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English Football Legends Series

One of the most successful and respected managers in the history of British football, Bill Shankly was also a fine player, who played 11 times for Scotland and also won the FA Cup.

Bill Shankly

Clubs Managed:
Carlisle United, Grimsby Town, Workington, Huddersfield Town, Liverpool

Honours:
League Championship, 3
FA Cup, 2
UEFA Cup, 1
Division 2 Championship, 1

However, he is best remembered for his achievements as a manager, particularly with Liverpool.

Playing career

Shankly began his playing career with Carlisle United in July 1933. He made 16 appearances for the Cumbrians before moving to Preston North End where he was a member of the FA Cup winning team of 1938.

He was given his Scotland debut that same season, making four appearances before his career was interrupted by World War II.

During the war he played in seven wartime internationals, and also guested for a number of clubs - Liverpool and Arsenal among them.

When football resumed after the war he returned to Preston, but at 33, he was coming to the end of his playing days.

He ended his playing career in March 1949.

Managerial career

Shankly began his management career at Carlisle United, and lifted the club from 15th in Division Three North in 1949 to 3rd in 1951.

However, he resigned that year citing a lack of financial commitment from the board.

He was interviewed for the manager's job at Liverpool in 1951, but was not successful, and moved instead to Grimsby Town.

At Grimsby he inherited a squad that had suffered two relegations in the previous four seasons. Shankly quickly turned their fortunes around, and they narrowly missed promotion in 1951-52.

The following season they fell away after a bright start, and he quit the club in January 1954, again citing lack of commitment.

Shankly's next port of call was Workington, a struggling Division Three North side and once again he managed to improve the club's fortunes, guiding them to 8th place.

In 1955, he was appointed by Huddersfield Town, as assistant to Andy Beattie.

When Beattie quit, following Huddersfield's relegation in 1956, Shankly was left in sole charge. His tenure at Huddersfield though, was not successful.

The Terriers struggled to three successive mid-table finishes in Division Two, and once again Shankly felt that there was a lack of commitment from the club's board.

One of his players at Huddersfield was a young Denis Law, and Shankly tried to take him to Liverpool with him when he left in 1959, but the Reds could not meet the asking price.

Liverpool

When Shankly arrived at Liverpool in December 1959, the club he joined was vastly different to the modern-day institution.

Having already spent five seasons in Division Two, they propped up the table and were in serious danger of dropping into the Third Division.

Their Anfield Stadium was in poor condition, and the Melwood training ground was even worse, overgrown with weeds, and with only one functioning water tap.

In addition, there were too many players on the club's books, many of them of poor quality.

Shankly quickly released 24 players, and with assistance from Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett and Bob Paisley began to reshape the team.

"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that."
Bill Shankly

The 1960s team

In came Ron Yeats, Ian St. John and Gordon Milne, as Liverpool won promotion back to the top flight in 1961-1962.

The Reds finished 8th in their first season back in the top flight, and the following season they clinched the title.

In 1964-65, they finished 7th in the League, but won the FA Cup for the first time in the club's history.

The following season they regained the league title, and also reached the final of the European Cup Winner's Cup, losing 2-1 to Borussia Dortmund.

Over the next few seasons they finished 5th, 3rd, and 2nd in the league as Don Revie's Leeds United, and Matt Busby's Manchester United dominated.

The 1970s team

But the Sixties team was aging, and Shankly set about building his second great Liverpool side.

Out went Roger Hunt, Ian St.John, Ron Yeats and Tommy Lawrence. In came Kevin Keegan, Steve Heighway, Larry Lloyd and Ray Clemence.

Liverpool finished 5th in 1969-70, and again in 1970-71. They also lost the '71 FA Cup Final to double winners Arsenal.

They were closer in 1971-72, but finished third, as Brian Clough's Derby County lifted the title.

The following season, Liverpool had their first European trophy, lifting the UEFA Cup after beating Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-2 in a two-legged final.

They also regained the title that year, edging out Leeds and Arsenal.

In 1973/74 they finished second to Leeds in the League, but won the FA Cup, beating Newcastle United 3-0 at Wembley.

The final would be Shankly's last game in charge.

Retirement

Shankly resigned on 12 July 1974. News of his resignation soon leaked out, and distraught Liverpool fans jammed the club's switchboard.

With the reigns handed to Bob Paisley, Liverpool were in capable hands, but Shankly soon regretted his decision to step down.

He began turning up at Melwood to watch training sessions, creating an awkward atmosphere for new manager, Paisley.

Shankly was awarded the OBE in November 1974, and continued to live in Liverpool.

He was regularly seen around the city, and was happy to discuss football with anyone who approached him.

Death and Legacy

On 26 September 1981, Bill Shankly was admitted to Broadgreen Hospital after suffering a mild heart-attack. His condition was quickly stabilized, and he appeared in no danger.

However, on 28 September, his condition suddenly worsened, and he died on 29 September 1981. He was 68 years old.

Shankly was cremated, and his ashes buried at the Anfield Crematorium on 2 October.

There are a number of tributes to him at Liverpool's Anfield Stadium, including The Shankly Gates, and a statue outside the ground.

His former club Preston North End also honoured him by naming one of the stands at Deepdale, the Bill Shankly Kop.

Bill Shankly was an inaugural inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

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