Author Topic: #SHANKLY100: A Liverbird upon my chest  (Read 10700 times)

Offline Mottman

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#SHANKLY100: A Liverbird upon my chest
« on: July 27, 2004, 12:01:36 am »
A Liverbird upon my chest

Charity Shield 10 August 1975

Liverpool 1 v Leeds United 1
(Liverpool won 6-5 on penalties)

Attendance 67,000


After the utopia of winning the FA Cup 3.0 against Newcastle United in May 1974, the City of Liverpool was really buzzing. Those fortunate to have jobs went to work with a spring in their step and a smile on their face. Productivity was at an all time high and the people were happy these where the special times that will stay forever etched in your mind.

No body could possibly know what was in store for us, but we didn’t care – this was Liverpool Football Club - the love affair grew stronger day by day.

Don Revies Leeds United had won the Championship that season, with the Tricky Reds finishing 2nd some five points behind. A season curtain raiser would take place on Saturday 10th August 1974 in the form of the Charity Shield at Wembley.

Excitement intensified as this would be an opportunity to visit Wembley for the 2nd time. I always remember my Dad saying “Never miss an opportunity to visit Wembley, it’s a special place with special memories, some teams supporters will never ever play there.”  I certainly had no intention of missing this opportunity.

Aged 17 at that time, I had left school and worked in the City centre as a trainee car mechanic / storeman. The money wasn’t that great but at least I had a job and an opportunity to buy some decent clothes and get out and about. There was a great big world out there and we wanted too see as much of it as possible – following those Mighty Reds.

At that time I had been saving up to buy an ALBA music centre from Woolies in the Marion Square, I was only a couple of quid short, very soon I would be able to play my own records on my own music system. One pay day I managed to find the extra money and raced home from work to collect my savings to make my purchase.

I was gob smacked to find that my brother Vic [eight years my senior] (Zappa on here) had put some of his own money with mine and had already purchased the music centre for me. At first I was disappointed, I wanted to buy it in my own right, and then it sunk in that he had my best intentions at heart. His gesture was very much appreciated but the complement had to be returned, I’d have to put my thinking hat on? He had done something special for me I would have to do something special in return.

One warm July night in the Park Hotel, the lads that I hung around with discussed the trip to Wembley and the best option’s for travel. The penny finally dropped! I’d mug him for a ticket for the match and a seat on Lawrensons coaches! This would be the “Thank you” for the music centre and a birthday present for the 27th of July. My mates thought I’d gone daft, fancy going the game with a 25 year old dinosaur? They never knew the reason why?

Liverpool FC released the ticket arrangements and two tickets where eagerly purchased together with two seats on the Lawrensons charabanc. I was disappointed that the lads choose to go by soccer special rather than the coach.

A visit to Ashe & Nephew that Friday night and a supply of the amber nectar was procured. Come the day of the game I felt sorry for my Mum, she made a mountain of butties, sufficient to sustain both of us for the journey there and back.

The excitement built up and up deep inside, very little sleep was had that Friday night, we had to be at Stanley Road for an 8 O’clock departure, the two mile journey on the 28 bus seemed to take forever - the butterflies raced around my stomach whilst the excitement raced through my head.

Lawrensons where cheap and reliable, we boarded the coach in hope that one particular driver wasn’t driving us; in those days one of the drivers was a gruff Scottish man… “Please don’t let it be him” I thought, as the coach drivers left their little huddle and made their way to the coaches.  My heart dropped as he boarded our coach and prepared himself to make way for our departure.  This was the driver who a couple of years previous had taken us to Newcastle and took just under 5 hours, he never got above 3rd gear he was the original slowcoach. 

Once we’d picked up some of the lad’s from Kirkby the journey South was underway, no one board toilets, no stopping off along the way, never mind this came with the territory.

Ambling along the motorway, the butties devoured, the ale safely tucked in our tummies, time to read the daily papers and see what was going on. The Daily Mirror had a two page feature on both of the goalies [Ray Clemence and Jim Harvey] I was surprised to read that Jim Harvey wore contact lenses during the game [more about that later].

