The legendary Match of the Day made its debut on BBC2 in August 1964, with Arsenal’s opening clash against Bill Shankly’s reigning champions Liverpool chosen as the very first broadcast. Back then, only one game was filmed each week, and details weren’t revealed until late on Saturday to avoid harming attendances.

The show began with Arnold Stock’s Drum Majorette instead of today’s famous theme, and captured football’s black-and-white era – packed terraces, flat caps, headscarves, and all. With Kenneth Wolstenholme behind the mic, viewers witnessed a thrilling contest at Anfield.

Liverpool went 2-0 up through Roger Hunt and Gordon Wallace, before Arsenal roared back with goals from Geoff Strong and Joe Baker. But Wallace struck again late on to seal a 3-2 win for the hosts in front of 47,620 fans.

The game not only set the stage for nearly six decades of MOTD history, but also saw Shankly impressed enough to sign Strong for Liverpool later that year.

From that night on, Arsenal-Liverpool has been a fixture of English football’s greatest televised moments – but none more historic than the show’s very first.

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