Shankly: The Leaving of Liverpool

by James Corbett

On Friday 12 July 1974, Bill Shankly shocked football by announcing his retirement as Liverpool manager at the age of 61. Between taking over as Liverpool manager in October 1959 and his retirement 15 years later, he transformed a second-rate, moribund club, stuck in the depths of the Second Division, into the finest team of its generation. And yet by the time of his death Shankly was a tragic figure, the forgotten architect of Liverpool’s footballing dominance. Shunned by his former club and increasingly bitter at his treatment, he traversed the game he loved searching for a meaningful role, for the camaraderie and belonging that once defined his life. ‘It was,’ said Kevin Keegan, ‘the saddest, saddest thing that ever happened at Liverpool.’ On the centenary of Shankly's birth and following recent publication of David Peace's acclaimed fictionalised account of the great man's final years, Red or Dead, award winning author, James Corbett, tells the true story of the last days of a football legend.

Genres: Football, Nonfiction

25 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2013

Reviews

[Sumit Singla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bill Shankly. Any Liverpool fan worth his/her salt would know the name, and the legendary status accorded to the man. The author highlights how/why Shankly left Liverpool and debates on whether the experience left him embittered or not.

It was a great peek into the inside of the club, but left me yearning for more. It's a snapshot, and a glimpse of what happened but it would be deeply interesting to read more (not a fictionalized account like 'Red or Dead' by David Peace and not an autobiographical note either, but a neutral perspective).

[Ian Curragh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4stars

A short and enjoyable book about the legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankley that focuses mainly on his departure from Anfield.

[Gregg Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a shortish read on one of my heroes, so I thought I would give it a go. I wasn't surprised that I knew most of the stories but there were some I didn't know, like the influence Shankly had on Clough's Forest and even on Real Madrid under Toshack.

Like most books covering the topic, it left a feeling of bad blood between LFC and Shankly, even mentioning that the Shankly Gates were more a marketing ploy than a real honour, but that was then and the legacy of Bill Shankly continues in to 2021.