1972–73 Liverpool F.C. season


After seven years of not winning any trophies Liverpool F.C. won both the Football League and the UEFA Cup in an extremely successful season, the highlight of Bill Shankly's managerial career. The rebuilding of the team from the one that served so well in the 1960s that had been fully realised.
The league which they came so close to winning the year before, had finally been conquered by winning the title by three points from Arsenal. The signing of Peter Cormack from Nottingham Forest during the summer of 1972 would also be another great signing. On 30 December 1972 Liverpool beat Crystal Palace at Anfield to make it 21 consecutive home wins in the league. This was the longest run in English top-flight history until it was surpassed by Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool who made it 22 consecutive home wins in March 2020.
The UEFA Cup would also be the beginning of their dominance of regularly winning European trophies as well. Overcoming the previous season's winners Tottenham Hotspur in the Semi-Finals and over a two legged final overcoming Borussia Mönchengladbach three-two on aggregate.
The emergence of Kevin Keegan and Ray Clemence in the team would also see them start their international careers, with them both making their England debuts in the World Cup qualifier against Wales on 15 November 1972 alongside Emlyn Hughes already established in the England team.

Squad

Goalkeepers

Results

First Division

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2
12-Aug-72 Manchester City H 2–0 Hall Callaghan 55,383
15-Aug-72 Manchester United H 2–0 Toshack Heighway 54,779
19-Aug-72 Crystal Palace A 1–1 Hughes 30,054
23-Aug-72 Chelsea A 2–1 Toshack Callaghan 35,375
26-Aug-72 West Ham United H 3–2 Toshack Own Goal Hughes 50,491
30-Aug-72 Leicester City A 2–3 Toshack 28,694
02-Sep-72 Derby County A 1–2 Toshack 32,524
09-Sep-72 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 4–2 Hughes Cormack Smith Keegan 43,386
16-Sep-72 Arsenal A 0–0 47,597
23-Sep-72 Sheffield United H 5–0 Boersma Lindsay Heighway Cormack Keegan 42,940
30-Sep-72 Leeds United A 2–1 Lloyd Boersma 46,648
07-Oct-72 Everton H 1–0 Cormack 55,975
14-Oct-72 Southampton A 1–1 Lawler 24,110
21-Oct-72 Stoke City H 2–1 Hughes Callaghan 45,604
28-Oct-72 Norwich City A 1–1 Cormack 36,625
04-Nov-72 Chelsea H 3–1 Toshack Keegan 48,392
11-Nov-72 Manchester United A 0–2 53,944
18-Nov-72 Newcastle United H 3–2 Cormack Lindsay Toshack 46,153
25-Nov-72 Tottenham Hotspur A 2–1 Heighway Keegan 45,399
02-Dec-72 Birmingham City H 4–3 Lindsay Cormack Toshack 45,407
09-Dec-72 West Bromwich Albion A 1–1 Boersma 27,213
16-Dec-72 Ipswich Town A 1–1 Heighway 25,693
23-Dec-72 Coventry City H 2–0 Toshack 41,550
26-Dec-72 Sheffield United A 3–0 Boersma Lawler Heighway 34,040
30-Dec-72 Crystal Palace H 1–0 Cormack 50,862
06-Jan-73 West Ham United A 1–0 Keegan 34,480
20-Jan-73 Derby County H 1–1 Toshack 45,996
27-Jan-73 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1–2 Keegan 32,957
10-Feb-73 Arsenal H 0–2 49,898
17-Feb-73 Manchester City A 1–1 Boersma 40,528
24-Feb-73 Ipswich Town H 2–1 Heighway Keegan 43,875
03-Mar-73 Everton A 2–0 Hughes 54,269
10-Mar-73 Southampton H 3–2 Lloyd Keegan 41,674
17-Mar-73 Stoke City A 1–0 Own Goal 33,540
24-Mar-73 Norwich City H 3–1 Lawler Hughes Hall 42,995
31-Mar-73 Tottenham Hotspur H 1–1 Keegan 48,477
07-Apr-73 Birmingham City A 1–2 Smith 48,114
14-Apr-73 West Bromwich Albion H 1–0 Keegan 43,853
17-Apr-73 Coventry City A 2–1 Boersma 27,280
21-Apr-73 Newcastle United A 1–2 Keegan 37,240
23-Apr-73 Leeds United H 2–0 Cormack Keegan 55,738
28-Apr-73 Leicester City H 0–0 56,202

Football League Cup

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2
05-Sep-72 Carlisle United A 1–1 Keegan 16,257
19-Sep-72 Carlisle United H 5–1 Keegan Boersma Lawler Heighway 22,128
03-Oct-72 West Bromwich Albion A 1–1 Heighway 17,756
10-Oct-72 West Bromwich Albion H 2–1 Hughes Keegan 26,461
31-Oct-72 Leeds United H 2–2 Keegan Toshack 44,609
22-Nov-72 Leeds United A 1–0 Keegan 34,856
04-Dec-72 Tottenham Hotspur H 1–1 Hughes 48,677
06-Dec-72 Tottenham Hotspur A 1–3 Callaghan 34,565

FA Cup

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2
13-Jan-73 Burnley A 0–0 35,730
16-Jan-73 Burnley H 3–0 Toshack Cormack 56,124
03-Feb-73 Manchester City H 0–0 56,296
07-Feb-73 Manchester City A 0–2 49,572

UEFA Cup

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2
12-Sep-72 Eintracht Frankfurt H 2–0 Keegan Hughes 33,380
26-Sep-72 Eintracht Frankfurt A 0–0 17,500
24-Oct-72 AEK Athens H 3–0 Boersma Cormack Smith 31,906
07-Nov-72 AEK Athens A 3–1 Hughes Boersma 19,412
29-Nov-72 Dynamo Berlin A 0–0 15,835
13-Dec-72 Dynamo Berlin H 3–1 Boersma Heighway Toshack 34,140
07-Mar-73 Dynamo Dresden H 2–0 Hall Boersma 33,270
21-Mar-73 Dynamo Dresden A 1–0 Keegan 33,634
10-Apr-73 Tottenham Hotspur H 1–0 Lindsay 42,174
25-Apr-73 Tottenham Hotspur A 1–2 Heighway 46,919

Final
First Leg
Second Leg