L O PO ER V LI v D EN TH R O N N TO ES PR THE ROAD TO WEMBLEY
R E V E F CUP FA CUP THIRD ROUND
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lep.co.uk
Evening Post Special Supplement, Friday, January 2, 2009
Anfield legend Shankly belonged IMMORTALISED: The statue that stands at the gates of Anfield by Brian Ellis brian.ellis@lep.co.uk
BILL Shankly was worshipped on Merseyside, but he was Preston’s hero before Liverpool’s. An icon as a manager of the Reds, the gritty little Scot had already been a legend as a player at North End.
They erected a statue and some gates to his memory at Anfield, but they built a whole stand in his honour at Deepdale. So for two hours at least on Saturday, when visiting fans pay homage to their team from the Bill Shankly Kop, they will effectively be going back to their roots. Shankly proved just as much a catalyst at Preston as he did years later at Liverpool. His arrival sparked instant promotion to the top division and he later helped the club to two FA Cup finals – they were also wartime winners.
Tigerish
WEMBLEY VISITOR: Shankly as Liverpool boss treads the hallowed turf under the twin towers
DEEPDALE ICON: Shanks’ face is picked out in the seats of the stand that now bears his name – the Bill Shankly Kop
When he took over at Liverpool he also inherited a side in the Second Division doldrums and turned things round there too. Little wonder he is still feted as a folk hero at both clubs. Shankly cost North End just £500 when he moved down from Carlisle in July 1933 as tigerish 20-year-old wing-half. Born in the East Ayrshire mining village of Glenbuck he was one of 10 children – all five boys went on to play professional football. His uncle, Bob Blyth, had also played for Preston and managed Portsmouth. Young Bill left school at 14 and, like most boys in the area, went to work at the local pit. But in his spare time he played football for local junior sides Cronberry Eglinton and Glenbuck Cherrypickers. In 1932 he was spotted by a Carlisle scout and signed up, but within a year he was at Preston who, at that time, were in their ninth season as an unremarkable Second Division side. A teetotal, non-smoking fitness fanatic, Shankly added some much-needed bite to the North End midfield. Even though he did not make his first-team debut until early December, his fiercely competitive nature drove the
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to North End first...
Evening Post Special Supplement, Friday, January 2, 2009
CUP RUN: A youthful Bill Shankly in training with North End
CUP KINGS: Shankly (far left) gets his hands on the FA Cup with PNE – long before he did with Liverpool team on to runners-up spot and promotion back to the top flight in his first season. Consolidation in the First Division followed with an 11th-place finish the following year with Shankly, playing every single game at right-half, one of the star performers. There were some high spots, one a Boxing Day victory over the eventual champions Arsenal at Deepdale. There were also some lows like a 4-0 reverse at Portsmouth and a 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion costing them a semi-final place in the FA Cup. But the season set Preston up for a seventh-place finish in 1935/36 in front of their newlyopened Pavilion Stand – an
appalling run of eight defeats from the first nine away games denying them an even better outcome. Shankly missed only one game that year through injury, halting a run of 85 consecutive appearances.
Dip In 1936/37 a dip in form by the normally dependable Scot coincided with a poorer league season (14th), although Preston stormed right through to the FA Cup final only to be beaten 3-1 by Sunderland in front of 93,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. The disappointment of that defeat was forgotten a year later when Shankly helped North End revisit the twin towers and this time capture the trophy in a
nail-biter against Huddersfield Town. George Mutch’s penalty in the dying seconds of extra-time settled the match – the ball going in off the underside of the crossbar. Shankly helped shoulder cup-carrying skipper Tom Smith on the lap of honour. Five Scotland caps came his way between April 1938 and April 1939 and he played a further seven unofficial internationals during the war. Shankly scored two penalties in the semi-final of the Wartime Cup in 1941 to send Preston to the final against Arsenal. But it took a replay at Blackburn for North End to win it. When the Football League resumed after the end of hostilities in 1946 Shankly
returned to the side from the armed forces and played until 1949, his last appearance a 3-1 home defeat against Sunderland in the March. In all, he had played 337 times for North End in league and cup during a 15-year stay, setting a record of 43 successive FA Cup ties for the club. In his time at Deepdale Preston were only out of the top flight for one season – his first. When he departed in ’49 they were relegated. From North End Shankly moved back to Carlisle to begin a career in management which would take him on to Grimsby, Workington, Huddersfield and then, in December 1959, he arrived at Anfield. The rest is Liverpool’s history.
