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Chris
when i woke up from a coma 3 years ago after nearly dying of meningitis, i had time to think and read...since then i have re-read my copy of shankly by shankly several times ..and now whenever i think i am off-line i read extracts to myself, or if i am unsure, it helps me to remember whats important - to believe in the right things and do the right things to avoid pettyness and have hope, and i never walk alone...
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Bill Osborne
My greatest memory of sayings about Bill Shankly was when he was manager of Grimsby Town. He had one of his many disagreements with the Chairman who stated "That man is not cut out to be a manager and he will never succeed"!
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Paul Gill
I was born in November 1973, so I don't remember Bill Shankly managing Liverpool. Of course, I knew all the stories and had heard so much about him - but somehow he seemed to be detatched from the Liverpool I know. Being a lifelong Liverpool fan, it's been quite frustrating to know that I hadn't actually seen this man when he was in charge of Liverpool. Consequently, he seemed a distant figure, lost in the mists of Liverpool History and Folklore. Thankfully though, I found your website.
To be quite honest, the way you've put the site together is fantastic. I spent most of my time at work reading it!!! Now, Bill Shankly seems to be more real to me, and for that, I thank you. Somehow, I can't imagine a bigger compliment to make!
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David Liebovitz
I think this Web Site is awesome !!!
This will ensure that the memories of the great man will live on forever, and for the younger generations to appreciate what Liverpool Football Club meant to Shanks and the people around him during his tenure at the club.
Thanks for all the info, and insights into the life and times of Bill Shankly.
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Tony McCrorie
Thank you very very much for producing the Bill Shankly site; it's a real 'lump in the throat' job! I saw Shanks many times but only met him once, outside St Andrews (Birmingham City) in the 1960s when I was about 12.
The quote I always remember was when Shanks was asked what he looked for in a striker and the reply was "Apart from the obvious, a man who is not frightened to miss."
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Paul Smith
Brill site, very emotive, I doubt that Shanks would honestly believe that football was more important than life itself, but I'm sure that he would agree that it's alot more important than the cheque you take home at the end of the week! Maybe someone should tell the players this as money seems to be the only motivator! Gone are the passionate days when the red jersey meant something, or that touching the this is Anfield sign on the way to the field made you feel invincible. We are dealing with materialistic egos and the footballs just not the same, you probably think I'm some 70 year old whiner, I'm 26 years old and like all true Liverpool supporters, I can tell the difference between good and uninspired football.
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Michael
Shanks' Life and death comment is still relevant post-Hillsborough. Without undermining the tragic deaths of that day, or other days that have brought death to football at Bradford, Corsica, Glasgow and others, the richness that the game has brought to the lives of millions around the world, the context and definition that it lends to people the world over and the common humanity and fellowship that football engenders in people lend the words a significance that Shanks himself would not have dreamed of.
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Colm McCrory
Just writing to say what a great site. Im a dj and i finish every night with 'You never walk alone', dedicated to Shankly. Its great to see 1000 people sing along with every word every week. Shankly is the greatest, I wish Liverpool had him now.
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Hugh Guthrie
... It is my view that Bob Paisley was a better manager than Shankly. I say this without taking anything away from Shanks' achievements. Bob Paisley was one of the greatest ever British managers but never really seemed to get recognition for this and was certainly not shown the affection given to Shanks. This remains the case today when people still immediately think of Shankly and Liverpool as 'one'. This situation has always puzzled me, perhaps because I missed the Shankly years. I do not know if the reasons behind this affection can be logically explained or communicated fully to someone trying to undertand it.
Am I correct in thinking that towards the end of his life the relationship between Shankly and the club or the management at the time was a bit stained? It would have been sad if that was the case. I just wish that the current Liverpool side had a manager the quality of Shankly, Paisley or Dalglish ...
Thanking you for a great site
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Martyn Birchall
I now live in America and travel a lot to eastern Europe and want to thank you for creating such a wonderful web-site and one that has given me many hours of pleasure. The great man touched all our lives in some way and it is right that his memory should be kept alive for future generations. The internet provides a marvellous means of doing so and I am able to direct so many to your site. The great man himself would have fully approved of your efforts.......although not of our 5th place in the league. Mind you as my uncle who was a contemporary of Shankly and who introduced me to the game would have said,"we are where we want to be at this stage in the season".
