It is April 16, 1989. Kenny Dalglish, coach of Liverpool FC, walks onto Anfield Road in grief. The Kop stand is covered with wreaths, scarves, and flowers. “The saddest and at the same time most beautiful image of my life,” he says in his biography. It is the day after Hillsborough, the tragedy at Sheffield Wednesday’s stadium. During the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, 96 Reds lost their lives. They died for nothing, sinister and senseless, crushed against the fences. The drama lives daily in Dalglish’s memory: “I cannot forget it. During the funerals I felt completely powerless. I don’t know how many I attended, sometimes four in a single day. They always ended with You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
The Anthem of the Kop
In this universal football song, joy and grief flow together. The song was born from the spiritual unity between the Spionkop and Bill Shankly, the man behind Liverpool’s philosophy. You’ll Never Walk Alone, the anthem of the Kop, gained new meaning thanks to the 1960s version by Mersey-beat group Gerry & The Pacemakers. For Shankly, it sounded like a song of freedom, guiding Liverpool during its European triumphs. At funerals it soothed wounds, much like We Shall Overcome.
From Glasgow to Anfield
After the disaster, Kenny Dalglish, born on March 4, 1951 and Scotland’s record international with 102 caps, wandered through life, lost in thought. His golden years were already behind him. Dalglish grew up in a poor Glasgow, cheerful and optimistic. As a Protestant boy and Rangers fan, he joined Celtic in 1967, the Catholic club and European Cup I winner. There he became Parkhead’s hero, with 167 goals in 321 matches. In the summer of 1977, Bob Paisley chose him as Kevin Keegan’s successor at Liverpool, then Europe’s best team.
The Lessons of Shankly
Paisley, a product of the legendary bootroom, was trained by Bill Shankly. In that bootroom, between boots and whisky, Dalglish learned how Shankly had transformed Liverpool into a universal football institution with three pillars: continuity in leadership, a stable system of play, and unique supporter passion. Liverpool was more than a club; it was a way of life. Shankly called Jesus Christ the first socialist and preached a collective lifestyle. His motto, “Football is no matter of life and death, it’s more important than that,” made Liverpool the football capital of Europe.
Glory Years in Europe
When Shankly arrived in the 1960s, Liverpool burst to life. The Beatles gave the city worldwide fame, and Merseypop made the Kop dance. “The system is our greatest strength,” Shankly insisted. Between 1977 and 1985 Dalglish played one-touch football, based on pressing, quick combinations, and movement. Liverpool won three European Cups: 1978 (Club Brugge), 1981 (Real Madrid), and 1984 (AS Roma). Dalglish celebrated five league titles, four League Cups, and scored 172 goals in 515 matches.
Tragedy and Farewell
But in 1985 tragedy struck. Scotland coach Jock Stein passed away, and the Heysel disaster hit Liverpool hard. Dalglish became player-manager, winning trophies, but Liverpool remained banned from Europe. Hillsborough finally broke the spirit. During the FA Cup final, Liverpool and Everton fans stood hand in hand, singing You’ll Never Walk Alone. For Dalglish, the King of the Kop, it was enough. In February 1991, he left Anfield Road, only to return nearly twenty years later.
Return and Final Chapter
In 2009 Dalglish returned to Liverpool as youth coach and ambassador. In January 2011, he became interim manager. After a difficult start, he brought in Andy Carroll and Luis Suárez and earned important wins. In May 2011 he was given a three-year contract.
Problems soon followed. Dalglish defended Suárez in a racism case, drawing heavy criticism. He did win the League Cup in 2012 and reached the FA Cup final. But Liverpool finished only eighth, leading to his dismissal. In 2013 he returned as director. In 2017, the Centenary Stand was renamed the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand in his honor.