When Liverpool last won the league title: What the world of sport looked like back in 1990

Were it not for the coronavirus pandemic that has brought normal life to an unprecedented standstill and decimated the global sporting calendar, then Liverpool's players and fans may have finished celebrating their first title in 30 years by now.

The party, however, is still going as they finally get to lift the trophy they sealed last month.

Nevertheless, it's incredible to think that when the Anfield giants clinched their 18th crown back on April 28, 1990, they were nine league titles clear of their then-nearest rivals Everton and Arsenal, while Manchester United were two further back on seven - only to go on and top the standings an incredible 13 times under Sir Alex Ferguson over the next 23 seasons.

But now Jurgen Klopp's side have moved within one of their arch rivals but also fancy their chances of restoring their place as England's most successful club.

Our team of writers have turned the clock back 30 years to reflect on how different the wider sporting landscape looked when Liverpool last ruled the roost, including snooker, darts, golf, boxing, tennis, horse racing, athletics, cricket, formula one, both rugby codes and NFL. If that's not enough nostalgia, at the very bottom is some random trivia away from the sporting world.

INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL: Gazza, Milla and Maradona's tears

For almost every football fan of a certain age, the year 1990 will only ever be known for ‘Italia 90’, one of the most iconic World Cups of modern times – and not just because of Pavarotti belting out Nessun Dorma on the TV coverage. And in the very first game, when Cameroon stunned reigning champions Argentina the stage was set for iconic moment to follow iconic moment – even in that game we had Omam-Biyik’s header and Massing’s foul on Caniggia weaving themselves into the fabric of World Cup history.

And it didn’t stop there – Roger Milla’s scoring (and dancing) lit up the tournament, Carlos Valderrama and Rene Higuita’s hair styles will live long in the memory, while top scorer Toto Schillaci sent the home nation wild with his scoring exploits. Diego Maradona mixed controversy with brilliance again before ending his campaign in tears, Enzo Scifo and Gheorghe Hagi were carving out reputations as number 10 supremos, while David Platt’s late winner against Belgium and Gary Lineker’s penalties against Cameroon dragged England into the semis.

Lineker’s “have a word with him” to Bobby Robson was another often-repeated moment as he reacted to Paul Gascoigne’s tears - which became the symbol of the tournament for England fans after they went on to suffer penalty heartbreak. Italia 90 was a landmark tournament in that regard, as it was the first time the Three Lions got a taste of the spot-kick misery that would become all too familiar down the years in major tournaments.

Take a look at some of the teams competing, namely Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, West Germany and Yugoslavia were all intact before the political and geographical map of Europe was redrawn over the years. Some of the names of the players taking part are now the managers, coaches and pundits of today – but to illustrate the point Roberto Mancini and Carlo Ancelotti both played for Italy and have both then become managers and won Premier League and Champions League titles, while Liverpool waited to be English champions again.

By Paul Higham (@SportsPaulH)

Other Facts

• France were eight years away from winning the first of their two World Cups while Spain were 20 years from lifting their first
• England hadn't been involved in a penalty shoot out before 1990. They've now lost seven out of 10.
• Maradona's career was just about to nosedive out of control
• Niall Quinn was also registered as Republic of Ireland’s third-choice goalkeeper for Jack Charlton’s side
• Iran's Ali Daei was 21 but it wasn't until 1993 when he scored his first of his all-time record of 109 international goals. Cristiano Ronaldo, who was five in 1990, is 10 behind on 99.
• Lothar Matthaus won the Ballon d'Or

SNOOKER: Hendry's era begins as Ronnie shows childhood promise

1990. Arguably the most significant year in snooker history.

The nineties began with Stephen Hendry becoming the youngest ever winner of the World Championship aged 21, signalling the end of Steve Davis’ reign as king of the green baize and beginning the Scotsman's own occupation of a throne he never looked like relinquishing for the next 10 years.

For Jimmy White, this was his second final defeat - six years after his first to Davis - and by losing the next four, three of which to Hendry, the Whirlwind would typically earn the lifelong moniker 'People's Champion'.

Hendry’s golden run saw him dominate the sport for a decade in a manner not seen before or after, his maiden world title won in 1990 and his seventh and final victory in Sheffield in 1999, snooker fans witnessing a period of unrivalled brilliance in the intervening years.

It appeared that 1990 would forever be remembered as being the springboard for success for the best snooker player of all time and while that proved to be the case, it wouldn’t be Hendry who would necessarily end his career with that accolade.

Instead, that honour will arguably go to Ronnie O’Sullivan, a record 19 Triple Crown victories to his name already - albeit two Crucible crowns fewer than Hendry - and the first man past 1000 century breaks.

When did it all start? 1990 of course, with the Rocket making his first TV appearance at the age of just 14 when compiling a typically fluent break of 75 to overpower Steve Ventham with all the style and swagger that would come to define his career.

It was the beginning of 30-year rollercoaster that still shows no sign of stopping and the ‘Rocket’ has been a firm favourite with snooker fans ever since.

By Richard Mann (@Richard_Mann11)

Other Facts

• Stephen Hendry won the world, UK and Masters titles in the same season.
• Steve Davis had won the last of his six world titles by the turn of the decade
• Ronnie O'Sullivan was just 14 and Judd Trump was one
• The year marked Alex Higgins' penultimate World Championship

DARTS: A new era yet to begin

“Yes. Yes. Double 12. YEEEESSS, it’s there! Paul Lim! A nine-dart finish!”

It’s impossible to even write those words without smiling, let alone watching it for possibly the 501st time since lockdown began, but not only does this truly joyous moment never get old, it also came in a defining era when many leading stars were soon to take darts in a new direction.

By the time Paul Lim hit his iconic perfect leg in 1990, the World Championship had become the only event people could watch on TV despite the likes of Eric Bristow, John Lowe and Bobby George making the sport so popular in the early-to-mid 1980s and discontent among the players was rife.

A 29-year-old Phil Taylor would seal his first of 16 world titles with a thumping 6-1 victory over the late, great Crafty Cockney, who had celebrated the last of his five in 1986, while the Power’s second came in the greatest Lakeside final of all time against Mike Gregory two years later.