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READY TO UNLEASH MELL
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lep.co.uk
Evening Post Special Supplement, Friday, January 2, 2009
lep.co.uk
Evening Post Special Supplement, Friday, January 2, 2009
by Brian Ellis brian.ellis@lep.co.uk
SCOUSE HERO: Mellor salutes his winner against Arsenal in 2004 and (below, left) in action for Preston
LIVERPOOL old boy Neil Mellor has a warning for the Premier League leaders as they head for Deepdale– take us lightly and we’ll turn you over!
The striker, who four years ago was a Champions League hero at Anfield, believes that lowly Preston have got what it takes to spring a massive FA Cup shock.
His former club have struggled to see off lower league teams in the past – being knocked out by Barnsley and Burnley in the last four seasons. And Mellor, who was on the receiving end in the 1-0 defeat at Turf Moor in January 2005, reckons North End have a chance of pulling off a similar giantkilling. “Liverpool will need to play a strong side because if they take us lightly I think we will turn them over,” he told the Evening Post. “We definitely have a chance. Barnsley did it last season, so it is not impossible.”
Banter
Mellor came through the youth system at Liverpool and played alongside Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Xabi Alonso and Sami Hyypia in the first team. Knee problems brought a premature end to his time at Anfield in 2006. Two-and-a-half years on and fighting fit he comes face-to-face with his former team-mates for the first time in a match. “As soon as I see them I’m sure there will be a bit of banter going on,” he smiled. “For a start I’ll wind Jamie up by telling him I’ve scored plenty past him in training and I’ll be trying to do the same again in the cup tie. “We’ll see how he reacts to that one. “I had a great time at Liverpool, it will always be a very special club to me. But I’m a Preston player now and I’ll be trying my best to put Liverpool out of the FA Cup.” Mellor has only just recovered from a hip injury, which, for a time, put his participation in the big tie in doubt. He returned to the North End side against Derby County on Boxing Day and was on the bench two days later at Barnsley as manager Alan Irvine rotated his strikers. The PNE boss faces a tricky selection problem in attack with four frontline strikers to select from – Jon Parkin, Stephen Elliott and Chris Brown are the
ANFIELD DAYS: Michael Owen celebrates with (from left) Neil Mellor, John Arne Riise and Steven Gerrard
others – and two back-up in Karl Hawley and Brett Ormerod. Mellor accepts he may not get the nod from the start, but admits he will be happy just to be involved. “I’m desperate to
start, of course I am,” he said. “But if not then if I can get on and play a part I would be happy with that. “It’s a massive game for the whole squad, not just for me. Everyone wants to play against Liverpool and there is plenty of competition for places. “I will just be happy to be selected in the squad for that game and, hopefully, I can come on and be effective.
“But to start is what I really want, so we will have to wait and see what team the manager selects.”
Tempted
Mellor believes Rafa Benitez could be tempted to use his old pals Gerrard and Carragher in the game because the competition means so much to English players. “Players like Stevie and Jamie
are going to be needed because they understand what the FA Cup is all about,” he said. “I’m not sure some of the foreign lads coming over here really understand what it means to the fans.” Mellor made 22 appearances for Liverpool, six of them in 2002/2003 and, after almost a season on loan with West Ham, the
remaining 16 in 2004/2005. The highlights were a crucial late goal against Olympiakos in December, 2004, to set the Reds on the road to winning the Champions League in Istanbul five months later. He is also fondly remembered at Anfield for the last-minute goal he scored to beat Arsenal in November, 2004.
