History

Liverpool F.C. was founded following a dispute between the Everton F.C. committee and John Houlding, club president and owner of the land at Anfield. After eight years at the stadium, Everton relocated to Goodison Park in 1892 and Houlding founded Liverpool F.C. to play at Anfield.Originally named "Everton F.C. and Athletic Grounds Ltd" (Everton Athletic for short), the club became Liverpool F.C. in June 1892 after the Football Association refused to recognise the club as Everton. In it's debut season, the team won the Lancashire League, before joining the Football League Second Division at the start of the 1893-94 season. After finishing in first place, the club was promoted to the First Division, which it won in 1901 and again in 1906.

Statue of a man with a scarf around his neck and his arms aloft. Behind the statue is the exterior of a stand.

Liverpool reached its first FA Cup Final in 1914, losing 1-0 to Burnley F.C. It won consecutive League championships in 1922 and 1923, but did not win another trophy until the 1946-47 season, when the club won the First Division for a fifth time. Liverpool suffered its second Cup Final defeat in 1950, playing against Arsenal. The club was relegated to the Second Division in the 1953-54 season. Soon after Liverpool lost 2-1 to non-league Worcester City F.C. in the 1958-59 FA Cup, Bill Shankly was appointed manager. Upon his arrival he released 24 players and converted a boot storage room at Anfield into a room where the coaches could discuss strategy; here, Shankly and other "Boot Room" members Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett, and Bob Paisley began reshaping the team.

The club was promoted back into the First Division in 1962 and won it in 1964, for the first time in 17 years. In 1965 the club won its first FA Cup, before winning the First Division again in 1966. Liverpool won both the League and the UEFA Cup during the 1972-73 season, and the FA Cup again a year later; soon afterwards, Shankly retired and was replaced by his assistant Bob Paisley. In 1976, Paisley's second season as manager, the club won another League and UEFA Cup double. The following season, the club retained the League title and won the European Cup for the first time, but it lost in the 1977 FA Cup Final. Liverpool retained the European Cup in 1978 and regained the First Division title in 1979. During the nine seasons in which Paisley was manager, 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.

Paisley retired in 1983 and was replaced by his assistant Joe Fagan. Liverpool won the League, League Cup and European Cup in Fagan's first season, becoming the first English side to win three trophies in a season. Liverpool reached the European Cup final again in 1985, against Juventus at the Heysel Stadium. Before kick-off, Liverpool fans breached a fence which separated 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 incident became known as the Heysel Stadium disaster. The match was played in spite of protests by both managers, and Liverpool lost 1-0 to Juventus. As a result of the tragedy, English clubs were banned from participating in European competition for five years; Liverpool received a ten-year ban, which was later reduced to six years. Fourteen Liverpool fans received convictions for involuntary manslaughter

Hillsborough memorial, which is engraved with the names of the 96 people who died in the Hillsborough disaster Fagan resigned after the disaster and Kenny Dalglish was appointed as player-manager. During his reign, the club won another three League Championships and two FA Cups, including a League and Cup "Double" in the 1985-86 season. Liverpool's success was overshadowed by the Hillsborough disaster: in an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989, hundreds of Liverpool fans were crushed against perimeter fencing. 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, without regaining consciousness. After the Hillsborough disaster there was a government review of stadium safety. The resulting Taylor Report paved the way for legislation that required 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.

Liverpool was involved in the closest finish to a league season during the 1989-90 season. Liverpool finished equal with Arsenal on both points and goal differe nce, but lost the title on total goals scored when Arsenal scored the final goal in the last minute of the season.

Dalglish cited the Hillsborough Disaster and its repercussions as the reason for his resignation in 1991. He was replaced by former player Graeme Souness. Victory in the 1992 FA Cup Final was Souness' only trophy, and he was replaced by Roy Evans. Liverpool won the 1995 Football League Cup Final, which was Evans' only trophy as manager. G

In the 2009-10 season, Liverpool finished seventh in the Premier League and failed to qualify for the Champions League. Benitez subsequently left by mutual consent and was replaced by Fulham manager Roy Hodgson. At the start of the 2010-11 season Liverpool were on the verge of bankruptcy and the club's creditors asked the High Court to allow the sale of the club, overruling the wishes of Hicks and Gillett. John W. Henry, owner of the Boston Red Sox and of New England Sports Ventures, bid successfully for the club and took ownership in October 2010. Poor results during the start of that season led to Hodgson leaving the club by mutual consent and former manager Kenny Dalglish taking over.

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