The 1985–86 season was Liverpool Football Club's 94th season in existence and their 24th consecutive season in the First Division. This was Kenny Dalglish’s first season as manager. At 34 he was player manager, and with several players in their last seasons as players. The change to the new team would take time during the season, but it ended with them winning the double of the League and FA Cup, and reaching the League Cup semi-finals. It was the fifth time that the league and FA Cup double had been achieved in English football.

As there was a ban on English clubs participating in the European competitions after the Heysel disaster, there was the ScreenSport Super Cup replacing it. As the competition did not end until the 1986-87 season, Liverpool reached the final after getting through the group, and the semi-finals.

Squad

(joined Bolton in December 1985)

Squad statistics Appearances and goals

League table

Results

First Division

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2 17-Aug-85 Arsenal H 2–0 Whelan Nicol 38,261 Report Report 21-Aug-85 Aston Villa A 2–2 Rush Mølby 20,197 Report Report 24-Aug-85 Newcastle United A 0–1 29,670 Report Report 26-Aug-85 Ipswich Town H 5–0 Nicol Rush Mølby Johnston 29,383 Report Report 31-Aug-85 West Ham United A 2–2 Johnston Whelan 19,762 Report Report 03-Sep-85 Nottingham Forest H 2–0 Whelan 27,135 Report Report 07-Sep-85 Watford H 3–1 Neal Johnston Rush 31,395 Report Report 14-Sep-85 Oxford United A 2–2 Rush Johnston 11,474 Report Report 21-Sep-85 Everton A 3–2 Dalglish Rush McMahon 51,509 Report Report 28-Sep-85 Tottenham Hotspur H 4–1 Lawrenson Rush Mølby 41,521 Report Report 05-Oct-85 Queens Park Rangers A 1–2 Walsh 24,621 Report Report 12-Oct-85 Southampton H 1–0 McMahon 31,070 Report Report 19-Oct-85 Manchester United A 1–1 Johnston 54,492 Report Report 26-Oct-85 Luton Town H 3–2 Walsh Mølby 31,488 Report Report 02-Nov-85 Leicester City H 1–0 Rush 31,718 Report Report 09-Nov-85 Coventry City A 3–0 Beglin Walsh Rush 16,947 Report Report 16-Nov-85 West Bromwich Albion H 4–1 Nicol Mølby Lawrenson Walsh 28,407 Report Report 23-Nov-85 Birmingham City A 2–0 Rush Walsh 15,062 Report Report 30-Nov-85 Chelsea H 1–1 Mølby 38,482 Report Report 07-Dec-85 Aston Villa H 3–0 Mølby Walsh Johnston 29,418 Report Report 14-Dec-85 Arsenal A 0–2 35,048 Report Report 21-Dec-85 Newcastle United H 1–1 Nicol 30,746 Report Report 26-Dec-85 Manchester City A 0–1 35,584 Report Report 28-Dec-85 Nottingham Forest A 1–1 MacDonald 27,141 Report Report 01-Jan-86 Sheffield Wednesday H 2–2 Rush Walsh 38,964 Report Report 12-Jan-86 Watford A 3–2 Walsh Rush 16,967 Report Report 18-Jan-86 West Ham United H 3–1 Mølby Rush Walsh 41,056 Report Report 01-Feb-86 Ipswich Town A 1–2 Whelan 20,551 Report Report 09-Feb-86 Manchester United H 1–1 Wark 35,004 Report Report 22-Feb-86 Everton H 0–2 45,445 Report Report 02-Mar-86 Tottenham Hotspur A 2–1 Mølby Rush 16,436 Report Report 08-Mar-86 Queens Park Rangers H 4–1 McMahon Rush Wark 26,219 Report Report 15-Mar-86 Southampton A 2–1 Wark Rush 19,784 Report Report 22-Mar-86 Oxford United H 6–0 Rush Lawrenson Whelan Mølby 37,861 Report Report 29-Mar-86 Sheffield Wednesday A 0–0 37,946 Report Report 31-Mar-86 Manchester City H 2–0 McMahon 43,316 Report Report 12-Apr-86 Coventry City H 5–0 Whelan Mølby Rush 42,729 Report Report 16-Apr-86 Luton Town A 1–0 Johnston 15,390 Report Report 19-Apr-86 West Bromwich Albion A 2–1 Dalglish Rush 22,010 Report Report 26-Apr-86 Birmingham City H 5–0 Rush Gillespie Mølby 42,021 Report Report 30-Apr-86 Leicester City A 2–0 Rush Whelan 25,799 Report Report 03-May-86 Chelsea A 1–0 Dalglish 43,900 Report Report

FA Cup

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2 04-Jan-86 Norwich City H 5–0 MacDonald Walsh McMahon Whelan Wark 29,082 Report Report 26-Jan-86 Chelsea A 2–1 Rush Lawrenson 33,625 Report Report 15-Feb-86 York City A 1–1 Mølby 12,443 Report Report 18-Feb-86 York City H 3–1 aet Wark Mølby Dalglish 29,362 Report Report 11-Mar-86 Watford H 0–0 36,775 Report Report 17-Mar-86 Watford A 2–1 Mølby Rush 28,097 Report Report 05-Apr-86 Southampton N 2–0 Rush 44,605 Report Report

Final

GK 1 Bruce GrobbelaarCB 2 Mark LawrensonLB 3 Jim BeglinRB 4 Steve NicolLM 5 Ronnie WhelanCB 6 Alan Hansen (c)SS 7 Kenny Dalglish RM 8 Craig JohnstonCF 9 Ian RushCM 10 Jan MølbyCM 11 Kevin MacDonaldSubstitute:MF 12 Steve McMahonPlayer/Manager: Kenny Dalglish GK 1 Bobby MimmsRB 2 Gary Stevens LB 3 Pat Van Den Hauwe CB 4 Kevin Ratcliffe (c)CB 5 Derek Mountfield CM 6 Peter ReidCM 7 Trevor StevenCF 8 Gary LinekerCF 9 Graeme SharpRM 10 Paul BracewellLM 11 Kevin SheedySubstitute:MF 12 Adrian Heath Manager: Howard Kendall

League Cup

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2 24-Sep-85 Oldham Athletic H 3–0 McMahon Rush 16,150 Report Report 09-Oct-85 Oldham Athletic A 5–2 Whelan Wark Rush MacDonald 7,719 Report Report 29-Oct-85 Brighton & Hove Albion H 4–0 Walsh Dalglish 15,291 Report Report 26-Nov-85 Manchester United H 2–1 Mølby 41,291 Report Report 21-Jan-86 Ipswich Town H 3–0 Walsh Whelan Rush 19,762 Report Report 12-Feb-86 Queens Park Rangers A 0–1 15,051 Report Report 05-Mar-86 Queens Park Rangers H 2–2 McMahon Johnston 23,863 Report Report

Super Cup

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2 17-Sep-85 Southampton H 2–1 Mølby Dalglish 16,189 Report Report 22-Oct-85 Southampton A 1–1 Walsh 10,503 Report Report 03-Dec-85 Tottenham Hotspur H 2–0 MacDonald Walsh 14,855 Report Report 14-Jan-86 Tottenham Hotspur A 3–0 Rush Lawrenson 10,078 Report Report 05-Feb-86 Norwich City A 1–1 Dalglish 15,330 Report Report 06-May-86 Norwich City H 3–1 MacDonald Mølby Johnston 26,696 Report Report

References LFC History.net – Games for the 1985–86 season Liverweb - Games for the 1985–86 season