17 August 1964

On the morning of August 16, 1964, Ron Yeats, Ian Callaghan, Roger Hunt and co clambered aboard a coach outside Anfield - thus beginning a European odyssey which, more than 40 years on, is unrivalled in the British game.

The Reds' first port of call after finally subscribing to continental football was Iceland. If you thought getting to Istanbul was tortuous, it was nothing compared to what Bill Shankly's league champions had to endure to play their first European Cup match.

After boarding a plane at Speke Airport, the squad flew first to London, then Glasgow, before eventually taking off for Reykjavik.

No wonder they got off to a 'flying' start when kick-off finally arrived. Three minutes in, reserve forward Gordon Wallace scored Liverpool's first goal in continental competition. Four more followed on the night, and another 6-1 demolition at Anfield secured an 11-1 aggregate win. Not a bad start...