From the High Court to high hopes regained: Liverpool FC 2010/11 in pictures

By Dan Kay
May 25 2011

Liverpool FC 2010/11

THE 2010/11 season will be remembered as one of the most dramatic in the history of Liverpool FC.

A campaign that began with the club in turmoil off the pitch saw the Reds figure on the front pages as much as the back but ended with a new mood of optimism sweeping Anfield.

Relive all the highs and lows in pictures (click the Show Caption button for commentary on each image) and log in below to leave your own personal memories

Show Caption

June 4 - Tributes are paid to Rafa Benitez as he leaves his post as manager after six years at Anfield
July 1 - Having led Fulham to the previous season's Europa League Final, Roy Hodgson is unveiled as Liverpool boss
July 27 - Joe Cole, Milan Jovanovic and Danny Wilson sign in at Anfield - they are joined by Raul Meireles, Christian Poulsen and Paul Konchesky before the end of the August transfer window
July 29 - The Reds' first competitive match of the season in the second qualifying round of the Europa League against Macedonia's FK Rabotnicki sees two goals from David Ngog secure a healthy lead to take back to Anfield
August 5 - A Steven Gerrard penalty, along with another Ngog strike, completes the task against Rabotnicki
Another Ngog effort gives puts the Reds within touching distance of a fine opening day win against Arsenal at Anfield but a late Pepe Reina own goal hands the Gunners a barely deserved point
Ryan Babel gives the Reds a slender advantage to take to Turkey for their 3rd round Europa League qualifier but Joe Cole's frustrating start to his LFC career continues with a missed penalty to add to his opening-day red card against Arsenal
The first Premier League away game of the season ends with a comprehensive 3-0 defeat at Manchester City
Trabzonspor level the tie early in the second leg of the final Europa League qualifier but two late goals seal Liverpool's passage into the group stages
Fernando Torres' first goal of the season seals Liverpool's first league win against West Brom at Anfield
September 12 - New £10.9m midfielder Raul Meireles makes his debut in an otherwise forgettable goalless draw at Birmingham
Lucas celebrates his long-range effort as the Reds open their Europa League Group K campaign with a 4-1 win at Anfield over Steaua Bucharest
A quick-fire Steven Gerrard double draws the Reds level from two goals down at Man Utd but a late Dimitar Berbatov header means the skipper's efforts are in vain
Not even a 119th-minute David Ngog equaliser can spare Liverpool from Carling Cup humiliation at Anfield as League Two Northampton Town win on penalties to send the Reds crashing out
With the October refinancing deadline looming for owners' Tom Hicks and George Gillett's acqusition debt, fans protest outside and inside Anfield before the 2-2 draw with Sunderland
Another blank for Fernando Torres as Liverpool labour to a goalless Europa League draw in Utrecht
October 3 - For the second home game running, fans march outside Anfield against Hicks and Gillett as fears grow the club could be forced into administration if the club is not sold or the debt refinanced by the Royal Bank of Scotland's October 15 deadline
Things aren't any rosier on the pitch either as newly-promoted Blackpool stun Anfield with a deserved 2-1 win to leave the Reds languishing in the relegation places and the Kop calling for Kenny Dalglish
October 6 - The instability crippling the club for the previous two years erupts into civil war as Hicks and Gillett try to oust Ian Ayre & Christan Purslow from the Reds board in order to block the proposed sale to New England Sports Ventures
Chairman Martin Broughton refuses to accept the owners' attempts to alter the make up of the board and confirms the sale to NESV - attention turns to the High Court in London where Broughton seeks to obtain a ruling confirming he has the right to sell the club
October 13 - Lord Justice Floyd rules in favour of Martin Broughton & Liverpool FC and there are jubilant scenes outside the High Court
There is a further twist later that evening however when, as the LFC board meet at the offices of London law firm Slaughter and May to ratify the sale to NESV, Hicks takes out a temporary restraining order against Broughton, RBS, the club's directors and NESV in a Texas county court again attempting to halt the sale
