Honours Won : League Championship (1964), Charity Shield (1964), FA Cup (1965), League Championship (1966), Charity Shield (1966), League Championship (1973), UEFA Cup (1973), FA Cup (1974), Charity Shield (1974)
Runner-Up : Charity Shield (1965), European Cup Winners Cup (1966), League Championship: (1969), FA Cup (1971), Charity Shield (1971), League Championship: (1974),
Bill Shankly became Liverpool manager in December 1959 and over the next 15 years he transformed them into one of the top club sides in Europe. Shankly utilised The Boot Room for a second purpose; the location of coaches meetings. The founder members with Shankly of the boot room staff were Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett and Bob Paisley.
Within a year they had released twenty four players but notably retained striker Roger Hunt and full back Gerry Byrne. Fellow Scots Ian St John and Ron Yeats were signed from Motherwell and Dundee United respectively. Winger Ian Callaghan also established himself in the team. In 1961–62, Shankly's third season as manager, they duly won the Second Division championship by eight points and were promoted to the top flight. They have remained ever since, never finishing below eighth in the league.
In 1964, Liverpool lifted the League Championship. It was also the year in which the team adopted its now famous all red strip. They failed to retain the championship trophy the following season but compensation came in the form of a first-ever FA Cup (a 2–1 Final win over Leeds United). That year they also played for the first time in the European Cup where the first match was against KR Reykjavik. This first European campaign ended at the semi-final stage against Italian club Internazionale, going out 4–3 on aggregate. In a tie still remembered on Merseyside, Liverpool won the first leg 3–1 only to lose the second leg 3–0.
The following year Liverpool regained the championship and also reached the European Cup Winners Cup Final – losing 2–1 to Borussia Dortmund after extra time. By now Shankly was one of the most highly rated managers in the game and his squad contained some of the finest players in England. Despite this success Shankly was already planning further signings. Future internationals Emlyn Hughes, John Toshack and Kevin Keegan were signed from clubs in the lower divisions as the 60s team was gradually dismantled.
In 1973 Liverpool won their last League Championship under Shankly. They also won their first ever European trophy that year with a UEFA Cup triumph. Their opponents in the 1973 UEFA Cup Final were Borussia Mönchengladbach. Played over two legs, Liverpool ran out 3–2 aggregate winners. The Final appeared over after the first leg with Liverpool 3–0 winners. However, Mönchengladbach fought back in the second leg to win 2–0, giving Liverpool a narrow victory.
They won the FA Cup again a year later with a convincing 3–0 final win over Newcastle United. Shankly stunned the footballing world soon afterwards by announcing his retirement. The club's players and fans tried to persuade him to carry on, and a local factory even threatened to go on strike. Shankly ignored these pleas and joined the club's fans on The Kop as a spectator, while he handed over his managerial duties to Bob Paisley.
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