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READY TO UNLEASH MELL
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lep.co.uk
Evening Post Special Supplement, Friday, January 2, 2009
lep.co.uk
Evening Post Special Supplement, Friday, January 2, 2009
by Brian Ellis brian.ellis@lep.co.uk
SCOUSE HERO: Mellor salutes his winner against Arsenal in 2004 and (below, left) in action for Preston
LIVERPOOL old boy Neil Mellor has a warning for the Premier League leaders as they head for Deepdale– take us lightly and we’ll turn you over!
The striker, who four years ago was a Champions League hero at Anfield, believes that lowly Preston have got what it takes to spring a massive FA Cup shock.
His former club have struggled to see off lower league teams in the past – being knocked out by Barnsley and Burnley in the last four seasons. And Mellor, who was on the receiving end in the 1-0 defeat at Turf Moor in January 2005, reckons North End have a chance of pulling off a similar giantkilling. “Liverpool will need to play a strong side because if they take us lightly I think we will turn them over,” he told the Evening Post. “We definitely have a chance. Barnsley did it last season, so it is not impossible.”
Banter
Mellor came through the youth system at Liverpool and played alongside Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Xabi Alonso and Sami Hyypia in the first team. Knee problems brought a premature end to his time at Anfield in 2006. Two-and-a-half years on and fighting fit he comes face-to-face with his former team-mates for the first time in a match. “As soon as I see them I’m sure there will be a bit of banter going on,” he smiled. “For a start I’ll wind Jamie up by telling him I’ve scored plenty past him in training and I’ll be trying to do the same again in the cup tie. “We’ll see how he reacts to that one. “I had a great time at Liverpool, it will always be a very special club to me. But I’m a Preston player now and I’ll be trying my best to put Liverpool out of the FA Cup.” Mellor has only just recovered from a hip injury, which, for a time, put his participation in the big tie in doubt. He returned to the North End side against Derby County on Boxing Day and was on the bench two days later at Barnsley as manager Alan Irvine rotated his strikers. The PNE boss faces a tricky selection problem in attack with four frontline strikers to select from – Jon Parkin, Stephen Elliott and Chris Brown are the
ANFIELD DAYS: Michael Owen celebrates with (from left) Neil Mellor, John Arne Riise and Steven Gerrard
others – and two back-up in Karl Hawley and Brett Ormerod. Mellor accepts he may not get the nod from the start, but admits he will be happy just to be involved. “I’m desperate to
start, of course I am,” he said. “But if not then if I can get on and play a part I would be happy with that. “It’s a massive game for the whole squad, not just for me. Everyone wants to play against Liverpool and there is plenty of competition for places. “I will just be happy to be selected in the squad for that game and, hopefully, I can come on and be effective.
“But to start is what I really want, so we will have to wait and see what team the manager selects.”
Tempted
Mellor believes Rafa Benitez could be tempted to use his old pals Gerrard and Carragher in the game because the competition means so much to English players. “Players like Stevie and Jamie
are going to be needed because they understand what the FA Cup is all about,” he said. “I’m not sure some of the foreign lads coming over here really understand what it means to the fans.” Mellor made 22 appearances for Liverpool, six of them in 2002/2003 and, after almost a season on loan with West Ham, the
remaining 16 in 2004/2005. The highlights were a crucial late goal against Olympiakos in December, 2004, to set the Reds on the road to winning the Champions League in Istanbul five months later. He is also fondly remembered at Anfield for the last-minute goal he scored to beat Arsenal in November, 2004.
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lep.co.uk
Evening Post Special Supplement, Friday, January 2, 2009
IN 1962, AFTER THREE GAMES IN 10 DAYS PNE
‘It was a real TOP: Peter Thompson, who scored the winner in the second replay being snapped with with Tom Finney, L-R: Ian St John, Roger Hunt, and the teams and programmes from the games
THE last time Preston and Liverpool clashed head-on in the FA Cup it took three games – but only a single goal – to decide it.
