Liverpool F.C. |
Liverpool Football Club (usually known simply as Liverpool) is an English football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, they are the current champions of Europe and the most successful English football team to date. Since being founded in 1892, Liverpool is the only English team to have won the Champions league five times, 18 Football League titles as well as being the English club to have won the most number of UEFA Cups, European Supercups and English League Cups. The club's home ground is the 45,362 capacity Anfield stadium, which is about three miles from the centre of Liverpool.
The club was founded on March 15, 1892 by John Houlding, the owner of Anfield. Houlding decided to form his own team after Everton left Anfield in an argument over rent. The original name was to be Everton F.C. but was changed to Liverpool F.C. (after the F.A. refused to recognise the team as Everton). Liverpool were elected to the Football League alongside Woolwich Arsenal two years later.
The club was present at two of the biggest tragedies in European football — at Heysel in 1985 and Hillsborough in 1989. After Heysel, English clubs were withdrawn from European competition for a period of five years, six in the case of Liverpool.
Liverpool Football Club is not to be confused with Liverpool (Rugby) Football Club which was formed in 1858 and is now known as Liverpool St. Helens.
Main article: History of Liverpool F.C.
In 1901 Scottish international Alex Raisbeck was the first Liverpool captain to collect the Football League Championship, and Liverpool were league champions again in 1906.
On April 25, 1914, Liverpool made their first appearance in the FA Cup final at Crystal Palace but lost 1-0 to Burnley. In 1922, and again in 1923, captained by England full back Ephraim Longworth, Liverpool won the league. In 1946-7, the first season after World War 2, Liverpool were surprise league champions. Over a decade of mediocrity was to follow.
Bill Shankly became Liverpool manager in 1959 and over the next 15 years he transformed them into one of the finest club sides in Europe. In his third season as manager they won the Second Division championship and were promoted to the top flight where they have remained ever since, never finishing below eighth in the league. In 1964, Liverpool lifted the league championship. They failed to retain the championship trophy the following season but compensation came in the form of a first-ever FA Cup. A year later Liverpool regained their championship crown. By now Shankly was one of the most highly rated managers in the game, and his squad contained some of the finest players in England - Roger Hunt, Ian St John and Ron Yeats to name but a few. Liverpool made their first impact on the European game in 1973 with a UEFA Cup triumph, as well as winning another league title that season. They won the FA Cup again a year later, but Shankly stunned the footballing world soon afterwards by announcing his retirement. The club's players and fans tried to persuade him to carry on, and a local factory even threatened to go on strike. Shankly ignored these pleas and joined the club's fans on The Kop as a spectator, while he handed over his managerial duties to Bob Paisley.
Bob Paisley was manager of Liverpool F.C from 1974 until 1983, and during those nine years he became one of the greatest managers ever to take charge of an English club. He won a total of 21 trophies, including three European Cups and three successive league titles, during his spell as manager and ended his career on a high with the league championship and League Cup double. Under Paisley, a new era of stars emerged. They included Graeme Souness, Ian Rush, Alan Hansen and arguably the greatest player to ever wear Liverpool colours, Kenny Dalglish who is also a Celtic legend.
Veteran coach Joe Fagan moved up to the manager's seat on Paisley's retirement, and his first season at the helm saw Liverpool become the first English club to win three major trophies in a single season - the league title, the League Cup and the European Cup.
Fagan's second season as manager was his last - and it had a traumatic ending. Having lost to neighbours Everton in the race for the league title, Fagan decided to retire and wanted to go out on a high with the European Cup. The Reds had a rare trophyless season as they lost 1-0 to Juventus in the European Cup Final at Heysel Stadium in Brussels. But the disappointment of the defeat was irrelevant, as 39 spectators - nearly all Juventus fans - were crushed to death during crowd trouble before the kick off. Some Liverpool fans were later convicted on manslaughter charges relating to the tragedy. The sequel of the tragedy was a 5-year ban on English clubs in European football, while Liverpool had to serve an extra year once all other English clubs were readmitted.
Fagan handed over the reins to striker Kenny Dalglish, who had established himself as a world class player and now wanted to prove himself as a top manager. His first season in charge could not have been better, as the Reds fought off competition from Everton, West Ham United and Manchester United to win the league title. They also beat neighbours Everton 3-1 in the F.A Cup final to become only the third team to win the league championship/F.A Cup double in the 20th century.
1986-87 was trophyless as Dalglish's men finished league runners-up to Everton and lost to Arsenal in the League Cup final. There were fears that Liverpool's glory days were over when striker Ian Rush was sold to Juventus in a £3.2million deal, but his £750,000 successor John Aldridge silenced the critics by topping the club's goalscoring charts in the 1987-88 season and inspiring the Reds to another championship success - this time achieved with just two defeats all season. New winger John Barnes was credited with the Player of the Year Award. The downside of the season was a shock 1-0 defeat at the hands of Wimbledon in the F.A Cup final. Liverpool had by this stage been one of England's strongest sides for more than 20 years. Wimbledon, meanwhile, had been First Division members for just two seasons and had only joined the league 11 years earlier.
Liverpool came close to repeating the double once more in 1988-89. They lifted the F.A Cup with another victory over Everton in the final, but the league title slipped out of their grasp in the last minute of their last game of the season at home to Arsenal. A last minute goal from Arsenal's Michael Thomas (who later joined Liverpool) gave the league title to the visitors because they had a superior goal difference. But the season was overshadowed by the Hillsborough Stadium tragedy which had struck the club in the F.A Cup semi-final. Hundreds of Liverpool fans were trampled on the terraces at Hillsborough. 94 fans died that day and 95th fan died in hospital from his injuries four days later. A 96th fan died nearly four years later having never regained consciousness.
