Bob Paisley

]</ref> In nine years as manager between 1974 and 1983, he took Liverpool to six League Titles, three European Cups, one UEFA Cup and three League Cups, five Community Shields and a UEFA (European) Super Cup.

Biography

Playing career

Born Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham (now Sunderland), England, Paisley joined Liverpool from non-League Bishop Auckland F.C. in May 1939. However, as with so many of his generation, the outbreak of World War ll delayed the start of Paisley's career. He eventually made his long-overdue debut on the 5 January 1946 in Liverpool's first post-war competitive match, which was an FA Cup 3rd round, 1st leg match at Sealand Road, Chester City. Liverpool won the game 2-0. Paisley's first goal didn't come until the 1 May 1948 in a League game at Anfield, against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Paisley's 22nd-minute strike along with a Jack Balmer goal in the 80th were enough to help the Reds win 2-1.

In the first full season after the war, 1946-47, Bob helped Liverpool to their 1st league title in 24 years, making 34 appearances in the 42-match season. He remained a fixture in the side, appearing in 30+ matches in 1947/48 and 1948/49 and 28 in 1949/50. The 49/50 proved to a season of both highs and lows for Paisley, having scored the opening goal of a 2-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Merseyside rivals Everton only to be surprisingly dropped for the Final against Arsenal, the Reds' first ever appearance at Wembley. Paisley later said that the experience stood him in good stead when it came to telling players they were not going to play in big games, stating he could tell them he knew how they felt and they knew he genuinely did. Paisley became club captain the following season.

After retiring as a one-club man in 1954, he joined the back room staff as self-taught Physiotherapist and had a knack of being able to diagnose a player's injury just by looking at them. He later became a coach for the reserves. The arrival of Bill Shankly as manager in December 1959 transformed the fortunes of the club. Paisley became Shankly's right-hand man and the partnership blossomed, as the three league titles, two FA Cups and UEFA Cup won over the next fifteen years would demonstrate.