More than 136,000 paid to watch three nerve-jangling matches at Anfield, Deepdale and Old Trafford in the winter of 1962.
And not even traffic chaos, a broken-down team bus and an Arctic blizzard could prevent North End emerging after 300 minutes of toe-to-toe cup football to claim a home tie
by Brian Ellis brian.ellis@lep.co.uk
against Manchester United in the next round. “They were all ding-dong contests, real thrillers,” recalled defender George Ross who played in all three matches in the space of 10 days. “It was fantastic, a true FA Cup epic. And they are magic memories.” When the two clubs were drawn together in the fifth round Liverpool, under Bill Shankly, were running away with the Second Division and scoring goals for fun.
Preston were mid-table and still trying to come to terms with the retirement of the great Tom Finney 18 months earlier. The form book suggested Shankly’s new side would easily dispose of his old one. North End, it was felt, would not be able to live with the burgeoning skills of Roger Hunt, Ian St John and Ian Callaghan. But amazingly a team which found the net 105 times that season could not score once against Jimmy Milne’s gritty team over three games. Instead it was North End and a player they eventually sold to Liverpool – winger Peter
Thompson – who snatched victory in dramatic fashion. “There was no sudden death in those days, no penalty shootouts,” said right-back Ross. “Over at Anfield we did well, then when we brought them back here I reckon we set the unofficial crowd record for Deepdale.
Rafters
“There were fans everywhere, they were up pylons and hanging from the rafters. “The crowd figure given out was just under 38,000, but so many more had got in. There were more watching than that. “Liverpool were a very good
side and they ended up winning the Second Division that year by quite a way. But we were a match for them in all three games. “I don’t recall much about the details of each game, but I do remember Peter Thompson’s goal was a good one. It was great that we then went on and played Manchester United in the fifth round and we took them to a replay before they beat us at their place. It was quite a cup run. “But in total we played Liverpool five times that season with two games in the league. They beat us
lep.co.uk
Evening Post Special Supplement, Friday, January 2, 2009
FINALLY BEAT LIVERPOOL IN THE FIFTH ROUND
FA Cup epic’
ROSS AND ROLL: George Ross in full flight for Preston and (clockwise from above right), Preston’s cup heroes, Alex Dawson, Alan Kelly Snr, Jim Smith and Jimmy Milne
‘Fans were everywhere, hanging off pylons and from rafters’ ‘Liverpool were a good side. But we matched them’
George Ross
both times, but not in the cup. In fact we became such mates with the Liverpool players after those five games that we had a good few games of golf with them in the months after.” In the first game, in front of a 54,967 crowd at Anfield, Alex Dawson had the ball in the Liverpool net twice, but both were scratched out by offside flags. With minutes remaining the centre-forward saw a piledriver deflected past the post. A reporter at the time described the game as a “rip-roaring cup-tie,” adding Preston had turned the Anfield roar into a murmur. Shankly,
who had been a player with North End, attacked his old club for their “spoiling” tactics, claiming they had gone to Anfield looking for a draw. Fans queued from 7am on the Monday for tickets to the Deepdale replay on the following night and traffic chaos meant the Liverpool coach was caught up in the jams and only arrived at the ground with a police escort at 7.32pm, two minutes after the appointed kick-off time. The match was delayed for 25 minutes. So many fans were locked out that some climbed over walls, scaled barbed wire and
even took a gate off its hinges to gain admission to a stadium already up to capacity with 37,825 inside. Once again North End defied the bookies in another pulsating contest. In fact they almost winning it twice near the end with a Jim Smith shot which got a lucky deflection into the keeper’s arms and a Dawson bullet which was blocked on the line. Off the teams went to a neutral ground for the second replay and this time 63,468 turned out in atrocious weather to watch a third thriller. Blizzard conditions meant
North End’s team bus broke down near Chorley and had to be replaced. Then the windscreen wipers on the second bus stopped working in the freeze up. Eventually the team needed a police escort with flashing lights to get them to Old Trafford. Thompson needed permission to drop out of the England Under-23 game against Scotland to play – his first international call-up. He also had to overcome a thigh injury which, as late as the morning of the game, looked like it would keep him out. In the end he was persuaded
to play with his left leg heavily strapped and scored the winning goal 10 minutes into the second half after 265 minutes of deadlock. Jim Smith’s punt into the middle was firmly headed out by big centre-half Ron Years, but it fell invitingly for Thompson and the winger hit it straight back past keeper Bert Slater to claim a famous win. Two weeks later the scene of Preston’s triumph turned into a venue of disappointment when, having held Manchester United to a goalless draw in the sixth round at Deepdale, they went down 2-1 in the replay at Old Trafford.