Keep up the good work and I can tell you it is very much appreciated and a great achievement on your part.
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Mark Wells
Just wanted to say what a brilliant site. I don't think many people these days realise just how important Bill Shankly was to the success Liverpool enjoyed in the 70s/80s....none of it could've happened but for him. His attitude and style have defined what playing for Liverpool is all about.
I often wonder had the players we've had recently would've fared under his management.
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Sandy
What an inspirational truly great motivator the man was. His rasping scottish voice with passion and eloquence the likes we we never see again made him the best!
In these days of pampered half hearted money grabbing so called super stars I'm only glad that the great man never had to deal with them. Not because he could not have handled them, but they are completely at odds with his foundations - HONESTY, LOYALTY AND PASSION.
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Paul Painton
Excellent site. The best I've seen in fact. Shankly was the greatest there has ever been.
Your site is a quality tribute to a great man.
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Rob O'Connor
Just a quick note to say how much I appreciated the Shankly site. I am too young to remember him as manager but from the things people have told me, and what I have read on your site he was and still is a great man and will always be remembered.
Once again, a great site and a great tribute - well done.
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'Cogarden'
Please accept my greatest wishes and thanks to you for a magnificent website dedicated to the "legend" himself.
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Doug Stackhouse
I can't believe it! You've just made my day!
I grew up watching Carlisle United from 1964-1987 then moved to the USA. All I heard growing up was how great United were when Shanks was in charge-judging by what he did at Anfield I can see why.
My Dad is a huge fan of Bill, and will be thrilled when I tell him about your site---thanks a million mate!
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Phil Green
I would like to say first of all What a GREAT site, it is an honour to the great man. I am a liverpool fan born and bread, as far as I am concerned SHANKS is GOD. I have met GOD a few times as my grandad used to be a groundsman at melwood. I was there when we signed Ray Kennedy from the Arsenal, God made are team what they are today, to me he will allways be number one, with Sir Bob just behind.
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Ramsay Duncan
Thanks for the Shanks! I think a large thank-you should be given to you for your time and effort that you have put into this GREAT site. Its great to see fans remember this truely incredable man. To many people forget the past but your site has covered it all making it a GREAT SHRINE rather than just a web site. I think the world would be a better place if we all could think like Shankly! Once again thanks for this great site---from a Liverpool FAN now living in Canada.
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J Shankly
HE WAS PART OF OUR LIVES AS FAMILY AND HE IS ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS AND WILL NEVER WALK ALONE IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.
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Ian Thomson Hamilton, Scotland
Your web site is of great interest to me as Bill Shankly is a relative of mine. My papa Mr Alex Bradford who was from Logan near Cumnock was Mr Shanklys cousin and as children they were very close. Basically that means that Mr Shankly was my 3rd cousin!!!!
I was young when Mr Shankly died and now that I am older and can appreciate how important he was to both Scottish and British football, I only wish I had made the effort to meet the man.
Now I have a 5 year old son and I have tried to tell him how much of an impact Mr Shankly made on the soccer front. Now my son is a mad Liverpool fan and last year I took him to Anfield to the museum and the Stadium Tour. I dont know who was prouder of the Bill Shankly statue outside the ground, me or my son. He took great delight in telling the tour guide as he has his school teacher and others that Bill Shankly is his 4th cousin!!!!
I think your site is smashing as it celebrates his life as my papa would have known him. Sadly my papa died a few years back however reading your site and knowing of the connection with my papa to Mr Shanklys early years it has given me an insight into the problems faced by him as a child.
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Bob Crawford
Thank you for the hard work put into making this site a fitting tribute to Bill Shankly - the man who made Liverpool Football Club believe in itself and fear no-one.
I always remember Brian Clough being interviewed after his retirement. When asked for his views on agents in soccer, he said - "If Bill Shankly had asked a man to play for Liverpool and the player had said he would first have to speak to his agent, Shanks would have hit him....and what's more, I would have held him while he did it."