As time passed by many Leeds United coaches glided past us, I was envious of the coaches they always seemed to travel by “Wallace Arnold” top of the range with on board toilets, television and tea or coffee facilities, and drivers who would travel above 60 MPH.

The people on our coach where in absolute agony, empty beer can’s were used in some cases, but with each passing mile the pain increased. One of the Lasses managed to convince old Jockey to stop off for half an hour at Watford Gap, everyone legged it to the toilets [I’m certain the sighs of relief could be heard miles away.]

The service station was full of Liverpool supporters we stood outside in the raging sunshine, stretching our legs in univishon to bring back the circulation. This was years before Mad Lizzy and her airobics?

A convoy of Wallace Arnolds pulled up, nine or ten coaches full of some of Leeds finest. The service station emptied as the Liverpool people surrounded the coaches “The Road End” echoed everywhere! An introduction just in case they didn’t know who we were.

The Leeds supporters sat grim faced on their locked coaches as some of the Liverpudlans took the Mickey out of them, whilst some marvelled at the class of the Wallace Arnold coaches!  We slowly boarded our coaches and made our way to “Anfield South.”

Seeing Wembley in the distance brought a huge surge of excitement to your heart, with each passing mile the songs seemed to get louder and sung with even more passion [if that was possible?]

The excitement hit fever pitch as we pulled into the coach park next to the stadium and made our way to Wembley Way and walked up the ground amongst a throng of noise and colour.

Sun bathing on one of the grassy knolls right next to our end, supping a couple of cans of ale and having a laugh.  Watching ticket less supporters climbing or bunking in brought a smile to the face, time after time this one lad would get past the first turnstile only to be escorted out by the police. He bunked in one more time, we laughed and waited for him to be escorted out again… he wasn’t to be seen again, he had reached his dream.

A mob of about 20 Liverpudlians ran up to our end and shouted “Leeds are coming around” everyone shot up on your toes and waited. The 20 or so where in bulk laughing their heads off – some wind up hey?

Wembley was the Mecca of World football, every player in the world wanted to play there in his life time, whist it may have been the Mecca, it was a dump outside. The car / coach park surface was made of pebbles, not the best thing bearing in mind the nature of some football supporters. The mesh and corrugated fences that ringed the car park had certainly seen better days and were in much need of repair.

Once inside the ground the heat and humidity struck home, the crowd that day was recorded as 67,000 with more Liverpudlians than Leeds United. It was strange because the songs seemed to echo around the stadium as if sung by many many more.     

This was the very first Charity Shield game to be played at Wembley, unfortunately this was also the very last time Bill Shankly would lead his much beloved Reds out.



Bill Shankly had handed in his resignation the previous week Bob Paisley was yet to be announced as our next Manager. Leeds meanwhile had also lost Don Revie for the England National job and his replacement Brian Clough stood aside to give Don Revie one last chance to lead his Leeds United side out.   

The noise reached a crescendo as Bill Shankly and Don Revie walked out [two good friends together side by side] the teams in single line followed behind them, the Liverpool sections of the crowd going absolutely stark raving mental in celebration and recognition like only Liverpool supporters can!

SHANKLY… SHANKLY…

Boomed out from the travelling Koppites – The man himself raised one arm high in the air fist clenched to acknowledge his people.



The teams were paraded to whoever, and “Abide with me” echoed through the tannoy system “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was sung for the umpteenth time that day. Sung very slowly [like it should be – none of this 100 MPH stuff like today?]  straight from the heart!

The Liverpool sections where awash with Red and White whilst the Leeds supporters just stood silent to a man. “God save the Queen” was next, this was replaced with “God save our Team” the warm air and the slight breeze sending this rendition across North London for everyone to hear.

Like gladiators preparing for the battle the Liverpool players ran to one of the goals stretching their fine toned bodies [no Lawrenson’s coaches for them?]