Ian Rush had rejoined Liverpool after one miserable season with Juventus, and scored twice in the 1989 FA Cup final. He helped them win their 18th league title in 1989-90, but nobody could have guessed at the time that it would be their last championship success to date. Liverpool have had some glorious moments during the years that followed the 1990 title glory, but life at Anfield has never been the same without the championship trophy in the club's boardroom.
Kenny Dalglish stunned the football world by resigning as Liverpool manager in February 1991. His Liverpool side looked well placed to win the domestic double, but he quit the club and blamed the pressures of management for his decision to leave. Long serving coach Ronnie Moran spent two months in temporary charge of the team, but by the time his successor Graeme Souness arrived the league title and F.A Cup had been whisked away by Arsenal and Tottenham respectively.
Souness had captained Liverpool during the glorious 1980s before taking the Rangers manager's job in 1986, and had brought a host of titles to Ibrox. But his only success as manager at Liverpool came with the FA Cup in 1992, and he was finally ousted in January 1994 after a shock FA Cup defeat at home to Bristol City and three years of reckless spending on players who often failed to live up to expectations. Ian Rush was now the only player remaining from the Paisley era, and the current squad was mostly made up of unfashionable players who just a few seasons earlier would never have pulled on a red jersey. However, there was a promising young striker emerging in the shape of 18-year-old Robbie Fowler.
Boot room veteran Roy Evans took over from Souness, and in his first full season (1994-95) they finished fourth in the Premiership and won the League Cup. Liverpool continued to progress the following season, being within a shout of the domestic double right up to the final few weeks of the season. But they finished third in the Premiership behind champions Manchester United and runners-up Newcastle, and lost 1-0 to Man United in the FA Cup final. Still, Liverpool were recognised as a top team once again, and were starting to attract top players once more. The club's youth system had produced two excellent players in Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman, and including Jamie Redknapp and Stan Collymore (all of whom went on to play for England), looked to be the most potent attacking force in the Premier League in the mid-late 1990s.
Liverpool led the Premiership at several stages during the 1996-97 season, but in the end they finished fourth and had to settle for a UEFA Cup place. They had been hoping to win the Cup Winners Cup for the first time, but defeat at the hands of Paris St Germain in the semi finals put paid to these hopes.
1997-98 saw Liverpool finish third in the Premiership, but the big news of the season was the emergence of brilliant young striker Michael Owen - the Premiership's equal top scorer with 18 goals who became the youngest full England international at the time and also won the PFA Young Player of the Year Award.
The Liverpool directors brought in Frenchman Gérard Houllier to work alongside Roy Evans for the 1998-99 season after Houllier had gained fame as the Technical Director of France's World Cup winning side in 1998. Evans quit in November after failing to settle into the partnership. The Reds finished eighth in the Premiership - their lowest finish since 1994 - and failed to qualify for the UEFA Cup despite Robbie Fowler's return from injury and Michael Owen's continued impressive showings. But 1999-2000 was a bit better, as Liverpool finished fourth and qualified for the UEFA Cup. They would have qualified for the Champions League had it not been for a 1-0 defeat at Bradford on the final day of the season.
2000-01 was Liverpool's best season for many years. The likes of Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard and Sami Hyypia contributed to an excellent season in which the Reds finished third in the Premiership (thus qualifying for the Champions League) as well as completing a unique treble of the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup, followed by the FA Community Shield and European Super Cup later in 2001. Houllier at last won the faith of the club's fans, who were delighted at this triumph.
Liverpool finished Premiership runners-up in 2001-02, their best league finish since 1991, but suffered a humiliating defeat in the League Cup Third Round at the hands of Grimsby Town.
Houllier guided Liverpool to another League Cup triumph in 2003, Houllier and Liverpool parted by mutual consent at the end of the 2003-04 season after failing to bring the Premiership title to Anfield and not looking like making any further progress, despite having spent large sums of money.
Spaniard Rafael Benítez took over from Houllier, but erratic league form quickly put paid to their Premiership title hopes, eventually finishing fifth. However, the season had a glorious ending at the European Cup final in Istanbul. After eliminating hot favourites Juventus in the quarter finals and English rivals Chelsea F.C. in the semis, the Reds met Italian side AC Milan in the final. Liverpool trailed 0-3 at half time, but three goals in the second half forced extra time and then a penalty shoot out, which Liverpool won.
Club captain Steven Gerrard lifting the European Cup in 2005.As the UEFA Champions League 2005 winners, Liverpool earned the right to represent UEFA in the FIFA Club World Championship 2005 held in Japan. Liverpool joined the competition at the semi-final stage, courtesy of a bye. The semi-final was played against Deportivo Saprissa, which Liverpool won 3-0. Goals coming from Peter Crouch (2) and Steven Gerrard. Liverpool's final opponents were to be São Paulo. The game was decided by a single goal scored by São Paulo midfielder Mineiro.
On 27th January 2006, Benítez pleased the vast majority of Liverpool FC fans and re-signed the prominent former striker Robbie Fowler. Signed on a free-transfer from Manchester City until the end of the season, when an extension to his contract will be considered.
On July 30, 2004, Liverpool City Council granted the club planning permission to build a new 60,000 seat stadium, nearby at Stanley Park. Despite pressure from Governmental and funding bodies, Liverpool refused to share the new ground with their local rivals Everton and "final" talks on a groundshare failed in January 2005. At that time the club was hoping to start construction in summer 2005 and open the ground in 2007, but finance has not yet been obtained and the likely completion date is not currently known. The old stadium will become a public plaza surrounded by apartments, offices, bars, restaurants and a hotel, and possibly including a memorial garden. Treatment of the old stadium requires sensitivity as a number of deceased fans have had their ashes officially scattered on the pitch over the years.
