Joe Fagan

The quiet architect of Liverpool's golden era.

Joseph Francis Fagan (12 March 1921 – 30 June 2001) was an English footballer and manager. He was a coach and manager at Liverpool for twenty seven years under Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley. As a manager he was the first English manager to win three major trophies in a single season and is one of only four English managers to win the European Cup. He played for Manchester City in the Football League First Division as a wing half. As his playing career came to an end, he decided to become a coach and worked at clubs in lower leagues before getting the chance to join Liverpool in 1958.

Quick Facts

Full name: Joseph Francis Fagan
Born: 12 March 1921
Birthplace: Walton, Liverpool, England
Died: 30 June 2001
Place of death: Liverpool, England
Position: Right half
Total caps: 236
Total goals: 7

Lore & Background

Joe Fagan was born in Walton Hospital in Walton, Liverpool, on 12 March 1921 and lived in the Litherland and Scotland Road areas of the city during his childhood and youth. His parents Patrick and Mary were of Irish descent. He captained his school, St Elizabeth Central, to the Daily Dispatch Trophy at age fourteen. After leaving school in 1937, he signed for Earlestown Bohemians.

He declined a contract from Liverpool manager George Kay and signed for Manchester City on 8 October 1938. During the Second World War he served in the Royal Navy as a telegraphist in Egypt. He made his official Manchester City debut on 1 January 1947 against Fulham. He sustained a broken leg in 1951 and, aged 30, decided to leave City and take up coaching.

He began his coaching career at Nelson as player-manager, leading them to the 1951–52 championship. He then made a brief return as a player for Bradford Park Avenue in 1953 and played for Altrincham. He became assistant manager at Rochdale in 1954, serving under Harry Catterick until 1958. Following a recommendation by Catterick, Fagan was approached by Liverpool manager Phil Taylor about a coaching role and he accepted. The family moved into a house near Anfield where they remained for the rest of Fagan's life.

Reader's Guide

From December 1959, Fagan worked with Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley and was highly successful in his coaching of the club's reserve team, being mainly responsible for the development of future star players like Roger Hunt, Ian Callaghan and Tommy Smith. After Shankly retired in 1974, Fagan became assistant manager to Paisley and finally manager himself when Paisley retired in 1983. In his first season, Fagan achieved an unprecedented 'treble' as Liverpool won the European Cup, the League Championship and the League Cup. He decided to retire at the end of his second season but his final match in charge was the 1985 European Cup Final which was the scene of the Heysel Stadium disaster. He was the last English manager to win the European Cup in 1984.

Did You Know?

He played for Manchester City as a wing half and made 138 appearances for the club, scoring two goals.
He was given the nickname 'Patsy' by his friend Frank Swift, after the Irish folk song Hallo Patsy Fagan.