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A Conundrum is Solved

I Got Two BabeBy 40 Years A Blue - September 27 2005

What Do You Know? is suffering from a bit of a conundrum. Simply because between now and Sunday evening Liverpool and Chelsea would have played each other twice and in two different competitions. Tomorrow the Champions League and Sunday the Premiership. So what to do?

Because this site '50 Years Over 100 Years' wants to do a What Do You Know? segment on every team that Chelsea play this season, a decision has been made to flavour the segments. One for Europe and the other for the Premiership.

But before we start, Liverpool fans if we have missed anything, forgotten anything, misquoted or misread something, let us know via the message board (and bear in mind that accidents do happen and that 'Scouse' humour is famed....)!

No-one will ever forget that epic night at Anfield last season when Liverpool defeated Chelsea 1-0 and won their way to the Champions League final against AC Milan and incredibly won the trophy on a penalty shoot-out after being 3-0 down at half-time. The goalscorer of two of those goals that night, Hernan Crespo, is extremely likely to feature again tomorrow night. Will Crespo try to become Liverpool's nemesis again?

But 'What Do You Know' about Liverpool in Europe?

LIverpool's first European match was in 1964, August 17th when they played Icelandic side KR Reykjavik away and won 5-0 and 10 years and one to the day in September 1974, Liverpool recorded their biggest win against Stromsgodset, 11-0.

With five European Cups to their name, the latest being last season when Liverpool defeated AC Milan after a penalty shoot-out, Liverpool now hold the trophy by right and it is securely locked away in the cabinet amongst all of the other honours that Liverpool Football Club have won throughout their history.

Liverpool's first European trophy, the UEFA Cup was won in 1973 under the tenureship of the late Bill Shankly. The UEFA Cup has been won twice more in 1975-76 and 2000-01 under Bob Paisley and Gerard Houllier (now Lyon manager) managerships.

Liverpool's other four European Cup wins (or Champions League) were in 1976-77 when they beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1, 1997-78 winning 1-0 against Club Brugge at Wembley, 1980-81 again 1-0 against Real Madrid and in 1983-84 after a penalty shoot-out against AS Roma in the Olympic Stadium in Rome in front of Roma's home support and the bravado of goalkeeper's Bruce Grobbelaar crazy-leg dance routine on the line as each Roma player stepped up to take their penalty. The game ended in a 1-1 draw and the shoot-out was won by Liverpool 4-2.

Other Liverpool European successes include three European Super Cup victories in 1977, 2001, 2005 and one Super Cup victory in 1985-86.

Liverpool's most successful European captain was 'Crazy Horse' himself, the late and great Emlyn Hughes. Not only on the pitch but also made a name for himself as captain on BBC TV's A Question of Sport. Became the only man outside of Royal history to cuddle the Princess Royal, also known as Princess Anne during a broadcast of the show.

Success may have followed Liverpool around Europe, but tragedy did too. Before the start of the European Cup final against Juventus at the crumbling and run down Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium 39 fans died (mostly from Juventus) when a wall collapsed during fighting between the two sets of rival fans.

Manager at the time was Joe Fagan who retired shortly after and the managership was taken up by 'The Kop' favourite, King Kenny Dalglish.

All in all despite Liverpool's record and success in Europe we doubt that any victory will be bettered by the winning of the Champions League last season, against the odds not just because Liverpool were 3-0 down at half-time against AC Milan, but Steven Gerard's last gasp goal against Olympiakos and if you go further back to the 3rd Qualifying Round. Liverpool narrowly defeated AK Graz of Austria 2-1 on aggregate after losing the 2nd leg at Anfield 1-0 and admittedly by fans and players alike with a poor performance.

Rafael Benitez became the first manager in history to win the UEFA Cup and the Champions League in consecutive years with two different clubs. Valencia of Spain being the other.

40 Years A Blue