Liverpool scored six goals at Anfield on 29 April 1975, but the evening's principal figure was not playing. Bill Shankly's testimonial brought 39,612 spectators to the ground to honour the former manager, less than a year after his retirement.
The opposition was a Don Revie Select XI. Among those chosen were Gordon Banks, Alan Ball, Liam Brady, Billy Bremner and Mick Channon: a gathering drawn from beyond Liverpool for an occasion centred on Shankly's years at the club.
He had arrived from Huddersfield Town in December 1959, with Liverpool in the Second Division. Within five years they were English champions. The club's first FA Cup followed, and European success became part of a reign which brought seven major trophies.
By the testimonial, Bob Paisley's first league campaign was complete. Liverpool had played their final league fixture three days earlier, beating Queens Park Rangers 3–1 at Anfield. The Tuesday match belonged to a different kind of reckoning, looking back over Shankly's contribution rather than adding points to the season's table.
Liverpool fielded a side including Ray Clemence, Emlyn Hughes, Ian Callaghan and Kevin Keegan. Jimmy Case and Hughes each scored twice, with Tommy Smith and Alan Waddle also contributing to the 6–2 victory. Alec Lindsay and Brian Hall appeared as substitutes.
The farewell after the game is preserved in an eyewitness account by supporter Chris Wood for LFChistory. He recalled Shankly walking around the ground, then stopping near the goal in front of the Kop to acknowledge the supporters. Wood remembered the acclaim growing as Shankly reached the terrace, with the crowd singing that he would always be their king.
That recollection also resists an exaggerated picture of the attendance. Wood had expected more people, but the recorded crowd was just under 40,000, not a capacity gathering. The club's own subsequent statistical account confirms the figure of 39,612.
The testimonial's score belongs in the record. Its purpose lay in the opportunity for Shankly and the supporters to recognise a relationship formed across nearly fifteen years, from Second Division football to championships, cups and a first European trophy.