1972–73 Liverpool F.C. season

The 1972–73 season was Liverpool Football Club's 81st season in existence and their 11th consecutive season in the First Division. After seven years of not winning any trophies, Liverpool 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 had been fully realised.

Liverpool F.C.
1972–73 season
ChairmanEngland H.E. Roberts
ManagerScotland Bill Shankly
First DivisionChampions
UEFA CupWinners
FA CupFourth round
League CupFifth round
Top goalscorerLeague: Kevin Keegan (13)
John Toshack (13)
All: Kevin Keegan (22)
Average home league attendance48,103

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.[1] 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.[2]

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 Borussia Mönchengladbach over a two legged final 3-2 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

Defenders

Midfielders

Attackers

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Liverpool (C) 42 25 10 7 72 42 1.714 60 Qualification for the European Cup first round
2 Arsenal 42 23 11 8 57 43 1.326 57
3 Leeds United 42 21 11 10 71 45 1.578 53 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
4 Ipswich Town 42 17 14 11 55 45 1.222 48
5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 18 11 13 66 54 1.222 47
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions

Results

First Division
Main article: 1972–73 Football League § First Division
Date Opponents Venue Result Scorers Attendance Report 1 Report 2
12-Aug-72Manchester CityH2–0Hall 3' Callaghan 84'55,383ReportReport
15-Aug-72Manchester UnitedH2–0Toshack 12' Heighway 20'54,779ReportReport
19-Aug-72Crystal PalaceA1–1Hughes 75'30,054ReportReport
23-Aug-72ChelseaA2–1Toshack 3' Callaghan 13'35,375ReportReport
26-Aug-72West Ham UnitedH3–2Toshack 44' Own Goal 62' Hughes 64'50,491ReportReport
30-Aug-72Leicester CityA2–3Toshack 8', 16'28,694ReportReport
02-Sep-72Derby CountyA1–2Toshack 16'32,524ReportReport
09-Sep-72Wolverhampton WanderersH4–2Hughes 28' Cormack 76' Smith 80 Pen' Keegan 84'43,386ReportReport
16-Sep-72ArsenalA0–047,597ReportReport
23-Sep-72Sheffield UnitedH5–0Boersma 28' Lindsay 31' Heighway 33' Cormack 51' Keegan 54 Pen'42,940ReportReport
30-Sep-72Leeds UnitedA2–1Lloyd 40' Boersma 65'46,648ReportReport
07-Oct-72EvertonH1–0Cormack 77'55,975ReportReport
14-Oct-72SouthamptonA1–1Lawler 40'24,110ReportReport
21-Oct-72Stoke CityH2–1Hughes 66' Callaghan 90'45,604ReportReport
28-Oct-72Norwich CityA1–1Cormack 18'36,625ReportReport
04-Nov-72ChelseaH3–1Toshack 33', 55' Keegan 50'48,392ReportReport
11-Nov-72Manchester UnitedA0–253,944ReportReport
18-Nov-72Newcastle UnitedH3–2Cormack 5' Lindsay 35' Toshack 48'46,153ReportReport
25-Nov-72Tottenham HotspurA2–1Heighway 28' Keegan 40'45,399ReportReport
02-Dec-72Birmingham CityH4–3Lindsay 32', 55' Cormack 44' Toshack 77'45,407ReportReport
09-Dec-72West Bromwich AlbionA1–1Boersma 21'27,213ReportReport
16-Dec-72Ipswich TownA1–1Heighway 24'25,693ReportReport
23-Dec-72Coventry CityH2–0Toshack 6', 22'41,550ReportReport
26-Dec-72Sheffield UnitedA3–0Boersma 27' Lawler 50' Heighway 81'34,040ReportReport
30-Dec-72Crystal PalaceH1–0Cormack 66'50,862ReportReport
06-Jan-73West Ham UnitedA1–0Keegan 75'34,480ReportReport
20-Jan-73Derby CountyH1–1Toshack 23'45,996ReportReport
27-Jan-73Wolverhampton WanderersA1–2Keegan 17'32,957ReportReport
10-Feb-73ArsenalH0–249,898ReportReport
17-Feb-73Manchester CityA1–1Boersma 77'40,528ReportReport
24-Feb-73Ipswich TownH2–1Heighway 67' Keegan 80'43,875ReportReport
03-Mar-73EvertonA2–0Hughes 80', 88'54,269ReportReport
10-Mar-73SouthamptonH3–2Lloyd 37' Keegan 37', 87'41,674ReportReport
17-Mar-73Stoke CityA1–0Mahoney(og) 65'33,540ReportReport
24-Mar-73Norwich CityH3–1Lawler 50' Hughes 55' Hall 88'42,995ReportReport
31-Mar-73Tottenham HotspurH1–1Keegan 70'48,477ReportReport
07-Apr-73Birmingham CityA1–2Smith 60'48,114ReportReport
14-Apr-73West Bromwich AlbionH1–0Keegan 14 Pen'43,853ReportReport
17-Apr-73Coventry CityA2–1Boersma 36', 60'27,280ReportReport
21-Apr-73Newcastle UnitedA1–2Keegan 24'37,240ReportReport
23-Apr-73Leeds UnitedH2–0Cormack 47' Keegan 85'55,738ReportReport
28-Apr-73Leicester CityH0–056,202ReportReport

