History of the Liverpool Football Club (1959-1985)

Bill Shankly led Liverpool in the middle of the 1959/60 season, when the club was in the Second Division. In the first season, under the leadership of Shankly, two players made their debut. Ian Callaghan , who subsequently played the most games for the club. And Roger Hunt , who became the best scorer of Liverpool in the championships of England. Despite the appearance of Shankly, the team was not mediocre, taking 3rd place which did not immediately allow the First Division to leave. Shankly began to think which players to leave for better results. As a result, by the end of their first season, the team left all 24 players who had previously played for the team. Shankley also kept a staff room and converted the shoe storage room into a coaching room for discussing match strategies, which later became known as Butrum and became an integral part of the club’s future success.

The next season, the team again took 3rd place, not allowing again to return to the top division. Despite 14 games without defeats and only 5 defeats. After a season, the signings of Ian St. John and Ron Yates helped to enter the First Division, while the team won the Second Division with 62 points, and not losing more than one match at Anfield during the season. In the 1962/63 season, Liverpool returned to the First Division for the first time in eight years. Despite a disastrous start in the championship, the Reds improved the campaign of the season. Including having issued a win-win series and by March having come out on the 4th place. In the FA Cup, Liverpool for the first time since 1950 reached the semifinals, where they lost 0-1 to Leicester City . At the end of the season, the results of the “red” in the championship deteriorated, including a devastating 7-2 defeat against Tottenham . As a result, taking only 8th place.

The following season, the restructuring team started by Shankly yielded results. In the offseason, Peter Thompson was signed, which allowed the use of the entire field width, which was lacking in previous years. In the 1963/64 season, the Reds started very poorly, gaining only 9 points in 9 games. But the first victory since 1950 in a derby over Everton 2-1, served as a catalyst for improving the results of Liverpool. Having scored 47 points in the next 30 games, the Reds won their sixth England title. The success of the team has contributed to the improvement of home attendance of more than 50 thousand. Also, the sound support of the fans became more active, and thanks to the fan tribune “Cope”. The club’s anthem was “ You'll Never Walk Alone .”

Thanks to the victory in the championship, Liverpool first qualified in the European Cup. In the 1964/65 season, the Reds played in the European Cup, reached the semifinals. Losing the sum of two matches to Milan Inter. But the game was not without scandal, Shankly accused the judges of bias against the Italian, who allowed to score one goal against the rules. Such good results in Europe were supported by a good game in the FA Cup, where the team reached the final. The decisive game was to play with Leeds. The main time of the match ended without goals scored, in extra time Hunt opened the score, but the Leeds quickly won back. Goal of St. John brought victory in the match, and also allowed for the first time in the history of the club to win the FA Cup. Despite not bad results in cup tournaments, Liverpool was only 7th in the championship.

The victory in the FA Cup meant the automatic participation of Liverpool in the Cup Winners' Cup in the 1965/66 season. In that draw of the tournament, the Reds went one step further than in the previous season. Reaching the finals, where he was to meet with the German “Borussia” Dortmund. The main time of the match did not reveal the winner, ending with a score of 1: 1. In extra time, Reinhard Libuda scored the only goal in 107 minutes. Bringing Dortmund victory in KOK. The FA Cup defense ended already in the 3rd round, defeated by Chelsea. Failures in cup competitions were offset by a victory in the championship. The key game was the victory over Chelsea in late April, which brought the Roger Hunt double.

The next couple of seasons became less successful for the club. Liverpool returned to the Champions Cup in the 1966/67 season, but finished playing in it, already in the 2nd round. Having lost by the sum of two meetings, the Ajax Amsterdam (7: 3). The team also performed disappointingly in the championship, taking 5th place. The main event of the season was the signing of the future team captain, Emlyn Hughes, for 65 thousand pounds.

Season 1967/68, the “Reds” began successfully. Going in second place, with three points behind Manchester United. But participation, along the way in the Fairs Cup, the FA Cup and the League Cup, badly affected the team’s further performance in the championship. Liverpool finished it in third place, skip ahead and the future winner of Manchester City. Over the season, the team held 59 official matches, without coming to success in more than one of them. The maximum achievement in the cups was the 1/4 final of the FA Cup.

