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 Record-breaker Ian Callaghan

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PostSubject: Record-breaker Ian Callaghan   Record-breaker Ian Callaghan EmptyWed 11 Jan 2006 - 14:18

Record-breaker Ian Callaghan Cally4


Ian Callaghan attracted the attention of Liverpool's scouts when playing for a local boy's team. He was a 15 year-old when he was registered on Liverpool's books for 10 pounds. When Billy Liddell was retiring he was asked if Liverpool had in their ranks a worthy successor. Billy didn't harbour any doubts. "There is a 17 year old called Ian Callaghan who looks like taking over from me." Callaghan played his first game only six days after his eighteenth birthday. He came in for his boyhood hero Liddell and wore his no 7 shirt. Cally was awestruck: "Like everybody else in Liverpool I was very much aware of the respect the great Billy Liddell commanded and it was awesome to realise I was taking over from him. He was a great man who offered me good advice and was always very nice to me."

Callaghan had only been on a professional contract for six weeks when he faced Bristol Rovers in the 2nd division on the 16th of April 1960. Liverpool won the game 4-1 with goals from Jimmy Melia, Alan A´Court, Bobby Campbell and Dave Hickson. Callaghan's accomplished performance made the headlines. It's hard to find a debut that has created as much stir as Callaghan's show did. All 27,317 spectators gave him a standing ovation as did the players on both teams and the referee as well! The headline in the local paper The Daily Post read "A Callaghan debut to remember." In The Daily Express Graham Fisher wrote: "For Liverpool right winger Ian Callaghan, veteran of four Central League games, he just ended the most accomplished League debut I´ve had the pleasure to witness."

Shanks wanted to tread carefully with his rough diamond. Right before the start of next season Kevin Lewis was bought to star on the right wing. Bill calmed Callaghan's fears and told him he had a bright future with the club. Kevin scored 22 goals in 36 games and Ian could hardly complain. But during the promotion season 1961/62 Cally figured more prominently. When Liverpool reached the top flight in 1962 he had secured a place in the side that he didn't let go of the next 15 years.

Callaghan played on the right wing during the first half of his career. Peter Thompson was on the left wing. Both created lots of goals for Roger Hunt and Ian St John. No one can forget when Callaghan created St John's winning goal in the FA cup final 1965. The game stood at 1-1 in extra time after goals from Roger Hunt and Billy Bremner. Then Callaghan crossed from the right and the Saint headed his cross into the net. Liverpool beat Leeds 2-1 and won the FA cup for the first time. This memorable FA cup win is Callaghan´s favourite memory: "First has to be Wembley´65 and Liverpool lifting the FA cup for the first time. It was also my first appearance at the stadium and I had a hand, or rather a foot, in the winning goal." This historic FA cup win came between two Championships in 1964 and 1966. This was the golden age of Bill Shankly´s 60´s side.

Record-breaker Ian Callaghan Callaghanclear


Callaghan needed a knee operation in the 1970/71 season. During his absence Brian Hall did such a good job in his place at the right wing that when Ian returned he couldn´t get his place back. At least not in his old position. Some said Ian was finished at Liverpool because the team was full of young players and that he was too old for the team. Bill Shankly had other ideas. He decided to move him to the centre of the midfield. Callaghan's great reading of the game and incredible workrate made him ideal for this position. Ian set a new record of league games for Liverpool in the 1972/73 season breaking Billy Liddell´s long standing club record of 495 games.

He wasn't as flashy as Peter Thompson, on the left side, but no team in England could boast a stronger pairing. Callaghan won his first championship title in 1964 and then again two years later. Three championship medals, in 1973, 1976 and 1977, followed. He played in four FA cup finals, winning in 1965 and 1974, but finished on the losing side in 1971 and 1977. He won the UEFA cup twice, in 1973 and 1976. In 1977 Liverpool won the European Cup for the first time after beating Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-1 in Rome. Callaghan was one of the best players on the pitch that spring night. In fact Callaghan is the only player in the European Cup winning team in 1977 who had featured in Liverpool's first European game against KR in 1964. He was also the only one whose playing career spanned the years from Liverpool playing in the 2nd division to the European cup win. He celebrated Liverpool´s second European win at Wembley in 1978 when Liverpool beat Bruges 1-0. He didn´t play but was one of the subs. That was to be his last act as a Liverpool player. In his last season, Ian had played 39 games and scored 1 goal. He lost his place in the team when Graeme Souness joined Liverpool in January 1978.

In the summer of 1978, after 19 seasons with Liverpool, he called it a day with the club. He left for Swansea where he played for his former team mate John Toshack. He later played in Norway and Ireland before returning to England again. Callaghan didn't retire until one month before his 40th birthday then with Crewe Alexandra in the 1981/82 season. Ian Callaghan played more than 900 first team games in England.

Fate would though have it that Ian only played four times for the full English national team. He had earlier played for the under 23 side. He played one game in England’s historic World cup winning team and created a goal for his team mate Roger Hunt in a 2-0 win against France. But incredibly he played his third and fourth international eleven years later when he was 35 years old which is a record in English international history. Ron Greenwood selected him in the autumn of 1977 and played him along with five other Liverpool players; Ray Clemence, Phil Neal, Terry McDermott, Emlyn Hughes and Ray Kennedy, when England drew 0-0 with Switzerland. Callaghan played again against Luxembourg soon after but that game marked the end of his England career.

Ian Callaghan only stood 5ft 7in. But he was quick, direct but first and foremost a true team player. "I soon learned that at Liverpool, we were essentially part of a team and depended on each other." Cally was the epitomy of the professional footballer. Never sent off and only booked once during his illustrious career with Liverpool and was a gentleman on and off the field. His games tally shows he was the most loyal Liverpool player in the history of the club. He wasn´t a regular goalscorer, but scored some important ones. His most prolific season was in 1968/69 when he scored ten goals. Perhaps his biggest scoring feat came in a League Cup game against Hull City at Anfield in season 1973/74. Liverpool won 3-1 and Cally scored all the goals. In 1974 Ian made history when he was the first Liverpool player to be chosen the Player of the year in England by football writers. A year later he was awarded the MBE.

Bill Shankly could certainly appreciate Callaghan's contribution to Liverpool's cause over the years: "He is a model professional, and a model human being. If there were 11 Callaghans at Anfield there would never be any need to put up a team sheet. He typifies everything that is good in football, and he has never changed. You could stake your life on Ian." Charles Lambert, an Echo reporter, gave Cally this description. "As great a Liverpool institution as the Mersey Ferries."

All things considered it is highly unlikely that Ian Callaghan´s record of games played for Liverpool will ever be broken. His record alone classes Ian as a legend. Cally himself has the final word. "I can honestly say I enjoyed every minute of my career. Yet when I retired it wasn´t the matches I missed so much as the daily routine, the training with your mates and the travel. It really was a wonderful life."
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PostSubject: Re: Record-breaker Ian Callaghan   Record-breaker Ian Callaghan EmptyTue 27 Nov 2007 - 1:37

Midfielder Callaghan is Liverpool's record appearance holder with 859 games to his name. He made four international appearances.

Difficile à y croire et pourtant c'est vrai ! hum
Quelle en est la raison à votre avis?
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PostSubject: Re: Record-breaker Ian Callaghan   Record-breaker Ian Callaghan EmptyTue 27 Nov 2007 - 3:17

il ete dans l'équipe pour le coup de monde 1966 et vas recevoir une medaile pour ces services, c'est trop tard je pense pour ce vrais scouser !!!

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