Football League Cup
Main article: 1972–73 Football League Cup
Date Opponents Venue Result Scorers Attendance Report 1 Report 2
05-Sep-72Carlisle UnitedA1–1Keegan 42'16,257ReportReport
19-Sep-72Carlisle UnitedH5–1Keegan 37' Boersma 39', 82' Lawler 73' Heighway 86'22,128ReportReport
03-Oct-72West Bromwich AlbionA1–1Heighway 86'17,756ReportReport
10-Oct-72West Bromwich AlbionH2–1Hughes 62' Keegan 120'26,461ReportReport
31-Oct-72Leeds UnitedH2–2Keegan 31' Toshack 80'44,609ReportReport
22-Nov-72Leeds UnitedA1–0Keegan 90'34,856ReportReport
04-Dec-72Tottenham HotspurH1–1Hughes 78'48,677ReportReport
06-Dec-72Tottenham HotspurA1–3Callaghan 85'34,565ReportReport

FA Cup
Main article: 1972–73 FA Cup
Date Opponents Venue Result Scorers Attendance Report 1 Report 2
13-Jan-73BurnleyA0–035,730ReportReport
16-Jan-73BurnleyH3–0Toshack 31', 49' Cormack 47'56,124ReportReport
03-Feb-73Manchester CityH0–056,296ReportReport
07-Feb-73Manchester CityA0–249,572ReportReport

UEFA Cup
Main article: 1972–73 UEFA Cup
Date Opponents Venue Result Scorers Attendance Report 1 Report 2
12-Sep-72Eintracht FrankfurtH2–0Keegan 12' Hughes 75'33,380ReportReport
26-Sep-72Eintracht FrankfurtA0–017,500ReportReport
24-Oct-72AEK AthensH3–0Boersma 9' Cormack 28' Smith 78 Pen'31,906ReportReport
07-Nov-72AEK AthensA3–1Hughes 18', 44' Boersma 87'19,412ReportReport
29-Nov-72BFC DynamoA0–015,835-20,000[3]ReportReport
13-Dec-72BFC DynamoH3–1Boersma 1' Heighway 25' Toshack 56'34,140ReportReport
07-Mar-73Dynamo DresdenH2–0Hall 25' Boersma 60'33,270ReportReport
21-Mar-73Dynamo DresdenA1–0Keegan 53'33,634ReportReport
10-Apr-73Tottenham HotspurH1–0Lindsay 17'42,174ReportReport
25-Apr-73Tottenham HotspurA1–2Heighway 55'46,919ReportReport

Final

First Leg

Liverpool England3–0West Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach
Keegan 21', 32'
Lloyd 61'		 Report
Report
Attendance: 41,169
Referee: Erich Linemayr (Austria)
Liverpool
Borussia Mönchengladbach
GK1England Ray Clemence
RB2England Chris Lawler
LB3England Alec Lindsay
CM4England Tommy Smith (c)
CB5England Larry Lloyd
CB6England Emlyn Hughes
ST7England Kevin Keegan
CM8Scotland Peter Cormack
ST9Wales John Toshack
LW10Republic of Ireland Steve Heighwaydownward-facing red arrow 83'
RW11England Ian Callaghan
Substitutes:
MF12England Brian Hallupward-facing green arrow 83'
GK13England Frankie Lane
DF14England Trevor Storton
DF15England Phil Thompson
FW16England Phil Boersma
Manager:
Scotland Bill Shankly
GK1Germany Wolfgang Kleff
RB2Germany Heinz Michallik
CB3Germany Günter Netzer
CB4Germany Rainer Bonhof
LB5Germany Berti Vogts (c)
MF6Germany Herbert Wimmer
MF7Germany Dietmar Danner
MF8Germany Christian Kulik
FW9Denmark Henning Jensen
FW10Germany Bernd Ruppdownward-facing red arrow 82'
FW11Germany Jupp Heynckes
Substitutes:
FW12Denmark Allan Simonsenupward-facing green arrow 82'
Manager:
Germany Hennes Weisweiler

Second Leg

Borussia Mönchengladbach West Germany2–0England Liverpool
Heynckes 29', 40' Report
Report
Attendance: 34,905
Referee: Pavel Kazakov (Soviet Union)
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Liverpool
GK1Germany Wolfgang Kleff
RB2Germany Ulrich Surau
CB3Germany Günter Netzer
CB4Germany Rainer Bonhof
LB5Germany Berti Vogts (c)
MF6Germany Herbert Wimmer
MF7Germany Dietmar Danner
MF8Germany Christian Kulik
FW9Denmark Henning Jensen
FW10Germany Bernd Rupp
FW11Germany Jupp Heynckes
Substitutes:
FW12Denmark Allan Simonsen
DF13Germany Heinz Michallik
DF14Germany Klaus-Dieter Sieloff
GK15Germany Bernd Schrage
Manager:
Germany Hennes Weisweiler
GK1England Ray Clemence
RB2England Chris Lawler
LB3England Alec Lindsay
CM4England Tommy Smith (c)
CB5England Larry Lloyd
CB6England Emlyn Hughes
ST7England Kevin Keegan
CM8Scotland Peter Cormack
ST9Wales John Toshack
LW10Republic of Ireland Steve Heighwaydownward-facing red arrow 77'
RW11England Ian Callaghan
Substitutes:
MF12England Brian Hall
GK13England Frankie Lane
DF14England Trevor Storton
DF15England Phil Thompson
FW16England Phil Boersmaupward-facing green arrow 77'
Manager:
Scotland Bill Shankly

References
  1. "In numbers: How Klopp and Shankly won 21 home games in a row". Liverpool F.C. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  2. "Salah and Milner reaction: 'We showed our mentality to win'". Liverpool FC. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  3. Schaefer, Otto (5 December 1972). "BFC Dynamo mit zuviel Respekt vor dem Wiederpart" (PDF). Die neue Fußballwoche (FuWo) (De) (in German). Vol. 1972, no. 49. Berlin: DFV der DDR. p. 9. ISSN 0323-8407. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
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