Author Topic: George Best on Shankly... an excerpt from his book (Read 95796 times)

minusone · « **Reply #120 on:** March 16, 2008, 11:20:24 am »

Everything that made him a legend.

vicgill · « **Reply #121 on:** March 16, 2008, 01:27:01 pm »

Quote from: WOOLTONIAN on March 16, 2008, 11:17:17 am

I miss him so much.
If he had said it's dark during the day and light at night, I'd have been going to school in the dark and going to bed at sunrise
God bless Bill

That's really nice that karl

Thé_Ḓárk_P̌áşşéngér · « **Reply #122 on:** March 16, 2008, 01:36:34 pm »

Not seen this thread before. Absolute class.

Stussy · « **Reply #123 on:** March 16, 2008, 01:42:42 pm »

Quote from: WOOLTONIAN on March 16, 2008, 11:17:17 am

I miss him so much.
If he had said it's dark during the day and light at night, I'd have been going to school in the dark and going to bed at sunrise
God bless Bill

I really think that collectively we have not awoken from his spell.

We still crave him and seek him out in our manager, and in the idealised relationship with the club and our leader that we all have in our minds.

The affection and devotion that we show to Rafa is part of this. Our relationship with our boss is still shaped by the relationship we had with Shanks. We want our manager to be in his image. To inspire us and make us dream and have the same kind of swaggering wit and intelligence and messianic belief in us as a club, as fans, and as a city.

We are known as a manager's club. It might even be a weakness sometimes. But more often than not its about wanting to see the club personified in a single figure that we can show immense devotion to. And that is all because of the magic weaved by Bill Shankly. We're still living in his afterglow and he has moulded the minds of all of us, even the Liverpool fans who weren't born when he retired.

Like I said, we are still in his spell. Almost forty years have passed and we are still mesmerised by him.

skidz73 · « **Reply #124 on:** March 16, 2008, 01:50:27 pm »

I can't begin to describe how reading about Shankly makes me feel. We were truly blessed to have him as our manager.
Thank you so much for typing that

Mackinaw Peach · « **Reply #125 on:** March 16, 2008, 02:41:27 pm »

Would love to see some of today's overpaid pros in a negotiation with Shanks! And the Stan Matthews comment to the journo was hilarious.

No wonder Shanks liked Best. Greats can only confirm their status if they have worthy opponents, and Shanks loved skillful players. Best clearly respected/admired Shanks' mind games - as well as being effective, they always seemed to have a dry and humorous tone. Not like the bile from old red nose.

Thanks for posting - glad this thread got resurrected, only a week early too.

The Flying Pig · « **Reply #126 on:** March 16, 2008, 04:02:05 pm »

Thanks for posting that,a great read

Terry de Niro · « **Reply #127 on:** March 16, 2008, 06:28:33 pm »

Bump ^^^ This should stay at the top of the page.

litmanen37 · « **Reply #128 on:** March 16, 2008, 06:31:35 pm »

Quote from: Thierry De Niro on March 16, 2008, 06:28:33 pm

Bump ^^^ This should stay at the top of the page.

agreed

great read - nice one

justarslan · « **Reply #129 on:** March 16, 2008, 08:44:12 pm »

Great read and thanks a lot for typing it.

kasperoff · « **Reply #130 on:** March 16, 2008, 09:25:47 pm »

'Even a broken clock is right twice in a day.'

'Slower than steam rising off a dog turd.'

Legend!

campioni1984 · « **Reply #131 on:** March 16, 2008, 10:22:35 pm »

Love reading stories like that about Shanks,brilliant read that,really funny.

folster · « **Reply #132 on:** March 16, 2008, 11:02:31 pm »

Bloody funny. Thanks.

Robbies5th · « **Reply #133 on:** March 17, 2008, 12:56:25 am »

Great read. Thanks!

BingBangBosh · « **Reply #134 on:** March 17, 2008, 12:59:49 am »

Not read the whole thread, but has it been mentioned about the time you were due to play us and your team were staying in a hotel near Bobby Charlton's house... Shanks was nervous and couldn't settle his mind, so he came over to Charlton's house for tea and a chat. Your team coach picked him up on the way to the ground.

Football's changed, hasn't it?

Redshadow · « **Reply #135 on:** March 17, 2008, 07:14:12 am »

It has, sometimes all the bitterness around makes the game seems to be in a sorry state.
anyway, thanks for those who brought back this thread. Enjoy it so much!

kopulater · « **Reply #136 on:** March 17, 2008, 11:31:04 am »

I remember a home game the week after we had lost to Everton. Shanks was signing autographs at the Anfield players entrance and he would not sign with a pen that had blue ink, so all of us kids were running round looking for somebody who had red or green ones. He was the greatest-never to be replaced no matter what we win.

Ken-Obi · « **Reply #137 on:** November 12, 2009, 12:42:38 pm »

Thought I'd bump this again for those of you who have never read it.

DangerScouse · « **Reply #138 on:** November 12, 2009, 12:54:28 pm »

Read this before but well worth a read again. Shanks would tear todays media to fucking shreds.