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Alan Marsden
I am an exiled Liverpudlian. I remember Bill Shankly when he was manager of Huddersfield before joining Liverpool. Norwich City's goalkeeper, Nethercott, was injured in an F.A. Cup match, and Shankly loaned his reserve goalkeeper Kennon to Norwich for the remainder of the season. This speaks volumes about the man.
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Arne Van Wielink
That Shankly reminds me of that person Mickey from the Rocky movies. Same kind of person.
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Tim Hall
I have just been browsing your website, and loved it! It's a great mix of information about the glorious past - the great players and teams, and of course the great man Shankly - and up-to-date news about developments at LFC ie the proposed new stadium in Stanley Park. I liked the piece supporting the move, and I'm sure that Shankly himself would have approved the idea as it will help to keep LFC at the top of the English and European game. I love the idea of giving some nightmares to the gloryboys at the Theatre of Dreams.
Keep up the good work!
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Muhammad Junaid
I love the website its brilliant keep up the fantastic work you are doing. Im sure Mr Shankly would have been proud of it.
I feel so sad sometime that I never got the opportunity to meet the 'great man' as I was just a todler at the time but his legacy lives on at Liverpool FC and if they are going to build a new stadium I hope they name it 'Shankly stadium'. I really hope and pray Liverpool FC restablish itself has one of the greatest and the most succesfull club in the world football.
If Mr Shankly is looking down from the heavens I hope his fortune shines down on Mr Houllier who has done an excellent job so far and the team.
Once again thankyou for your fantastic website on Mr Shankly and I hope the supporters whether young or old read about the Legend " BILL SHANKLY " God bless him.
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Rick Burns
Your website is great and a tribute to the greatest manager of all time and maybe one day liverpool will get another manager like Bill Shankly not just because we won with him but he was always there for the people and the man is a god.
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Eric Taylor
What a great site I can't get enough of it. I am a great Liverpool fan and Shankly was the best ever everything. I even named one of my sons Kevin Ian Emlyn after members of the team. Thanks for the site you have made my day.
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Steve Ashton
Just discovered the Shankly site and what a site! Well done. Shanks was nothing short of a great man. The things he achieved for Liverpool football club and the way in which he achieved them will never be surpassed no matter how many trophies other managers may win. I was only a small boy when he reigned over Liverpool but I can still remember my father taking me to the games to see my heroes, Keegan, Heighway, Tosh, & Tommo to name but a few.
I never had the chance to speak to the great man but still etched in my mind is the Charity Shield in 1974 for 2 reasons. Firstly Keegan being sent off and Shanks as he walked round the perimeter of Wembley coming over to me as my Father held me up and placing his hand of my head. A moment never to be forgotten.
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David Ross
All I can think of are superlatives which make it sound like cliches. Marvellous. Superb. Magnificent. A great tribute to a great man. And I mean a great man - not just a great footballer and manager. Like so many others Shankly has only been fully appreciated since his death. Hard to believe it was 20 years ago. May his memory live forever.
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Bill McAusland
This is a great web site, and it brought back a lot of fond memories, well done!
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Big Bhoy
What a site man!! I was almost crying reading it. No doubt about it Shankly was a legend and will never be forgotten, Coming from Ayrshire myself i know how important football is to the lives of the folk down there and Shankly captured that sense and took it to a different level. HE MAY BE GONE BUT HIS NAME WILL NEVER DIE.
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Jimmy
Well Done ! A truly superb site. Very well set out giving an excellent account of the great man. I found it entertaining and very informative.
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John Boyle
About 1968 my Uncle Tom Doherty worked near Warrington & he happened to know Tommy Lawrence who was then Liverpool’s goalkeeper. I was football mad & when I came home from school one day there was a parcel in the post for me.. It contained a Football Annual & an autograph book which had been signed by the Liverpool FC squad at the time. From that day to now, I have followed Liverpool FC.
I was sorry to see Tommy Lawrence lose his place, but he lost it to one of the greatest goalkeepers ever, Ray Clemence. The Liverpool team of the early 70s were rebuilding, Smith, Callaghan, Hughes, Lawler and Peter Thompson remained from the 60’s and Lloyd, Lindsay, Hall, Toshack, Cormack & of course Steve Heighway who played for the Republic of Ireland, came into the team. It was a great time to follow Liverpool.
