FeatureHow a special oil painting marked a Liverpool league title won against Aston Villa
For more than 35 years, the stunning oil painting below would have been a familiar sight for visitors to the trophy room in the old Main Stand at Anfield.
It is the work of renowned artist Roger Harvey and was commissioned by the club's then-sponsors Hitachi to commemorate Liverpool's 12th Football League championship success in 1979-80.
Named We Are The Champions, Harvey was reported to have spent more than 1,000 hours creating the scene that depicts a triumphant squad, including manager Bob Paisley and his coaching staff, celebrating in front of a packed Anfield.
The title that season was clinched with a 4-1 victory at home to Aston Villa, a game that is perhaps best remembered for full-back Avi Cohen scoring for both teams.
Cohen put through his own net midway through the first half to cancel out an early David Johnson opener but made amends by restoring the lead with his first goal in a red shirt five minutes after the break.
Johnson, the club's leading marksman that campaign, later grabbed his second of the afternoon with an unstoppable shot at the Kop end, before Noel Blake's own goal sealed a famous win, after which captain Phil Thompson lifted the trophy.
Mounted in a gold frame, Harvey's artwork was unveiled to Liverpool officials by representatives from Hitachi in October 1980, and 850 limited-edition signed prints were put on sale to the public for £59 each.
The original, which measures 66 by 35 inches, hung on a wall in the old trophy room until 2016, when construction work began on the current Main Stand. It has since been in storage at Anfield, but plans are afoot for it to soon be put back out on display.
From left to right, those featured on the painting are: Joe Fagan, Jimmy Case, Steve Heighway, Paisley, Phil Neal, Johnson, Alan Kennedy, Ronnie Moran, Alan Hansen, Thompson, Ray Clemence, Ray Kennedy, Terry McDermott, Graeme Souness, David Fairclough and Kenny Dalglish.
This article has been reproduced from tonight's Liverpool v Aston Villa matchday programme.
- To visit the new and improved LFC Museum, which is included in all Anfield tours and experiences, book via liverpoolfc.com/stadium-tours