Footballing Greats: William 'Bill' Shankly - The Legacy

 

Bill Shankly retired from all forms of football in 1974 with his outstanding dignity intact.

Right from the start as a manager, I tried to show that the fans are the people that matter. You’ve got to know how to treat them; have them on your side”

Shankly’s relationship with his fans was extremely important to him. While managing Carlisle, he used to speak to them over the PA system instead of a few lines in a match day programme – something that would be seen as diverse in this day and age. He explained the team,strategy and any information he felt they would like to know. He was a man of the people.

I’m a people’s man – only the people matter”

While at Workington, as well as being administrator, managing the club and sorting out finances; Shankly would work around the clock to reply to fans letters that he had been sent. He used an old typewriter and would readily obtain match tickets and distribute them to those he felt were deserved.

Liverpool was the pinnacle of his career. He exclaimed while manager of the club:

In all sincerity, I can say that they are the greatest crowd of supporters in the game”

In 1973, his Liverpool side were parading their League trophy at Anfield when a scarf was thrown on to the pitch, Shankly spotted a policeman flinging it aside so Shankly confronted him and quipped:

Don’t do that. It’s precious”

Shankly went on to wear the scarf for the remainder of the parade.

Another remarkable incident occurred after the 1974 FA Cup final victory. Two overwhelmed Liverpool fans broke onto the pitch and kissed the feet of Bill Shankly, who claimed they were just happy that their team had won the trophy.

Although I’m a Scot, I’d be proud to be called a Scouser.”

His incredible wit seemed lost on the media at times. After a journalist pointed out that he had never been involved in a Merseyside derby, Shankly retorted:

Nonsense! I’ve kicked every ball, headed out every cross. I once scored a hat-trick; one was lucky, but the others were great goals.”

During an interview with excited Italian press, Shankly told his interpreter:

Tell them I disagree with everything they say”

His retirement was announced soon after that special moment. He claims he felt his time was up went he re-entered the changing rooms, quoting that he could leave Liverpool after a job well done and only one regret – not winning the European Cup. The months following his exit from the beautiful game, Shankly sighed:

I cannae live without my daily fix of football!”

Although there was possible talk of a u-turn from him for the following season, nothing prevailed.
Shankly loved the club and the game so much that he tried to get into Liverpool once again. He used to turn up to training at Melwood however, some months later, he began to feel resented.

The club had become my life, but I wasn’t given the choice”

In his autobiography, he once stated about Liverpool’s Merseyside rivals:

I have been received more warmly by Everton than I have by Liverpool. It is a scandal that I must write these words about the club I helped to build”

Nothing hurt the man more than praising Everton, but he had the respect and dignity about him that he would give praise when praise was due. Something many of us find very difficult.

Bill Shankly wished upon a role on the club’s board, following in Sir Matt Busby’s footsteps who joined the Manchester United board in 1969. However, this ambition never came to pass due to an acrimonious relationship with the board and also an untimely line from Shankly:

At a football club, there’s a holy trinity – the players, the manager and the supporters. Directors don’t come into it. They are only there to sign the cheques”

He was unsuprisingly refused membership. Liverpool’s view was that the club needed to move on, and with Manchester United being relegated a few years later with Busby on the Directors list, it seems the decision was made. The boards perceived ‘ruthlessness’ was vindicated when Liverpool went on to become England’s most successful club after hauling many league championships and European Cups just seasons later.
Shankly lived ‘just a stone’s throw away’ from Everton’s training ground, Bellefield in West Derby. After Shankly’s death in 1981, his wife Nessie lived there until her passing in 2002. Bill was awarded an OBE in November 1974 and a trip for the couple down to Buckingham Palace was said to be ‘a rare day out’.

Shankly kept actively involved in the community. He worked for local radio, Radio City 96.7 and took up advisory roles at Wrexham and Tranmere Rovers. John Toshack recalled that he was a great help when the Welshman took over management at Swansea City. To keep fit, if there was nothing else to do, Shankly used to join youngsters on the nearby park for a kickabout.

