by Ian Herbert
All hands on deck: Paisley and team-mates during the 1946 transatlantic crossing. He was sceptical about the significance of the team’s tour success.
© COLORSPORT
Paisley – front row, far left – in a Liverpool team shot from the late 1940s. The diminutive left half was rarely centre stage.
© HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY
Leading out the Liverpool team in the early 1950s. Paisley was appointed captain in the summer of 1950, months after missing out on the FA Cup final.
© PAISLEY FAMILY
Jessie and Bob Paisley were married in 1946. His most steadfast supporter, she was still compiling scrapbooks of his achievements 50 years later.
© PAISLEY FAMILY
Paisley during some Liverpool downtime in the 1940s, when the launch of his Liverpool career entailed weekend trips north from the Woolwich Arsenal barracks where he was stationed.
© PAISLEY FAMILY
A postcard home from Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall. Paisley, a willing participant on Liverpool’s money-spinning trips, frequently returned to Israel in retirement and could have managed the national side.
© MIRRORPIX
There was usually a doll for Christine from the overseas trips. She was spared the Norwegian troll, which gave Jessie a fright and migrated to her father’s office.
© PAISLEY FAMILY
Paisley and Jessie by the fireside at their South Manor Way house with Robert, the first of three children they raised there. Paisley was not keen on the fireplace and knocked it out while recovering from cartilage surgery.
© PAISLEY FAMILY
Paisley was always a devoted father. Robert was born in September 1948, and Graham arrived two years later.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
The physio ‘Mod’: Some of Paisley’s physiotherapy work was ahead of its time. Here, he treats Steve Heighway in May 1974. Two months later Paisley was manager.
© PAISLEY FAMILY
Coaching Liverpool schoolchildren – a part of his work during the 15 years as Bill Shankly’s assistant.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Shankly’s decision to retain Paisley and Joe Fagan (far right), with Ronnie Moran joining the staff in 1967, was the genesis of the Boot Room collective. They are pictured here in 1968.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Unlikely lads: ‘The only thing we had in common was we wanted to win and we were two bad losers,’ Paisley said of Shankly.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Shankly did not always give public recognition to his assistant, though Paisley’s contribution became increasingly significant in the 1960s.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
The tactics board was hauled in for every Friday 10 a.m. team talk but Paisley rarely used it. He considered strategising to be an affectation.
© EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS/N&S SYNDICATION
Paisley’s dexterity on the ‘boxing balls’ in the Melwood gym was one of the few sporting attributes of his which impressed his players.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Paisley felt that Emlyn Hughes, his first captain, wanted to be in charge too much but he sought his counsel and benefited from it.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Kevin Keegan felt that Paisley allowed Liverpool’s players greater self-expression. He paid him back unforgettably in the spring of 1977.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Night of their lives: Paisley and his management team celebrate the 1977 European Cup triumph in Rome, with Gola merchandise suitably prominent. From left: Roy Evans, Joe Fagan, Tom Saunders, Paisley and Ronnie Moran.
© PAISLEY FAMILY
The OBE was bestowed on Paisley in 1977 and he collected it with Jessie and the children. They stayed at the Swiss Cottage Holiday Inn in London.
© MANCHESTER DAILY EXPRESS/GETTY
Paisley saw the benefits of football’s new commercialism and embraced it, as the publicity for Crown Paints’ sponsorship of the club revealed.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Paisley went to inordinate lengths of subterfuge to sign Kenny Dalglish as Keegan’s replacement in 1977. It was his finest piece of transfer business.
© EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS/N&S SYNDICATION
Paisley took the European Cup back to Hetton-le-Hole in the summer of 1977. The pleasure the trip brought him was incalculable.
© LIVERPOOL FC/GETTY
Paisley and Brian Clough walk out before the 1978 League Cup final. Clough stopped to take in applause, forcing Paisley to stop and wait for him.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Kenny Dalglish scores the goal which secured the second of Paisley’s back-to-back European Cups, against Club Brugge at Wembley in May 1978.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Nerve centre: Paisley in the windowless Boot Room with (from left) Tom Saunders, Ronnie Moran and Joe Fagan.
