Hall on the Ball!
W
ell I hope your Christmas and New Bill Shankly took over a poor Liverpool side
Year went well and things might start that was in the bottom half of the old second
to pick up on the streets as we work our way G L Y L V L R Q > W R G D \ � V & K D P S L R Q V K L S @ D Q G Z H U H Q R W
through January. only second rate, they were the second-best
side on Merseyside! Over the next 15 years
Ryan Giggs-BBC Personality Shankly transformed the club and gelled
of the Year
them into a force that not only regained
the title of the best team in Liverpool, but
So what makes everyone feel that Ryan
he laid the foundations that made them
Giggs is the deserved winner of the BBC
feared throughout Europe and at this point
6 S R U W V 3 H U V R Q D O L W \ R I " : H O O , � O O W U \ D Q G
I will confess that I claimed Liverpool as my
H Y D O X D W H W K H P D Q \ U H D V R Q V Z K \ K H � V K H D G
� V H F R Q G W H D P � D V \ R X K D G W R D S S U H F L D W H D Q G
and shoulders above the rest.
admire the stuff that Liverpool were turning
out on a weekly basis.
Giggs burst onto the scene as far back as ) H U J L H N H S W 5 \ D Q R Q W K H � V W U D L J K W D Q G Q D U U R Z �
1991 when he scored the only goal in a L Q K L V H D U O \ G D \ V D Q G , Z D V Q � W V X U S U L V H G W R
The raw statistics show that under Shankly,
Manchester derby and was a product of the learn when he went to a birthday party that
Liverpool won Three League Championships,
brilliant youth side which included Beckham, his old team mate, Paul Ince, held a few
W Z R ) $ & X S V D Q G D 8 ( ) $ & X S E X W W K D W G R H V Q � W
D Q G W K H 1 H Y L O O H � V 0 D Q 8 I D Q V K D G E H H Q Z D L W L Q J months ago that Giggs never drank alcohol
tell the full story! Behind the scenes Shankly
D O R Q J W L P H W R � Q G D U H S O D F H P H Q W I R U * H R U J H and was careful with what he ate and with
enforced his personality and style on every
% H V W D Q G L Q 5 \ D Q W K H \ Z H U H Q � W O H W G R Z Q 6 S H H G a big Champions League game three days
facet of the club, just like Arsene Wenger has
P D U Y H O O R X V F R Q W U R O Z L ] D U G U \ Z K H Q � H H W R I I R R W
away, bid his farewells and departed at a
recently done at Arsenal. Shankly created the
D Q G J K R V W L Q J S D V W G H I H Q G H U V L V 5 \ D Q � V D V V H W V
reasonable time when the party was in full
I D P R X V � % R R W U R R P � K H U H Y R O X W L R Q L V H G W U D L Q L Q J
as he preferred to do his talking on the pitch.
swing. That is just one example why Ryan
and pushed for continual improvements at
/ H W � V E H I D L U Q R R Q H Z L O O U H S O D F H W K H O H J H Q G D U \
has been a top player at one of the top clubs
$ Q � H O G $ 6 K D Q N O \ P D V W H U V W U R N H Z D V F K D Q J L Q J
George Best but in years to come, I feel fans
for his entire career.
W K H N L W F R O R X U W R � D O O U H G � D V K H I H O W W K D W L W P D G H
everywhere will be saying the same about
his team look a little bit more imposing, and he
Ryan. Instrumental behind his success is Sir
Some people think that playing football
Z D V Q � W Z U R Q J
$ O H [ ) H U J X V R Q Z K R E H F D P H D � I D W K H U � J X U H � W R
is easy, and it probably is, but Ryan has
leading his young charges to winning trophies
constantly gone through the whole rigmarole
6 K D Q N O \ � Q D O O \ U H W L U H G L Q D Q G K D Q G H G
E H \ R Q G W K H D Y H U D J H S O D \ H U V � Z L O G H V W G U H D P V
of turning up for training, through the sun and
the reins of the Reds to Bob Paisley who
Ryan became a regular starter in Fergies
U D L Q S X W W L Q J L Q D S U R S H U � V K L I W � I R U D O P R V W
W H D P D Q G V L Q F H W K D W W L P H K D V K H O S H G 8 Q L W H G W R
years for one of the biggest teams in Europe
went onto become the most successful
dominate the domestic scene including winning
D Q G L I \ R X W K L Q N W K D W � V H D V \ W K H Q W K L Q N D J D L Q
manager in the British game of his day. But
the double on three occasions. One of those
none of this would have been possible if
doubles was turned into a treble in 1999 when
, � P G H O L J K W H G 5 \ D Q * L J J V K D V Z R Q W K H
Shankly never had arrived. He was, like the
Giggs helped united end a 30 year drought of
BBC Sports Personality of the Year as he
D I R U H P H Q W L R Q H G 6 L U $ O H [ ) H U J X V R Q D � I D W K H U
winning the European Cup now known as the
deserved it but I got a sneaky feeling that this
� J X U H � W R K L V S O D \ H U V D Q G Z D V D G R U H G E \
European Champions League.