October 14 - The case appears again before Justice Floyd in the High Court with LFC's QC, Lord Grabiner (pictured), arguing the actions brought in Dallas are "abusive, vexatious and oppressive." The judge agrees, granting 'injunction relief' with the race on to complete the sale before the following day's deadline
October 15 - After another tense day of rumours and negotiations, the sale of Liverpool Football Club to New England Sports Ventures is completed and announced to the world just before 5pm by new principal owner John Henry and Martin Broughton
Later that evening, a crestfallen Tom Hicks - now facing losses in the region of £70m - appears on British television vowing to take legal action against those involved in the sale of LFC and claiming the club has been taken from him in an 'epic swindle'
October 17 - Having visited Anfield and Melwood on his first day charge, John Henry and Tom Werner (soon to be named LFC chairman in place of the departing Martin Broughton) are in attendance at Goodison Park as one of the most historic weeks in the life of Liverpool FC concludes with a Merseyside derby
It's back down to earth with a bump as Everton run out convincing 2-0 winners despite Roy Hodgson claiming it was Liverpool's 'best performance of the season so far'
Another Europa League away-day, another goalless draw as the Reds visit the hostile Stadio Sao Paolo, home of Italian side Napoli
Sotirios Kyrgiakos salutes the Kop after his opener in the 2-1 win over Blackburn
The Reds string two wins together for the first time all season as a late Maxi Rodriguez goal clinches three points at Bolton
November 4 - John Henry, along with wife Linda Pizzutti, attend their first match at Anfield against Napoli in the Europa League
Henry also welcomes newly-appointed Director of Football Damien Comolli to Anfield
Three-goals in the last quarter of an hour from Steven Gerrard, on as a substitute, overturn Napoli's half-time lead to give the Reds a 3-1 win
The arrival of Chelsea to Anfield inspires Fernando Torres' best performance of the season as two trademark strikes from the Spaniard seal an impressive 2-0 win
Another Torres effort gives Liverpool an early lead against Wigan at the JJB three days later but the relegation-haunted hosts fight back for a 1-1 draw
The rout of champions Chelsea suddenly seems a long time ago as just six days later the Reds are out-thought and out-fought going down miserably 2-0 at Stoke
Glen Johnson is on the scoresheet against his old club as West Ham are comfortably seen off 3-0 at Anfield
Martin Skrtel gives the Reds the lead at Spurs but then puts through his own goal before a last-minute Aaron Lennon goal condemns Hodgson's men to another defeat
December 2 - Milan Jovanovic grabs a goal in a 1-1 draw at Steaua Bucharest which confirms the Reds qualification from the Europa League group stages
The Kop salutes ex-boss Gerard Houllier as he brings his Aston Villa side to Anfield
The hospitality doesn't extend to the pitch as David Ngog opens the scoring in a 3-0 Reds win
Liverpool arrive at St James Park with Newcastle in turmoil following the bizarre sacking of manager Chris Hughton just days before - the Reds fold tamely to a 3-1 defeat however with highly-rated striker Andy Carroll scoring the Toon's clincher
The Reds Europa League Group K campaign ends with a third goalless draw in six games as Utrecht are held 0-0 at Anfield
After a Big Freeze-induced fortnight off, Liverpool's season lurches to a new low as relegation candidates Wolves win 1-0 at Anfield
January 1, 2011 - Joe Cole's first League goal for the club clinches a last-minute 2-1 win over Bolton at Anfield
January 5 - Any hopes the New Years Day win may herald improved fortunes on the pitch bite the dust at Ewood Park as another shocking away performance sees the Reds beaten 3-1 by Blackburn
January 6 - Speculation over Roy Hodgson's future as manager reaches fever pitch with an FA CUp third round tie away to Manchester United looming at the weekend
January 8, 11.30am - As the Reds' youngsters prepare to take on Crystal Palace in the FA Youth Cup, LFC announce Roy Hodgson's departure as manager with Kenny Dalglish returning as boss initially until the end of the season
After an absence of almost twenty years, Dalglish returns to the Reds bench at Old Trafford, having raced back from a cruise holiday in Bahrain
Liverpool are knocked out of the FA Cup thanks to a first-minute penalty but King Kenny's return provides a much-need injection of hope and optimism for the 9,000 travelling Liverpudlians