© POPPERFOTO/GETTY
With, from left, his closest friend Ray Peers, coach and opposition scout Reuben Bennett and assistant Joe Fagan on holiday in Mallorca, circa 1980. The short breaks became a part of Paisley’s summers.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Paisley allowed Moran, centre, and Roy Evans, whom he appointed to the backroom staff in 1974, full input into the Liverpool strategy.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Paisley’s ultimate captain Graeme Souness, who was closer to him than any other player, and Terry McDermott who blossomed into one of his best.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Man on the margins: The 1–1 draw in 1981 European Cup semi-final second leg at Bayern Munich revealed Paisley’s plotting at its finest.
© MIRRORPIX
Paisley in front of the stove at the family home in Hettonle – Hole, the village he would seize any opportunity to return to.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Paisley distributed title medals from a cardboard box but, in his office, he savours the 1983 title success. The troll he brought back for Jessie is on his desk.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Master of his universe: Paisley’s in-game management was integral to his tally of 1.5 trophies per season, better than any other English manager’s.
© POPPERFOTO/GETTY
The 1983 Milk Cup final win over Manchester United prompted a poignant circling of Wembley with Sir Matt Busby, Paisley’s first Liverpool captain.
© PROFESSIONAL SPORT/GETTY
Last draft of history: Paisley on the Wembley turf with his 1983 Milk Cup-winning team. It was his 13th – and penultimate – trophy in nine extraordinary years.
© LIVERPOOL FC/GETTY
7 May 1983. A 1–1 draw against Aston Villa is Paisley’s last game at Anfield as manager. The title secured, there was a rare appearance in front of fans.
© BOB THOMAS/GETTY
Last farewell: Paisley disappears down the Anfield tunnel for the last time. It was his 534th game as manager, with only a visit to Watford to follow.
© PAISLEY FAMILY
Paisley and Jessie, devoted grandparents of seven, with Christine’s eldest child, Stuart. ‘Horse races’ on the living-room carpet, the indoor slide and renditions of the Mr Men stories were all in ‘Little Granddad’s’ repertoire.
© PAISLEY FAMILY
‘A final photograph. Dearest Bob…’ was Jessie’s annotation to this last image of her husband listening to music at Arncliffe Nursing Home.
© MATTHEW ASHTON/GETTY
The struggle to replicate Paisley’s success has seen him more celebrated now than when at the helm. This banner is unfurled at every home game.
Index
Aberdeen FC here
Addison, Ken here
Ainsworth, Jeff here
AFC Ajax here
Aldridge, John here
Allchurch, Ivor here
Allison, Malcolm here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Alton, David here
Ancelotti, Carlo here
Anfield Road, Paisley Gateway here
Ardiles, Osvaldo here
Arsenal FC here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Aston Villa FC here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Atkinson, Ron here, here
AZ here Alkmaar here
Baldursson, Arnie here
Ball, Alan here
Bangkok here
Bangor City FC here
Barcelona here, here
Barclay, Patrick here
Barrett, Colin here
Barrington Primary School here
Bates, Sergeant Joe here
Bathenay, Dominique here
Bayern Munich here, here, here
Beckenbauer, Franz here, here, here
Beglin, Jim here
Bell, Colin here
Belmont here
Benfica here
Bennett, John here
Bennett, Reuben here, here, here, here, here, here
Best, George here, here
Binst, Gilbert Van here
Birch, Trevor here, here, here
Birmingham City FC here
Birtles, Garry here, here, here, here, here
Bishop Auckland Football Club here
Blackburn Rovers here
Blackpool FC here
Bleasdale, Alan here
Bloomfield, Jimmy here
Boersma, Phil here
Bolton Wanderers FC here, here
Bond, John here, here
Bonhof, Rainer here
Boot Room here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Borussia Dortmund here
Borussia Mönchengladbach here, here, here, here, here
Bosque, Vicente del here
Bowyer, Ian here
Braddish, Synan here, here
Brailsford, Sir David here
Breitner, Paul here, here
Bremner, Billy here, here
Brown, Owen here, here, here, here, here
Brownsword, Jackie here
Brydon, Rob here
Burkinshaw, Keith here
Burnley FC here
Burns, Bowler here
Burns, Eddie here
Burns, Kenny here, here
Busby, Matt here, here, here, here, here
Byrne, Gerry here
Cain, Susan here
Callaghan, Ian here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Carr, Frank here, here, here, here
Carragher, Jamie here, here, here
Carroll, Derek here, here
Case, Jimmy here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Casey, Des here
Chandler, Arthur here
Charity Shield here, here
Charlton, Jack here, here, here, here
Chelsea FC here, here, here