The Leeds United teams under the Don Revie regime where always extremely well prepared and aggressive, this would be no friendly game – there was pride and a shield at stake.

Liverpool’s team that day was the same that had won us the FA Cup, apart from John Toshack who was injured. His place was taken by Kirkby born Phil Boersma – There was no place for Ray Kennedy who had been signed during the summer time.

The game started off at a high tempo, crushing tackles flew in every direction no quarter asked and none given. Then on 20 minutes or so a hopeful high cross from Kevin Keegan was dropped by Jim Harvey, quick as a flash Phil Boersma stabbed the ball over the line 1.0 to the Anfielders.

Once we gained our composure I can remember turning to Vic and saying “Don’t forget Jim Harvey wears contact lenses, he doesn’t like high crosses” we both smiled and celebrated some more.

Half time came and went and soon the second half was underway… within 15 minutes of the second half an incident occurred that proved to be the main taking point for many a week.  Kevin Keegan was hacked to the ground by a very ruthless challenge from behind by Johnny Giles. Kevin was furious! He quickly jumped up and thumped Billy Bremner who was standing close to him [a case of mistaken identity] Billy Bremner of course fought back.

The referee that day was Jack Taylor usually quite a lenient man who used a lot of common sense on the pitch, surely he had seen the challenge from Giles and would send him off?



No! the red card was held aloft to Keegan and Bremner? As they both left the pitch in disgust [still arguing with each other] both of them threw their shirts down onto the ground. They became the first British players ever to be sent off at Wembley. 


   
In time play resumed in this bad tempered game with the Tricky Reds just about keeping Leeds at bay, unfortunately they couldn’t hold a rampant Leeds with a header from Trevor Cherry equalising late on in the match. 

The ninety minutes were up with the final score stalemate at one a piece. It was normal practice for both teams to share the Charity Shield for six months in the event of a draw. Not on this occasion, a penalty shoot out would take place to decide who would be the winners.

After both teams had taken five penalties each the score five each, then up walked Jim Harvey (the Leeds goalie?) both of us looked at each other and smiled [Would the contact lenses play there part?]

Up he runs… fingers crossed, arms crossed even legs crossed. YES! He had blasted his penalty wide of the goal. Everyone went ape for a couple of minutes, finally we settled down as Ian Callaghan walked up and placed the ball on the penalty spot. He turned and walked away, again everything was crossed! Up he runs, shoots GOAL?

The celebrations went off big time.

SHANKLY… SHANKLY…



Again echoed around Wembley? I don’t mind admitting that tears ran from our faces as we shouted this from the bottom of our hearts.

Walking out of Wembley stadium that day was a strange feeling, we had won, but we had lost. You felt happy, yet sad.

In time Liverpool FC would move onto greater glory, that’s for another day?

For now I’d like say Happy 55th Birthday to my brother Vic Ashcroft and thanks for this great trip and the many we had afterwards.

Happy Birthday also from Janet, Ian, Marc and Jonathon.


A Liverbird upon my chest.

Here's a song about a football team
The greatest team you've ever seen
A team that play total Football
They've won the league, Europe and all.

A Liverbird upon my chest
We are the men, of Shankly's best
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the championship in May

With Kenny Dalglish on the ball
He was the greatest of them all
And Ian Rush, four goals or two
Left Evertonians feeling blue

A Liverbird upon my chest
We are the men, of Shankly's best
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the championship in May

A Liverbird upon my chest
We are the men, of Shankly's best
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the championship in May

Now if you go down Goodison Way
Hard luck stories you hear each day
There's not a trophy to be seen
'Cos Liverpool have swept them clean

A Liverbird upon my chest
We are the men, of Shankly's best
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the championship in May

Now on the glorious 10th of May
There's laughing reds on Wembley Way
We're full of smiles and joy and glee
It's Everton 1 and Liverpool 3

A Liverbird upon my chest
We are the men, of Shankly's best
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the championship in May

Now on the 20th of May
We're laughing still on Wembley Way
Those Evertonians are feeling blue
It's Liverpool 3 and Everton 2

A Liverbird upon my chest
We are the men, of Shankly's best
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the championship in May

And as we sang round Goodison Park
With crying blues all in a nark
They're probably crying still
at Liverpool 5 and Everton nil.

