On This Day – 12th July
Bill Shankly shocked the footballing world on this day back in 1974, by resigning from his job as the manager of Liverpool Football Club.
No one could quite believe it. A cameraman and reporter went out into the streets of Liverpool to gauge the reaction of the fans. The video below shows just how shocked they were, with some thinking that it was some sort of wind up.
They had every right to think that as Shankly had resigned weeks after winning the FA Cup. The season before, Liverpool had won the League and UEFA Cup and the Scot had turned the club into a formidable force in the English game as well as European football.
Shankly could never keep away after resigning, turning up at the Melwood training ground and at Anfield. The players still addressed him as “Boss”, despite Bob Paisley taking control of first-team affairs.
Paisley was left in an awkward situation and had even begged Shankly not to retire, but to take a break and come back after some time away from the game.
Curiously, Shankly stayed on for the Charity Shield, in a victory over Leeds United in the first to be held at Wembley Stadium.
Despite a difficult start to his time in charge, Paisley went on to become the most successful Liverpool manager of all-time. He won 20 major honours in his nine years in charge of the club.
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