50th Anniversary omen: Liverpool’s 23/24 Home Jersey inspired by ‘74 Bill Shankly swansong
Fri, Jun 02.23
the Liverpool FC 23/24 home jersey has landed. The throwback 70s style design is something we're sure fans of the reds will love the season.
This is the 4th season of Nike and Liverpool FC’s partnership, with their newest edition of the famous Lily Red jersey, perhaps being the most striking, yet meaningful. The kit design follows the traditional red base, with the back of the neck once again making prominent the ‘97’ who lost their lives in the 1989 Hillsborough Stadium disaster.
What have been added are the bright white cuffs and collar, which pay homage to one of the most decorated eras of the club. Younger fans might struggle to recognise it, but the older Scousers in the room will see flashbacks to that iconic 1973/74 side of Keegan, Hughes and Callaghan, with a club immortal directing from the dugouts.
For a club currently looking to regain their mojo for the next campaign, the jersey they have chosen to don will look into the past, along with providing an omen, as for what they can expect over the next 12 months.
“Liverpool was made for me”
Those were the words from the late great Reds manager Bill Shankly, following his side’s 1974 FA Cup Final victory over Newcastle United at the old Wembley Stadium, a match which will inspire a new squad of players, half a century later.
Perhaps Liverpool’s most iconic manager, Shankly managed the club for more than 15 years, between the late 1950s to early 1970s. Inheriting a second division team (something unthinkable for Liverpool fans now), Shankly helped revolutionize the side, from a little brother for Merseyside rivals Everton, to being amongst Europe’s elite.
“This is Anfield. It reminds our players where they are, and it warns the others.” - former Reds boss Bill Shankly
Their domestic success, which included three First Division titles, along with two FA Cups, was coupled with a continental crown, courtesy of a UEFA Cup in 1972-73. That season also saw the last of their league titles under Shankly, who privately announced he would retire after the following season concluded.
With a squad stripped of talent after their European success, the 73/74 campaign would see lower expectations from those outside the club. Yet the Liverpool players were determined to send their legendary coach off with silverware.
Their depth was exposed early in the campaign, with premature exits coming in both the European Cup and League Cup. Defending their league title was proving to be just as strenuous, with Liverpool managing to stay within the title race, yet succumbing to a Leeds United side which had claimed five English trophies over the past three seasons.
Having fallen just five points short of another league title, all eyes then turned to the FA Cup, which was seen as the most prestigious trophy an English side could win during the 1970s. A dogged semi-final against Leicester City required a replay before Liverpool eventually outmuscled their opponents at Villa Park, securing a match against Newcastle, in front of 100,000 fans at Wembley.
“There are some people who think that football is a matter of life and death. They are fools. It is much more important than that.” - Bill Shankly 1974
Those words have now come to represent the love people have with football itself, but it was originally coined by the master coach himself, in preparation for his final match as Liverpool manager.
Ironically, his star man that day would also become a famous manager, but for their opponents, with Kevin Keegan scoring twice, first through a stunning half-volley, before wrapping up the match with a back-post tap-in. Stephen Heighway grabbed the other goal in a comprehensive 3-0 victory to the boys from the North-West.
The Cup was Liverpool’s first in almost a decade and sparked mass celebrations outside St George’s Hall in the city centre, where fans waited hours for their heroes to return home with the cup. Supporters hadn’t been made aware of his departure, which made Shankly’s celebratory speech contain far more feeling, with all his staff and squad having already known the secret.
"It's you we play for and it's you who pay our wages."
— BBC Archive (@BBCArchive) May 6, 2022
Liverpool boss Bill Shankly thanked the #LFC supporters who turned out to welcome home his FA Cup-winning team #onthisday in 1974. pic.twitter.com/6UbsOqAHWb
What to expect in 2023/24?
One thing we can definitely expect, is the Reds will be one of the more stylish sides in the Premier League next season, if this first kit is anything to go by, along with a club that continues to honour its remarkable history.
The current Liverpool squad were keen to get into the 70s spirit, dressing themselves in retro checked pants and tinted sunglasses while modelling the new jersey. But could that throwback replicate into their performances?
The 73/74 season saw a heated title race, a deep run at European glory, with the jewel in the crown being the victory over Newcastle for the FA Cup. With the magpies on the rise under Eddie Howe, could we see a rematch between the two sides at Wembley?
Explosive forward Kevin Keegan had his breakout season at the club, eventuating into him being a club legend, will next season be the creation for a dominant Darwin Nunez?
After almost a decade at the helm, Jurgen Klopp has become a deity-like figure at Anfield, yet fans will be nervous that he doesn’t follow the same fate as the great Bill Shankly. All eyes will be on the German, as he attempts to reconnect the past to fire up his squad of international superstars.
Keen to get the Nike Liverpool 23/24 home jersey? Get yours in stores or online at ultrafootball.com now.
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