A Liverbird upon my chest
We are the men, of Shankly's best
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the championship in May

We Remember them with pride
Those mighty reds of Shankly's side
And Kenny's boys of '88
There's never been a side so great

A Liverbird upon my chest
We are the men, of Shankly's best
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the championship in May

Now back in 1965
When great Bill Shankly was alive
We're playing Leeds, the score's 1-1
When it fell to the head of Ian St John

A Liverbird upon my chest
We are the men, of Shankly's best
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the championship in May

On April 15th '89
What should have been a joyous time
Ninety six Friends, we all shall miss
And all the Kopites want justice (JUSTICE!)  

A Liverbird upon my chest
We are the men, of Shankly's best
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the championship in May


Walk on. you will never be alone.


« Last Edit: August 23, 2013, 12:46:19 pm by Hinesy »
A boy from the Mersey and a Son of Shankly.

Offline Spartacus.

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #1 on: July 27, 2004, 12:04:34 am »
HB Vic  :)
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YNWA is more than a song, think about it.

Offline Mottman

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2004, 08:16:18 am »
PPS Wonder if I'll be a grandad again today?

Give us a ring when anything happens and stop biting your finger nails, everything will be alright. ;)
A boy from the Mersey and a Son of Shankly.

Offline WOOLTONIAN

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2004, 10:11:06 am »
Cheers Motty

happy birthday Vic
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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2004, 03:35:51 pm »
A very happy birthday Vic, you lovely lad you  :-*
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Offline Tarpaulin

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2004, 04:25:58 pm »
Nice one Robbie....great stuff.

All the best Vic.  :wave

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2004, 04:56:37 pm »
What can i say....................

Brilliant read once more.............................Huge thank you

Offline RedBoywonder

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2004, 05:01:12 pm »
Great stuff Robbie, Happy Birthday Vic.

P.S You never did use that pic you had me searching for, for hours did you Robbie!................. GIT!  ;)


Justice for the 96.

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2004, 05:59:32 pm »
Brilliant piece of nostalgia (again)

Superb Mottman  :)
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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2004, 11:31:47 pm »
Great stuff Robbie, Happy Birthday Vic.

P.S You never did use that pic you had me searching for, for hours did you Robbie!................. GIT!  ;)




Steve,

Thanks for all your help mate much appreciated, I never found the picture I had with Shanks and Revie together. I think it was from a Leeds United web site, but I can't find it.

 ;)

Robbie
A boy from the Mersey and a Son of Shankly.

Offline Dickie Sam Cratchet

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #10 on: July 29, 2004, 02:15:30 pm »
Historic Liver Birds face a cull



THE bird which inspired Liverpool's most famous symbol faces a cull after it was branded a "lethal killing machine".  Cormorants, which are the model for the city's Liver Birds, will be reduced in numbers because anglers have complained that they eat too many fish.

Numbers of the birds have increased from 7,000 pairs to more than 12,000 in the past 20 years since they gained protection from random killing in 1981.

Even now they can be seen in the heart of Liverpool's docklands, and historians believe the outline of a cormorant was used as a symbol of King John's royal seal when he signed Liverpool's charter almost 800 years ago.

The original seal was lost during the English civil war, but was redrawn as a mythical bird in the 18th Century by the College of Heralds and named the Liver Bird.

Liver Birds became the city's symbol and shot to world-wide fame when Royal Liver Assurance installed two 18ft tall copper statues on the Liver Building on the Pier Head in 1911.

Legend has it that if the two Liver Birds ever fly away, the city will fall. But the Government's fisheries minister Ben Bradshaw is not a Liver lover.  He says he has been harassed by cormorants outside his own London flat and believes the birds are "pests".  And he has launched a publicity campaign with information about how anglers can see off the sea birds.