On Saturday 26th September 1981, he admitted to Broadgreen Hospital with a heart attack. With his health seemingly stable, many felt he would pull through, yet on the following Monday, his health deteriorated and the day after, at 01:20, he was pronounced dead after suffering a cardiac arrest. Upon his wishes before he died, he was cremated at the Anfield Crematorium and his ashes scattered on the Anfield turf at the Kop End, where thousands of his adoring fans would stand and watch him conduct his play.

Shankly’s passing shook the world. The Labour party stood in a minutes silence for a man who was always a ‘socialist’. Famously, Sir Matt Busby was so distraught; he refused to take any phone calls and tributes poured in from around the globe. Training at Melwood and Bellefield was cancelled and Liverpool Chairman, summed the man up perfectly:

HE WAS THE MOST OUTSTANDING AND DYNAMIC MANAGER OF THE CENTURY”

In honour of the great man, a 7ft statue of Shankly was erected outside Anfield in addition to 15ft ‘Shankly Gates’ in front of the Anfield Road End stand. They were opened by lifelong companion, Nessie Shankly in a low key affair in August 1982.
When Preston decided on revamping Deepdale to an all-seater stadium in 1998, the Spion Kop end was replaced by the Bill Shankly Kop with different coloured seats resembling the great man’s face and shoulders. In one final honour, Shankly was made inaugural inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002; recognizing his mammoth impact on the game as manager.

In Stephen Kelly’s 1997 biography of Shankly, he describes him as:

The ultimate obsessive”

A football fanatic and that was all he wanted to do – talk about the game. Nessie recalled how they used to spend time together in the garden; mowing, weeding and just relaxing and how she could always rely on him to ‘clean the cooker when Liverpool lost’. Annual holidays were restricted to a pleasant week in Blackpool were they would always reside in The Norbreck Castle Hotel.
Noted for his outrageous personality and unrivalled wit, his most famous quote, is often mis-interpreted:

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”

Thinking back to his Scottish Football days, Shankly recalled:

Fortunately there is nothing like the Rangers-Celtic situation in Liverpool because the supporters of Liverpool and Everton are a mixed bunch whose religion is football”

Bill had no time for prejudice or bigotry stemming from a person’s ethics or religion.

His charisma represents that of a ‘tough guy’ however, Bob Paisley said that Shankly had one failure –

He was a big softie at heart”

When asked how he would like to be remembered, Shankly replied:

Basically as an honest man in a game that is sometimes short on honesty. That I’ve been working honestly for the people of Liverpool to try and give them entertainment”

William ‘Bill’ Shankly will never be forgotten for his services to English football as well as to the fortunate clubs he managed. His awesome charisma coupled with outstanding quotes will make him an idol for many people – football related or not. He carried Liverpool from the depths of being threatened with demotion from the Second Division to the dizzy heights of European football.

I was only in the game for the love of football – and I wanted to bring back happiness to the people of Liverpool”

He always aimed high, believing:

If you are first, you are first. If you are second, you are nothing”

He will always be remembered as possibly Liverpool’s greatest manager of all time – well up there with Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish. But in modern times, who is the new Bill Shankly?

In this day and age, we are always looking for comparisons to past players/managers so we can see what to expect. The trouble with Shankly is, he was so unique, original. Many will attempt to compare him with Sir Alex Ferguson. Of course, Ferguson is unique and brilliant in his own way, there’s no denying that. On evaluation, the Manchester United boss is very successful in terms of trophies and will also be written down in history. In 10 possibly 15 years, they will perhaps being remembered equally, as stalwarts and iconic figures of their respective clubs; maybe it’s me being biased, however, I believe Bill Shankly has scratched his name deeper into people hearts than that of Ferguson.

Athletic Bilbao coach, Marcelo Bielsa is a name that springs to mind. His eccentric personality yet outstanding style of play and management makes him a strong contender for ‘Bill Shankly of the 21st Century’.

Bielsa has been dubbed the most innovative coach around these days, Roberto Ayala, former Argentina captain states “Sometimes we wouldn’t see any of the strikers, because he’d have them training at a different time, and it was the same with the midfielders. He’s an innovator, and one of the people who I’ve learned most from during my career.”

