing in large letters on the original Shankly Gates and thus also found in the same place in the logo. In addition to the founding year 1982, the distinctive Liver Bird can also be found in the LFC logo. This has been a symbol of the city for over 800 years and is said to be a cross between an eagle and a cormorant. The historic logo hanging above the stairs in the dressing room area on the way out is also legendary. Many players touch the sign, which also bears the inscription ‘This is Anfield’, as a sign of respect.