One of the options is to offer more culling licences to make it easier to gain permission to kill the birds inland around England's waterways and fisheries.

Martin Salter MP, the Government's adviser on angling and shooting, said the "cormorant is a lethal killing machine" and a widespread cull was now necessary.

He added: "A cormorant is a sea bird which hunts fish - that is what God meant it to do. But because of man's over-fishing of sea stocks cormorants have come inland and are devastating rivers and fisheries.

"They can eat up to 2lbs of fish a day, which means they take up to 30,000 tons of fish a year. It's like introducing a shark into a fishing pond."

The move has been backed by North West anglers.      

Ray Wright, owner of Burscough Angling Supplies, in West Lancs, said: "They are definitely doing a lot of damage. The Government have dragged their feet on this for about ten years.

"The cormorants are fearless. You see them fishing in the Leeds-Liverpool canal. I drove past the fishery at Wrightington (near Parbold, West Lancs) and saw six or seven sitting in a tree, just waiting." Ronnie Anderson, who runs a fishery at Sefton Farm, Holmes Wood, Southport, said: "We have not had a problem here. We will get one land and scare them off. But in some places you see fifty of them land on one lake. "They can wipe a fishing stock out. They eat and eat and eat. And when they do not eat they simply kill the fish." But Liverpool's community historian Steve Binns said the Government should leave the birds alone.

He added: "Humans are the biggest danger to the seas not the cormorant. We are the ones who have emptied the oceans and taken all the cod. "I always describe Liver Birds as cormorants with an identity crisis. Putting the birds on top of the Royal Liver Building was one of the best advertising decisions of the 20th Century." Although cormorants are the historians' explanation for the Liver Bird, there are other theories.

Cheshire ornithologist Steve Birchall, for instance, believes the real Liver Bird is the white-tailed sea eagle, once a common sight in the Mersey estuary.


Offline Mottman

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #11 on: March 3, 2008, 10:48:34 pm »
A boy from the Mersey and a Son of Shankly.

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #12 on: March 4, 2008, 08:29:45 am »
I've just thoroughly enjoyed reading that and then noticed it was posted in 2004. Just goes to show great posts are always worth reading again.

can recycling before it was a green issue.
Open can - drink beer - refil can

we used to lob ours out the coach window when we passed some open ground.

Never did understand and it's still one of the great mysteries of the universe.
If you drink 4 cans, how come you always needed a fifth can when emptying bladder ?
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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #13 on: March 4, 2008, 10:23:07 am »
Great read Mottman and from one Vic to another have a very happy birthday mate     :wave
"Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and making yourself available to receive a pass, it is really that simple"

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #14 on: March 4, 2008, 10:56:21 am »
I've just thoroughly enjoyed reading that and then noticed it was posted in 2004. Just goes to show great posts are always worth reading again.

Did the same, but then remembered i'd read it before - the music system/ticket gesture being the trigger. Top read as always Robbie.


Am pretty sure tho that Clough led out Leeds for the first time and that the knowledge of Shankly's retirement was known by then. Not sure on the latter part, but convinced Clough led the team out.


Offline FOOT

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #15 on: March 4, 2008, 11:11:36 am »

Never did understand and it's still one of the great mysteries of the universe.
If you drink 4 cans, how come you always needed a fifth can when emptying bladder ?


Strange that - I only need 3.

(Must be because I am such a shit shot that most of it goes down my shin and into my trainers-  :D)

PS Happy Birthday Vic


« Last Edit: March 4, 2008, 11:13:52 am by FOOT »
THE TRUTH?

Lord Justice Taylor's official inquiry into the disaster disparaged The Sun's story and was unequivocal as to the disaster's cause:

The Taylor Report stated that official cause of the disaster was the failure of police control.

