Bill Shankly is one of the most famous football coaches in the UK. Especially famous for his work in Liverpool.
Bill Shankly was born September 2, 1913.Place of birth is a small mining village Glenbak. In the family, except Bill, there were nine more children. Five of the nine children became professional footballers. One of his brothers (Bob Shankly), being a famous coach, was able to win the title of champions with the Dundee team in 1962.
Bill Shankly repeatedly admitted that heIt was quite a difficult childhood. However, the legendary coach always remembered those times with a smile. Once he joked that he hadn’t washed himself before he was fifteen.
В поселке, в котором провел свое детство Билл Shankly, the most popular entertainment was football. The brothers and Bill himself all the free time spent on the playground. In addition, football was one of the ways to earn money without going down to the mine. Bill Shankly, whose quotations can be heard today in many sports programs, took the first steps in football, playing for the local team Glenbak Cherripickers. By the way, all the Bill brothers also supported this club. It is worth noting that this small team was able to train forty-nine professional footballers in a short time. However, Bill (William) Shankly did not hold a single match for the main team.
Despite the difficult life, Shankly did not throwfootball. “Liverpool”, while Bill was just starting his career, could not declare himself and win a serious trophy. The first team for the future coach of the “Reds” was “Kronberry Eglington”, which, by the way, has already ceased to exist. In the summer of 1932, the player caught the attention of Carlisle United Football Club and soon signed a contract with him. However, Bill Shankly (football for which became the meaning of life) could only appear on the field in December. For “Carlisle United,” he spent only sixteen matches, while not distinguishing himself even once. In July 1933, the player made the transition to "Preston North End". The amount of transfer was five hundred pounds.
Just come to the new team Bill Shanklyhe was immediately able to win a place in the first team and become one of the key players. In 1934, Preston managed to climb into the First Division. In 1937 and 1938, the football club managed to reach the national cup final. The first title, “Preston” was not given, but in the second final the team managed to beat “Huddersfield Town”.
April 1938 was the month in which Bill Shankly,whose biography is filled with both ups and downs, made his debut in the national team of Scotland. He played the first match against the British and helped the team win with a score of 1: 0. As a member of the Scottish team, he appeared four more times, as well as seven times during the war. It is worth noting that it was the war that began in 1939 that prevented Bill Shankly from making a career in the national team.
During the war, Shankly continued to play football.“Liverpool”, “Northampton Town”, “Arsenal”, “Cardiff City”, “Bolton Wanderers”, “Luton Town” and “Partick Thistle” are the football clubs in which Shankly played. In addition, Bill helped Preston win the wartime cup in 1941. After the end of World War II, professional football was slowly reborn in Great Britain. Bill Shankly continued to play for Preston. However, at that time he was thirty-three years old, and his career was nearing completion.
Finish his career as a football player Bill Shankly decided in March 1949.
Immediately after the completion of the football career ShanklyAscended to the post of mentor "Carlisle United", where he once took the first steps in professional football. According to Bill himself, he talked a lot with people who know about coaching. Shankly's mentoring methods differed significantly from those used by other coaches. Bill was ready for anything to achieve results. Quite often I personally spoke with the fans of the team. However, he was unable to achieve significant achievements with the club. One of the reasons for the failures, he often called insufficient funding. This reason he expressed in work with other teams.
In 1951, Shankly decided to move to“Grimsby Town”, where the place of the tutor has just been made. By the way, “Grimsby” and “Carlisle” played in the same division. One of the reasons for the transition was the big financial opportunities. As a mentor, “Grimsby” Shankly stayed for two and a half years.
The next club for coach Shankly became“Workington Town”, which played in the third division and was at the bottom of the standings. In general, the team was close to the cessation of existence. However, Shankly was not afraid of difficulties. Thanks to the work of the coach, the case, “Workington” went up the hill. Most likely, Bill would continue to work at this club, but he was offered the role of assistant at Huddersfield. And at the beginning of the 1956 season, an old coach was sacked, and Shankly took over his post.
The team just flew into the lower division, andeveryone was waiting from the coach that he would return it to the first one. However, this did not happen. Soon Shankly faced the problem of financing in this team. He wanted to get a couple of new players, and the leadership did not have enough money.
Although Shankly could not win titles with teams,who coached for ten years, the leadership of “Liverpool” became interested in an ambitious and talented mentor. In 1959, Bill received an offer to lead the Reds and realized that he would finally be able to buy players that would interest him. In December of the same year, he signed a contract. It was with this team that he was able to achieve the greatest success in his career, having won many titles and awards. When Shankly headed Liverpool, the team was a pretty pitiful sight. She occupied the last places in the second division, she had to play at the old stadium, terrible training conditions and so on. Players who were part of the then “Liverpool”, also could not boast of skill. The only thing that can be distinguished in the “Reds” is the coaching staff, who worked together with Bill until the end of his career, and the famous Bob Paisley did take his place.
However, in Liverpool, Bill did not succeed.right away It took several seasons to return to the elite division. Two seasons later, the Reds took the title of champions. This achievement was the first in the long chain of trophies, "Liverpool". In the short term Shankly managed to put together a formidable team that posed a threat not only to local clubs, but also to European ones.
Unexpected departure from the team occurred in July 1974years (at that time he was 60 years old). As head coach, Shankly spent 15 years, but towards the end of his career the relationship with the management of the Reds has seriously deteriorated.
Bill Shankly died on September 29, 1981 from a heart attack.