Bielsa is also know for saying, “every section of the media should get the same attention from me, from the capital’s most prominent  TV channel to the smallest newspaper in the provinces”

But in terms of comparison of managers, no modern day day really comes close to Bill Shankly. He was a one off, unique and no doubt, a football legend. With unerring charisma and exceptional wit, Shankly built Liverpool Football Club – from the murky depths of Division Two, to the lofty heights if English supremacy and tantalizingly close to ruling Europe.

Bill Shankly, a troublesome fella to sum up, so I’ll let him do it himself:

Above all, I would like to be remembered as a man who was selfless, who strove and worried so that others could share the glory, and who built up a family of people who could hold their heads up high and say “We are Liverpool.”

Footballing Legends: Bill Shankly - Liverpool FC

“My idea was to build Liverpool into a bastion of invincibility. Had Napoleon had that idea, he would have conquered the bloody world. I wanted Liverpool to be untouchable. My idea was to build Liverpool up and up until eventually everyone would have to submit and give in.”

William ‘Bill’ Shankly arrived at Anfield with the club in disrepair. The stadium was ‘falling to pieces’ and the training ground a ‘shambles’. There was no means of watering the pitch and Shankly insisted that they spent £3000 on rectifying this problem. He created a stunningly strong bond between himself, Joe Fagan, Bob Paisley and Reuben Bennett – a bond born out of loyalty to the club and to each other.

After a few weeks in charge of Liverpool, Shankly found his team to be very co-operative during training but poor when it came to match-day. Shankly identified,

After only one match I knew that the team as a whole was not good enough. I made up my mind that we needed strengthening through the middle, a goalkeeper and a centre half that, between them could stop goals and somebody up front to create goals and score them”

He went on to transfer list 24 players who all left the club ‘within a year’.

One of the pitches “looked as if bombs had been dropped on it” and Shankly asked if the Germans had “been over” in the war and with Shankly being very particular about the specifications of the training facilities, he introduced a program to modernise the site. In the long-term, the worked produced by Shankly, Fagan, Bennett and Paisley on all aspects of training, from the facilities to the drills, proved crucial in Liverpool’s rise to global footballing power in the years to come.

A famous drill, Shankly created, was dubbed the ‘sweat box’. He explained,

Using boards like the walls of a house with players playing the ball off one wall and on to the next; the ball was played against the boards, you controlled it, turned around and took it again”

Shankly’s admiration for Tom Finney while at Preston paid dividends once again, as he recalls basing the idea on routine that Finney utilised. The drill became the background of success for Liverpool’s pass and move philosophy. Shankly summarised,

Attention to detail; we never left anything to chance”

In his autobiography, Shankly recalls how he had numerous altercations with the club’s board over the need to recruit new talent. At times he claims he felt like walking out. Eric Sawyer’s involvement in Liverpool’s history cannot be understated. He became valuable to Shankly, as they both shared the same ambition:

To make Liverpool the greatest team in England”

During a club’s board meeting in 1961, Shankly displayed the need for splashing the cash on two promising players from Scotland. He was rebounded with the response of ‘we can’t afford them’ however, Sawyer stepped forward and exclaimed,

We can’t afford not to buy them”

Subsequently, the two purchases were soon made; centre half, Ron Yeats and forward Ian St John joined the club in the spring of 1961 and to Shankly’s delight, he proclaimed about Yeats,

With him in defence, we could play Arthur Askey in goal.”

As well as this, he invited journalists to,

Go and walk round him; he’s a colossus!”

Shankly said to new-signing Ian St John from Motherwell,

Son, you’ll do well here as long as you remember two things. Don’t over-eat and don’t lose your accent.”

In a bold showing of confidence, Shankly declared to the club’s board in an ultimatum:

Sack me if they can’t play”

Bill Shankly continued to spend the money, recruiting Gordon Milne, as well as nurturing the likes of Ronnie Moran, Jimmy Melia and Alan A’Court as well as future England regulars, Gerry Byrne and Roger Hunt. Upon seeing Hunt, Shankly said:

Christ, this one can play!”