¹ More than any other English club
² Title shared
As of 31 January, 2006
Liverpool's reserve team plays its home games at the Racecourse Ground, the home stadium of Wrexham A.F.C..
See Also: List of Liverpool FC players
See also: List of Liverpool FC players
Main article: Liverpool F.C. - Statistics
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See Also: List of Liverpool FC players. Catwoman was portrayed by Maggie Baird. Liverpool's reserve team plays its home games at the Racecourse Ground, the home stadium of Wrexham A.F.C.. Selina Kyle appeared briefly (and was killed off) in the first episode of the short-lived 2002 television series Birds of Prey, which featured Catwoman's daughter by Batman, the Huntress. As of 31 January, 2006. In the TV movie Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt, Julia Rose appeared as Catwoman and the young Julie Newmar. ² Title shared. Halle Berry won the 2005 Razzie award for worst actress in a film for her role as Catwoman, and collected it in person; only the second Razzie 'winner' to have done so. ¹ More than any other English club. The movie became a box-office failure, and was panned by critics & fans alike. Treatment of the old stadium requires sensitivity as a number of deceased fans have had their ashes officially scattered on the pitch over the years. In addition, the original "Catwoman" outfit that Patience wears when she robs a jewelry store is patterned after the "Catwoman" outfit worn by Eartha Kitt in the 1960s "Batman" tv series. The old stadium will become a public plaza surrounded by apartments, offices, bars, restaurants and a hotel, and possibly including a memorial garden. Ophelia Powers then throws photos of previous catwomen down to her, and one can clearly see a picture of Michelle Pfeiffer's "Batman Returns" version of the character, which hints that either there is some link between Patience Phillips and Selina Kyle, or that it was done as a means of paying homage to the original character. At that time the club was hoping to start construction in summer 2005 and open the ground in 2007, but finance has not yet been obtained and the likely completion date is not currently known. In the scene where Patience is told of the history of the Catwomen, she is pushed off the balcony and lands in the living room floor. Despite pressure from Governmental and funding bodies, Liverpool refused to share the new ground with their local rivals Everton and "final" talks on a groundshare failed in January 2005. The film was heavily criticized by both film critics and fans of the comic book character and was a failure in the box office, losing the producers far more money than it earned. On July 30, 2004, Liverpool City Council granted the club planning permission to build a new 60,000 seat stadium, nearby at Stanley Park. Though Phillips has the same skills as the villain version of Catwoman, the film's story has nothing to do with Batman (who isn't mentioned during the film). Signed on a free-transfer from Manchester City until the end of the season, when an extension to his contract will be considered. The movie alludes to other women in the past who have been granted such cat- like abilities. On 27th January 2006, Benítez pleased the vast majority of Liverpool FC fans and re-signed the prominent former striker Robbie Fowler. Patience had gained the powers from the goddess Bastet, through a gathering of cats lead by an Egyptian Mau. The game was decided by a single goal scored by São Paulo midfielder Mineiro. This film's Catwoman bore nearly no resemblance to the comic version, besides sharing the name "Catwoman." In the film, Berry played Patience Phillips, a woman who eventually became Catwoman, a hero with supernatural cat-like powers, after a near death experience. Liverpool's final opponents were to be São Paulo. In 2004, Catwoman, a movie, starring Halle Berry as Catwoman. Goals coming from Peter Crouch (2) and Steven Gerrard. While many viewers and critics enjoyed the richness and complexity of the character, not to mention the way Pfeiffer looked and acted in the heavy makeup and the shiny black costume, fans of the original comic books disliked the notorious alterations and considered not only the character but the entire film to be more Tim Burton than Batman. The semi-final was played against Deportivo Saprissa, which Liverpool won 3-0. you've kind of a dark side, don't you?", to which she answers, "Not darker than yours, Bruce"), and this relationship seems to be Selina's only grip on sanity as her mental state seems to deteriorate (along with her costume, which is actually a metaphor of her) throughout the movie - now unrepressed thanks to her nightly alter-ego, the rage and resentment of her dark side are actually starting to destroy her. Liverpool joined the competition at the semi-final stage, courtesy of a bye. behind the Cat"), just as Bruce Wayne finds a reflection of himself in Selina ("You.. As the UEFA Champions League 2005 winners, Liverpool earned the right to represent UEFA in the FIFA Club World Championship 2005 held in Japan. the woman.. Liverpool trailed 0-3 at half time, but three goals in the second half forced extra time and then a penalty shoot out, which Liverpool won. Accordingly with the film's interest in the schizophrenic aspects of its characters, Catwoman finds a reflection of herself in Batman ("Who are you?", she asks him, "Who's the man behind the Bat? Maybe you can help me find.. in the semis, the Reds met Italian side AC Milan in the final. She is at the same time a feminist version of Batman, defending meek damsels in distress - exactly what she was at the beginning of the film, and probably during most of her life - but insulting them for being so, and a terrorist of sorts, blowing up an entire floor of Shreck's department store and ultimately seeking to kill him. After eliminating hot favourites Juventus in the quarter finals and English rivals Chelsea F.C. Mysteriously given new life by alley cats (in a memorable Burton-esque scene) after her corrupt boss apparently kills her, her repressed rage and sexuality - and, as one could argue, some sort of mystic feline influence as well - create Catwoman, an extreme version of everything she was never allowed - by both society and herself - to be: a loveable rogue, a sexual predator and a powerful woman. However, the season had a glorious ending at the European Cup final in Istanbul. Behind this cartoonish and rather stereotypical character, however, lies a shattered soul filled with frustration and self-loathing who only needs - and