One year, 10 key moments

Relive the 10 most significant moments of FSG's first 12 months in charge of Liverpool FC in 'KOP 10 Takeover Moments' on LFC TV at 7pm on Saturday and 8pm, Sunday.

Fenway Sports Group have made a fine start to life with the Reds and what better way to celebrate 12 months since their arrival than with a look back at some of the highlights.

1) The takeover

Liverpool's timeline is littered with poignant dates, racked full of joy, sadness and euphoria.

From the arrival of the iconic Bill Shankly in 1959 and the ensuing success of the 60s, 70s and 80s, through to the tragedies of Hillsborough and Heysel; few clubs have made such an imprint on the landscape of football.

Whether you recall the glory of May 25, 2005 or there is a different red letter day you cherish, it seems more and more likely that in the years ahead, October 15, 2010 will go down as a hugely significant moment in LFC history.

Following a High Court battle that caught the imagination of the whole sporting world, John Henry and New England Sports Ventures finally emerged triumphant, much to the elation of Reds supporters across the globe.

The scenes that followed outside the High Court are etched in the memory of all supporters and after a media frenzy to capture the first few words of our new owners, Liverpoolfc.tv sat down with John Henry to gauge his emotions.

"All I can say at this point is we're going to work as hard for you as we possibly can and there's no doubt about it, you deserve it," he told us.

"You have supported this club through the worst of times now and we're going to do everything in our power to make the supporters proud of their club and of us. It's a big challenge but I think we're up for that challenge."

 2) John Henry's Anfield visit 

Just hours after the dramatic scenes in London, John Henry travelled to Liverpool to immerse himself in the history of the football club he was determined to help restore to former glories.

The Reds' principal owner took locals by surprise when he turned up in L4 unannounced to take a wander around the famous Anfield stadium that he had heard so much about.

It was an unassuming act that immediately endeared him to Kopites, particularly as his visit was one that he had planned under the radar of press attention.

3) Damien Comolli arrives

Following a first taste of live action at Goodison Park, John Henry and his colleagues returned to Boston to plan the restructuring that they hoped would lead to long-term success for Liverpool FC.

And they wasted little time in identifying a Frenchman with a superb track record in recruiting some of Europe's finest talent.

Damien Comolli was already well known to English football following scouting roles with Arsenal and Tottenham, but his Anfield arrival had many supporters wondering how he would fit in.

However, Henry was confident he had the right man to help Liverpool make their mark in the transfer market.

Henry said: "Today's announcement is just the first step in creating a leadership group and structure designed to develop, enhance and implement our long-term philosophy of scouting, recruitment, player development and all of the other aspects necessary to build and sustain a club able to consistently compete at the highest level in European football.

"We intend to be bold and innovative. We will not rest until we have restored Liverpool Football Club to the greatness Liverpool fans expect." 

Comolli added: "I think we all realise there is a big job ahead, but we all share the vision that John has for rebuilding the club and bringing back the success that the supporters deserve."

4) The owners live on LFC TV

Liverpool supporters have seen various false dawns in their recent history and many had called for transparency following the change in ownership.

It was something NESV (soon to be Fenway Sports Group) took heed of and after consulting with various respected fan sites from across the world, they also made the unprecedented move to appear live on LFC TV in mid-December.

Newly-installed chairman, Tom Werner, John Henry and commercial director Ian Ayre took to the Chapel Street studios to take part in a live TV phone-in in which supporters were able to quiz them about their plans for Liverpool FC, ticket issues, the new stadium saga and their transfer policy.

It proved to be a hugely successful 90 minutes and further enhanced the belief that the club now had the right people at the helm.

5) Kenny Dalglish returns

Ahead of a mouthwatering FA Cup clash with Manchester United, all eyes were initially tuned to Anfield for the Youth Cup showdown between Rodolfo Borrell's youngsters and Crystal Palace.

That was until the news began to filter through of a dramatic morning at Melwood.

Liverpool had struggled to make the impact they had hoped under the leadership of Roy Hodgson and after supporting the former Fulham boss through some difficult times, the new owners decided that they eventually had to act.

It paved the way for the return of King Kenny Dalglish, who finally fulfilled his dream of returning to the dugout he had left prematurely back in 1991.

The Scot got the call from John Henry whilst enjoying a luxury cruise with his wife Marina, but in true Dalglish style he came to the club's aid and was in Manchester by late Saturday evening.

Speaking to Liverpoolfc.tv within minutes of arriving at the team hotel, Dalglish said: "I'm a very lucky person. That's twice I've been very fortunate. I came here as a 15-year-old boy when Shanks asked me to sign and I was a wee bit homesick thinking I was too young to leave home. Then I got back as a player and left the club in February 1991. I'm fortunate to come back, even if it's only to the end of the season it makes no difference to me, this place is very special and all we can do is try our best to move the club forward a bit and try to win some more games."

The following day the Reds would go down to a narrow 1-0 loss against Alex Ferguson's side but as Dalglish emerged from the Old Trafford tunnel to a roar of approval from the travelling Kop, it was clear for all to see that from this moment on Liverpool were back on the right track.