Shankly led Liverpool to their sixth League Championship in 1964 after cultivating the likes of Ian Callaghan, Tommy Smith and Chris Lawler. Roger Hunt explained that Liverpool’s key to their success was that they were ‘the fittest team in the country.’

Shankly also led the team to their first FA Cup triumph in 1965 when Ian St John scored an extra time winner over Leeds United and despite Shanks claiming he had ‘many proud moments’ he spoke of that day in May of 1965 being ‘the greatest of them all’. Just three days after winning at Wembley, Shankly piloted Liverpool in their first ever season in Europe.

They were narrowly defeated by European Champions Internazionale, 4-3. After the 3-0 defeat in Milan, Shanks retorted that,

Liverpool were denied a semi-final place due to a dishonest referee”

And,

Inter fans are going mad because they are so pleased that they have beaten Liverpool. This proves the high standard you have raised yourself up to”

Liverpool retook the League Championship in 1966 but were beaten in the European Cup Winners Cup by Borussia Dortmund, 2-0. Paisley and Shankly learned their lessons on European football and came up with a key strategy – containment away, attack at home; something that they knew would win Liverpool European honours soon.

The following season became one to forget for Liverpool. They finished a lowly fifth in the League and were well beaten in Europe. After struggling past minnows FC Petrolul Ploiesti, the Reds were soundly defeated Ajax. A 19-year-old Johann Cruyff simply ran the show as the Dutch giants ran out easy 7-3 victors on aggregate. Seemingly, the only positive from that campaign was the recruitment of Blackpool’s Emlyn Hughes, whom Shankly signed for £65,000. Hughes went on to become another legend for Liverpool with his ‘Crazy Horse’ celebration.

Liverpool trundled along for the next few seasons. However, in 1970, Liverpool once again finished in a lowly 5th position – miles off local rivals and League winners, Everton. Shankly characteristically talked up Liverpool over their Mersey rivals, quoting,

This city has two great football teams – Liverpool and Liverpool reserves”

Including the classic line:

When I’ve got nothing better to do, I look at the league table to see how Everton are getting along, starting from the bottom of course”

Despite being Scottish, when managing Liverpool, Shankly believed he had become an honorary Liverpudlian:

If Everton were playing at the bottom of the garden, I’d pull the curtains”

Shankly reinvigorated his side in 1970 after a ‘humiliating’ defeat to lowly Watford in an FA Cup tie, signaling the conclusion to Liverpool careers of Ian St John, Ron Yeats and Roger Hunt. In recent years, Shankly had created a new scouting network for Liverpool with close friend Geoff Twentyman, who was influential in historic coups such as Ray Clemence, John Toshack and Steve Heighway. All of Liverpool’s recruits in 1970 came from lower leagues, especially Heighway, who was promoted from non-league football. The Liverpool site summarises these happenings:

Shankly’s allegiance to his older players harked back to the dying days of his own playing career – he believed he had been put on the shelf years too early”

Shankly also added iconic names in Liverpool’s history – Tommy Smith, Ian Callaghan, Chris Lawler and Emlyn Hughes – forming the very basis of Liverpool’s assault on European football which ultimately proved, to be a resounding success.

Shankly’s harmonious relationship with his players was a clear reflection of the respect he had for them and he was renowned for having a laugh and a joke while conducting training. He was also known to have joined in from time to time:

To Chris Lawler during a training session – ‘Was it a goal? Was I offside?’ Lawler replied – ‘You were boss.’ Shanks then retorted – ‘Christ, son, you’ve been here four years, hardly said a word and, when you do, it’s a bloody lie!

The legendary manager’s respect and close relationship with scout Twentyman, was not one to be undermined. The duo worked like clockwork, picking out the finest talent to represent Liverpool FC. Twentyman quoted that Shankly asked him to find a prospective recruit that was very simple in his play. If he had the ability to pass the ball then move into space to receive the pass, then he was worth a look at. Shankly’s enormous attention to specific detail also required Twentyman to investigate and analyze the potential player’s attitude and personality to make sure he was suitable for a red shirt.

Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive a pass. It is terribly simple.”

Labelled as Liverpool’s second coming; the 70’s and 80’s proved to be two of Liverpool’s greatest decades.

