Part 1 of a 2 hour interview with Bill Shankly, recorded in 1981 (audio only). [84] Anfield itself was in disrepair with no means of watering the pitch and Shankly insisted the club spend 3,000 to rectify that. [37][47] Shankly's departure from Preston was resented by some at the club and he was refused a benefit match, to which he felt entitled. [82] His league record at Huddersfield was 49 wins and 47 defeats in 129 matches.[77]. As well as winning the FA Cup, Preston finished third in the league. [178] About Everton, once his greatest rivals, he wrote that he had been received more warmly by Everton than by Liverpool. [86], In 196566, Liverpool regained the League Championship title and reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup at Hampden Park, where they lost 21 in extra time to Borussia Dortmund. All of them had left the club within one year. He's a one off, there'll never be another one like Shanks. Shankly did not understand that, by turning up for training at Melwood, he was effectively undermining Bob Paisley's status as manager. Bill Shankly's grandson has claimed he'd happily see the . After he retired from playing, Twentyman became chief scout at Liverpool, working with Shankly and finding several outstandingly talented players. They are only there to sign the cheques." 9th . [74], Shankly resigned on 15 November 1955 to take up the post of assistant manager at Huddersfield Town, working with his old friend Andy Beattie. [86] He quickly established working relationships with the coaching staff of Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett who shared his views about loyalty to each other and to the club. [36] He made his first team debut on 9 December 1933, three months after his 20th birthday, against Hull City. [118] Eleven years later, Shankly maintained that two of Inter's goals were illegal. Bill's father was a tailor and also a strong trade unionist, which inculcated socialist beliefs in young . Shankly retrieved the scarf and wore it. [199] On Shankly's appointment as Liverpool manager in 1959, he and his family moved into a house in Bellefield Avenue, West Derby, Liverpool. [102] At a press conference when Yeats came to Liverpool, Shankly emphasised Yeats' height by inviting the journalists to "go and walk round him; he's a colossus! Liverpool decision to become one of the teams involved in the European Super League breakaway has been hit with further criticism, by the family of legendary manager Bill Shankly. Shankly's relentless machine continued to rack up the trophies the following season as they won the league title and almost completed a unique double by reaching the Cup Winners' Cup final, only . [27] A local newspaper report said that he had worked hard and might develop into a useful left back. Discipline at both home and school was strict but Shankly said it was character-building. [85] Shankly described the training ground at Melwood as "a shambles". That was the basis of his approach to football which is a team game in which everyone works together and shares the rewards. Best Bill Shankly Quotes If you are first you are first. [212] Liverpool's perceived failings in the late 1960s have been attributed to Shankly's reluctance to drop his long-serving players even though they were past their best. [68] Kelly added that this kind of talk by Shankly could only boost morale at the club. [147] On 30 December 1972 the team beat Crystal Palace at Anfield to make it 21 consecutive home wins in the league. [162] At Workington, he would answer supporters' letters in person, using an old typewriter. A charismatic, iconic figure at the club, his oratory stirred the emotions of the fanbase. Shankly came from a small Scottish mining community and was one of five brothers who played football professionally. They improved to ninth in 194950 and then to third in 195051, almost gaining promotion. The club was unrecognisable from the decrepit, rundown place it had been on the eve of the 60s. The Shankly gates at Anfield. [171] Tommy Smith said that Shankly's feelings for Nessie were undoubtedly a major reason for his decision. I went home that night and I said to my wife Ness: "You know something tonight I went out onto Anfield and for the first time there was a glow like a fire was burning. Because of this, the six trophyless seasons that followed the league title winning campaign of 1965/66 is often overlooked, writes Peter Jones. [37], Shankly had just reached his 26th birthday when the Second World War began and the war claimed the peak years of his playing career. He found a valuable ally in Eric Sawyer, of the Littlewoods pools organisation, who joined the board not long after Shankly's appointment and shared Shankly's vision of Liverpool as the best club in England. "[182], Shankly was awarded the OBE in November 1974, four months after he retired as Liverpool manager. [67] Shankly insisted in his autobiography that his Grimsby team was:[67]. [123] The Liverpool site argues that Shankly was mistaken in his decision at this time to postpone team rebuilding. It covered a turbulent period with the end of Kenny Dalg [69] Shankly's record in league football at Grimsby was 62 wins and 35 defeats from 118 matches. . He said in his autobiography that there was greater potential at Grimsby than at Carlisle. Considered one of the greatest of all football managers, Shankly was among the inaugural inductees into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2004. [202], Stephen Kelly, in his 1997 biography of Shankly, calls him "the ultimate obsessive". [111], One of Shankly's greatest ambitions when he joined Liverpool was to win the FA Cup and, after he signed Yeats and St John, he told the club directors that they would win it with these two players in the team. [59] In spotting a player, he always applied a basic formula which was that, first and foremost, the player