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lep.co.uk
Evening Post Special Supplement, Friday, January 2, 2009
If Barnsley can do it, then so can we...
“NUMBER 30, Preston North End, will play number 21... Liverpool.”
Not before time, some might say, as the last time these two teams locked horns in the FA Cup was round five in 1962. That tie was finally settled at Old Trafford by a Peter Thompson goal after two 0-0 draws at Anfield and Deepdale.
John Roper From a personal point of view I have seen Liverpool play at Deepdale and I have seen North End play at Anfield. This was not I hasten to add in 1962 – I had not quite reached my second birthday. The game at Deepdale was a friendly in August 1970 and a game which Liverpool won 5-0 against a North End side that
had been relegated to the Third Division two months earlier. The visit to Anfield came on November 29, 1976 in an FA Cup first-round second replay against Crewe. A 1-1 draw at Gresty Road had seen us bring the Railwaymen back to Deepdale. As I recall Crewe scored late in extra-time to make it 2-2 and it was a second replay at Anfield.
North End made no mistake at the third time of asking with David Sadler, Jinking Jimmy Brown and Mike Elwiss scoring. It was a comfortable 3-0 win
BARNSLEY’S Brian Howard and Martin Devaney after the cup shock
for North End in front of 7,334 but the game is probably best remembered for the goings on off the pitch and not on them. The banter on the way home was, shall we say, less than friendly. Anyway let’s leave the dark days behind us and look forward to what should be a classic encounter on Saturday in front of the TV cameras. The pressure, of course, is all on Liverpool as they have the big names with the big reputations and no
doubt one or two of them have the egos to match. No such problems for North End as we will go out and give it 100% for 90 minutes and if we lose, well, so what? We will at least have made £400,000 plus from the game and with a replay at Anfield sure to double that and some. It’s good to have one of the big boys at Deepdale for a glamour cup tie but North End should not be overawed. It’s Liverpool yes, but they are not unbeatable – just ask Barnsley.
NEIL MAKES SHOCK VISIT NEIL Mellor came face to face with Liverpool’s Fernando Torres this week in Preston.
No, not the real Torres, but a life-size painting of the Spaniard alongside goalscoring hero Mellor on the wall of eight-yearold PNE fan Nathan Pickup. Young Nathan, who plays for North End’s Centre of Excellence, was amazed to see his favourite North End player walk through the front door of his home in Penwortham to see the painting ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup third-round clash with Liverpool. The ex-Liverpool striker signed Nathan’s wall before losing to his biggest fan at a game of table football. During his visit, Mellor gave the budding young footballer
some advice so that one day he may pull on a North End shirt. “Nathan’s a striker as well so my advice to him is to keep enjoying his football and keep enjoying scoring goals,” said Mellor. “If he does so I think he’ll have a future in football.”
Fan
Nathan’s father was heartened by the visit of the Preston striker. He said: “It’s great to see Neil dedicate time to a young fan because it encourages the kids to follow the club and keeps the club close to the local community.” Nathan predicts that PNE will run out 2-1 winners at the weekend with his favourite player Mellor getting on the scoresheet.
TABLE TOPPER: Neil Mellor with Nathan Pickup Photo courtesy of Preston North End