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #16 on: March 4, 2008, 11:23:14 am »
Am pretty sure tho that Clough led out Leeds for the first time and that the knowledge of Shankly's retirement was known by then. Not sure on the latter part, but convinced Clough led the team out.

I think he did too. In mind's eye there's a moment where Clough sort of hovers and let's Shanks move forward on his own to get all the acclaim. It's possibly described in that novel about Cloughie that was published last year ('The Damned United' or something). I'll post it if I can find it.

Great piece though Mottman. Who'd have thought at the time that this would be the last time Liverpool and Leeds met on equal terms as the best two teams in Europe? My childhood imagination was dominated by those Red v White clashes. It was amazing when the Leeds citadel crumbled like it did.

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #17 on: March 4, 2008, 11:44:11 am »
From "Day Eleven" of David Peace's brilliant "The Damned United".

Bill Shankly walks out of the Wembley tunnel alone, out on to the Wembley pitch , out to a massive ovation from the whole of the Wembley stadium, the Leeds fans as well as the Liverpool ones -
You'll never walk alone.
Then Revie takes his salute from the pitch, from both sets of fans -
Marching on together -
Revie in his lucky blue suit; his match-day suit.
Fingers crossed for his team, his boys.

I turn to Bremner in the tunnel, turn to see if he's applauding his old boss, but Billy's looking at his boots.
Continues..

Now he walks out behind me, dragging that League Championship trophy down the tunnel and across the pitch, leading out the glummest faces ever seen at Wembley.  I turn to Shanks and his Liverpool side and  Iapplaud him as we walk from the tunnel to the touchline, the team he built behind him and the team Revie built behind me.
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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #18 on: March 4, 2008, 11:55:51 am »
From "Day Eleven" of David Peace's brilliant "The Damned United".

Well that's done my head in! Am sure I grew up with an image of Clough and Shankly together at Wembly. Started to wonder if it was another occasion but that would be impossible. Found this to confuse things even more:




Quote
'The Charity Shield confrontation marked the last game in charge of Liverpool for Bill Shankly and the debut at the helm of the Elland Road club for the brash Brian Clough. Long time manager Don Revie had departed to take over the England team and the Leeds Board had shocked the footballing world by appointing one of the fiercest critics of both the team and the manager to succeed him.

Clough, in fact, had intended to kick off his reign in a bizarre way, as he explained: "The television pictures from Wembley, for the traditional curtain-raiser of the Charity Shield, should have been different. They showed dear old Bill Shankly leading out his magnificent Liverpool side and alongside him, followed by the Leeds team with the glummest faces ever seen at such an occasion, there was me. Much as I admired Shanks, and I loved the man, I didn't want to march from the tunnel at the head of the Leeds United side that day - I asked Don Revie to lead them out, instead.

"Yes, I was prepared and eager to relinquish the honour of that managerial march onto the Wembley turf which was, and still is, the dream and ambition of everyone who enters the profession. I had not won the title with Leeds - Revie had. I phoned Revie on the day of the match. 'This is your team,' I told him, 'you lead them out at Wembley.' Apart from anything else, I thought it was a decent thing to do, a nice gesture towards a man who had just won the League title - the toughest test of management anywhere in the world. But he was not to be tempted.

http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/matches/19740810.htm




... and another. The one I had in my head, or near as damn it.

« Last Edit: March 4, 2008, 12:00:22 pm by Filler. »

Online Terry de Niro

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #19 on: March 26, 2009, 10:49:53 pm »
Bumping this, after just reading it in the "1974 Charity Shield Leeds 1 Liverpool 1" thread

Love this stuff.
« Last Edit: March 26, 2009, 10:55:38 pm by Terry De Niro »

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Re: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #20 on: August 23, 2013, 12:43:00 pm »
Bump for #SHANKLY100. Great read!
Yep.

Offline vicgill

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Re: #SHANKLY100: A Liverbird upon my chest
« Reply #21 on: August 25, 2013, 06:49:47 pm »
Bump for #SHANKLY100. Great read!

Your not wrong Hinsey mate
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