must have both ability and courage. He said it was a scandal that he needed to say that about the club he had helped to build. [38] With his wholehearted attitude and commitment to the team, he quickly established himself as a first-team regular and became a crowd favourite. [174], Shankly's retirement was officially and surprisingly announced at a press conference called by Liverpool on 12 July 1974. Yet the silverware tells only a fraction of the story. Shankly brought success to Liverpool, gaining promotion to the First Division and winning three League Championships and the UEFA Cup. [72], Workington operated on a shoestring and Shankly had to do much of the administration work himself, including answering the telephone and dealing with the mail by using an old typewriter to answer letters. They had two daughters - Barbara (born 1945) and Jeanette (born 1951) - and eventually went on to have six grandchildren, although their youngest grandchild and only grandson was born several months after Bill Shankly's death. [115] Liverpool played in red shirts with white shorts and white socks with red stripes but Shankly and Ian St John had the idea of an all-red kit that would give the impression the players were taller. Shankly made a point of emphasising the importance of fans. In his autobiography, Shankly recounted that among his many achievements, winning the 1965 FA Cup final was his greatest day in football. [173], On the morning of 26 September 1981, Bill Shankly was admitted to Broadgreen Hospital following a heart attack. Bill Shankly was born in the small Scottish coal mining village of Glenbuck, Ayrshire, whose population in 1913, the year of Shankly's birth, was around 700. [57] He wrote that he was never sent off or booked by a referee. [63], Season ticket sales in 195051 reached an all-time high and Carlisle challenged strongly for promotion as well as achieving a draw with Arsenal at Highbury in the FA Cup. [48] He had absorbed all the coaching systems with any useful qualifications and had full confidence in his ability and in himself to be a leader. [77], Other players in Shankly's Huddersfield team were Ken Taylor, who was an England Test cricketer; striker Les Massie and captain Bill McGarry. [14] Bob became a successful manager, guiding Dundee to victory in the Scottish championship in 1962 and the semi-finals of the European Cup the following year. Photo Request successfully deleted. [32] Shankly's initial reaction was that it was not enough and the deal nearly fell through. [207] Ian St John agreed that much of Shankly's behaviour was "bizarre", but everything was done with a purpose because Shankly always knew what he was doing and what he was saying.[208]. Liverpool chairman John Smith summed them up with a simple but fitting: "In my opinion, he was the most outstanding and dynamic manager of the century". Liverpool made their European debut in 196465, competing in the European Cup and reaching the semi-finals. Anfield stadium's Shankly Gates bear the [100], The two Scottish players were centre half Ron Yeats and centre forward Ian St John from Dundee United and Motherwell respectively. [51] Shankly was succeeded in the Preston team by Tommy Docherty and Shankly told Docherty that he should just put the number four shirt on and let it run round by itself because it knows where to go. It is with great regret that I as chairman of Liverpool Football Club have to inform you that Mr Shankly has intimated that he wishes to retire from active participation in league football. His four brothers were John, Bobby, Jimmy, and Alec; his five sisters were Netta, Elizabeth, Isobel, Barbara, and Jean. [54] Perhaps his most memorable international was the wartime game at Wembley on 18 April 1942 when Scotland won 54 and Shankly scored his only Scotland goal. Preston North End footballer Bill Shankly poses for a portrait at Deepdale (Image: Mirrorpix) For a man so inextricably welded to Liverpool FC's history, it's easy to think Bill Shankly arrived in the Anfield dug-out fully-formed, formidable, a walking quote machine. [10], All five Shankly brothers played professional football and Shankly claimed they could have beaten any five brothers in the world when they were all at their peaks. [97] Shankly got the idea from a routine he had seen Tom Finney use at Preston to hone his skills. Shankly took encouragement from the team's overall form, especially as they made a strong finish to the season, and he was confident of success in 197273. [60], One of Shankly's players at Carlisle was Geoff Twentyman, then a promising young centre half, who was later transferred to Liverpool. One of 10 children, Bill Shankly was born in the Ayrshire coalmining village of Glenbuck in 1913. [65] His main problems were that Grimsby had been relegated twice in recent seasons, dropping from the First to the Third Division, and some good players had been transferred before he arrived. [186], On the day of Shankly's death, training was cancelled at both Melwood and Bellefield. [136] Watching from the sidelines was another new player whom Shankly had recently signed from Scunthorpe United for 35,000 on Twentyman's recommendation. [204] She could rely on him to clean the cooker when Liverpool lost. [62] He even burned all the kit. [171], Shankly had considered retirement in previous years. Offering spacious luxury rooms, a . [94] According to Kelly, Liverpool's eventual success was based on hard work done in the training system that Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Bennett introduced at Melwood. You've got to know how to treat them (and) have them on your side". The team changed the studs in their boots to suit all playing conditions. Although Huddersfield won the game 10, Shankly accepted the Liverpool offer and resigned his position as Huddersfield manager at a board meeting on 1 December 1959. It'd be easy but