48 Quotes by Bill Shankly
Bill Shankly, a legendary figure in the world of football, is best known for his transformative tenure as the manager of Liverpool Football Club. Shankly's arrival at Liverpool in 1959 marked the beginning of a revolution that would forever change the club's fortunes. With his charismatic personality, unyielding belief in his players, and innovative approach to the game, Shankly transformed Liverpool from a second division team into one of the most dominant forces in English and European football. He instilled a winning mentality, fostered a strong sense of camaraderie among his players, and emphasized the importance of hard work and discipline.
Shankly's tactical acumen and ability to spot and nurture talent led to an era of unprecedented success for Liverpool, including multiple league titles and the club's first ever European trophy. Beyond his achievements on the field, Shankly's impact extended to the club's fanbase, as he connected deeply with the community, forging an unbreakable bond between the team and its supporters. Shankly's legacy lives on in Liverpool's continued success and in the enduring values of unity, determination, and the pursuit of excellence that he instilled in the club.
Bill Shankly Quotes
If you are first you are first. If you are second, you are nothing. (Meaning)
At a football club, there's a holy trinity - the players, the manager and the supporters. Directors don't come into it. They are only there to sign the checks.
The difference between Everton and the Queen Mary is that Everton carry more passengers!
Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.
The trouble with referees is that they know the rules, but they do not know the game.
If Everton were playing down the bottom of my garden, I'd draw the curtains.
A football team is like a piano. You need eight men to carry it and three who can play the damn thing.
If you can't support us when we lose or draw, don't support us when we win
Aim for the sky and you'll reach the ceiling. Aim for the ceiling and you'll stay on the floor.
A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are.
Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive a pass. It is terribly simple.
Above all, I would like to be remembered as a man who was selfless, who strove and worried so that others could share the glory, and who built up a family of people who could hold their heads up high and say 'We're Liverpool'.
For a player to be good enough to play for Liverpool, he must be prepared to run through a brick wall for me then come out fighting on the other side."
If a player is not interfering with play or seeking to gain an advantage, then he should be.
Fire in your belly comes from pride and passion in wearing the red shirt. We don't need to motivate players because each of them is responsible for the performance of the team as a whole. The status of Liverpool's players keeps them motivated.
If you get to the edge of the penalty area with the ball and don't know what to do next, just stick the ball in the net for now. We can evaluate the other options later.
Me having no education. I had to use my brains.
Although I'm a Scot, I'd be proud to be called a Scouser.
We are a team. We share the ball, we share the game, we share the worries.
Football (soccer) is a matter of life and death, except more important.
Yes, Roger Hunt misses a few, but he gets in the right place to miss them.
Of course I didn't take my wife to see Rochdale as an anniversary present. It was her birthday and would I have got married during the football season? Anyway, it was Rochdale reserves.
Pressure is working down the pit. Pressure is having no work at all. Pressure is trying to escape relegation on 50 shillings a week. Pressure is not the European Cup or the Championship or the Cup Final. That's the reward.
I’m just one of the people who stands on the Kop. They think the same as I do, and I think the same as they do. It’s a kind of marriage of people who like each other.
Chairman Mao has never seen a greater show of red strength.
If you're not sure what to do with the ball, just pop it in the net and we'll discuss your options afterwards.
I never drop a player I only make changes.
Football is a simple game made complicated by people who should know better.
I would have played Tom Finney in his overcoat - there would have been four men marking him when we were kickin' in.
We absolutely annihilated England. It was a massacre. We beat them 5-4.
Its great grass at Anfield, professional grass.
First is first, Second is nothing.
I want to build a team that's invincible, so that they have to send a team from bloody Mars to beat us.
It's a 90 minute game for sure. In fact I used to train for a 190 minute game so that when the whistle blew at the end of the match I could have played another 90 minutes.
Tom Finney would have been great in any team, in any match and in any age, even if he had been wearing an overcoat.
Train the right way. Help each other. It's a form of socialism without the politics.
I’ve been a slave to football. It follows you home, it follows you everywhere, and eats into your family life. But every working man misses out on some things because of his job.
"The problem with you, son, is that all your brains are in your head.
(to a Liverpool trainee)"
"He's not just the best centre-forward in the British Isles, but the only one.
(about Ian St John)"
Ian Callaghan is everything good that a man can be. No praise is too high for him. Words cannot do justice to the amount he has contributed to the game. Ian Callaghan will go down as one of the game's truly great players.
My life is my work. My work is my life
I'm a people's man - only the people matter.
I was the best manager in Britain because I was never devious or cheated anyone. I’d break my wife’s legs if I played against her, but I’d never cheat her.
This city has two great teams – Liverpool and Liverpool reserves.
It's the greatest thing in the world, natural enthusiasm. You are nothing without it.
Forget the Beatles and all the rest. This is the real Liverpool sound. It's real singing, and it's what the Kop is all about.
Well the Kop’s exclusive. The Spion Kop at Liverpool is an institution. And if you are a member of the Kop you feel as if you are a member of a big society where you’ve got thousands of friends all roundabout you. And they’re united and loyal.
― Bill Shankly Quotes
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Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
