Our ‘On This Day’ feature today looks at Liverpool’s programme from the 1986/87 season. Read the review below and see all the other Division One issues for the season here.
Liverpool’s programme for 1986/87 offered 23.5 pages of content for the cost of 60p, making it one of the fuller programmes of the season. Several of the pages were taken up by photographs, but there was also some decent written content included.
Player-manager Kenny Dalglish penned a page of programme notes, in which he mentioned that the day’s fixture against Sheffield Wednesday was the club’s first live TV appearance of the season – a reminder of just how much times have changed with the game taking place in mid-November! ‘Captain’s Eye View’ offered the thoughts of Liverpool skipper Alan Hansen, who here discussed team-mate Steve McMahon who had joined the club from Aston Villa just over a year earlier.
Sheffield Wednesday were introduced with an article that provided an outline of the club’s history, noting the Owls reputation as a yo-yo club and their achievement in regaining top-flight status after spells in Divisions Two and Three. The team was covered in more detail over a three-page section that began with profiles of Wednesday’s backroom staff, including manager Howard Wilkinson. There was a colour team group picture of Wednesday and notes on the club’s players and recent transfer activity. The article noted that the club had “gradually built up one of the strongest playing squads in the First Division”. ‘Action Replay’ meanwhile recalled Wednesday’s visit to Anfield the previous season, where they earned a 2-2 draw, whilst there were also notes on the team’s form in the first three months of the season.
‘A to Z’ was a three-page feature that recounted the history of Liverpool, featuring notable moments from the past, league tables from the late 1920s, and notes on various players who had scored hat-tricks for the Reds. Among the latter was Jack Balmer, who hit hat-tricks in three consecutive league games in the club’s title-winning season of 1946/47. ‘The Years Between’ looks back to events taking place 5, 10, and 15 years ago, whilst there was a comprehensive two-page stats section. Liverpool’s recent 4-0 win over Oxford United was recalled across six full-page images, including photos of goals from Dalglish and a penalty converted by Jan Molby.
There was plenty to appreciate about this Liverpool programme, with detailed coverage of the visiting team, readable historical content, and plenty of club information. Overall, a good solid issue from the Reds.