In the 1970-71 season, Liverpool retaining a solid 5th place in the league as well as reaching the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup semi-finals where they were beaten by a very experienced Leeds outfit. Liverpool once again reached the finale of the FA Cup, only to be beaten by league champions Arsenal.

Ladies and Gentlemen, yesterday at Wembley, we might have lost the Cup but you, the Liverpool people, have won everything. You have won the admiration of the policemen in London and you have won the admiration of the public in
London”

However, in the crowd cheering the Reds on, was the one and only Kevin Keegan. Recently signed from Scunthorpe United for roughly £35,000 under Twentyman’s recommendation, Keegan was a real favourite of Kopite’s everywhere, as well as being a jewel in Shankly’s crown. In his autobiography, the Scotsman praises the ex-number seven, dedicating a whole chapter to him and labeling it ‘A Boy Named Keegan’. Shankly claimed he was an inspiration to the whole team and when he hooked up with his new squad, Shankly explained what he wanted of Kevin:

Just go out and drop a few hand grenades all over the place son!”

Keegan’s debut season saw Liverpool go excruciatingly close to regaining their English Champions crown, missing on by just a point to Brian Clough’s Derby County. Taking heart from Liverpool’s progress, Shankly felt that the 1972-73 season was to be Liverpool’s.

A game that will go down in Liverpool history was the encounter with Newcastle United in 1972. As psychology was such a huge part of Shankly’s success, he created the sign above the tunnel which reads

THIS IS ANFIELD”

A plaque which is still synonymous with Liverpool today. He said of the sign:

This is to remind our lads who they’re playing for and to remind the opposition who they’re playing against”

Shankly used this to talk up his charges and to intimidate the opposition. He famously said, upon waiting for arch-rivals, Everton’s arrival at Anfield:

Bill Shankly gave a box of toilet rolls to the doorman and said: “Give them these when they arrive – they’ll need them!”

Shankly and his Liverpool side went on to create Footballing history the following season. They were victorious in the league for the eighth time and third under Shankly, and coupled with defeating Borussia Monchengladbach in the UEFA Cup, they became the first English club win the league and European Cup double.

The 1973-74 proved to be the end of Shankly’s illustrious and iconic career. His final competitive game in charge of Liverpool FC was the annihilation of Newcastle United at Wembley in the FA Cup Final. Bill was now 60 and cited that he was tired and felt the time was right to move on. A sad day for all Liverpool fans was the confirmation of the resignation from his post a few weeks later, describing:

It was the most difficult thing in the world, when I went to tell the chairman. It was like walking to the electric chair. That’s the way it felt.”

For Bill Shankly and his legacy, visit http://lewisdunwoody.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/footballing-greats-william-bill-shankly_8464.html 

Footballing Greats: William 'Bill' Shankly - Management

“I'm a people's man - only the people matter.”

Bill Shankly’s first taste of management came at Third Division North side, Carlisle United; incidentally, the same side where he began his playing career. Shankly is quoted as saying that he had ‘long prepared for the day he would become a football manager.’ Shanks’ arrival at the Cumbrian team, with his disciplined work ethic and continuous improvement, saw them transform from being league strugglers in the 1948-49 season, to narrowly missing out on a deserved promotion in 1951.

Being a mentally tough individual, Shankly wasn’t afraid to use the human psyche to get into the heads of his opponents. During one of the games, Shanks claimed that his side is going against a squad that had a ‘very tiring journey and were not fit enough to play.’ After describing Brunton Park as ‘falling to pieces with terraces derelict’, he urged the local population to follow their team and notoriously, took advantage of the public address system to inform residents of any changes to his team and how his method was going to win them the game - a sign of his commitment and his distinctive style. He also used the psyche to boost the morale of the supporters by personally informing them about his team; almost like an interview with the whole crowd.

A famous tale recounts how Shankly once burnt the team’s kit en route to an away fixture at Lincoln City. He spotted a sportswear shop on the way and he bought a full set of kit for his side to play in.

The year 1951 saw William Shankly leave Brunton Park for good after accusing the club’s board of reneging on a bonus promise for the players should the team finish in the top three. He resigned with a record of 42 victories and 22 defeats from 95 matches. With the loss of their top figure, Carlisle slipped backwards again.

