Editing Bill Shankly (section)

==Early life==
[[File:Shankly Memorial and lane to Glenbuck. - geograph.org.uk - 1504678.jpg|thumb|Shankly memorial (to the right) and the lane to Glenbuck]]
Bill Shankly was born in the small Scottish coal mining village of [[Glenbuck]], [[Ayrshire]], whose population in 1913, the year of Shankly's birth, was around 700. People born there would often move to find work in larger coal mines.<ref name=S9>Shankly, p. 9.</ref> As a result, Glenbuck became largely derelict and by the time Shankly's ghost writer John Roberts visited it in 1976, there were only 12 houses left, including a cottage owned by Shankly's sister, Elizabeth, whom Roberts described as "the last of the children of Glenbuck".<ref name=S9/>

Shankly's parents, John and Barbara, lived in one of the Auchenstilloch Cottages with their 10 children; five boys and five girls.<ref name=K12>Kelly, p. 12.</ref> William was the ninth child and the youngest boy.<ref name=K12/> Although he was known as Bill throughout his football career, his name in the family was Willie, pronounced [''Wullie''].<ref name=S21>Shankly, p. 21.</ref> His father was a postman who became a tailor of handmade suits. Despite the football pedigree in his family, he did not play himself.<ref>Shankly, pp. 11–12.</ref>

All five Shankly brothers played professional football and Shankly claimed they could have beaten any five brothers in the world when they were all at their peaks.<ref name=S9/> His brothers were [[Alec Shankly|Alec]], known as Sandy by the family, who played for [[Ayr United F.C.|Ayr United]] and [[Clyde F.C.|Clyde]];<ref>Kelly, p. 14.</ref> [[Jimmy Shankly|Jimmy]] (1902–1972), who played for various clubs including [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] and [[Southend United F.C.|Southend United]];<ref>Kelly, pp. 14–15</ref> [[John Shankly|John]] (1903–1960), who played for [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]] and [[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]];<ref>Kelly, p. 15.</ref> and [[Bob Shankly|Bob]] (1910–1982), who played for [[Alloa Athletic F.C.|Alloa Athletic]] and [[Falkirk F.C.|Falkirk]].<ref name=K16>Kelly, p. 16.</ref> Bob became a successful manager, guiding [[Dundee F.C.|Dundee]] to victory in the [[Scottish Football League|Scottish championship]] in 1962 and the semi-finals of the [[European Cup]] the following year.<ref name=K16/> Their maternal uncles, [[Bob Blyth|Robert]] and William Blyth were professional players who both became club directors at Portsmouth and [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]] respectively.<ref name=K12/>

Shankly wrote in his autobiography that times were hard during his upbringing and that hunger was a prevailing condition, especially during the winter months.<ref name=S13>Shankly, p. 13.</ref> He admitted that he and his friends used to steal vegetables from nearby farms; bread, biscuits and fruit from suppliers' wagons, and bags of coal from the pits.<ref>Shankly, pp. 13–14.</ref> Shankly admitted the act was wrong but insisted it was done out of devilment only because the root cause was their constant hunger. He said that he and his friends learned from their mistakes and became better people in later years.<ref name=S14>Shankly, p. 14.</ref> He was at school from age five until 14. Discipline at both home and school was strict but Shankly said it was character-building.<ref name=S15>Shankly, p. 15.</ref> His favourite subject was [[geography]] and he played football as often as possible, especially in the school playground, but there was no organised school team.<ref>Shankly, pp. 15–16.</ref>

After Shankly left school in 1928, he worked at a local mine alongside his brother Bob. He did this for two years until the pit closed and he faced unemployment.<ref>Kelly, pp. 17–18.</ref> In his autobiography, he described the life of a miner at some length and mentioned many of the problems such as the sheer hard work, rats, the difficulties of eating and drinking at the coal face. The worst problem was the filth because the miners never felt really clean, even though they would go home to wash in a tub after each shift.<ref name=S18>Shankly, p. 18.</ref>

While Shankly was employed as a miner, he played football as often as possible and sometimes went to [[Glasgow]] to watch either [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] or [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]], sharing his allegiance between the two and ignoring the sectarianism that divides Glasgow.<ref>Kelly, p. 17.</ref> Shankly developed his skills to the point that he was unemployed for only a few months before Carlisle United signed him. He wrote that he had his football future worked out in his mind and that, even when working in the pit, he was only "killing time". He always believed that it was only a matter of time before he became a professional player. He explained that, in football terms, he had always been an optimist with a belief in his destiny and that was the basis of his undying enthusiasm for the sport.<ref name=S19>Shankly, p. 19.</ref>

Shankly's village team was called the [[Glenbuck Cherrypickers]], a name probably derived from the [[11th Hussars]] (the "Cherry Pickers"), but he said the club was near extinction when he had a trial and he never actually played for them.<ref name=S27>Shankly, p. 27.</ref> Shankly, aged 18, then played part of the 1931–32 season for [[Cronberry Eglinton F.C.|Cronberry Eglinton]], about 12 miles from Glenbuck. He used to cycle to and from the ground.<ref name=S27/> Cronberry were in the Cumnock & District League.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.shankly.com/article/2395 | publisher=LFCHistory.net | title=Cronberry Eglinton | access-date=24 March 2012 | archive-date=17 February 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217102832/http://www.shankly.com/article/2395 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Although Shankly had less than one full season at Cronberry, he acknowledged his debt to [[Scottish Junior League|Scottish Junior Football]] as he learned a lot, mainly by listening to older players and especially his brothers.<ref name=S27/>