quite literally gets - a little push to break into insanity. Spaniard Rafael Benítez took over from Houllier, but erratic league form quickly put paid to their Premiership title hopes, eventually finishing fifth. As recreated by Daniel Waters and Tim Burton, Selina Kyle is a beautiful but shy and clumsy young woman who always says the wrong thing, thinks aloud, frequently insults herself and works as the harassed secretary of evil tycoon Max Shreck. Houllier guided Liverpool to another League Cup triumph in 2003, Houllier and Liverpool parted by mutual consent at the end of the 2003-04 season after failing to bring the Premiership title to Anfield and not looking like making any further progress, despite having spent large sums of money. Catwoman was played by Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1992 movie Batman Returns. Liverpool finished Premiership runners-up in 2001-02, their best league finish since 1991, but suffered a humiliating defeat in the League Cup Third Round at the hands of Grimsby Town. Catwoman was voiced by a different actress, Gina Gershon, in the 2000s series The Batman. Houllier at last won the faith of the club's fans, who were delighted at this triumph. Whether her hair was dyed or her natural color was never made clear. The likes of Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard and Sami Hyypia contributed to an excellent season in which the Reds finished third in the Premiership (thus qualifying for the Champions League) as well as completing a unique treble of the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup, followed by the FA Community Shield and European Super Cup later in 2001. In the second series, however, she appears to have shorter black hair. 2000-01 was Liverpool's best season for many years. In the first animated series Selina/Catwoman had blonde hair, coinciding with the release of Batman Returns, in which she was played by blonde actress Michelle Pfeiffer. They would have qualified for the Champions League had it not been for a 1-0 defeat at Bradford on the final day of the season. Barbeau also voiced Catwoman in the 2000s online animated series Gotham Girls. But 1999-2000 was a bit better, as Liverpool finished fourth and qualified for the UEFA Cup. She was voiced by Adrienne Barbeau in 1992's Batman: The Animated Series, and its revamp in The New Batman Adventures. The Reds finished eighth in the Premiership - their lowest finish since 1994 - and failed to qualify for the UEFA Cup despite Robbie Fowler's return from injury and Michael Owen's continued impressive showings. She appeared on the Batman cartoon of the 1970s ("The New Adventures of Batman") wearing an all-new outfit that has never been seen outside that series. Evans quit in November after failing to settle into the partnership. She appeared in the Batman cartoon of the 1960s (on the "Superman/Aquaman Hour") wearing the green costume she wore during that time. The Liverpool directors brought in Frenchman Gérard Houllier to work alongside Roy Evans for the 1998-99 season after Houllier had gained fame as the Technical Director of France's World Cup winning side in 1998. Catwoman has been a major character in almost all of Batman's animated series. 1997-98 saw Liverpool finish third in the Premiership, but the big news of the season was the emergence of brilliant young striker Michael Owen - the Premiership's equal top scorer with 18 goals who became the youngest full England international at the time and also won the PFA Young Player of the Year Award. Cassandra," the next to last episode of the series. They had been hoping to win the Cup Winners Cup for the first time, but defeat at the hands of Paris St Germain in the semi finals put paid to these hopes. An uncredited fourth woman played Catwoman as part of a villain team-up in "The Entrancing Dr. Liverpool led the Premiership at several stages during the 1996-97 season, but in the end they finished fourth and had to settle for a UEFA Cup place. Lee Meriwether portrayed her in the 1966 "Batman" motion picture, based on the television series, when Newmar was unavailable. The club's youth system had produced two excellent players in Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman, and including Jamie Redknapp and Stan Collymore (all of whom went on to play for England), looked to be the most potent attacking force in the Premier League in the mid-late 1990s. Catwoman was at various times played by Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt in the live-action Batman television series of the 1960s, her first other-media portrayal. Still, Liverpool were recognised as a top team once again, and were starting to attract top players once more. She does not make an appearence in Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again. But they finished third in the Premiership behind champions Manchester United and runners-up Newcastle, and lost 1-0 to Man United in the FA Cup final. Note that The Dark Knight Returns does not hold continuty with most of the newer Batman or Justice League comics as it was written in the 80's and that Catwoman's profesion in it was most likely based on her profession in Frank Miller's earlier work Batman: Year One. Liverpool continued to progress the following season, being within a shout of the domestic double right up to the final few weeks of the season. She finally appears at Batman's funeral where she yells at Clark Kent that she knows who killed Batman. Boot room veteran Roy Evans took over from Souness, and in his first full season (1994-95) they finished fourth in the Premiership and won the League Cup. She warns him that the Joker is worse than ever, he kisses her and then leaves to follow the clue the Joker left. However, there was a promising young striker emerging in the shape of 18-year-old Robbie Fowler. He then apparently beats her, dresses her up in a Wonder Woman-esque outfit, ties her up, gags her and leaves her where Batman finds her later. Ian Rush was now the only player remaining from the Paisley era, and the current squad was mostly made up of unfashionable players who just a few seasons earlier would never have pulled on a red jersey. I'm lonely," second later on as an apparent prostitute whom the Joker uses to (after subjecting her to a mind control drug) gain acess to the governor through one of her girls. But his only success as manager at Liverpool came with the FA Cup in 1992, and he was finally ousted in January 1994 after a shock FA Cup defeat at home to Bristol City and three years of reckless spending on players who often