The Scotsman made his intentions of moving up the footballing ladder and after failing an interview to secure a place as boss of Liverpool, he took on the role at Grimsby Town. In his debut season as coach, The Mariners finished just three points off the top spot. Shanks insisted that Grimsby were

“Pound for pound, and class for class, the best football team I have seen in England since the war. In the league they were in, they played football nobody else could play. Everything was measured, planned and perfected and you could not wish to see more entertaining football”

Shankly’s loyalty toward his senior players would see him come to blows again with  the club’s board after they refused to provide him with funds to purchase new recruits. Following a dismal season in which Grimsby ended in 5^th, Shankly resigned in January 1954. He claimed the main reason for his departure was the club’s lack of ambition but in his autobiography, Shankly also cites the excuse that he and his wife felt homesick in the town. When a move to Workington came knocking, he found the offer too provoking to decline. He finished with another impressive record at Blundell Park – 62 triumphs and just 35 defeats in 118 games; this saw him written into Grimsby Town folklore.

In just over a year in charge of Workington, Shankly oversaw one of the club’s most successful seasons – they rose from 18^th to 8^th in the Third Division North despite Shankly having other occupations wavering over his head. He was forced into completing much of the business’ administration himself as the club operated on a shoestring budget. Due to budget constraints, the pitch was shared with the local rugby club; Shanks deemed this inappropriate as he claims they were ruining the surface – brewing up many arguments with the Directors. Shankly once again opted to resign from his third club on November 15^th 1955 to take up a promising role as Huddersfield Town’s assistant boss. Overall, Shankly masterminded 35 wins and 27 losses in 85 matches. This loss record produced a slight blemish on his time at Workington.

He spent just over four years at Huddersfield Town, beginning as Assistant Manager to old friend, Andy Beattie. Beattie resigned at the end of Shankly’s first season at Leeds Road after the side was relegated to the second division after the 1955-56 campaign. Shanks succeeded his acquaintance on 5^th November 1956.

In December the following year, Huddersfield lost 7-6 to Charlton Athletic, a side who played majority of the game one man down. Shankly’s side were leading 5-1 with just 27 minutes remaining, and after the enthralling encounter, he described it as,

“One of the most amazing games I’ve ever seen”

Soon after, Shanks’ side demolished Liverpool with a score of 5-0 with only ten men; Shankly went on the recall,

“The Liverpool directors left the ground in a single file like a funeral procession”

It is said that this was a major turning point in Liverpool becoming interested in acquiring the Scotsman. They made a tentative approach for his services in November 1959, an occurrence that thrilled Shankly. He felt betrayed by the board after Huddersfield lost their star assets and the club refused to offer him funds for replacements; he felt disillusioned and again cited the club’s lack of ambition as a primary reason for resigning on 1^st December 1959.

Bill Shankly recounted how the Liverpool Chairman at the time, Tom Williams, advanced on him and enquired if he would like to,

“Manage the best team in the Country”

To which the former Grimsby boss replied,

“Why, is Matt Busby packing up?”

Shankly felt he had to consider the offer carefully and after his side defeated Liverpool once again on 28^th November, Shanks decided to take charge at Anfield. His fairytale journey was about to begin. Shankly finished his career at Huddersfield with 49 victories and 47 defeats in 129 games. He resigned on 1^st December to take charge in Merseyside.  Shankly’s historic tenure as chief of one of the footballing world’s most iconic clubs, was about to begin.

For Part III - Liverpool FC, visit http://lewisdunwoody.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/footballing-legends-bill-shankly.html 

Footballing Greats: William 'Bill' Shankly - The Early Years

"Liverpool was made for me and I was made for Liverpool."

William Shankly. Possibly the greatest man to ever grace Liverpool. His name will never be forgotten around the realms of Anfield – the theatre where his play was conducted. It is a place that he once described was his home:

Shankly to a Brussels hotel clerk who queried his signing ‘Anfield’ as his address on the hotel register – “But that’s where I live.”

