Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 4:52 PM• Chris Meijer

If it’s up to Chris Carline, the statue of his grandpa Bill Shankly that stands in front of Anfield will be taken away. Shankly was the trainer of Liverpool between 1959 and 1974, which returned to the highest level under his leadership and went on to become the national champion three times. His 39-year-old grandson is now in charge of the Shankly Foundation and Shankly Hotel in central Liverpool and is furious about Liverpool’s plans to enter the Super League.

“I know my grandfather’s statements are now often quoted and rightly so, because what is happening now couldn’t be further from what he wanted for a football club. I am shocked and ashamed, ”said Carline in conversation with the Liverpool Echo. “To say he would turn in his grave is an understatement. I would like to see his statue removed. ”

In addition to a statue in front of the stadium, an entrance to Anfield is also named after Shankly, as the entrance to The Kop – the grandstand behind the goal – is called the Shankly Gates. “What hurts the most is that the history and traditions were created by him. By doing things the right way. That is why it is unacceptable that Liverpool is one of the six clubs trying to push this plan through. ”

“The words that he made people happy are on the base of his statue. He did. He saw it as a mission to bring relief to working-class fans at the end of the week, bringing them pleasure as a reward for their hard work. This new competition is completely against those values. I’m sorry for Jürgen Klopp and the players, they haven’t heard about this. The owners secretly met to make a choice based on greed, ”says Carline. His anger turns to CEO Billy Hogan.

“The current CEO doesn’t even live in Liverpool, he never visits this region,” Shankly’s grandson continues. “They are happy to replace fans who have been dedicated to the club their entire lives with fans who fly over to watch the occasional match. Nobody takes away from me that I’ve been following the club all my life. We are talking about a dynasty. I will not run away from the club and boycott games. The manager and the players cannot do anything about it. The owners do and we will challenge this decision. ”