Clemence, Ray here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Clough, Brian here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Clough, Frank here
Club Brugge here, here, here, here
Clunie, Jim here
Co Durham youth football here
Cochrane, Johnny here
Cohen, Avi here, here, here, here, here
Cormack, Peter here
Corrigan, Joe here
Coventry City FC here, here, here, here, here
Cox, Arthur here
Cruyff, Johan here, here, here, here
Crystal Palace FC here, here
CSKA Sofia here, here
Cummings, Jimmy here
Cunningham, Laurie here
Daily Mail here, here, here, here
Daily Mirror here, here, here
Dalglish, Kenny here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Davies, Barry here, here, here, here, here
Derby County FC here, here, here, here
Dodgin, Norman here
Doherty, Adrian here
Downey, Phil here
Duff, Brian here, here
Dynamo Dresden here
Dynamo Tbilisi here
Eakin, Chris here
electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) here
Ellis, Mike here, here
Endean, Barry here
England national football team here
England Schoolboys here
Ensor, Tony here
Eppleton Colliery Welfare here
Eppleton Senior Mixed School here, here
European Cup here; 1965 here, here, here; 1976/77 here, here, here; 1977/78 here, here; 1978/79 here, here; 1979/80 here, here, here; 1980/81 here, here, here; 1981/82 here, here; 1982/83 here; 1983/84 here
European Cup Winners’ Cup here
Evans, Alun here, here
Evans, Roy here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Evening Express, Aberdeen here
Everton FC here, here, here, here, here
Exeter City FC here
FA Cup here, here, here; 1949/50 here; 1969/70 here; 1973/74 here, here, here; 1976/7 here; 1977/78 here; 1978/79 here, here; 1979/80 here; 1982/83 here
Fagan, Joe here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Fagan, Willie here
Fairclough, David here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Fashanu, Justin here
FC Zürich here
Ferguson, Sir Alex here, here, here, here, here, here
Foley, Steve here
Football Association here, here
Football Association of Ireland (FAI) here, here
Francis, Gerry here
Francis, Trevor here
Frizzell, Jimmy here
Galatasaray here, here
Gayle, Howard here, here, here, here, here
Gemmill, Archie here
Gillespie, Gary here
Glasgow Celtic FC here, here
Glynn, Alan here
Gola here
Gothenburg here
Gray, Eddie here
Green, Geoffrey here
Greenhoff, Jimmy here
Gregg, Harry here
Grobbelaar, Bruce here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Guardian, The here
Haan, Arie here
Hall, Brian here, here
Hamilton, Duncan here
Hand, Eoin here
Hansen, Alan here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Happel, Ernst here
Harper, Dick here
Hartford, Asa here
Heighway, Steve here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Hendon Hall Hotel, London here
Hetton Downs mine explosion, 1951 here
Hetton Lyon Colliery here
Hetton-le-Hole here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Hey, Stan here
Heysel stadium disaster here
Hilton, Nick here, here, here, here, here
Hodgson, David here, here, here, here
Hoeness, Uli here
Hope, Tom here
Hopkinson, Eddie here
Houllier, Gérard here
Howe, Don here, here
Hudson, Alan here, here
Hughes, Emlyn here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Hunt, Roger here
Independent, The here, here
Indonesia here
information gathering here, here, here, here
Internazionale here, here, here
Ipswic
h Town FC here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Ireland national football team here
Irwin, Colin here, here, here, here, here
Irwin, Tommy here
Israel here, here, here, here
Jago, Gordon here
James, Chris here, here, here
Jewell, Paul here, here
John, Elton here, here
Johnson, Bert here
Johnson, David here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Johnson, Jimmy here
Johnston, Craig here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Jones, Bill here
Jones, Joey here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Jones, Rob here
Keegan, Joe here
Keegan, Kevin here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Keelan, Kevin here
Keith, John here, here, here
Kennedy, Alan here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Kennedy, Ray here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Kewley, Kevin here
Klinkhammer, Hans here
Klopp, Jurgen here
Kneib, Wolfgang here
The Kop paper here
Kulik, Christian here
Lambert, Raoul here
Lambert, Ray here
Law, Denis here, here
Lawler, Chris here, here, here, here
Lawrence, Tommy here, here, here
Lawrenson, Mark here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Leach, Mick here
League Cup here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Lee, Sammy here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
Leeds United FC here, here, here, here, here