It was the second great time Liverpool have had in recent history. The man who put it together in the 60’s was now putting it together in the 70’s. Others came into the team like Kopite Phil Thompson & the irrepressible Kevin Keegan. Toshack/Keegan & Heighway/ what a strike force!
They won the FA Cup in 1974 with a superb display in the final against Newcastle United.
Then the unthinkable happened in the close season, Bill Shankly retired.
I wrote to him to wish him well & to tell him how much I enjoyed watching Liverpool play. I started a football club in Ireland at the time and we played in Red shirts, Red shorts & Red socks.
Bill sent me on his autograph on a photo of his last Liverpool squad. I know from all I’ve read and heard & seen about Bill, that he was football mad, that he loved genuine football supporters, that he was quick witted & worked hard for the supporters of Liverpool and that he was and still is loved by football supporters everywhere. I can understand how footballers like Yeats, St. John, Milne, Byrne, Stevenson, Hunt and all the others played out of their skins for him.
Bill Shankly died in Sept. 1981 a few days after my father passed away. May they Rest in Peace.
I am sorry I never met Bill Shankly, but I feel I knew him!
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Phil Ritson
Bill Shankly was one of those managers who knew that every individual had greatness within him. At Liverpool, he did bring in a string of new coaches. He knew Paisley, Fagan, Moran and Bennett were good enough if they if they knew they were good enough. He got rid of the players who did not want to try and kept those who did. He knew self belief would make moderate talents like Tommy Smith, Ian Callaghan, Roger Hunt etc unbeatable. He was like Don Revie in that way. He knew his club already had the players and coaches needed for greatness, all he asked was that the players and coaches believe it too. I think that is why we will never see his like again.
Football's too disconnected from ordinary life these days. You can't tell a young kid to "believe in yourself, you'll make it" because the highest level of the game is just so far away from an 18 year old's normal exerience that only the very talented can realistically say "yes, I will". Can you imagine a manager today telling the players that football is about a collective unit working together and shring the rewards (Alex Ferguson tells his players that all the time). But can you every imagine a modern manager inspiring his players by telling them that's socialism? Talk life that would get you fired today quicker than you can say "Eileen Drewery". Bill was a unique man; but, today's game would not be able to accomodate him. The modern game is all the poorer for that.
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Nassos Siotropos
My name is Nassos Siotropos & I am writting you on behalf of our Liverpool's Supporters Club based in Athens called ''Hellenic Branch''
Recently on our club office in Athens we invite and we were happy to see the grandaughter of the great Bill Shankly, Karen. Karen has been living in our country for more than a decade and she is married to a Greek man and have two childs.
The atmosphere was very emotional for as but for most to Karen as she saw so many things about her grandfather and bring memories back to her.
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Vangelis Kioulafis
My name is Vangelis Kioulafis and i'm from Athens, Greece. I'm 27 and since the age of 7 i have been a liverpool supporter. I have been 12 times at anfield and 2 times at wembley (1989 fa cup final, 1992 charity shield).
I'm a great fan of bill shankly. I think bill shankly is the greatest ever man in the history of football. I will never forget when i have visited shankly house and met shankly's widow, nessie. It was tremendous for me, me and my mates from greece sitting in shankly's living room...tremendous.
Congratulation for the site...very good. One of the greatest.
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Erik Solheim
Thank You for making this fabulous site about the greatest man of all time. WALK ON !
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Nassos Siotropos
First of all sorry for my english.
This site is brilliant and gongratulations to those who worked for it.
Bill Shankly once said that: football is not a matter of life or death it's much more important than that. I believe for all the true red fans who know the history of this club that Bill Shankly is not a matter of life or death for them it's much more important than that.
Bill Shankly is Liverpool f.c.without him. LFC would have been an ordinary club. Kevin Keegan once said that in his opppinion Anfield sould be renamed in Shankly stadium i thing he was right. I know that the club has honnoured him by building the gates after his death and more recently with his statute outside the kop, but the man deserves more than those, even peston n.e. honnoured him by building a Shankly kop. So i think we sould renamed Anfield us Keegan said.