failed to live up to expectations. Catwoman appeared briefly in Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, first early on as a phone message "Bruce, Selina. Souness had captained Liverpool during the glorious 1980s before taking the Rangers manager's job in 1986, and had brought a host of titles to Ibrox. [3]. Long serving coach Ronnie Moran spent two months in temporary charge of the team, but by the time his successor Graeme Souness arrived the league title and F.A Cup had been whisked away by Arsenal and Tottenham respectively. The writer then revealed that the reason for Selina's retirement is that she's pregnant. His Liverpool side looked well placed to win the domestic double, but he quit the club and blamed the pressures of management for his decision to leave. Selina is so smooth and polished; it's fun to write about someone who's a little rougher, a little sloppier." [2]. Kenny Dalglish stunned the football world by resigning as Liverpool manager in February 1991. She's also going to handle her duties of protecting the East End in a completely different way than Selina, which so far has been very interesting to write. Liverpool have had some glorious moments during the years that followed the 1990 title glory, but life at Anfield has never been the same without the championship trophy in the club's boardroom. She's had training, and she's been on the mean streets, but she's going to make some mistakes. He helped them win their 18th league title in 1989-90, but nobody could have guessed at the time that it would be their last championship success to date. Writer Will Pfeifer has stated on the new Catwoman, "Without revealing any identities, the new Catwoman is someone with less experience than Selina Kyle -- though she's not completely inexperienced, and she's been part of that shadowy world Catwoman inhabits for years. Ian Rush had rejoined Liverpool after one miserable season with Juventus, and scored twice in the 1989 FA Cup final. In the new year, Selina Kyle has been forced to leave the East End and is no longer Catwoman, and someone new has replaced her. A 96th fan died nearly four years later having never regained consciousness. After Infinite Crisis #7, the DC Universe will jump forward one year in time. 94 fans died that day and 95th fan died in hospital from his injuries four days later. Afterwards, she was seen covering her bed with past versions of her Catwoman costume. Hundreds of Liverpool fans were trampled on the terraces at Hillsborough. Catwoman's response to this revelation was unequivocal: she pitched Zatanna out a window. But the season was overshadowed by the Hillsborough Stadium tragedy which had struck the club in the F.A Cup semi-final. Light and Batman. A last minute goal from Arsenal's Michael Thomas (who later joined Liverpool) gave the league title to the visitors because they had a superior goal difference. Zatanna gave no reason for her actions, but in flashback it was shown that she had acted with the consent and aid of five of the seven JLA members who had helped her mindwipe Dr. They lifted the F.A Cup with another victory over Everton in the final, but the league title slipped out of their grasp in the last minute of their last game of the season at home to Arsenal. Zatanna proceeded to explain to Catwoman that she had magically tampered with Catwoman's mind, forcibly turning her from villain to hero. Liverpool came close to repeating the double once more in 1988-89. After she was done, Zatanna appeared at her side, informing her that she had some "bad news", hinting at an important revelation about her past. Wimbledon, meanwhile, had been First Division members for just two seasons and had only joined the league 11 years earlier. Capitalizing upon the advantage which her "resurrection" provided her (the villains believing she had somehow managed to cheat death), Catwoman dismantled the new East End cadre of criminals, one villain at time. Liverpool had by this stage been one of England's strongest sides for more than 20 years. The man impersonated her, and allowed several villains to shoot and dismember him, giving the impression to the underworld that Catwoman was really dead (like Clayface, the man was able to survive what would otherwise be fatal wounds). The downside of the season was a shock 1-0 defeat at the hands of Wimbledon in the F.A Cup final. Selina made a deal with a former criminal who had powers similar to Clayface's, who had promised to help her in exchange for his freedom. New winger John Barnes was credited with the Player of the Year Award. While her initial intentions were unclear, Selina shared her plans to infiltrate and destroy the cadre of East End villains with Batman. There were fears that Liverpool's glory days were over when striker Ian Rush was sold to Juventus in a £3.2million deal, but his £750,000 successor John Aldridge silenced the critics by topping the club's goalscoring charts in the 1987-88 season and inspiring the Reds to another championship success - this time achieved with just two defeats all season. At the start of the recent storyline ("The One You Love"), an influx of supervillains seized control of the East End, leaving Selina with no choice but to join the new incarnation of the Secret Society. 1986-87 was trophyless as Dalglish's men finished league runners-up to Everton and lost to Arsenal in the League Cup final. Selina had no inkling that any villains had been mindwiped until Batman informed her of the events of Identity Crisis, and he now worries that her reformation may be due to mental manipulation. They also beat neighbours Everton 3-1 in the F.A Cup final to become only the third team to win the league championship/F.A Cup double in the 20th century. However, it is now unclear if her reformation was the result of a mindwipe by Zatanna, a procedure known to deeply affect and, in at least one case, physically incapacitate its victims. His first season in charge could not have been better, as the Reds fought off competition from Everton, West Ham United and Manchester United to win the league title. Catwoman appears to be completely reformed, and her love for Batman true (although brash and unpredictable). Fagan handed over the reins to striker Kenny Dalglish, who had established himself as a world class player and now wanted to prove himself as a top manager. In response to Batman's inquiry about her wounds, Selina departed the Batcave after curtly informing Batman that he had already "done enough.". The sequel of the tragedy was a 5-year ban on English clubs in European