William Shankly (2 September 1913 – 29 September 1981) was a Scottish football player and manager, who is best known for his time as manager of Liverpool. Shankly brought success to Liverpool, gaining promotion to the First Division and winning three League Championships and the UEFA Cup. He laid foundations on which his successors Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan were able to build by winning seven league titles and four European Cups in the ten seasons after Shankly retired in 1974. A charismatic, iconic figure at the club, his oratory stirred the emotions of the fanbase. In 2019, 60 years after Shankly arrived at Liverpool, Tony Evans of The Independent wrote, “Shankly created the idea of Liverpool, transforming the football club by emphasising the importance of the Kop and making supporters feel like participants.”Shankly came from a small Scottish mining community and was one of five brothers who played football professionally. He played as a ball-winning right-half and was capped twelve times for Scotland, including seven wartime internationals. He spent one season at Carlisle United before spending the rest of his career at Preston North End, with whom he won the FA Cup in 1938. His playing career was interrupted by his service in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He became a manager after he retired from playing in 1949, returning to Carlisle United. He later managed Grimsby Town, Workington and Huddersfield Town before moving to become Liverpool manager in December 1959.
Shankly took charge of Liverpool when they were in the Second Division and rebuilt the team into a major force in English and European football. He led Liverpool to the Second Division Championship to gain promotion to the top-flight First Division in 1962, before going on to win three First Division Championships, two FA Cups, four Charity Shields and one UEFA Cup. It was during Shankly’s reign the club changed to an all-red home strip, and "You'll Never Walk Alone" became the club’s anthem. Shankly announced his surprise retirement from football a few weeks after Liverpool had won the 1974 FA Cup Final, having managed the club for 15 years, and was succeeded by his long-time assistant Bob Paisley. He led the Liverpool team out for the last time at Wembley for the 1974 FA Charity Shield. He died seven years later, aged 68. Considered one of the greatest managers in the sport, Shankly was among the inaugural inductees into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
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Some of their strengths
Bill Shankly has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Sophisticated, Confident, Extroverted, Responsible, Disciplined, Loyal, and Protective.
Smart and Sophisticated
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Bill Shankly is someone who is a smart, sophisticated, and organized person who displays kindness and grace in every day interactions, and who also has a passionate soul. A person who looks for jobs that tend to reflect their identity.
Passionate and Intense
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Bill Shankly well know them as someone who can be passionate, proud, and intense, like the sun or a blazing fire.
Imaginative and Sentimental
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Bill Shankly as someone who is imaginative, sentimental, and in touch with emotions.
A person who has extremely good memory and analytical skills, likes to make sure that everyone gets along, enjoys all kinds of situations and people, has a talent for travel and languages, and who makes lifelong friends.
Justice-seeking and Insightful
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Bill Shankly is someone who tends to be intolerant of unfairness in life, and who has an uncanny ability to reveal the truth in any situation.
They are also someone who is calm, comforting, and stable, and who loves stability and being a good friend and loyal partner.
Altruistic and Purposeful
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Bill Shankly tends to be someone who has a desire to be of service to a higher calling and who is always trying to perfect things. Who can be practical and polished, reserved and methodical, and who tends to trust internal judgment before trusting anyone else at face value.
Some of Bill Shankly's challenges
While Bill Shankly has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Bill Shankly can be Arrogant, Difficult, Perfectionist, Status-seeking, Irritable, Moody, and Unemotional.
Difficult and Perfectionist
One of Bill Shankly's key challenges is that they are someone who can be difficult and too much of a perfectionist.
Bill Shankly must also exercise caution as they can have difficulty dealing with responsibility, authority, or criticism.
Irritable and Moody
Bill Shankly is someone who can be irritable and moody, have a tendency to experience self-doubt, be too secretive, can take too many risks, and who can have an extreme approach to managing personal finances.
Critical and Bossy
Finally, Bill Shankly also can be too focused on the small details of life, try to control whatever is happening, and be finicky and demanding.