wrong. Nessie Shankly was still living there at the time of her death more than 40 years later. [124] He wrote that bad luck and injuries disrupted the progress of two other prospects Alf Arrowsmith and Gordon Wallace; Shankly had compared the latter to Tom Finney. [88] One aspect of the quartet's legacy to football was the conversion of an old storage room into what became known as the "Boot Room", which was used for tactical discussion while cleaning and repairing boots. After only one match I knew that the team as a whole was not good enough. [37] Shankly created an early goal to help Preston win 50, earning him praise in a national newspaper for his "clever passing". It had become too important. [173] There was a perception that Shankly was an overbearing figure, who could use a position on the board to be a "back-seat driver", and the board were well aware that Matt Busby's time as a Manchester United director had been disastrous. In return, he said, the support of the Liverpool fans for their team had been incredible. [24], Shankly had a single season, 193233, at Carlisle United, then relatively new to the Football League and playing in the Third Division North, their reserve side playing in the North Eastern League. Shankly was married to his wife Agnes Wren-Fisher from 1944 until his death 37 years later. In an age where long, punishing training runs forced players to plod around on the pavement were the norm, Shankly opted to mandate fitness work be done with a ball at the foot of his players. And if they didn't believe me, they believe me now.[168] Commenting on the mood of the crowd, a moved Peter Robinson, club secretary of Liverpool, told a reporter, Bills got such power of oratory that if he told them to march through the Mersey tunnel and pillage Birkenhead theyd do it. He was above board. [132] Shankly also wanted Twentyman to check the player's personality and ensure he had the right attitude for a professional footballer. It is sheer honesty. So people not only support Liverpool when theyre alive. [124] Shankly made two controversial signings in this period which did not turn out as he had hoped. Apr 20, 2021. Shankly's own ashes were scattered at the Kop end of the Anfield pitch following his death in 1981. [18] His favourite subject was geography and he played football as often as possible, especially in the school playground, but there was no organised school team. These would first cycle through athletic exercises, like skipping or squats, before moving on to football-specific functions, such as a heading the ball or chipping it. [55][56], Shankly declared in his autobiography that he specialised in what he called "the art of tackling", emphasising that it is an art. [54] Nine of his Scotland appearances were against England and the others were against Northern Ireland, Wales and Hungary. LT John Shankly Birth 23 Jan 1873. As a visitor at Melwood, he began to intervene and Paisley's initial pleasure on seeing him soon turned to polite embarrassment. [184] After Shankly's death in 1981, Nessie lived there alone until she died in August 2002. Bill Shankly, the former Liverpool manager and one of the best-loved and respected figures in British football, died early today. [54] In January 1973, when Shankly was the subject of This Is Your Life, the goal was shown and Shankly commented that "they all count and we won". It ended badly, however, because Shankly accused the club's board of reneging on a bonus promise for the players should the team finish in the top three of the league. The grandson of the legendary Bill Shankly says the former Liverpool manager would be "spinning in his grave" at the club being involved in European Super League plans and declared he would "happily see the statue" of his grandfather removed from outside Anfield. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that. [107] The hard work paid off in 196364 when Liverpool won their sixth League Championship title, ending the season with a 50 defeat of Arsenal at Anfield. [23], Shankly's village team was called the Glenbuck Cherrypickers, a name probably derived from the 11th Hussars (the "Cherry Pickers"), but he said the club was near extinction when he had a trial and he never actually played for them. [21], While Shankly was employed as a miner, he played football as often as possible and sometimes went to Glasgow to watch either Celtic or Rangers, sharing his allegiance between the two and ignoring the sectarianism that divides Glasgow. The legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly's family says he'd be "spinning in his grave" over the ESL. He worked for Radio City 96.7, a Liverpool station on which he presented his own chat show, once interviewing prime minister Harold Wilson, and was a pundit on its football coverage. [192] In 2004, he was an inaugural inductee into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame. Shankly wurde als jngstes von elf Kindern in der kleinen Arbeiterstadt Glenbuck im Sden Schottlands geboren. Death 19 Oct 1943 (aged 70) He and Nessie went to Buckingham Palace and, according to Kelly, that was a rare day out for them. [212], When asked by a TV interviewer how he would like to be remembered, Shankly replied:[213]. John Toshack recalled that Shankly was a great help to him when he went into management with Swansea City in 1978. Evans started well and produced some outstanding performances during his four years at the club but Shankly eventually had to sell him to Aston Villa. [58], Shankly was always noted for his dedication to football and, in his playing days, would do his own training during the summer months. [69] The games would last an hour each time. They had met earlier during World War II, when Bill was serving as a Corporal with the RAF and "Nessie", who was six years younger, was serving with the WRAF. 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