football, while Liverpool had to serve an extra year once all other English clubs were readmitted. However, this was something of a hollow victory, since all recognized that Despero was able to pit the JLA members against one another by drawing upon pre-existing animosities and distrust. Some Liverpool fans were later convicted on manslaughter charges relating to the tragedy. After a fierce struggle, Despero was subdued. But the disappointment of the defeat was irrelevant, as 39 spectators - nearly all Juventus fans - were crushed to death during crowd trouble before the kick off. When Despero and a faction of brainwashed League members infiltrated the cave and succeeded in brainwashing Batman, Catwoman was able to send a distress call out to the unaffected League members. The Reds had a rare trophyless season as they lost 1-0 to Juventus in the European Cup Final at Heysel Stadium in Brussels. Wounded, she was taken to the Batcave to recover. Having lost to neighbours Everton in the race for the league title, Fagan decided to retire and wanted to go out on a high with the European Cup. Recently in the JLA story arc Crisis of Conscience, Catwoman further proved herself an ally when she fought alongside Batman and the League against the old Secret Society, of which she had once briefly been a member. Fagan's second season as manager was his last - and it had a traumatic ending. At the end, Catwoman broke off their relationship when Batman believed that it had been influenced by the villain Hush. Veteran coach Joe Fagan moved up to the manager's seat on Paisley's retirement, and his first season at the helm saw Liverpool become the first English club to win three major trophies in a single season - the league title, the League Cup and the European Cup. During the Hush storyline in Batman #608-#619, Batman and Catwoman briefly worked together and had a short affair, during the course of which Batman revealed his true identity to her. They included Graeme Souness, Ian Rush, Alan Hansen and arguably the greatest player to ever wear Liverpool colours, Kenny Dalglish who is also a Celtic legend. This series met with critical and fan acclaim, especially for its first 25 issues. Under Paisley, a new era of stars emerged. In this series, Selina Kyle, joined by new supporting cast members Holly and Slam Bradley (a character from the early Golden Age DC Comics), became protector of the residents of Gotham’s East End, while still carrying out an ambitious career as a cat burglar. He won a total of 21 trophies, including three European Cups and three successive league titles, during his spell as manager and ended his career on a high with the league championship and League Cup double. This storyline led in to the newest Catwoman series in late 2001 (written by Brubaker initially with Cooke, later joined by artist Cameron Stewart). Bob Paisley was manager of Liverpool F.C from 1974 until 1983, and during those nine years he became one of the greatest managers ever to take charge of an English club. In a backup storyline Trail of the Catwoman, by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Darwyn Cooke, the reader followed private detective Slam Bradley's attempts to find out what really happened to Selina Kyle. Shankly ignored these pleas and joined the club's fans on The Kop as a spectator, while he handed over his managerial duties to Bob Paisley. Catwoman then appeared in a series of backup stories in Detective Comics #759 to #762. The club's players and fans tried to persuade him to carry on, and a local factory even threatened to go on strike. Soon afterwards she disappeared and was thought killed by the assassin Deathstroke the Terminator, ending her series at #94. They won the FA Cup again a year later, but Shankly stunned the footballing world soon afterwards by announcing his retirement. Although later cleared, she displayed increasingly erratic behavior throughout the story. Liverpool made their first impact on the European game in 1973 with a UEFA Cup triumph, as well as winning another league title that season. When later that year during the Officer Down storyline in the Batman titles, Catwoman was initially the chief suspect. By now Shankly was one of the most highly rated managers in the game, and his squad contained some of the finest players in England - Roger Hunt, Ian St John and Ron Yeats to name but a few. Harleen Quinzel (the supervillain Harley Quinn), became mentally unbalanced. A year later Liverpool regained their championship crown. While in prison, she escaped, and under the influence of Dr. They failed to retain the championship trophy the following season but compensation came in the form of a first-ever FA Cup. However immediately following that, she was arrested by Commissioner Gordon and put on trial, followed by being sentenced to imprisonment. In 1964, Liverpool lifted the league championship. As Catwoman, Kyle assisted Batman against Lex Luthor in the reconstruction of the city. In his third season as manager they won the Second Division championship and were promoted to the top flight where they have remained ever since, never finishing below eighth in the league. Selina then returned to Gotham, which at this time was in the midst of the No Man's Land storyline. Bill Shankly became Liverpool manager in 1959 and over the next 15 years he transformed them into one of the finest club sides in Europe. However, her plans were ruined when the supervillain the Trickster inadvertently connected Kyle to her Catwoman alter ego. Over a decade of mediocrity was to follow. She intended to use this position to run for mayor. In 1946-7, the first season after World War 2, Liverpool were surprise league champions. As the series neared its end, Selina moved to New York and through blackmail, became first corporate vice president, then CEO of Randolf Industries, a mafia-influenced company. In 1922, and again in 1923, captained by England full back Ephraim Longworth, Liverpool won the league. The series also fleshed out more of her origin, revealing her beginnings as an underage thief, her difficult period in juvenile incarceration, and the training she received from superhero Ted (Wildcat) Grant. On April 25, 1914, Liverpool made their first appearance in the FA Cup final at Crystal Palace but lost 1-0 to Burnley. Storylines included her adoption of a teenage runaway named Arizona, whom she briefly took on as a sidekick; aiding the criminal Bane, followed by helping Azrael to defeat him; and Selina Kyle as a reluctant government operative. In 1901 Scottish international Alex Raisbeck