Our guest is Alan Harrison whose grandfather Herbert Roberts was vice chairman of Liverpool FC and was part of the recruitment team that selected Shankly. He approached Matt Busby for permission to speak to Jimmy Murphy, the Man Utd coach, and, the manager of Wales. Later, Alan’s s uncle Eric Roberts was Bill Shankly’s favourite club chairman.
Hear how Liverpool offered players to Man U after Munich. Why Busby left Anfield under a cloud. Busby recommended Shankly, who had previously rejected LFC because he wanted control, including selecting the team. How Shankly convinced us we could overcome a 5-1 first leg defeat at Ajax while wearing an away kit at home and changing to an all red kit.
The Scottish connection, Ian St John , Ron Yeats, Tommy Lawrence and Willie Stevenson, plus Reuben Bennett and Shanks. Heavy metal Shankly football. Clinching promotion. Going to away games with a mate aged nine. Melwood - watching the A, B and C teams. Liverpool women’s football team. Shankly makes a brief first report to the board. Shankly defends Ian St John sent off at Fulham for knocking out an opponent.
Alan is stadium announcer at AFC Liverpool, playing at Marine’s ground in Crosby. He was nearly offered the job as stadium announcer at Anfield, but George Sephton beat him to it. We also talk about Gerry Byrne, captain Ronnie Moran, Alf Arrowsmith, George Scott, players’ injuries, Bob Paisley medicine man and, Alun Evans slashed, why Peter Wall was sold, Emlyn Hughes, Alec Lindsay, reserve team matches, and Lindsay’s Wembley goal.