His play, however, did not start in Merseyside. He travelled all around the UK and the clubs he handled conquered all corners of Europe. What made him so great? Was he a great motivator? Were his psychological skills the key to his success?

As a player, he made his name by performing as a ball-winning right half (the defensive midfield role). He went on to make twelve international appearances for Scotland, despite his ‘peak-years’ being disrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Shankly then took to the art of coaching; pointing out that he felt he was perfect for the position.

"I have absorbed all the coaching systems with any useful qualifications and have full confidence in my ability and in myself to be a leader.”

His journey started on the 2nd of September 1913 in the largely derelict town of Glenbuck, a coal-mining village in Ayrshire, Scotland where he was born. Conceived into a sporting family, William Shankly was the ninth of ten children; the youngest boy. His father, John, was a postman but went on to tailor handmade suits. The Shankly residence was an Auchenstilloch Cottage, housing a family of ten; five boys and five girls and of course the parents, John and Barbara Shankly. All four of his brothers went on to play football professionally, even to the extent that Bill Shankly exclaimed,

"Once, when we were all at our peaks, we could have beaten any five brothers in the world.”

In his autobiography, Bill Shankly claimed his upbringing was very hard, stating that everyone was very hungry, especially during the winter months. Shankly also admitted to stealing vegetables from nearby farms in addition to embezzling bread and biscuits from suppliers wagons that lay close at hand. Despite later admitting that it was wrong, ‘Shanks’ claimed that the root cause was his family’s constant hunger and that his and his siblings’ acts were, “devilment more than badness.”

Schools, at that time, were infamous for their strict nature. Although Shankly attended his local village school from the age of five until he was fourteen, he found it more ‘character building’ than tough discipline. His preferred subject was Geography and he played football at every possible opportunity, mostly on the school playground given that there was no organized team local to him.

William Shankly faced unemployment in 1930 after working in a mine with his brother Bob for two years. He described the pure filth that he and his sibling had to endure day after day, saying that the first time he had a bath was when he was fifteen. Wullie, as Shanks was known to family members, continued to commit to playing football despite being employed as a miner. He occasionally went to Glasgow to watch either Celtic or Rangers, blissfully ignoring the footballing segregation between the Hoops and the Gers that estranged Glasgow. Using these trips to acknowledge the skill on show, Shankly attempted to hone his skills.

An 18-year-old Bill Shankly had trial at his village side, Glenbuck Cherrypickers but unfortunately, the club became extinct. Not to be denied, Shankly moved onto Cronberry Eglinton, a team based just outside Glenbuck. He cycled to and from the side’s ground. Despite only being part of the club, he gracefully honoured Scottish Junior Football, citing that he had ‘learnt a lot,’ generally from listening to senior players and his brothers.

It wasn’t long before he joined Carlisle United, an English club. He claims to have had his footballing path already written out in his head while he was working in the Scottish mines, announcing that he felt it was only a matter of time and that he was only killing time being a miner. He explained,

"I have always been an optimist with a belief in my destiny. This is my underlying enthusiasm for football”

His debut season at Carlisle United during the 1932-33 campaign turned out to be his only season with the club. He was invited for a trial by Carlisle scout, Peter Carruthers, and Shanks explained that it had been the first time he had left his homeland. Shankly made his debut for Carlisle Reserves in a fixture against Middlesborough Reserves and shone, invoking a local newspaper report to quote, “Shankly played strenuously and might develop into a useful left back.” Quite the opposite, the Scotsman turned out be a gritty right half.

At the end of an eventful first season, Shankly had racked up 16 senior appearances for the Cumbrians, who went on to win the North Eastern League Cup in 1933. Shankly revealed in 1976 that he still had that medal. Shankly earned 4 pounds and 10 shillings a week, a decent wage considering the top rate was roughly 8 pounds. At this stage in his career, Shanks was earmarked as ‘a key young player ‘capable of taking Carlisle on to greater things.

Bill’s move to Preston North End in 1933 was largely down to his brother’s extensive persuading. He was offered five pounds a week – something that he judged to be insufficient. Alec, his brother, pointed out that Preston were a much more iconic club in English football. Belonging in the Second Division at the time, they were in an excellent position to restore their top flight integrity. Alec explained that there was a better opportunity to further his career with a switch to the Lilywhites, elucidating that, “It’s what you get later that counts.”