Dalglish's first appointment is to bring in former Chelsea man Steve Clarke as first team coach
The scale of the task facing Dalglish becomes immediately apparent as, despite an early Torres goal, Liverpool are beaten 2-1 at Blackpool
Dalglish receives a rapturous reception for his first game back at Anfield, the Merseyside derby against Everton
Raul Meireles rifles home his first goal for the club as the match ends with honours even following a 2-2 draw
A stunning Raul Meireles volley is the highlight of a 3-0 win at Wolves
Meireles is on the mark again as the Reds grind out a hard-fought 1-0 win over Fulham at Anfield
January 28 - After days of speculation with the January window drawing to a close, and just hours after Liverpool confirm they have finally agreed a fee with Ajax for Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres rocks the club by handing in a transfer request - he eventually joins Chelsea for £50m
Suarez is greeted by Kenny Dalglish having signed for a fee of 26.5m Euros
January 31 - Before confirming the sale of Torres, Liverpool splash out £35m to bring in striker Andy Carroll from Newcastle - hundreds of fans wait at Melwood to see him arrive for his medical although injury means they will have to wait to see him in action
February 2 - Just minutes after coming on as a substitute, Luis Suarez scores his first goal for Liverpool against Stoke to seal a 2-0 win
A quirk of the fixture means Fernando Torres' first game for Chelsea sees him up against Jamie Carragher and his former Liverpool team-mates at Stamford Bridge
Raul Meireles continues his rich vein of form by bagging the only goal of the game for Liverpool
Torres himself has a fine view of Meireles' winner from the Chelsea bench, having just been substituted - he finished the season with more bookings (two) than goals (one) for his new club
Meireles is on the mark for the sixth successive game against Wigan but the Latics fight back to earn a 1-1 draw
Sixteen year old Raheem Sterling scores an amazing six times in the Reds' 9-0 FA Youth Cup win over Southend United
Smoke bombs in the air as Liverpool rack up yet another Europa League goalless draw in the last 32 first-leg tie at Sparta Prague
Dirk Kuyt's late header sees off Prague at Anfield and sends the Reds into the last sixteen
A bad day at the office for Jamie Carragher and co as West Ham run out 3-1 winners at Upton Park
March 6 - An sensational slalom dribble from Luis Suarez creates a tap-in for Dirk Kuyt to open the scoring against Manchester United at Anfield
Delight for the Dutchman as, after doubling the Reds advantage before half-time, he grabs another close-range tap-in after Suarez's free-kick is saved, to notch a hat-trick
An Anfield day to remember is sealed as Andy Carroll makes his first appearance in a Red shirt coming on as a late substitute in the Reds 3-1 win
The surreal surroundings of Sporting Braga's 'Quarry' stadium see Liverpool slump to a 1-0 first leg defeat against the Portugese in the Europa League
Adam Morgan scores twice but Man Utd fight back to knock the Reds out of the FA Youth Cup
The Reds European adventure ends as Braga hold out for a 0-0 draw at Anfield
A brilliant Suarez strike from an almost-impossible angle seals a 2-0 win at Sunderland
March 22 - Lifelong-Red Ian Ayre is confirmed as Liverpool's new Managing Director
April 2 - Perhaps the season's most predictable result as Roy Hodgson's new club West Brom fight back to beat Liverpool 2-1 at the Hawthorns
Andy Carroll is off the mark at last with a blistering shot and towering header as Liverpool rout Manchester City 3-0
Dirk Kuyt's penalty, twelve minutes into stoppage time, earns a 1-1 draw at Arsenal
Almost 25 years to the day that Gary Gillespie accomplished the same feat, Maxi Rodriguez is the unlikely hat-trick hero in a 5-0 Liverpool win over Birmingham
Suarez, Maxi and Kuyt are all on the scoresheet again as Newcastle are seen off 3-0 at Anfield
Another Maxi hat-trick helps the Reds to a 5-2 win at Fulham
Spurs seize back control of the Europa League qualifying race by winning 2-0 at Anfield - following the game, players, staff and fans pay tribute to each other after a rollercoaster season that will live long in the memory
Steven Gerrard watches from the away end as the Reds season ends with a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa