Saturday, January 16 – 1971
Match: Football League, 1st Division, at Selhurst Park, kick off: 15:00.
Crystal Palace – Liverpool 1-0 (0-0).
Attendance: 28,253.
The Liverpool Eleven: Clemence, Lawler, Whitham (sub, Arnold, 82), Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Callaghan, McLaughlin, Heighway, Toshack, Hall.
Bill Shankly stumled from his stand seat muttering “I don’t believe it” after his Liverpool side lost 1-0 at Crystal Palace. And even after giving himself a half-hour “cooling down” period he didn’t intend discussing the result. Clearly it was all too painful to him.
Allowing that Shankly takes every Liverpool reverse as a personal stab in the back, the Liverpool camp could not press their claims of injustice too strongly.
Palace, who flew off for an eight-day break to Israel yesterday, were clearly bent on achieving their first home League victory since October 17 and played with all their considerable enthusiasm.
It made for an aggressively competitive game with Palace finding match-winners in goalkeeper John Jackson and the improving Trevor Dawkins who I made man of the match for his brilliance in midfield in the first hour.
Palace boss Bert Head said: “We needed this result after seven successive home draws. It seemed we were becoming the pools punters’ greatest allies.
“It was good to beat a side like Liverpool because even though they are obviously going through a transitional stage and some of their youngsters still lack experience, they are still difficult to beat. You only need to look at the League table to see that.”
Head pointed out that Palace now have as many points – 27 – as they finished with last season and there are still 17 League matches to go.
If Liverpool had three times more chances than Palace, the one that counted fell to the Londoners after an hour.
John Sewell swung over a cross. Alan Birchenall outjumped the Liverpool defence and his curling header was crossing the line when Gerry Queen helped it in.
There was a lighthearted argument in the Palace dressing-room as to who should get the credit. It went to Queen. But up the corridor Bill Shankly was far from smiling.
(Daily Express, 18-01-1971)
Debutant Steve Arnold with manager Bill Shankly
"Play Up, Liverpool" 