Z R Q � W E H W K H O D V W S L H F H R I V L O Y H U Z D U H K H Z L O O
the fans. He never took any rubbish from
lift before he hangs his boots up! Well done
any one and that included the Board of
5 \ D Q D O V R E H F D P H : D O H V � \ R X Q J H V W H Y H U
* L J J V \ \ R X � U H G L I I H U H Q W F O D V V P D W H
Management of the day and Shankly would
L Q W H U Q D W L R Q D O Z K H Q K H Z R Q K L V � U V W F D S D W W K H
R I W H Q K D Y H � Z R U G V � Z L W K W K H P
tender age of 17 years and 332 days. Ryan
% L O O 6 K D Q N O \ W K H � . L Q J R I W K H . R S � Z K R
became a star in a national side that was
P D G H / L Y H U S R R O � * U H D W �
I admired the legendary Bill Shankly and his
a bit like a pub team and was accused of
W H D P V D Q G Z K D W K H P D N H V R I W R G D \ � V W H D P
S X W W L Q J � F O X E E H I R U H F R X Q W U \ � E X W W R E H K R Q H V W
- X V W R Y H U � I W \ \ H D U V D J R / L Y H U S R R O ) &
X Q G H U 5 D I D H O % H Q L W H ] R Q O \ K H N Q R Z V E X W , � O O E H
, G L G Q � W E O D P H K L P D Q G W K H F R P S D U L V R Q V W R
decided to take a bit of a gamble and install a
K R Q H V W / L Y H U S R R O G R Q � W F D U U \ W K H � I H D U I D F W R U �
Best still go on as they [Ryan and George]
relatively unknown manager from Glenbuck, tag anymore which can only be good for their
never had an opportunity to play on the
Ayrshire in Scotland. It was, quite simply, the opponents and Everton of course! Shankly
international stage at a World Cup.
single most important moment in the history Sayings: “If Everton are playing at the bottom
of the club. R I P \ J D U G H Q , � G S X O O W K H F X U W D L Q V � 2 Q W K H � 7 K L V
His loyalty to united will ensure that defences
L V $ Q � H O G � S O D T X H � L W � V W K H U H W R U H P L Q G R X U O D G V
will still be aware that they are in the
who they are playing for, and to remind the
presence of a living legend and they will be
R S S R V L W L R Q Z K R W K H L U S O D \ L Q J D J D L Q V W � � 3 U H V V X U H
up against the consummate professional and
is working down the pit. Pressure is having
a shining example to youngsters in the game.
no work at all. Pressure is trying to escape
relegation on 50 shillings a week. Pressure is
Ryan will always be remembered for scoring
not the European Cup or the Championship or
a fantastic goal against the meanest club
W K H & X S � Q D O 7 K D W � V W K H U H Z D U G �
defence when he dribbled from the half-way
line, weaving beyond the Arsenal defence 6 H H \ R X Q H [ W P R Q W K D Q G L I \ R X � Y H J R W D
and smashing the ball past David Seaman in story, drop me a line at russthehammer@
W K H V H P L � Q D O R I W K H ) $ & X S L Q E H I R U H
hotmail.co.uk or if you see me in the cab in
ripping off his shirt and twirling it around his London, stop for a chat. My black TX11 reg
head revealing a car mat! L 6 - 5 8 6
40
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