The following season, Liverpool improved his position in the championship. In exchange, having failed in cup competitions. But the team was unable to return to the Champions Cup, taking second place with a six-point backlog from Leeds United. Also, the season became one of the key for Shankly, since many players who were part of the team’s cage left her. Finishing a gaming career or going to other clubs. Jerry Byrne ended his player career after several seasons in Liverpool, having played 273 matches in the championship. Shankly was faced with the task of replacing him. Replaced it with the signing of Hughes, also previously signed Ray Clemens by the seasons, although he did not get all the transfers. So it was acquired, Tony Hayley for a record 96 thousand pounds from Chelsea. Due to constant injuries and poor form, it was sold a year later at Coventry City. During the 1968/69 season, Alan Evans was acquired for £ 100,000 from Wolverhampton Wanderers. It was a record amount for teenagers at that time, but constant injuries prevented him from playing for the Reds.

The 1969/70 season was also one of the last for key players in the past. Including Hunt, St. John and Yates, who played the last match for the club. In the sixth round of the FA Cup, Liverpool lost to Watford. According to Shankly, that was the cause of some team veterans. However, this did not prevent Liverpool from starting well in the championship, where they lost more than one match until the 0-1 defeat against Manchester United. But the poor game form of age players did not allow to continue the victorious gait, the team finished only fifth. In the cup competitions, the “Reds" also expected failure, a relegation to the early stages of the League Cup and the Fairs Cup.

At the beginning of the 1970/71 season, Shankly began to form a new team of young players. As a result, the average age of the players became 22 years old. Players acquired at the end of last season, such as: Clemens, Larry Lloyd, Alec Lindsay and Steve Hayway. We started to take root in the team. John Toshak was also acquired to replace Hunt, from Cardiff City. Liverpool could not improve the results in the championship, taking 5th place. But again he successfully played in cup tournaments. In the Fairs Cup, the Reds reached the semifinals, losing by the sum of two matches to Leeds. In the FA Cup, the team also reached the final, where despite the fact that Liverpool was considered a favorite, lost in extra time 2-1 to Arsenal. Thus, allowing the “gunners”, for the first time in the history of English football, to draw a classic double.

Before the final game with Arsenal, Shankly signed Kevin Keegan of Scunthorpe United . His influence on the match was key, so he scored a goal already in the 12th minute of his debut game. The appearance of Keegan in the team helped to improve the results in the championship. In the final round of the 1971/72 season, Liverpool had to beat the Gunners to win the championship. But the team was unable to win and, as a result, remained in second place, and Derby County became the champion. In the 1972/73 season, the renewed Shankly team still won the England Championship, and also won the European Cup for the first time. Having won the UEFA Cup Final.

Season 1975/76, the very beginning was bad. In the opening game, Liverpool lost to Queens Park Rangers 2-0. The affairs of the Reds in the championship did not improve until mid-October, when 6 out of 12 matches were lost. But Liverpool improved his position in the championship in the second half of the season. So at the end of the season, the team lost points in only one of nine games. Before the final round, the Reds were second only to the CRC in the standings. The victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers could bring the title of champion. Since the Queens Park Rangers have already played their match. Liverpool lost after the first half, but after a break, turned the tide and won the match 3: 1, becoming the champion of the First Division. In the FA Cup and League Cup, the team took off in the early rounds. In the UEFA Cup, the Reds reached the finals, where in the sum of two matches they beat Brugge 4: 3.

Season 1976/77, the team started well. Having lost only two times, in the first six matches of the championship. Launching a successful performance in the tournament since September. On Christmas weekend, Liverpool suffered a crushing 5-1 defeat from Aston Villa, but that did not stop them from winning the 10th England title. The team also continued successful performances in Europe, winning the European Cup for the first time. Beating Borussia Mönchengladbach in the final. Defeats in the final of the FA Cup from Manchester United 1: 2, did not allow the Reds to issue the classic treble, as the first English team.

Before the start of the 1977/78 season, Kevin Keegan was sold to Hamburg for £ 500,000. In his place, Paisley signed Kenny Dalglish of the Scottish Celtic. Become a key player in Liverpool next seasons.

After 5th place in the previous season. The main goal of Liverpool was to return the title of champion. In the offseason, the team left goalkeeper Ray Clemens, who transferred to Tottenham. He was succeeded by Bruce Globbelar. The beginning of the new season was a failure, the team lost the opening match of the season and tied a number of others. The position of the Reds in the championship did not improve until the end of December, when Liverpool won only 6 victories in 17 rounds. And took a place at the bottom of the standings. The game improved in the second part of the championship, including a series of matches of 11 consecutive wins, which meant the return of the title with a four-point margin from Ipswich Town.

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