Bill Shankly - This website is a part of LFCHistory.net

Download two great songs in honour of Shankly

Paul Wilkes is a singer/songwriter from Liverpool who is a big fan of Bill Shankly. He wrote two great songs in Shankly's honour as 2009 is the 50 year anniversary of when Shankly became Liverpool's manager in 1959. George Sephton, 'The Voice of Anfield', has already given his thumbs up and calls the songs 'gems'.

Please visit also Paul's homepage where you can find more about this promising artist.

Click the title of the songs to download them.

Shanks Was The Man - Music by Paul Wilkes. Words by Joe McCloskey and Paul Wilkes. Song is copyrighted by Paul Wilkes 2009.

Shanks was the man

Paisley was his right hand

Smithy the iron

Heighway was flyin high

Crazy Horse was mad

Joey Jones was bad

Clem at the back

Tosh up the front with Keegan

Oh what a team that we had

Oh what a team that we had

Yeatsy was big with strong

Cally could do no wrong

Whealiin was dealin

Balls up the front with Souness

So coming the later days

Kenny's on the stage

Lindsay and Lloyd

Sir Roger and Saint John

Hero's everyone

Hero's everyone

Shanks was the man

Paisley was his right hand

A time of hero's

A team of fighting lions

Oh what a team that we had

Oh what a team that we had

Oh what a team that we had

Off Go The Lights - words and music by Paul Wilkes. Song is copyrighted by Paul Wilkes 2009

Off go the lights

The end of a day

The end of a beautiful era

Hard to say goodbye

We know you could of

Taking us so much further

So now all of those charms

All of those jokes

Will always live on

In our heart of hearts

You are the boss

You are our favorite son

Off go the lights

The end of a day

The end of a magical era

Hard to say goodbye

We know you could of

Taking us so much further

You always did put on a show

But its hard not to

When your everyone's hero

A socialist of the working class

so lets all raise our flags

To half mast

Off go the lights

The end of a day

The end of a beautiful era

Hard to say goodbye

We know you could of

Taking us so much further

Shanks quote
"But the second leg of the semi-final was not a game, it was a war. We stayed at Lake Como, and we had trouble with the church bells. It wasn't so bad until about eleven o'clock at night, when the noise of the day had ceased and there was nothing to hear but the bells. One in particular was like doomsday. Bob Paisley and I went to see the Monsignor about it. We tried to get him to stop the bells ringing for the night so the players could sleep. 'It's not very fair', I said to him through an interpreter. 'We didn't know about this noise and we've come here on the eve of the most important match in the world this year, Inter Milan versus Liverpool.' That was right, because if we had won it, we would have won the European Cup. He was sympathetic towards us, but he said he could not do what we asked. So I said, 'Well, could you let Bob here go up and put a bandage on them and maybe kind of dull them a bit?' Crepe bandages and cotton wool! Bob was killing himself laughing. That would have been one of the funniest things Bob had ever done, one of his greatest cures as a trainer, creeping up the aisle with cotton-wool and bandages! But, we just had to put up with the noise." Bill Shankly talking about when Liverpool were in Milan waiting to face Inter in the second leg of the European Cup semi-final in 1965

Shanks quote

"But the second leg of the semi-final was not a game, it was a war. We stayed at Lake Como, and we had trouble with the church bells. It wasn't so bad until about eleven o'clock at night, when the noise of the day had ceased and there was nothing to hear but the bells. One in particular was like doomsday. Bob Paisley and I went to see the Monsignor about it. We tried to get him to stop the bells ringing for the night so the players could sleep. 'It's not very fair', I said to him through an interpreter. 'We didn't know about this noise and we've come here on the eve of the most important match in the world this year, Inter Milan versus Liverpool.' That was right, because if we had won it, we would have won the European Cup. He was sympathetic towards us, but he said he could not do what we asked. So I said, 'Well, could you let Bob here go up and put a bandage on them and maybe kind of dull them a bit?' Crepe bandages and cotton wool! Bob was killing himself laughing. That would have been one of the funniest things Bob had ever done, one of his greatest cures as a trainer, creeping up the aisle with cotton-wool and bandages! But, we just had to put up with the noise."

Bill Shankly talking about when Liverpool were in Milan waiting to face Inter in the second leg of the European Cup semi-final in 1965

Site News
30 years since Shanks died 29.09.2011 Liverpool's greatest, Bill Shankly, died on Tuesday 29th September 1981 after suffering a heart attack. The front page of Echo read: SHANKLY IS DEAD. It recorded the official hospital statement: "Mr Shankly suffered a cardiac arrest at 12.30 am and was certified dead at 1.20." Shanks had been battling for life since he suffered a heart attack early on Saturday morning. He had been making good progress until his condition deteriorated yesterday morning and he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit. His wife Nessie was by his side when he died." On 22nd November 1981 "A Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Bill Shankly" was held at Liverpool Cathedral. Here you can download and listen to Bill Shankly‘s memorial service (play with Real Player) that was broadcast on BBC Radio Merseyside from Liverpool's Cathedral.
50 years of Shankly 18.12.2009 Several honours have come Shankly's way as in December 50 years had passed since the Scottish legend signed his contract to become manager of Liverpool Football Club. On the 16th Anfield was the stage for an emotional parade of legends along with nine members of Shankly’s family. The sounds of ‘Amazing Grace’ – Shankly’s favourite hymn reverberated at half-time during the game vs Wigan Athletic. A "SHANKS THE LEGEND" mosaic was unveiled on the Kop prior to kick off. The following day Shankly was awarded an Honorary Citizenship of Liverpool in recognition of the 50th anniversary of his arrival as manager of Liverpool FC and his dedication to the region. The award was presented by Lord Mayor Mike Storey on stage during the Shankly Show at the BT Convention Centre in Liverpool.
Download two original songs about Shankly! 11.09.2009 Paul Wilkes is a singer/songwriter from Liverpool who is a big fan of Bill Shankly. He wrote two great songs in Shankly's honour as 2009 is the 50 year anniversary of when Shankly became Liverpool's manager in 1959. George Sephton, 'The Voice of Anfield', has already given his thumbs up and calls the songs 'gems'. Download the songs here.
Paul Tomkins on Bill Shankly 23.08.2009 Paul Tomkins' book, Dynasty, is a reassessment and an in-depth analysis of every manager of the club over the last 50 years. Shankly.com offers you an exclusive look into an abridged version of Dynasty's chapter on Bill Shankly. Read Paul Tomkins on Bill Shankly.