LIVERPOOL VENTURE INTO EUROPE THROUGH ICELAND

17th August 1964

Liverpool won 5-0 away to KR Reykjavik in a European Cup Preliminary Round tie - Liverpool's first match in a European competition. Those were the days before clubs chartered aircraft for away European ties and they had a long-winded journey to Iceland's capital. The Liverpool squad flew from Liverpool to London, then from London to Prestwick in Scotland. Having a few hours to spare manager Bill Shankly put the players on a bus to show them the area he grew up in - and that included a visit to the Butlins holiday camp! And then more excitement with a flight from Prestwick to Iceland. 

The match played at Laugardalsvölljur, an area in East Reykjavík. Just over 10,000 attended.

Team: Ron Yeats, Ronnie Moran, Gerry Byrne, Ian Callaghan, Peter Thompson, Gordon Wallace (2), Gordon Milne, Willie Stevenson, Phil Chisnall (1), Roger Hunt (2) goals

The name Laugardalsvolljur means "hot spring valley" (literally translates to "pool valley"), as washing laundry was once done there by locals, in geothermal hot springs,  until the 1930s. As you know Iceland is a volcanic island!

On September 14th Liverpool played the First Round (second leg) at Anfield in front of 33,000 (approx), winning 6-1, their first European HOME match. Goals: Ian St John 2, Gerry Byrne, Roger Hunt, Bobby Graham, Willie Stevenson

Liverpool's first home European match. 14th September 1964.

Below is a record of English and Welsh clubs in Europe:

https://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/European/Europeanappearances.htm#Liverpool

AND LIVERPOOL's European success on the table below.

European Cup/UEFA Champions League	6	1977, 1978, 1981,1984, 2005, 2019
UEFA Cup	3	1973, 1976, 2001
European/UEFA Super Cup	4	1977, 2001, 2005, 2019