A junior football tournament created to help preserve the memory of former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly has finally taken place, two years later than planned.
Eight under 13s team from East Ayrshire and Liverpool competed in the very first Spirit of Shankly Cup at The Barony Campus in Cumnock, Scotland, on Saturday, June 11. The Champions League group style format saw the top two teams from each group compete for the Shankly Cup while the third and fourth places sides battled it out for the Shankly field.
Kingsthorne Warriors were crown Shankly Cup champions after beating Dynamo Childwall in the final, while Stewarton Annick came out on top in the Shield final against Crosshouse Boys Club. The event had originally been planned to go ahead two years ago after representatives from the Spirit of Shankly supporters group approached East Ayshire Council with the idea of organising a tournament to celebrate the life of Liverpool's legendary Scottish manager.
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Stephen Monaghan from Spirit of Shankly said: “Shankly’s legacy has created an unbreakable bond between communities in East Ayrshire and Liverpool. His values are as important today, as they were 60 years ago and this tournament is an amazing tribute to him.
“All the teams played with passion and commitment, and Kingsthorne and Stewarton Annick were worthy winners. I’d like to thank East Ayrshire Council and Cumnock Juniors Community Enterprise for working with us to make the tournament such a success and I hope it this can become an annual event.”
Four teams from Liverpool - Dynamo Childwall, Kingsthorne Warriors, Parkview Colts and South Liverpool - made the journey north of the border to compete against the four Scottish clubs - Crosshouse Boys Club, Cumnock Juniors, Stewarton Annick and Townhead Thistle.
Before the tournament got underway, former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard recorded a short video wishing all the participating teams good luck on the day.
Gerrard said: "I just want to wish everyone the best of luck, (to) all the teams from Liverpool and Scotland competing in the first Shankly Cup this Saturday. I mean, what an opportunity to go and represent the great man's name. Best of luck to everyone, I hope it goes well. Good luck."
Bill Shankly managed the Reds between 1959 and 1974, taking them from the old Second Division into the top flight of English football before winning the League Championship three times and also the UEFA Cup. He is widely accredited with creating the foundations for the sustained success of the club that is still enjoyed today.
The plan is to make the Spirit of Shankly Cup competition an annual event.