Brotherly love prevailed as William Shankly signed his new contract in a rail carriage.

With whole-heartedness and unrivaled commitment, Shankly burst onto the scene at Preston. He assisted an early goal in a 5-0 triumph, earning him praise from the newspapers for his ‘clever passing.’ Establishing himself as a firm favourite amongst fans, Shankly aided Preston in their promotion during that season after finishing just behind Grimsby Town.

His wage increased to over eight pounds and a Preston correspondent wrote, “One of this season’s discoveries, Bill Shankly, played with rare tenacity and uncommonly good ideas for a lad of twenty. He is full of good football and possessed with unlimited energy; he should go far.”

Preston fought their way through the following campaign and Manchester City’s Peter Doherty recalled facing Shankly in a fixture in which Preston won 3-1, “Shankly dogged my footsteps in one match and kept muttering “Great wee team, North End, great wee team””   

During the 1937-38 campaign, Preston North End endured enormous success. They ended third in the league coupled with an FA Cup Final victory over Huddersfield Town. Shankly labelled the season as the ‘pinnacle of his career’.

Then, disaster struck. WWII broke out and Shanks had to forgo any hope of imminent success with Preston as he joined the Royal Air Force as a 26-year-old. His eagerness to continue playing the sport he loved allowed him to muster up the enthusiasm to compete for wherever he was stationed while on duty. Shankly played for Arsenal, Norwich City, Luton Town, and even Scottish side Partick Thistle. He even managed to turn out in front of the Kop in the red shirt of Liverpool as the Reds thrashed Merseyside rivals Everton 4-1.

In 1944, Shankly got married to wife Nessie during which he was memorably quoted,

"Of course I didn’t take my wife to see Rochdale as an anniversary present. It was her birthday and would I have got married during the football season? Anyway, it was Rochdale reserves.”

After the resumption of the football league, Preston began to struggle despite the presence of footballing legend, Sir Tom Finney, in their side. At the age of just 33, Shankly decided to call time off his playing days and hang up the old boots. His exit from Preston caused great uproar amongst fans and Shanks was denied a benefit match to which he felt he was entitled. He went on to describe Preston’s attitude as being, “The biggest let-down of my life in football.”

Shanks made public his admiration for the great Tom Finney, devoting three pages in his autobiography to the ‘Preston Plumber,’ when asked to compare any current star to Finney, he duly replied with, “Aye, he’s as good as Tommy – but then Tommy’s nearly 60 now.”

Tommy Docherty replaced Shankly in the Preston side with the number four shirt and Shankly educated him,

"Just put the number 4 shirt on and let it run round, it knows where to go”

Shankly’s tenacity as a player could have been influenced by his upbringing. His style of play is gritty and persistent, brought about by his childhood. He played football whenever he could – on the school yard or on the road, almost certainly because it was the simplest sport he could do in harsh times. He manipulated the ‘never say die’ attitude and found ways around problems, two of the attributes that Shanks is known for. His close relationship with his brothers also played a major role in shaping Bill Shankly – he would never argue with referees on advice from his siblings and each of them were there when he needed a helping hand.

Shanks became synonymous with the art of tackling. He claimed the art in a tackle is ‘the timing and sole objective to win the ball’. His philosophy being ‘hard but fair’, something he carried with him into his management career.

Shankly claimed he knew the essential criteria for management: “I could speak common sense about the game and I could spot a player.” True enough, during his management years, he applied the same ‘basic formula’ – the players must be courageous as well as have clear ability – encapsulating Shankly as a player. Other necessary attributes were determination, willingness and the pride to continue to work when all the odds are stacked against them. Shankly, in a subtle way, attempted to mold a team around how he was as a player: brave, willing, and most importantly, worked until he dropped. He was very encouraging as a player, a born leader. He was destined to pilot a club to supremacy, maybe not as a player but as a manager.

For Part II - Management, visit http://lewisdunwoody.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/footballing-greats-william-bill-shankly_6699.html