Feature'Shankly's heroes - an ode to the 1965 team': Liverpool's forgotten FA Cup-winning poem remembered
In May 1965, Liverpool FC achieved something it never had before.
There were 100,000 supporters in attendance at Wembley as Bill Shankly's Reds team overcame Don Revie's Leeds United 2-1 at the national stadium.
In doing so, Liverpool lifted a first ever FA Cup.
After a goalless 90 minutes, legendary striker Roger Hunt was first on target in extra-time and Leeds captain Billy Bremner levelled shortly after.
But Ian St John had the final say three minutes from the end to clinch glory and bring back the cup to the red half of Merseyside – a moment many thought would never arrive.
"There was a saying around that time that the Liver birds would fly away before Liverpool ever won the FA Cup," supporter Bob Frodsham recalled to Liverpoolfc.com.
"The team that he built that won that FA Cup was the benchmark for what you're watching now in the stadium at the moment. They became serial winners over time."
Indeed, Shankly's men did just that. After guiding his side out of the second tier, they would go on to lift three First Division titles, two FA Cup trophies and a UEFA Cup in his tenure.
The recent 60th anniversary of the club's first FA Cup victory (May 1) has unearthed a forgotten poem that was written to celebrate the memorable triumph.
As the story goes, in the following August ahead of a game against Sheffield United at Anfield, leaflets were handed out to those arriving to stand on the Kop.
It was labelled 'Shankly's heroes – an ode to the '65 team' and among the takers was a 14-year-old Frodsham.
"I've got no idea who wrote it," he revealed. "I've often thought over the years about whether it was written by someone then who might've passed away now – but it deserved to be remembered by future generations.
"I could never get my head around it being lost. We were just given it and we put it in our pockets and that was it. You've got to remember that a lot of people would have to be over 70 to remember it and a lot of the players who were involved.
"This poem is part of the history of the club. When that happened, Liverpool were on the rise to make this team what they are today. Before Mr Shankly arrived, the club was in the second tier and a bit of a non-entity team. He came in and transformed everything about us.
"The foundations were built by that 1960s team. All those players played in the Second Division and took Liverpool up to dominating football in this country."
Written copies of the poem have since been lost to history, though such was the impact the team and the piece of art had on Frodsham, he can still recite the poem word for word.
"It was the first time that they'd won the cup, and it was a momentous day for us all who were there," he added. "It will always be remembered. This poem is a tribute to the players who played on the day.
"I watched Liverpool from the early 1960s. I pretty much watched them home and away right through until 1981. I followed them all over the country and a little bit in Europe. After 1981, I drifted away from going as much, but it was pretty much 18 or so years of watching Shankly's team and following them up and down the country.
"They were such great days. We all lived close to Melwood, the lads who we went to the games with. We'd go to his [Shankly's] house regularly and we got tickets from him for some big finals and things like that. He really was a man of the people.
"It's a massive tribute to them. A lot of the players have passed now, they've gone, but they should never ever be forgotten. Whoever wrote it deserves huge credit – I just want to make sure it's remembered."
Read the poem in full below…
'Shankly's heroes - an ode to the '65 team'
The Reds had been to Wembley, they won the FA Cup
They knocked out Leeds United, and Scouseland got lit up
We really went to town that night, our dream 'ship had come home
It really would've made my day, if the Liver bird had flown
The best men in our team I thought, was Lawler cool and neat
He had Johanneson in his hand, and scoffed him like a treat
At left-back was Gerry Byrne, there was none more brave or bolder
He played a blinder right throughout, and with a broken shoulder
Geoff Strong came in for Gordon Milne, he joined the hall of fame
He played his part and played it well, and lived up to his name
Big Rowdy was a giant, he never seemed to fail
He bottled up the middle, and stung the Peacocks' tail
And then there's Willie Steve-o, his play is all top-class
His reading of the game superb, with not a wasted pass
Young Callaghan was really great, his centre sheer perfection
He's the fastest man in all the land, and in the right direction
A first goal scored by Hunt, who else? My sportsman of the year
He was always marked by three or four, still gets himself well clear
The Saint, the great, and not the faint, his play is all blood and thunder
We sing his praise wherever he plays, and is it any wonder?
Young Tommy Smith though still a lad, the greatest of them all
He'd win or fight with wildcats, and still come out with the ball
On the left wing Peter Thompson, the juggler who could shoot
He has the full-back mesmerised, just like he's taking root
I've not forgotten Lawrence, though I'm sure you would agree
For all the work he had to do, he could've stood by me
So there they are this team of ours, they're proud to call our own
And while there is air to fill our lungs, they'll never walk alone.