Saturday 28th April 1894 saw the first match played in a rivalry that has proved to be one of the most intense seen in English football. It was originally known as a "Test Match".
At the unlikely venue of Ewood Park in Blackburn, the first competitive match was played between Liverpool and Newton Heath - now Manchester United. It was an important one: Newton Heath had finished bottom of Division 1 and Liverpool top of Division 2 in 1893/94 with promotion and relegation being decided with test matches. A 5,000 crowd was present at Ewood Park, with gate receipts totalling a massive £109!
First half goals from Patrick Gordon and Harry Bradshaw gave Liverpool the victory 2-0 and so saw them in their first Football League season promoted to the top flight while Newton Heath were relegated.
Liverpool only survived a season in Division 1, which saw the two clubs meet in Football League action for the first time in 1895/96. Both those Division 2 encounters went the way of the home sides - Liverpool winning their home match 7-1 while Newton Heath were 5-2 winners in Manchester.
| Date | Match | Result | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Apr 1894 | Liverpool v Newton Heath | W | 2-0 | Test Match |
| 12 Oct 1895 | Liverpool v Newton Heath | W | 7-1 | League Division Two |
| 02 Nov 1895 | Newton Heath v Liverpool | L | 5-2 | League Division Two |
| 12 Feb 1898 | Newton Heath v Liverpool | D | 0-0 | FA Cup |
| 16 Feb 1898 | Liverpool v Newton Heath | W | 2-1 | FA Cup |
| 07 Feb 1903 | Manchester United v Liverpool | L | 2-1 | FA Cup |
| 24 Dec 1904 | Manchester United v Liverpool | L | 3-1 | League Division Two |
| 22 Apr 1905 | Liverpool v Manchester United | W | 4-0 | League Division Two |
Liverpool v Newton Heath or Manchester United
| Games won: | 81 |
| Games drawn: | 68 |
| Games lost: | 90 |
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