Will the Real Mr Shankly Please Stand Up

I am tired of hearing how great his brother was, I am tired of his brother, before Bill Shankly began that thoughtless nonsense at Liverpool, his brother Bob was playing at Falkirk. Moving from Alloa he had previously tried his hand at Endlish Non-League football with Tunbridge Wells. A big player,

he was equally as good at Centre-Forward as at Centre-Half [but mainly at Centre-Half]. He played more matches for the club during WWII than anyone else.

I am really not interested in his brother, this chap played more than 400 matches for my club, end of.

Later he went on to manage the club, only him & John Hughes have both played and managed the club 200 times.


Robert Shankly

b 25th February 1910, Glenbuck, Ayrshire
d 1982, Glasgow

Debut – Saturday August 12th 1933 v Third Lanark (H) Scottish League Division 1

b 25th February 1910, Glenbuck, Ayrshire
d 1982, Glasgow

Positions – Centre-Half, Right-Half, Inside-Left, Centre-Forward
Club Honours – Scottish League Division 2 W 1935/36, Dewar Shield W 1938/39, RU 1935/36, Stirlingshire Cup W
1934/35, 1938/39, Falkirk Infirmary Shield W 1933/34, 1934/35, 1935/36, 1936/37, 1937/38, 1938/39

Scottish League Division 1 Matches/Goals [181/4]
Scottish League Division 2 Matches/Goals [34/-]
Scottish League North-East Matches/Goals [30/-]
Southern League Matches/Goals [82/5]
Scottish Cup Matches/Goals [18/-]
War Emergency Cup Matches/Goals [4/-]
Southern League Cup Matches/Goals [26/4]
Summer Cup Matches/Goals [9/-]
Victory Cup Matches/Goals [1/-]
Dewar Shield Matches/Goals [8/-]
Stirlingshire Cup Matches/Goals [12/1]
Falkirk Infirmary Shield Matches/Goals [9/-]
Other Matches/Goals [14/1]
Total Matches/Goals [428/15]


Known Career – Glenbuck Cherrypickers, Tunbridge Wells, Alloa Athletic [1930/31-1932/33], Falkirk [1933/34-1945/46]

Falkirk Manager [1950/51-1956/57]

Height - 5 ft 9½ in: Weight 12 st 3 lbs [1935]