1975–76 Liverpool F.C. season explained

Club:	Liverpool F.C.
Season:	1975–76
Chairman:	John W Smith
Manager:	Bob Paisley
League:	First Division
League Result:	Champions
League Topscorer:	John Toshack (16)
Season Topscorer:	John Toshack (23)
Cup1:	UEFA Cup
Cup1 Result:	Winners
Cup2:	FA Cup
Cup2 Result:	Fourth round
Cup3:	League Cup
Cup3 Result:	Third round
Average Attendance:	41,670
Prevseason:	1974–75
Nextseason:	1976–77
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The 1975–76 season was Liverpool Football Club's 84th season in existence and their 14th consecutive season in the First Division. Liverpool won its ninth Football League title and second UEFA Cup, which were the first trophies won under manager Bob Paisley, in his second season as manager.

Paisley saw his team clinch the league title narrowly ahead of contenders Queens Park Rangers. In a climax to the season, Liverpool needed to either win or secure a low-scoring draw against relegation-threatened Wolverhampton Wanderers. With 14 minutes left for play and despite constant pressure in the second half, the Reds trailed to a Steve Kindon strike for Wolves. The title was slipping away from Liverpool but three late goals from Kevin Keegan, John Toshack and Ray Kennedy in front of away support ensured Liverpool's ninth title and Bob Paisley's first trophy.

In the UEFA Cup, Liverpool overcame Barcelona in the semi-finals, to set up a final with Club Brugge. Liverpool won the first leg 3–2 on 28 April after being two-nil down in the first half. Three weeks later, a 1–1 draw in Olympiastadion, Bruges, saw them lift the cup for the second time.

The emergence of Phil Neal, Phil Thompson and Ray Kennedy in the Liverpool side saw them make their England debuts in the Welsh FA Centenary International against Wales on 24 March 1976.^[1] Also in the England side were Ray Clemence and, captaining England for the first time, Kevin Keegan, and those five would go on to play for England for many years to come.

Squad

Goalkeepers

• Ray Clemence
• Frank Lane
• Peter McDonnell

Defenders

• Emlyn Hughes
• Joey Jones
• Brian Kettle
• Chris Lawler
• Alec Lindsay
• John McLaughlin
• Phil Neal
• Tommy Smith
• Max Thompson
• Phil Thompson

Midfielders

• Ian Callaghan
• Jimmy Case
• Peter Cormack
• Brian Hall
• Steve Heighway
• Ray Kennedy
• Terry McDermott

Attackers

• Phil Boersma
• David Fairclough
• Kevin Keegan
• Kevin Kewley
• John Toshack
• Alan Waddle

Results

First Division

Date	Opponents	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance	Report 1	Report 2
16-Aug-75		A	0–2		27,113	Report	Report
19-Aug-75		H	2–2		40,564	Report	Report
23-Aug-75		H	3–2		42,729	Report	Report
26-Aug-75		A	3–0		36,186	Report	Report
30-Aug-75		A	1–1		25,008	Report	Report
06-Sep-75		H	1–0		37,340	Report	Report
13-Sep-75		A	0–2		28,132	Report	Report
20-Sep-75		H	3–0		42,779	Report	Report
27-Sep-75		A	0–0		55,570	Report	Report
04-Oct-75		H	2–0		36,391	Report	Report
11-Oct-75		H	3–1		36,532	Report	Report
18-Oct-75		A	0–0		20,695	Report	Report
25-Oct-75		H	1–1		46,324	Report	Report
01-Nov-75		A	1–0		30,952	Report	Report
08-Nov-75		H	3–1		49,136	Report	Report
15-Nov-75		A	2–1		39,686	Report	Report
22-Nov-75		H	1–1		36,929	Report	Report
29-Nov-75		H	1–3		34,780	Report	Report
02-Dec-75		H	2–2		27,447	Report	Report
06-Dec-75		A	0–0		18,426	Report	Report
13-Dec-75		A	4–0		29,891	Report	Report
20-Dec-75		H	2–0		39,182	Report	Report
26-Dec-75		A	1–1		32,092	Report	Report
27-Dec-75		H	1–0		53,386	Report	Report
10-Jan-76		H	3–3		40,547	Report	Report
17-Jan-76		A	0–0		31,255	Report	Report
31-Jan-76		A	4–0		26,741	Report	Report
07-Feb-76		H	2–0		54,525	Report	Report
18-Feb-76		A	0–0		59,709	Report	Report
21-Feb-76		H	2–0		43,404	Report	Report
24-Feb-76		A	0–1		36,127	Report	Report
28-Feb-76		A	1–1		32,800	Report	Report
06-Mar-76		H	0–2		41,391	Report	Report
13-Mar-76		A	1–0		31,397	Report	Report
20-Mar-76		A	1–0		29,013	Report	Report
27-Mar-76		H	2–0		36,708	Report	Report
03-Apr-76		H	1–0		54,632	Report	Report
06-Apr-76		H	1–0		36,290	Report	Report
10-Apr-76		A	0–0		44,250	Report	Report
17-Apr-76		H	5–3		44,069	Report	Report
19-Apr-76		A	3–0		50,439	Report	Report
04-May-76		A	3–1		48,900	Report	Report

