Bill Shankly ..100 not out....
and so it's 100 not out
for our very special Scottish friend
for millions of fans all around the world
Birthday wishes, they all send...
William Shankly, born up North of the border
we all know he was keen his talents to show
he was a very kind and humble man
but to look at him on a Saturday afternoon
you would never ever know...
Our Wullie had 4 brothers and 5 sisters
must have been a tough childhood growing up
played good hard football for Carlisle Utd
till Preston NE came along to snap him up...
they offered Carlisle a fee of Ģ500, a bargain
The terms for Shankly personally he did seek
was a fee of Ģ50 plus a Ģ10 signing-on fee
and wages of five pounds a week... !!!
he was good enough to play for Scotland
he was their wartime Captain for sure
he even scored his only goal against England at Wembley
In 1942, the score was 5-4...
he played some games with Matt Busby
another great Scot blue not red
Shanks' only Scottish goal was unusual
a 50 yard shot that bobbled in over the goalies head....
but he went on to become a coach and a manager
success was not evident early on, nae a sooth-sayer
he always spoke common sense and told it as it is
and reckoned he could spot a good player...
learning his trade through the managerial merry-go-round
Shanks learned to coach the hard way
but he was able to spot some real talent
that gift he had never was very far away...
he spotted Keegan and Clemence from Scunthorpe
St John & Ron Yeats from Jock-land
Gordon Milne & Peter Thompson from Preston
Stevie Heighway from Skelmersdale,
they all lived in Ainsdale by the sand...
Brian Hall, Alec Lindsey, Larry Lloyd & John Toshack
all joined the club and became a real force
but Shanks kept his 'coup-de-grace' till later
signing future England captain Emlyn 'Crazy -Horse'....
We'll never forget our Emlyn
his squeaky voice clear for all to hear
was a fantastic servant for Shankly & Liverpool
uttered the immortal words loud n clear
"Liverpool are Magic, Everton are tragic....''
Then Shanks shocked us all and retired
it seems he was burnt out and ready to leave
sadly passed away just a few years later
leaving millions of fans round the world to grieve....
His legacy will live on forever
his presence will always be felt
no one who knew him will ever forget
the day he stood on the KOP and yelled....
''ooooooooh, IIIIIIIIIIIIII, am a Liverpudlian,
and I come from the Spion Kop
I like to sing I like to shout
we support them quite a lot
we support a team that's dressed in red
it's a team that you all know
It's a team that we call LIVERPOOL
and to glory we will go............''
Bill Shankly is an absolute LFC Legend
there will never ever be any doubt
born 100 years ago we will remember
his name every game as we shout...
players will come and players will go
but they all learn one thing from day one
as personal glory they may seek
Bill Shankly put up the THIS IS ANFIELD sign
he told the players that they were privileged to play for the fans
cos they payed to come and watch them every week...
Happy 100th Birthday Bill Shankly,
you deserve your telegram from the Queen
one thing i'll never forget
you're the best manager there has ever been....
I'll finish off this little ditty
with a laugh, a smile, a tear, and a groan
because we miss the grumpy old buggar
Bill Shankly, You'll Never Walk Alone....
johnlemmon.... @