Liverpool FC: Top 9 Reds Wembley Finals Moments

Kenny Dalglish will lead his Liverpool team out onto the Wembley turf this coming Sunday against Cardiff in the Carling Cup final knowing that he, and this Liverpool team, could make club history with a victory.

Victory in the Carling Cup final would represent Liverpool's first major trophy at the "new" Wembley.

Since domestic cup finals returned to Wembley Stadium, the Reds have never lifted a cup there.

Cardiff's Millennium Stadium was a great stomping ground for Liverpool, with famous FA Cup and League Cup trophies being lifted there.

But a Wembley cup final is a Wembley cup final, and the whole atmosphere and aura that surrounds it is deeply ingrained in English football history and folklore.

This is true of any cup final played there, be it the FA Cup, League Cup or even, on the odd occasion, a European Cup final.

Liverpool Football Club have had some memorable Wembley days out, lifting many a trophy in thrilling finals. Here is a list of Liverpool's top nine Wembley moments.

9: 1994-95 League Cup Final

Date: 2 April 1995

Competition: League Cup - Coca Cola Cup

Against: Bolton Wanderers

Score: 2-1

This was dubbed by fans as "The MacManaman Final" for the two fabulous goals Steve MacManaman scored en route to Liverpool's record fifth League Cup triumph.

This cup final win was also the first for the then-manager Roy Evans and his reign at Anfield.

MacManaman scored his first goal in the 37th minute and a magnificent solo effort in the 68th minute for his second.

This Wembley appearance marked the Reds' 30th visit to the famous old stadium and it fittingly ended with Ian Rush raising the League Cup.

This was Rush's one and only cup final victory as Liverpool captain.

8: 1991-1992 FA Cup Final

Date: 9 May 1992

Competition: FA Cup

Against: Sunderland

Score: 2-0

Liverpool were the overwhelming favorites against Sunderland, who at the time were a second division team.

Steve MacManaman, the youngest player on the pitch, was instrumental in the Reds' opening goal scored by Michael Thomas.

Thomas again was involved in Liverpool's second, when he ran onto a through ball from Dean Saunders, only to be tackled. But the ball fell to Reds legend Ian Rush, who slotted home Liverpool's second and match-winning goal.

Rush's goal was his fifth FA Cup goal at a Wembley final—a competition record.

This was Liverpool's fifth FA Cup victory and would be the only trophy that manager Graeme Souness would add to the Anfield trophy cabinet.

In a funny turn of events, after Mark Wright had lifted the cup, the Liverpool players were mistakenly given the losers' medals, with the Sunderland players given the winners ones!

The players later exchanged medals.  

7: 1982-83 League Cup Final

Date: 26 March 1983

Competition: League Cup - Milk Cup

Against: Manchester United

Score: 2-1 (after extra time)

Liverpool came into this League Cup Final (Milk Cup) against Manchester United as the holders of the trophy.

The Reds successfully defended their title with goals from Alan Kennedy, who cancelled out Norman Whiteside's opener for United. And the winner in the eighth minute of extra time, from Ronnie Whelan.

This triumph was an astonishing third successive win for the Reds in the competition and the second of three successive League and League Cup doubles!

An amazing 100,000 spectators packed in Wembley to witness legendary Liverpool manager Bob Paisley lift the cup, as this was to be his last major final as Liverpool manager.

6: 1981-82 League Cup Final

Date: 13 March 1982

Competition: League Cup (Milk Cup)

Against: Tottenham Hotspur

Score: 3-1 (after extra time)

Liverpool played Tottenham Hotspur in the final, with the task of having to inflict Spurs' first ever loss at Wembley, if they wanted to lift the trophy.

It did not bode well, as Steve Archibald opened the scoring for Spurs in the 11th minute.

But with only three minutes left in regulation time, Ronnie Whelan scored the Reds' equaliser and took the final into extra time.

In the 111th minute, Whelan scored again to give Liverpool the lead for the first time in the final and Ian Rush sealed the win in the last minute of the match.

Interestingly, Whelan scored against legendary Liverpool goalkeeper Ray Clemence, who had moved to Spurs.

Famously, Liverpool's manager would not let his players sit or lie down in the interval between the end of the 90 minutes and the start of extra time. Paisley wanted to show the Tottenham players that his Reds were not tired and were ready for the next 30 minutes.

5: 1973-74 FA Cup Final

Date: 4 May 1974

Competition: FA Cup

Against: Newcastle United

Score: 3-0

A Liverpool team, inspired by a rampant Kevin Keegan, destroyed Newcastle United in one of the most one-sided FA Cup finals in the competition's history.

With the Reds being taunted by Newcastle legend Malcolm MacDonald before the final, it was Liverpool who had the final laugh and lifted the famous trophy.

An almost unplayable Keegan bagged two goals, the first in 57th minute and the second following a sublime 11-man passing move.

