Quotes by Bill Shankly

Bill Shankly to the players after failing to sign Lou Macari : "I only wanted him for the reserves."

Bill Shankly on boardroom meetings : "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 cheques".

Bill Shankly on his relationship with the fans : "I'm just one of the people who stands on the kop. They think the same as I do, and I

Bill Shankly to Alan Ball, who'd just signed for Everton : "Don't worry, Alan. At least you'll be able to play close to a great team."

A scout told Shanks about a young player who he'd given a trial at Liverpool "He has football in his blood," the disappointed scout complained. "You may be right," Shanks said, "but it hasn't reached his legs yet"

Bill Shankly at Dixie Dean's funeral : "I know this is a sad occasion but I think that Dixie would be amazed to know that even in death he could draw a bigger crowd than Everton can on a Saturday afternoon".

Bill Shankly when told he had never experienced playing in a derby : "Nonsense! I've kicked every ball, headed out every cross. I once scored a hat-trick; One was lucky, but the others were great goals."

Bill Shankly after beating Everton in the '71 cup semi : "Sickness would not have kept me away from this one. If I'd been dead, I would have had them bring the casket to the ground, prop it up in the stands and cut a hole in the lid."

Bill Shankly on his resignation : "It was the most difficult thing in the world, when I went to tell the chairman. It was like walking to the electric chair. That's the way it felt."

Bill Shankly to the journalist suggesting Liverpool were in difficulties : "Ay, here we are with problems at the top of the league."

Bill Shankly : "Of course I didn't take my wife to see Rochdale as an anniversary present. It was her birthday. Would I have got married in the football season? Anyway, it was Rochdale reserves."

Tommy Docherty: 'You have to say Tony Hateley's good in the air.' Shankly:'Aye, so was Douglas Bader... and he had a wooden leg.'

'It's a 90 minute game for sure. In fact I used tae 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.'

To Ian St John: 'If you're not sure what to do with the ball, just pop it in the net and we'll discuss your options afterwards.'

About the This-is-Anfield plaque: 'This is to remind our lads who they're playing for, and to remind the opposition who they're playing against.'

Sportswriter to Shankly: 'I think Tony Currie's display was reminiscent of Tom Finney, Bill.' Shankly's reply: 'You could be right. Mind you Tom's 57.'

I told this player, 'Listen Son, you haven't broken your leg. It's all in the mind.'

'A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are. In my time at Anfield we always said we had the best two teams on Merseyside, Liverpool and Liverpool reserves.'

After a hard fought 1:1 draw: 'The best side drew.'

Shanks and Tommy Docherty were at a game. There was a player every other club coveted on view. The Doc turned to Shanks and said '100,000 wouldn't buy him.' Shanks responded 'Yeah, I am one of the 100,000!'

Shankly to a young Liverpool trainee: 'The problem with you son, is that your brains are all in your head.'

After the 5:1 defeat by Ajax in the European Cup in 1967: 'We cannae play these defensive Continental sides.'

On a wartime England v Scotland match: 'We absolutely annihilated England. It was a massacre. We beat them 5-4.'

To Tommy Smith after he'd turned up for training with a bandaged knee: 'Take that poof bandage off, and what do you mean YOUR knee, it's LIVERPOOL'S knee !'

Shankly to the Brussels hotel clerk who queried his signing 'Anfield' as his address on the hotel register: 'But that's where I live.'

Of an opposition defender in the early 70s 'If he had gunpowder for brains he couldn't blow his cap off.

After signing Ron Yeats: 'With him in defence, we could play Arthur Askey in goal.'

To Bill Nicholson before Tottenham's League Cup Final game with Norwich in 1973: 'I see ye haven't got a match this week Bill.'

To a barber, who in 1968 had asked 'Anything off the top ?' 'Aye, Everton'

To Jock Stein after the 1966 CWC tie with Celtic at Anfield: 'Jock, do you want your share of the gate money or shall we just return the empties ?'

To an interpreter regarding excited Italian journalists: 'Just tell them I completely disagree with everything they say.'

Radio Merseyside interviewer to Shankly: 'Mr Shankly, why is it that your teams' unbeaten run has suddenly ended ...?' Shankly: 'Why don't you go and jump in the lake ?'