Bob Paisley Legacy

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Lore & Background

Paisley came from a small County Durham mining community and played for Bishop Auckland before signing for Liverpool in 1939. He served in the British Army during the Second World War and made his Liverpool debut in 1946. He was a member of the Liverpool team that won the First Division title in the 1946–47 season. He was made club captain in 1951 and retired from playing in 1954. He stayed with the club as reserve team coach and club physiotherapist. After Bill Shankly was appointed manager in December 1959, Paisley worked as his assistant alongside Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett. In 1974, Paisley reluctantly succeeded Shankly as manager and led Liverpool to twenty honours in nine seasons, including six League Championships, three European Cups, one UEFA Cup, three League Cups, one European Super Cup, and six Charity Shields. He retired from management in 1983 and died in 1996 aged 77.

In Their Own Story

In 1974, despite his own initial reluctance, Paisley accepted the role of manager. He immediately set about winning honours at a record rate, securing six League Championships, three League Cups, and six Charity Shields alongside three European Cups, one UEFA Cup, and one UEFA Super Cup. His success was so prolific that he won the Manager of the Year Award a record six times during his tenure. The team's rise from the Second Division under the leadership of Paisley, Joe Fagan, and Reuben Bennett had already proven their resilience, but the European era brought global dominance. By the time he retired in 1983, succeeded by Joe Fagan, Paisley had established a legacy that saw Liverpool win twenty major trophies in nine seasons.

Reader's Guide

Paisley is the first of five managers to have won the European Cup three times. He won honours at a rate of 2.2 per season, an English record. At the time of his retirement he had won the Manager of the Year Award a record six times. He was among the six managers who were inaugural inductees into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Did You Know?

• Paisley is one of five managers to have won the English top-flight championship as both a player and manager at the same club.
• He won the European Cup three times, a feat first achieved by him.
• Paisley's father was a miner and his mother a housewife; he initially worked in the pit after leaving school at 14.