THERE was disbelief on the streets of Liverpool. Supporters of Liverpool FC were shocked at the news that the club’s manager, who had created a sporting contender with the spirit of the city at its heart, had just announced he would leave the club.

This was July 12 1974, when Liverpool’s then chairman, John Smith, announced that Bill Shankly would retire.

“He said he gets very tired, the pressures are great and he wants a rest,” local reporter Tony Wilson told incredulous fans around Liverpool on that day.