Liverpool Football Club was founded on 3 June 1892 by John Houlding, the owner of the Anfield ground, after a dispute with Everton — the club that had previously played at Anfield — led to Everton's departure. Liverpool inherited Anfield, where they have played continuously for over 130 years. The club's distinctive red colours date to a 1964 decision by manager Bill Shankly to switch from red shirts and white shorts to all-red, intended to make players "look bigger and more intimidating."
The Bill Shankly era (1959-1974) and the subsequent Bob Paisley era (1974-1983) created Liverpool's modern dynasty. Paisley remains the only manager to win three European Cups (1977, 1978, 1981); Joe Fagan added a fourth in 1984, and Rafael Benítez delivered the famous "Miracle of Istanbul" in 2005, when Liverpool came back from 3-0 down at half-time to defeat AC Milan on penalties. A sixth Champions League came in 2019 under Jürgen Klopp, who also ended a 30-year league title drought in 2019-20. Liverpool's 19 English league titles place them joint with Manchester United at the top of the all-time list, with the most recent arriving in 2024-25 under Arne Slot.
The Heysel Stadium disaster of 1985, in which 39 Juventus fans died at the European Cup final, and the Hillsborough disaster of 1989, in which 97 Liverpool supporters lost their lives, are central to the club's history and identity. The Hillsborough campaign for justice — culminating in the 2016 inquest verdict of unlawful killing — became a defining cause for the supporters. Liverpool's anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" — adopted from a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical via Gerry and the Pacemakers — is among football's most globally recognised. The fierce North-West Derby with Manchester United and the Merseyside Derby with neighbours Everton remain core fixtures. Anfield's "This Is Anfield" sign and the Kop terrace are iconic of football culture worldwide.