Bob Paisley

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Paisley came from a small County Durham mining community and, in his youth, played for Bishop Auckland, before he signed for Liverpool in 1939. During the Second World War he served in the British Army, and could not make his Liverpool debut until 1946. In the 1946–47 season, he was a member of the Liverpool team that won the First Division title for the first time in 24 years. He was made club captain in 1951, and remained with Liverpool until he retired from playing in 1954. He stayed with the club, and took on the two roles of reserve team coach and club physiotherapist. By this time, Liverpool had been relegated to the Second Division and its facilities were in decline. Shankly was appointed Liverpool manager in December 1959, and he promoted Paisley to work alongside him as his assistant in a management/coaching team that included Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett. Under their leadership, the fortunes of Liverpool turned around dramatically and, in the 1961–62 season, the team gained promotion back to the First Division. Paisley filled an important role as tactician under Shankly's leadership, and the team won numerous honours during the next twelve seasons. In 1974, Shankly retired as manager and, despite Paisley's own initial reluctance, he was appointed as Shankly's successor. He went on to lead Liverpool through a period of domestic and European dominance, winning twenty honours in nine seasons: six League Championships, three League Cups, six Charity Shields, three European Cups, one UEFA Cup and one UEFA Super Cup. 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. Paisley retired from management in 1983 and was succeeded by Joe Fagan. He died in 1996, aged 77, after having Alzheimer's disease for several years. In 2002, Paisley was among the six managers who were inaugural inductees into the English Football Hall of Fame.

In Their Own Story

When war was declared on 3 September 1939, all competitions were cancelled, but Paisley played 34 wartime friendlies for Liverpool between 1939 and 1941, scoring ten goals. In October 1939, he was conscripted into the Royal Artillery's 73rd Medium Regiment as a gunner. Stationed near Tarporley, Cheshire, he once cycled nearly the whole way to play Everton in the 1940 Liverpool Senior Cup final after receiving Army clearance, leaving his bike in Birkenhead and hitching through the Mersey Tunnel; Everton won 4–2 before Paisley exacted revenge on 1 April 1940 with a 3–1 win at Goodison Park. His football skills saved him from being posted to the Far East, where his old unit was overrun by the Japanese. Posted overseas in August 1941, he served in Egypt and Italy until 1945. While stationed south of Cairo, he learned anti-tank firing for Operation Crusader and developed a passion for horse racing through jockey Reg Stretton.

Reader's Guide

Bob Paisley was born on Thursday 23 January 1919, in the small County Durham coal mining village of Hetton-le-Hole. He attended a local school until he was thirteen. After leaving school at the age of 14, Paisley initially worked alongside his father at the pit and later trained to become a bricklayer. He joined Hetton Football Club after leaving school in 1933 and signed for Bishop Auckland before the 1937–38 season. Paisley played for Bishop Auckland for two seasons until he was signed by Liverpool in May 1939. In his second season with Bishop Auckland, they achieved a treble by winning the Northern League championship, the FA Amateur Cup and the Durham County Challenge Cup. The FA Amateur Cup final was played at Roker Park where the Bishops defeated Willington 3–0 after extra time. Paisley's last match for the Bishops was on Saturday, 6 May 1939 in the Durham County Challenge Cup final against South Shields, also played at Roker Park. He signed for Liverpool with a signing on fee of £25 and wages of £8 a week in the season and £6 a week during the summer. Following pre-season training, Paisley took part in two reserve team games at the start of the 1939–40 season but all competitions were cancelled after war was declared on 3 September. Paisley had got to know Matt Busby, who was then Liverpool's club captain. In October 1939 he was called up into the Army who assigned him to the Royal Artillery in which he was a gunner in the 73rd Medium Regiment. At the end of August 1941, on the bank holiday, Paisley was posted overseas and did not return to England until 1945.

Did You Know?

• Paisley was born on the same day 150,000 miners nationwide went on strike for a shorter working week.
• He was rejected by Sunderland as a boy for being 'too small'.
• Paisley's football skills saved him from a posting to the Far East during World War II; his commanding officer transferred him to another battery so he could remain in Britain and lead the regimental team.
• He cycled nearly 30 miles to play in a wartime Liverpool Senior Cup final against Everton in 1940.