6) Supporters' Committee launched

The new owners arrived with the message that they were here to listen to the fans and they stood by their word.

In January 2011, plans were unveiled to form a new supporters' committee that saw the fan on the street invited to submit an application to have regular, constructive dialogue with senior officials.

A seven-person selection panel including Ian Ayre, comedian John Bishop and Ian Callaghan whittled down 3,705 applications with the 18 most suitable candidates elected to the Liverpool FC Supporters' Committee in May this year.

Karen Gill, the granddaughter of Bill Shankly, was later elected as chairperson of the inaugural Supporters' Committee and they held their first meeting at Anfield in August.

The group met with John Henry, chairman Tom Werner and Ian Ayre and put their questions relating to their relevant area of expertise to the trio.

It proved to be a valuable meeting for all parties and illustrates the new owners' commitment to the supporters and their needs.          

7) Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll sign

The January transfer window provided Fenway Sports Group with the first chance to quite literally put their money where their mouth was.

For many supporters Liverpool's movement in the market would be a sign of the new owners' intentions - and they wouldn't be disappointed.

A multi-million pound move for Ajax's goalscorer supreme, Luis Suarez, suggested they would not be adverse to paying big money to secure the best talent available.

Indeed, not even in the wake of Fernando Torres's bombshell that he wanted to leave Anfield did they waver.

Instead they held firm, demanding a British record fee. Chelsea eventually relented and were forced to pay the full asking price.

But that wasn't all. A vast bid for Newcastle's England striker, Andy Carroll followed hot on the heels of the Torres revelation, a deal that would eventually see the Reds break their own transfer record.

The big No.9's arrival brought to a close a frenzy of activity on transfer deadline day and illustrated that, as John Henry had said in the immediate aftermath of the takeover, they were 'here to win'.

8)  Ian Ayre appointed MD

The part played by Ian Ayre in the transformation of Liverpool's fortunes had not gone unnoticed by our new owners and they responded by appointing him the club's new managing director in March 2011.

Ayre had previously held the role of commercial director but had made such a strong impression on FSG that they elected to choose him to lead the Reds forward ahead of a host of other well-qualified candidates.

John Henry said: "Ian has been doing an outstanding job driving commercial revenues and has a proven track record in successfully leading and developing businesses in a number of different regions and sectors of importance to Liverpool FC.

"Ian is also from Liverpool and understands the relationships between the club, the supporters and the city.  He will play a key role in all of our future plans."

Ayre added: "We have been through some difficult times, but we find ourselves today with a great team of people all working together for the same goal. An important part of this new job will be to work closely with all our different stakeholders and help us move forward together. John and Tom have a clear vision for rebuilding the club and bringing back success and I'm delighted to be able to help shape that future. It is a very proud moment for myself and my family and I am honoured to be given the opportunity."

9) Dalglish signs three-year deal

After months of speculation surrounding the long-term future of caretaker boss Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool fans received the news they had all been waiting for.

Ahead of the Reds' final two matches of the 2010-11 season the worst kept secret in football was finally revealed to the world: that the Scot had penned a three-year deal to take the club forward as permanent manager.

"I said when I took the job on in January that I was just happy to help the club out for the remainder of the season," said the delighted Scot.

"Now the owners have decided in their wisdom that they want me to stay a little longer and it's fantastic news for both myself and Steve Clarke that we have signed these contracts. Both John and Tom have taken their time to assess what was best for the football club and bring in the people they wanted to take the club forward. They are both winners, but understand what the supporters want from a Liverpool side and the way that we should go about things. This is a unique football club and I'm delighted to have the opportunity to help build something special here again."

10) The magnificent seven

Liverpool's business in the summer transfer market was bound to come under increased scrutiny as supporters and concerned opponents looked on to see how much the resurgent Reds would strengthen their squad.

Dalglish, Comolli and co responded in impressive style, recruiting no fewer than seven new additions whilst working hard to move on players that were no longer required.

A big money transfer that saw England U21 star Jordan Henderson sign from Sunderland started the ball rolling, with Charlie Adam, goalkeeper Alexander Doni and Stewart Downing following soon after.

The lengthy chase for a left-back finally came to a conclusion in August when highly-rated Spaniard Jose Enrique joined from Newcastle before Uruguay international Sebastian Coates bolstered the defensive ranks.

It looked like being the final piece of the jigsaw until more dramatic deadline scenes saw Craig Bellamy return to Anfield on a free transfer.

It concluded a very satisfying window and Comolli was quick to pay tribute to the club's owners for their part in the recruitment process.

He said: "It's difficult for me to put into words what they gave us throughout the summer. Their support was absolutely tremendous, in the down times and in the up times.

"When they needed to invest money we didn't think they'd have to, John and Tom were unbelievably helpful. I think we are very lucky to have these owners because people need to realise a lot of owners would have said the squad is too big so you need to reduce it, and then when you've done that bring some players in. But that was never the approach they had.

"They were happy to take risks and happy for us to spend the money, they were happy to support us and to trust us as well."

Relive the 10 most significant moments of FSG's first 12 months in charge of Liverpool FC in KOP 10 Takeover Moments' on LFC TV at 7pm on Saturday and 8pm, Sunday. '