Football League Cup

See main article: 1975–76 Football League Cup.

Date	Opponents	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance	Report 1	Report 2
10-Sep-75		A	1–0		9.421	Report	Report
07-Oct-75		H	1–1		24,607	Report	Report
14-Oct-75		A	0–1		19,857	Report	Report

FA Cup

See main article: 1975–76 FA Cup.

Date	Opponents	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance	Report 1	Report 2
03-Jan-76		A	2–0		32,363	Report	Report
24-Jan-76		A	0–1		38,200	Report	Report

UEFA Cup

See main article: 1975–76 UEFA Cup.

Date	Opponents	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance	Report 1	Report 2
17-Sep-75		A	0–1		19,219	Report	Report
30-Sep-75		H	3–1		29,963	Report	Report
22-Oct-75		A	3–1		16,256	Report	Report
04-Nov-75		H	6–0		23,796	Report	Report
26-Nov-75		A	2–1		40,000	Report	Report
10-Dec-75		H	3–0		17,886	Report	Report
03-Mar-76		A	0–0		32,182	Report	Report
17-Mar-76		H	2–1		39,300	Report	Report
30-Mar-76		A	1–0		70,000	Report	Report
14-Apr-76		H	1–1		55,104	Report	Report

Final

See main article: 1976 UEFA Cup Final.

First leg

width=25 ! width=25 GK 1 Ray Clemence RB 2 Phil Neal LB 3 CB 4 Phil Thompson LM 5 Ray Kennedy CB 6 Emlyn Hughes (c) ST 7 Kevin Keegan ST 8 David Fairclough RM 9 Steve Heighway ST 10 CM 11 Ian Callaghan Substitutes: MF 12 GK 13 Peter McDonnell DF 14 Joey Jones MF 15 Brian Hall MF 16 Terry McDermott Manager: Bob Paisley

width=25 ! width=25 GK 1 Birger Jensen RB 2 CB 3 Eddie Krieger CB 4 LB 5 Jos Volders MF 6 Julien Cools MF 7 René Vandereycken MF 8 FW 9 Roger van Gool FW 10 Raoul Lambert FW 11 Ulrik le Fevre Substitutes: GK 12 RB 13 Norbert De Naeghel MF 14 Dirk Sanders FW 15 Konrad Holenstein FW 16 Dirk Hinderyckx Manager: Ernst Happel

Second leg

width=25 ! width=25 GK 1 Birger Jensen RB 2 CB 3 Eddie Krieger CB 4 LB 5 Jos Volders MF 6 Julien Cools MF 7 René Vandereycken MF 8 FW 9 Roger van Gool FW 10 FW 11 Substitutes: GK 12 RB 13 FW 14 MF 15 Manager: Ernst Happel

width=25 ! width=25 GK 1 Ray Clemence RB 2 Phil Neal LB 3 CB 4 Phil Thompson LM 5 Ray Kennedy CB 6 Emlyn Hughes (c) ST 7 Kevin Keegan CM 8 Jimmy Case RM 9 Steve Heighway ST 10 CM 11 Ian Callaghan Substitutes: FW 12 GK 13 Peter McDonnell DF 14 Joey Jones MF 15 Brian Hall MF 16 Terry McDermott Manager: Bob Paisley

References

• LFC History.net – 1975–76 season
• Liverweb - 1975-76 Season

Notes and References

1. Web site: englandstats.com 497 - Wales 1-2 England, Wednesday, 24th March 1976.