Liverpool Retro Football Shirts

Liverpool FC was founded in 1892 by John Houlding who decided to form his own team after Everton FC were evicted from Anfield in an argument over rent. The original name was to be Everton FC but was changed to Liverpool FC after The Football Association refused to recognise the team as Everton. The club’s application to participate in the Football League was also rejected and the team made their competitive debut in the Lancashire League with an 8-0 victory at Anfield over Higher Walton. However, a year later, the club were invited to become a member of the Football League and their first trophy arrived in 1901 as they won the Football League Championship.

Liverpool’s early years were fairly unremarkable but that soon changed as Bill Shankly took charge in 1959 and transformed the club into one of the top sides in Europe. Shankly’s first trophy came in 1964 with the team’s first league trophy for 17 years. Although they didn’t retain the trophy in the next season, the club managed to win their first ever FA Cup with a 2-1 victory over Leeds United. Further League championships were won in 1966 and 1973 before their first European trophy arrived in the form of the UEFA Cup in 1973 as Liverpool won a two legged tie 3-2 against Borussia Moenchengladbach. Shankly ended his reign in 1974 with a 3-0 FA Cup victory over Newcastle United before announcing his retirement.

Shankly’s assistant Bob Paisley took charge in 1974 and oversaw the most successful nine year period in Liverpool’s history. In total, six League Championships, three League Cups, three European Cups and a UEFA Cup were won in a period of time that Liverpool dominated. When Paisley retired in 1983, Joe Fagan took charge and managed to become the first manager to win three trophies in a single season. In 1984, the club picked up the League Championship, European Cup and the League Cup. However, Fagan’s second and final season in charge was overshadowed by the Heysel Stadium disaster in the European Cup final against Juventus which lead to all english clubs being banned from Europe until 1990.

Since then, Liverpool have still been relatively successful but not on the same scale as during the 1970’s. Kenny Dalglish won a couple of League Championships in the late 1980’s but Graeme Souness and Roy Evans were far less successful. Gerrard Houllier had the most successful single season in the history of Liverpool in 2001 with the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and Super Cup arriving at Anfield. Since then, Rafa Benitez added Liverpool’s first European Cup for 21 years in 2005 but the club has failed to win a League Championship since 1990.