In between, Steve Heighway drove home a powerful shot following a flick-on from John Toshack.

This was the last match in charge for legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly, as he surprising resigned before the start of the next season. Although, he did lead the team out for the Charity Shield, it was Bob Paisley who managed the team from then on.

4: 1977-78 European Cup Final

Date: 10 May 1978

Competition: European Cup

Against: FC Bruges

Score: 1-0

Liverpool became the first English team to successfully defend their European Cup crown when they beat FC Bruges 1-0 in front of 98,000 fans at Wembley.

The Reds made history, as they retained the European Cup in a match that they totally dominated and of which the scoreline was not an accurate reflection.

The men from Anfield only broke though in the 64th minute when Graeme Souness played Kenny Dalglish through with a slide run pass.

Dalglish made no mistake with a delightful chip into the net from a tight angle with the goalkeeper coming out to narrow the angle.

The previous year, Kevin Keegan was the darling of Anfield and many supporters worried that Dalglish would not be able to fill his No. 7 shirt.

The new man from Celtic was already enjoying a wonderful debut season with the Reds and his goal in his first European Cup final made Dalglish an instant Liverpool icon.

3: 1964-65 FA Cup Final

Date: 1 May 1965

Competition: FA Cup

Against: Leeds United

Score: 2-1 (after extra time)

Liverpool had, to date, failed in every attempt to secure their first FA Cup triumph and this match ended 0-0 after 90 minutes.

But in the third minute of extra time, Roger Hunt gave the Reds the lead, only for Billy Bremner to equalise seven minutes later.

The deadlock was broken in the 113th minute, with Ian St. John netting Liverpool's winner and securing Liverpool's first ever FA Cup.

The supporters and city were ecstatic as the Reds brought home the FA Cup trophy for the first time.

So convinced were supporters that the competition would never be won by the Reds, they firmly believed the competition was jinxed for Liverpool.

But the great Liverpool team of Lawrence, Lawler, Byrne, Strong, Yeats (c), Stevenson, Callaghan, Hunt, St. John, Smith and Thompson, managed by Bill Shankly, ended any jinx and won Liverpool's first ever FA Cup.  

2: 1985-86 FA Cup Final

Date: 10 May 1986

Competition: FA Cup

Against: Everton

Score: 3-1

Seven days before the FA Cup final, Kenny Dalglish as player manager, had scored the goal against Chelsea that had given Liverpool their 16th league title.

On the day of the final, the Reds stood on the verge of club history, as they attempted to secure the club's first ever league and cup double.

Gary Linekar, however, spoiled the party with a goal in the 27th minute.

But Liverpool came out in the second half, with a steely determination and took the game by the scruff of its neck.

Jan Molby was the star of the midfield and drove the Reds on in the second half with a performance of sublime passing.

Ian Rush equalised on 56 minutes after a slide run pass by Molby. It was the big Dane again that crossed for Craig Johnston to slam the Reds into the lead. Rush's second and Liverpool's third was quite possibly the greatest team goal of any FA Cup final; a goal worthy of securing the Cup and Liverpool's first ever league and cup double.

A second half displayed saw Liverpool play the delightful football that had won them the league title that season and end a day that would go down in the club's history as one of its greatest.

1: 1988-89 FA Cup Final

Date: 20 May 1989

Competition: FA Cup

Against: Everton

Score: 3-2 (after extra time)

Five weeks before the FA Cup final, Liverpool Football Club and the city of Liverpool suffered the darkest time in their history with the tragic death of 96 Liverpool fans at Hillsborough.

It was fitting then that the greatest knockout competition in English football be fought out by the two clubs from the city of Liverpool itself.

On an emotional day at Wembley, Kenny Dalglish led Liverpool out to a mass of red and blue, all over the famous old stadium.

Gerry Marsden sang the Liverpool anthem, "You'll Never Walk Alone" followed by "Abide with Me" and a minute's silence.

As the match began, the Reds took the lead in the fourth minute thanks to John Aldridge, who was making in his 100th appearance for Liverpool.

Liverpool were determined to win the Cup for their fans that lost their lives and held on till the last minute of the game, when Stuart McCall threatened to ruin the day with an equaliser.

But the Reds were not to let their departed fans down and in the fourth minute of extra time, Ian Rush put the Reds ahead once more.

But once again McCall equalised, but Liverpool were simply not going to be beaten in this game and it was Rush again, in the 104th minute, that sealed the win and the FA Cup for Liverpool. 

Liverpool Football Club lifted the FA Cup. The competition in which their fans lost their lives, was fittingly won by the Reds and the win was dedicated to those lost fans that were tragically not able to be there.

For this reason, this Wembley moment for Liverpool stands head and shoulders above all the rest of the famous wins and cups that were lifted by the Reds at the famous old stadium.

To the 96 lost Liverpool fans, the team they died for spoke as a team; you will never be forgotten and You'll Never Walk Alone.