was the first Liverpool captain to collect the Football League Championship, and Liverpool were league champions again in 1906. This series, written by an assortment of writers but primarily penciled by Jim Balent, generally depicted the character as an international thief with an ambiguous moral code. Main article: History of Liverpool F.C.. In 1993, following the success of Batman Returns and Selina Kyle’s prominent role in that film, Catwoman was given her first ongoing series. . However, characters introduced in these stories (such as Selina’s young friend Holly from Batman: Year One and her sister Maggie from the 1989 miniseries) continue to appear regularly in the Catwoman series, and aspects of those plots are occasionally referenced, including recent issues that show Hollie remembering her days as a prostitute with Catwoman. Helens. It is currently unclear how much of these stories remain canonical to Catwoman’s current origin, as various stories and editors' statements over the years since then have stated that Selina was never a prostitute and that other events depicted in those stories never happened. Liverpool Football Club is not to be confused with Liverpool (Rugby) Football Club which was formed in 1858 and is now known as Liverpool St. Though more circumstantial evidence was added to the theory of Selina's Falcone heritage, no definitive proof was provided. After Heysel, English clubs were withdrawn from European competition for a period of five years, six in the case of Liverpool. Selina's connection to the Falcone family was further explored in the recent miniseries Catwoman: When in Rome (2004-5). The club was present at two of the biggest tragedies in European football — at Heysel in 1985 and Hillsborough in 1989. Further, Batman: Dark Victory, the sequel to The Long Halloween, implied that Catwoman suspected she was the long-lost illegitimate daughter of Carmine Falcone, although she found no definitive proof of this. Liverpool were elected to the Football League alongside Woolwich Arsenal two years later. This led Selina to kill Stan, leaving Selina in an unbalanced mental state. refused to recognise the team as Everton). This series showed how Catwoman’s early career was tinged with tragedy as her former pimp Stan abducted Selina's sister Maggie and violently abused her. (after the F.A. Birch. but was changed to Liverpool F.C. This origin was expanded on in the 1989 Catwoman limited series (collected in trade paperback form as Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper) by writer Mindy Newell and artist J.J. The original name was to be Everton F.C. In the course of the story, the origin of Catwoman was also re-envisioned, as a 5'7" Selina Kyle was reintroduced as a cat-loving prostitute/dominatrix who was inspired to become a costumed cat burglar when she saw Batman in action. Houlding decided to form his own team after Everton left Anfield in an argument over rent. A revision in Catwoman's origin, and the introduction of the modern version of her, came in 1986 when writer Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli produced Batman: Year One, a revision of Batman’s origin. The club was founded on March 15, 1892 by John Houlding, the owner of Anfield. Several stories in the 1970s featured Catwoman committing murder, something that neither the Earth-One or Earth-Two versions of her would ever do; this version of Catwoman was assigned to the alternate world of Earth-B, an alternate Earth that included stories that couldn't be considered canonical on Earth-One or Earth-Two. The club's home ground is the 45,362 capacity Anfield stadium, which is about three miles from the centre of Liverpool. Catwoman's first Silver Age appearance was in Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #70 (November 1966); afterwards, she continued to make appearances across the various Batman comics. Since being founded in 1892, Liverpool is the only English team to have won the Champions league five times, 18 Football League titles as well as being the English club to have won the most number of UEFA Cups, European Supercups and English League Cups. The Earth-Two/Golden Age Selena Kyle eventually died in the late 1970s after being blackmailed by a criminal into going into action again as Catwoman (as shown in DC Super-Stars #17). Liverpool Football Club (usually known simply as Liverpool) is an English football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, they are the current champions of Europe and the most successful English football team to date. Selina enjoyed this experience so much she decided to become a professional costumed cat burglar, and thus began a career that would repeatedly lead to her encountering the Batman. Calum Woods. However, her husband had kept her jewelry in his private vault, and she had to break into it to retrieve the jewelry. Paul Willis. It was revealed that Selina Kyle had been the wife of an abusive man, and eventually decided to leave her husband. James Smith. In Brave and the Bold #197, the Golden Age origin of Catwoman given in Batman #62 was elaborated on, after Selina revealed that she never actually had amnesia. David Roberts. In the 1970s comics, a series of stories taking place on Earth-Two (the parallel Earth that was retroactively declared as the home of DC's Golden Age characters) revealed that on that world, Selina reformed in the 1950s (presumably after the events of Batman #69) and had married Bruce Wayne; soon afterwards, the couple gave birth to their only child, Helena Wayne (the Huntress). Conal Platt. Selina appeared again as a criminal in Batman #84 and Detective Comics #211, her final appearance for many years (until 1966). Lee Peltier. She wound up reforming and stayed on the straight and narrow for several years, helping out Batman in Batman #65 and #69, until Selina decided to return to a life of crime in Detective Comics #203. Michael Nardiello. In Batman #62, it was revealed that Catwoman (after a blow to the head jogged her memory) was an amnesiac flight attendant who had turned to crime after suffering a prior blow to the head during a plane crash she survived (although in the final issue of The Brave and the Bold, she later admitted that she made up the amnesia story because she wanted a way out of the past life of crime). Jordon Holmes. There have been many versions of Catwoman's origins and backstory seen in the comic books over the decades. Adam Hammill. . Danny Guthrie. It has a more high tech look, with domino-shaped infrared goggles on her cowl. James Frayne. Ed Brubaker, the