Bob Paisley was one of Liverpool Football Club's Best Ever Managers. However, as with so many of his generation, the outbreak of World War ll delayed the start of Paisley's career. Arriving at Anfield as a 20-year old left-half on May 8, 1939 for a £10 signing-on fee and weekly wage of £5, he eventually made his long-overdue debut on the 5 January 1946
After retiring as a one-club man in 1954, he joined the back room staff as self-taught Physiotherapist and had a knack of being able to diagnose a player's injury just by looking at them. He later became a coach for the reserves. The arrival of Bill Shankly as manager in December 1959 transformed the fortunes of the club. Shankly utilised The Boot Room for a second purpose, a room for coaches meetings. Paisley was one of Shankly's founder members of the boot room staff along with Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett.
Bob Paisley had become part of the Anfield furniture when he was chosen to succeed Bill Shankly as Liverpool manager in 1974. He had been Shankly's shoulder since the great Scot crossed the Pennines from Huddersfield to transform Anfield's fortunes in December 1959. And his own connection with Liverpool stretched back a further two decades.
His record would better that of Shankly: Paisley led the team for nine seasons, winning at least one trophy in eight of those. Disappointed by finishing second in his first season as manager, the team went one better the following year, winning the title. This was the start of Liverpool's dominance of the game in England - in Paisley's nine seasons in charge.
Honours :
6 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS 1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1981-82, 1982-83
3 EUROPEAN CUPS 1976-77, 1977-78, 1980-81
3 LEAGUE CUPS 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83
1 UEFA CUP 1975-76
1 EUROPEAN SUPER CUP 1976-77
5 CHARITY SHIELDS 1974, 1976, 1977 (shared), 1980, 1982
6 MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARDS 1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1981-82, 1982-83
6 RUNNERS UP League Championship - 1974-75, 1977-78 FA Cup - 1976-77 League Cup - 1977-78 European Super Cup - 1978 World Club Championship - 1981
HONOURS AS PLAYER:1 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP 1946-47 and 1 FA CUP 1949-50*
* Received an FA Cup runners-up medal although he did not play in the final against Arsenal. He scored Liverpool's first goal in their 2-0 semi-final defeat of Everton, and Liverpool asked the FA to strike a special medal for him.
The one disappointment of 1976-77 was missing out on the FA CUP- a win against Man United, the previous year`s runners-up in the Final would have brought up a unique Treble but it was not to be.
Paisley retired in 1983 after spending 44 unbroken years at the club. Joe Fagan, another of the Boot Room old boys, replaced him. Paisley continued to serve Liverpool as a director, until he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 1992. After his death in 1996, he was honoured by the club with the opening of the Paisley Gates at one of the entrances to Anfield, complementing the existing Shankly Gates.
Bob died in 1996 but, like Bill Shankly, will NEVER be forgotten.
