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Watch: A Gorgeous Animated Short Celebrating Liverpool’s First Game

The club played its first match 125 years ago this week

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Liverpool Football Club celebrated its 125th birthday on Friday, but it doesn’t look a day over 60.

Strictly speaking, the club was founded in March, 1892. You probably know the story— John Houlding, the landlord at Anfield, left the board of Everton after a dispute with his colleagues. Everton relocated to Goodison Park and Houlding founded a competing club to play at the ground that he owned. (Feel free to insert your own Bender jokes where appropriate.)

The club was originally named “Everton Athletic” but was changed to Liverpool Football Club after the Football Association refused to acknowledge them by that name. They ultimately did gain official recognition and joined the Lancashire League for the 1892-93 season.

This video offers a stylized short history of Liverpool’s beginnings— Houlding’s breakaway, the team of Scotsman recruited on short notice, and, finally, that first match against Rotherham Town at Anfield.

Hardly anyone was in the stands for LFC’s grand debut, but the Reds— who back then wore blue and white kits— had origins that were hardly humble. Perhaps as a sign of future glory to come, Liverpool utterly dismantled Rotherham 7-1.

It’s a lovely video, both aesthetically and by virtue of it being about Liverpool Football Club. Definitely check it out.

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