master-mind behind the 2001 revamp of the character, has stated that Selina's current costume was inspired by Emma Peel's iconic catsuit [1]. Paul Barrett. In recent years, she has usually alternated between these two costumes. Charlie Barnett. In the 1990s, she usually wore a skintight purple bodysuit, before switching to a black leather outfit that recalls Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman costume in Batman Returns. Paul Anderson. In the 1960s, Catwoman's bodysuit was green in color, which was typical of villains of that era. Ramon Calliste. Later, she wore a dress with a hood that came with ears, and still later, a bodysuit with attached boots and either a domino or glasses-mask. Danny O'Donnell. Catwoman, in her first appearance, wore no costume or disguise at all, and it was not until her next appearance that she donned a mask, which was a theatrically face-covering cat-mask that had the appearance of a real cat, rather than a more stylized face mask seen in her later incarnations. Godwin Antwi. She represents a gray area in Batman's otherwise black and white life where the line between good and evil blurs, and his attraction to her stems from this perception that, in her way, she's kind of a female version of himself: another dark, beautiful creature that prowls the night. Miki Roque. Although originally introduced as an opponent for Batman, Catwoman's status as hero or villain is ambiguous; she has her own moral code (she abhors killing, though has resorted to it at times) and has occasionally teamed up with Batman and other heroes against greater threats, even saving the lives of the entire Justice League on one occasion. Jack Hobbs. Her real name "Selina" derives from the ancient lunar deity Selene. Zak Whitbread (on loan to Millwall). Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she first appeared in Batman #1 (Spring, 1940), where she was initially known as "The Cat". Darren Potter (on loan to Southampton). Catwoman (real name Selina Kyle) is a DC Comics character, associated with the Batman franchise. Florent Sinama-Pongolle (on loan to Blackburn Rovers). David Raven (on loan to Tranmere Rovers). Neil Mellor (on loan to Wigan Athletic). Carl Medjani (on loan to Metz). Anthony Le Tallec (on loan to Sunderland). Chris Kirkland (on loan to West Brom). Robbie Foy (on loan to Wrexham). Salif Diao (on loan to Portsmouth). Bruno Cheyrou (on loan to Bordeaux). Mark González (on loan to Real Sociedad). First broadcast of BBC TV's Match of the Day: on the 22nd August 1964, playing against Arsenal; the BBC 2 broadcast was presented by Kenneth Wolstenholme [2]. The six English players he has brought in are strikers Peter Crouch and Robbie Fowler, goalkeepers Scott Carson and David Martin, and youth players Jack Hobbs and Paul Anderson. As well as having a Spanish manager, there are 5 Spaniards in the current squad and 10 players in total brought to Liverpool directly from La Liga. has a strong Spanish influence. Under Benitez, today's Liverpool F.C. The late Pope John Paul II, who played as a goalkeeper in Poland like current No.2 keeper Jerzy Dudek, also professed a fondness for Liverpool, when he met the Polish keeper. Celebrity fans of the club include the late DJ John Peel, Clive Owen, Ian McCulloch, Elvis Costello, Cherie Blair, and former World Heavyweight boxing Champion Mike Tyson. Other popular chants include "Fields of Anfield Road" (to the tune of "The Fields of Athenry"), "Poor Scouser Tommy", "Liverbird Upon My Chest", "We've Won It Five Times", and "Ring of Fire". Liverpool fans, singing "You'll Never Walk Alone," were featured in the Pink Floyd song, "Fearless.". [1]. Claims that the singing of You'll Never Walk Alone was started by fans of other clubs before those of Liverpool are widely dismissed as untrue. Other German, Dutch and Northern Irish clubs have also adopted the song. The song has since gained popularity among the fans of other clubs, most notably Celtic, Ajax and Milan. The song "You'll Never Walk Alone", originally from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel and famously recorded by Liverpool musicians Gerry & The Pacemakers, is the anthem of Liverpool FC (and is included in their crest) and has been sung since the early 1960s. Liverpool's longest distance goal was scored by Xabi Alonso, 65 yards from goal. 1994-5, 4 minutes, 32 seconds. Quickest Premiership hattrick: Robbie Fowler vs Arsenal F.C. 3 consecutive hat tricks: Jack Balmer 1946-7 (his only hat tricks). Most career hat tricks: Gordon Hodgson 17 (1926-36). Robbie Fowler, 1993/94. Ian Rush, 1983/84. John Evans, 1954/55. Andy McGuigan, 1901/02. These are:
Only four people have scored 5 goals in one match. on September 12th 1989. Biggest league win: 9-0 v Crystal Palace F.C. Ian Rush holds the record in Liverpool FC for most goals in all competitions for one season - he scored 47 goals in the 1983/84 season. on September 17th 1974. Biggest win: 11-0 v Strømsgodset I.F. Only 14 first team players were used in the 1965/66 season, when Liverpool won the League. First European match: on August 17th 1964 they played against KR Reykjavik, Iceland, for the European Cup, and won 5-0 away. Roger Hunt has the most league goals for one season - in the 1961/62 season he scored 41 goals. on 11 December 1954 in Football League Division 2. Biggest defeat: 0-8 v Huddersfield in 1935 and 1-9 Birmingham City F.C. In 1910 Liverpool won the first match at Old Trafford beating Manchester United 4-3. December 1909 Newcastle United led 5-2 at Anfield, but the reds rallied to win 6-5. Rovers won 1-0, but six goals were disallowed during this game. on September 5th 1896. Liverpool played against Blackburn Rovers F.C. First Honour: in the 1893/94 season they became the Second Division champions. on 2nd September 1893 (Division 2). League debut: 2-0 v Middlesbrough Ironopolis F.C. FA Cup debut: September 1892 4-0 v Nantwich. Their side did not have one English player. They won 8-0. Liverpool's first ever competitive game was in the Lancashire League against Higher Walton. 1957, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1990, 2000. Reserves Division One Winners 16
European Super Cup Winners 3¹
League Cup Winners 7¹
FA Cup Winners 6
2005 3-3 (3-2 in penalty shootout) vs. AS Roma. 1984 1-1 (4-2 in penalty shootout) vs. Real Madrid. 1981 1-0 vs. Club Brugge. 1978 1-0 vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach. 1977 3-1 vs. UEFA Champions League 5¹
1894, 1896, 1905, 1962. Football League Second Division Champions 4
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