But the greatest think that the club could do for pay honnour to him would be to add his name on the teams shirt. Shankly is the bigest part of the glub's history.
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Thot Zakariassen
I'm a Norwegian Liverpool-fan and have just started to create my own Liverpool-page. I've been searching for stuff like this. Shankly is THE GREATEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Many thanks!!!
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Bill Bradford
I just looked at this site - excellent ... Walk on - BILL.
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Derek Werrett
I wonder what Shankly would have made of the Internet ? He would probably have said something like 'if it does'nae play fitba it's nae use to me'.
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Gordon Milward
Shanks was a man for the people, his love of the common man will never be repeated in football.he will never be forgotten.
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Martin F
"My idea was to build Liverpool into yer Bastion of Invincibility. Up and up and up until eventually they'd be untouchable, everyone would have to submit"
and he did.
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David Fleming
My grandfather was around the same age as the `Shanks` and grew up in Ayrshire not far from Glenbuck.
Men like them no longer exist.
Great men which we sadly lack in today`s world.
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Tony Burke - ex Throne Walk Croxteth Liverpool 11. (Now spreading the gospel in Yorkshire)
A fine tribute to the man that brought light into my youth on the terraces at Anfield.
Well Done
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Shaun Mandale
I hail from Workington and support Liverpool. Bill managed both. I am too young too remember him but I know from my dad that he was the best manager we ever had. God bless him R.I.P
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Billy Graves
CONGRATULATIONS & many thanks.....it is about time the great man was given the praise he deserved on a wider scale than just Liverpool. It was superb to find it.
I'll be back on it often especially when I try to explain to some of our locals in Derby just what it was about the great man that we loved so much.
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Steven Cuthbert
I just stumbled across your site and enjoyed it immensely. Congratulations, and thanks for a very interesting, well designed, and great tribute to Shanks. Steve
(Watford fan)
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Paul Watson
This site proves that Bill Shankly was nearly as famous as Harry Catterick!!
Enjoyed the site.
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Bill Owens
I am a manchester united supporter who will admit he was one of the greats of our time hard and fair.
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Matt Rayner
I'm a Man City supporter born in Stockport.
The tales on here are a true national treasure and this man shines like a beacon in this ever slicker world.
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John Findlay
Although I am a Hearts fan so, being a Scot I can relate to Bill Shankly's passion for football. It's exactly the same as myself.
I firmly believe if that me and the GREAT man had ever met, we would still be talking about Fit'ba now. We will never see his like again a one off Whereever this game is played and a thousand years from now they will still talk about Bill Shankly. This site is a must for all lovers of football no matter which team you purport to support.
Bill Shankly You'll never walk alone.
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Davie Paton
This is excellent. The honesty of the man brings a lump to my throat. Im not a Liverpool fan but I have respect for their people and traditions. From one Scotsman to another . .
Thanks Shanks
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pato from a Nottingham Forest fan
I've just finished a book about the great Bill Shankly, and it moved me to tears. If only in this day and age we could transfer Shankly's humilty, kindness, loyalty, respect and dignity to our everyday lives this mad world of ours would be a hell of a lot better place. Bring Bill Shankly's teachings into your life! Long live Shankly!
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Pie A Lanarkshire Motherwell Supporter (born 'n' bred)
what an excellent web site you have created. Being 40 years old, a life long Motherwell fan, and born of mining stock myself albeit over 45 years after the great man, I have visited what remains of the village of Glenbuck some 30 minutes from Motherwell and it's not a pretty site. One can almost imagine how difficult life must have been for its inhabitants, but not really.
You say it produced over 50 professional footballers. Perhaps it epitomises what is wrong with our game today. Players have it far too easy as they swan in and out of training in their Ferraris earning copious amounts of money, diving in the penalty box at every opportunity, ending up in court, cheating when ever they can, and basically being a disgrace to the beautiful game. Football needs more Bill Shanklys, Jock Steins, and dare I say it Matt Busbys. Honest hard working men, who lived and breathed the game and gave it their all for very little in return.