History'Quite extraordinary!' - Liverpool's biggest ever win, 50 years ago today

The moment of history occurred in a European Cup Winners’ Cup first round, first-leg tie on September 17, 1974.

It was a night on which the Reds well and truly hit the ground running under new manager Bob Paisley.

Phil Thompson, more renowned for keeping the opposition out at the other end of the pitch, was on the scoresheet twice, and he was joined by Phil Boersma (also two), Alec Lindsay, Emlyn Hughes, Steve Heighway, Tommy Smith, Peter Cormack, Ray Kennedy and Ian Callaghan.

“I won’t forget that night, I’ve been called many things in my life but never prolific!” Thompson told Liverpoolfc.com half a century later.

“I do remember it very well. The amazing thing is I do go to Norway a lot, as you would imagine, and they still celebrate - yes, celebrate - that game and that win!

“There are players who played against us still around and who still talk about it to this day.

“I know it was a massive defeat for them but it goes down in their history because as we know, there are so many Liverpool fans out in Norway.

“For me, to be scoring twice, it just didn’t happen. I was a defender and I only scored 13 goals in total for Liverpool, so getting two in one game for me was quite extraordinary!”

Indeed, one of Thompson’s goals earned special recognition from the Liverpool Echo’s Michael Charters in his match report.

“All goals are good goals, but I'd like to pick out two from the 11 as rather special,” he wrote.

“Thompson’s first was a gem. He started the move deep in his own half with a pass to Alec Lindsay and immediately set off on a 50-yard run.

“Lindsay held the ball as he saw Thompson move upfield and then delivered one of those left-footed passes, measured to perfection, which Thompson collected on the edge of the Norwegian penalty area and slid past goalkeeper Thun.”

Thompson himself recalled: “I remember giving Alec the ball and they were pushed up really high. It was one of them when I tried to break their defensive line.

“I knew with Alec’s ability, because he had a wand of a left foot, I just knew he would be able to find me, so I made this run and I can remember it was the left-centre of the box, and I was sliding and managed to lift the ball over him with my left foot.

“But, do you know something? I can remember that one but I can’t remember my other goal! If we had got a penalty at 11-0 I would have been there to take it to try to get the hat-trick!”

It was the third time Liverpool had racked up double figures in a single game, following a 10-1 defeat of Rotherham Town in 1896 and a 10-0 win over Dundalk in 1969.

Twice more they have done so since, with Oulun Palloseura beaten 10-1 in 1980 and, six years later, Fulham dispatched 10-0, with all five occasions occurring at Anfield.

Fifty years on, though, the haul versus Stromsgodset stands alone and unmatched.

“It was quite a unique night because every outfield player scored for us except Little Bamber, Brian Hall,” added Thompson.

“I wonder whether that will ever be bettered, 11-0? I think the teams have all got better since then but I don’t think that scoreline will be beaten, which is nice.

“It was an incredible night, I sometimes wonder why so many people in Norway supported us after that happened!”