On Saturday afternoon, Liverpool will return to Wembley as the club looks to secure an eighth FA Cup title.
The Reds first tasted success in this competition during the 1964/65 season under the guidance of legendary manager, Bill Shankly. Prior to Shankly’s appointment in 1959, Liverpool had suffered defeats at the final hurdle of the FA Cup at the hands of Burnley in 1914 and Arsenal in 1950 and it seemed at one stage as though success would never arrive.
But in 1965, Liverpool’s luck changed at the expense of Leeds United. Forced into extra-time on the day, Shankly’s side scored twice through Ian St John and Roger Hunt to secure silverware.
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A second FA Cup was delivered by the Scot nine years later in 1974, in what proved to be one his final games at the helm before his shock retirement from football a matter of weeks on from getting the better of Newcastle United in the capital.
Shankly’s legacy, of course, lives on to this day and continues to be shared by his granddaughter Karen Gill, who has fond memories of the oldest domestic cup competition in the world.
“Liverpool first won the FA Cup in 1965 and that was the year I was born, so I always say two special things happened in that year,” she told the ECHO.
“In 1974, when my grandad retired, it was one of his last games in charge and it’s a very emotional memory and it must have been the same for him. He always said playing at Wembley was one of the greatest experiences in his career and winning at Wembley was one of the best experiences of his managerial career. It was obviously extremely special to him as Scotland beat England here as well, so that was another thing he was very happy to talk about whenever given the opportunity!
“I just remember, after that game, there was a period where he just disappeared and was just going to different football matches around the country. He had gone into retirement and we hoped he would spend more time at home, but that didn’t happen. He may have claimed he was tired at the time, but I think he just needed a short holiday and could have then come back. He did regret that decision to retire.”
Despite walking away from the club having delivered two FA Cups, Shankly was denied a third after a narrow 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the 1971 showpiece fixture. It was after this loss that one of his most iconic speeches was delivered to a crowd of over 100,000 Liverpool supporters in front of St George’s Hall, who had turned out to greet the squad after their loss in the final.
“'Since I've come here to Liverpool, to Anfield, I've drummed it into our players, time and again, that they are privileged to play for you. And if they didn't believe me, they believe me now,” said the Scot.
Even after the disappointment of missing out on a trophy at the final hurdle, Shankly had built a connection so strong with the fans that nothing could break it.
“It just goes to show how much people held him in such high esteem,” said Gill of the reaction to his stirring speech. “That was a defeat but, in defeat, it felt more like a victory. I can’t really explain that effect he had on people. Everywhere I go, even today, people will still talk about how he inspired them and he inspired people a lot back in 1971. You can see all the images of him and around the area at that time, it really was as if we had won."
Liverpool’s current manager, Jurgen Klopp, has been likened to Shankly due to his charismatic nature and ability to unite everyone associated with the club. It’s a comparison Gill accepts, claiming the pair would likely have enjoyed each other’s company had their paths crossed.
“I haven’t really met Jurgen Klopp, but I feel there is an honesty there that reminds me of my grandad. There is an openness and down-to-earth nature about him. He is original, he is not faking anything or pretending, and that reminds me a lot of my grandad.
“We also have to remember my grandad managed Liverpool for 15 years, which is a very long time .I would like Jurgen to stay for as long as Ulla wants him to - hopefully that’s a long time too! These things are easy to compare at the moment when everything is good, but my grandad had his low periods too and the real spirit appears in moments of difficulty.
“There is a passion about Jurgen Klopp that my grandfather would have latched onto. If they were just talking about football, my grandad was happy any time he was discussing that."
Gill will be in attendance at Wembley this weekend as a special guest of the FA to celebrate the competition’s 150th anniversary. Speaking of her excitement to see if the Reds can claim a second trophy of the current campaign, she added: “It will only be the second time I have been to Wembley so I am looking forward to that. I will be travelling down on the Spirit of Shankly supporters’ coach.”