PaisleyPrint · « **Reply #139 on:** November 12, 2009, 01:08:13 pm »

Bittersweet thread - sad that the great man is no longer with us but what wonderful memories he left behind.

I think the wage demands of players today would sicken him - 'a genius is born, not paid' is certainly not true now.

TipTopKop · « **Reply #140 on:** November 12, 2009, 01:13:47 pm »

It's a different time, and a different era, the pace (not just of the game) was so much slower, money wasn't such a factor, time was taken to know the people behind the players.

Shanks was a true legend. It is a damn shame the game is what it is today.

all_funkt_up · « **Reply #141 on:** November 12, 2009, 01:16:28 pm »

Timeless stuff, really enjoyed reading that while eaing me sarnies.

John Arne Teaser · « **Reply #142 on:** November 12, 2009, 01:17:29 pm »

Thanks mate, enjoyed that.

Woolly Mammoth · « **Reply #143 on:** November 12, 2009, 01:17:42 pm »

Rossie · « **Reply #144 on:** November 12, 2009, 01:57:16 pm »

Loved that quote, "even a broken clock is right twice a day".

Legend Shankly, and Best is a legend too.

TheReturnof7heKing · « **Reply #145 on:** November 12, 2009, 02:10:01 pm »

Ah Jesus, what a read! Funny as fuck. The wit of the man, unreal.

conman · « **Reply #146 on:** November 12, 2009, 03:06:55 pm »

great extract that... thanks for typing it out..

Tarantino Red · « **Reply #147 on:** November 12, 2009, 04:12:26 pm »

More than just a football manager.

wesley · « **Reply #148 on:** November 12, 2009, 06:49:10 pm »

Top stuff. Thanks!

Phil M · « **Reply #149 on:** November 12, 2009, 06:59:50 pm »

One of a kind. Great to see younger Reds realise just how special and unique Shanks was.

quinny · « **Reply #150 on:** November 12, 2009, 07:12:11 pm »

Thanks for taking the time to post that, really good read. Loved the Bobby Charlton illness story!

bonzer red · « **Reply #151 on:** November 12, 2009, 09:15:44 pm »

the thing about that story about only beating the team with only 3 players, have a old video where Emlynn hughes tells that story, the funny thing was that they actually beat us 2.0 and all the players were in dressing room gutted, then the door swings open in walks shanks and says aye they've some team that united.

pure classic shanks

farawayred · « **Reply #152 on:** November 12, 2009, 10:24:52 pm »

Excellent read that, thanks.

shanklyboy · « **Reply #153 on:** November 13, 2009, 12:15:55 am »

One of the great things about Shankly was that he could see through people.
He had great affection for Best and it was clear that the lad was a one off, both in terms of his status in the game and off the pitch. Shankly knew that he was just an ordinary working class lad and could speak to him purely as a football man to another football man.
He was never taken in by hype surrounding players but saw the person behind it all.

Apart from the fact that he worked and played with some of the best players ever to walk onto a pitch, so few things were new to him.
Best's career at the top was short, but what a player he was....an absolute diamond. Not just skill in abundance but as hard as nails. Some of the tackles he took and just got on with it!
I think Shanks liked that.

I doubt if he approved of Bests lifestyle or the way he let Sir Matt Busby down so many times but the thing with Best was that he never made excuses or blamed anyone else. He took responsibility for and acknowledged what he was.I'm sure Shanks would have made allowances for that.

Best also had a few great stories of his own. My favourite is the one he told about being in a hotel room and ordering room service.
When it arrived the lad came in with a trolley and saw Miss World draped over the bed. The room was full of empty champagne bottles and £1,000s strewn all over the floor...his winnings from the casino.

The waiter looked around and shaking his head said...." George......where did it all go wrong"

shanklyboy · « **Reply #154 on:** November 13, 2009, 12:20:35 am »

Quote from: Stussy on March 16, 2008, 01:42:42 pm

I really think that collectively we have not awoken from his spell.

We still crave him and seek him out in our manager, and in the idealised relationship with the club and our leader that we all have in our minds.

The affection and devotion that we show to Rafa is part of this. Our relationship with our boss is still shaped by the relationship we had with Shanks. We want our manager to be in his image. To inspire us and make us dream and have the same kind of swaggering wit and intelligence and messianic belief in us as a club, as fans, and as a city.

We are known as a manager's club. It might even be a weakness sometimes. But more often than not its about wanting to see the club personified in a single figure that we can show immense devotion to. And that is all because of the magic weaved by Bill Shankly. We're still living in his afterglow and he has moulded the minds of all of us, even the Liverpool fans who weren't born when he retired.

Like I said, we are still in his spell. Almost forty years have passed and we are still mesmerised by him.

Great post that mate.
Though I doubt if some of the younger fans can actually fully believe about the Shankly philosophy today what we have thought and believed for years. Given how some act in the ground and the fact that many have to keep explaining what it is all about.

It's true to say that if Shankly had told us to invade Poland we'd be queuing up 10 deep all the way from Anfield to the Pier Head.