Honorary Citizen Shankly

LIVERPOOL'S Lord Mayor is to make an on-stage tribute to Bill Shankly at the Echo Arena.

Councillor Mike Storey will commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of Bill Shankly's arrival as manager of Liverpool FC by awarding him the title of Honorary Citizen in recognition of his outstanding contribution not just to football but to the whole City.

Councillor Storey said: This is a fantastic opportunity to recognise one of our finest special citizen's and honour everything that he brought to the our city. Bill Shankly represented the city with distinction and never missed an opportunity to talk up the city. He really was a great ambassador for Liverpool and I thought it would be great to be able to give him some form of official recognition and fully acknowledge him as a Liverpool great."

The Lord Mayor sought the agreement of Party Leaders Cllr Warren Bradley and Cllr Joe Anderson and will be holding a small get together for ex-colleagues, family and friends of Bill Shankly at the Town Hall on Thursday 17^th December before making the award during the Shankly Show at the Liverpool Echo Arena, that evening.

Andrew Sherlock writer and director of The Shankly Show approached Councillor Storey with the idea. He said: "It has always rankled with Liverpool fans that we should have had at least two footballing knights, Sir Bill Shankly and Sir Bob Paisley, so on this special anniversary I asked the Lord Mayor if we could honour our own with a special award for Shankly - not just for what he did for LFC but for all football fans and for the life, passion and energy he brought to the City he made his home".

Receiving the award on behalf of LFC and the Shankly family will be Brian Hall who will also be inviting friends and colleagues from the Former Players Association who, like himself, played under Shankly.

Brian said: "Bill Shankly had the greatest single impact on the development of Liverpool Football Club and on my life more than anyone - bar none.  It is a phrase that is used often, but of him it is absolutely true, he is a legend.  It will be great to get the boys together to honour his memory".

The Shankly Show is on for two nights only on Thursday 17^th and Friday 18^th of December at 8pm at the BT Convention Centre with celebration and tributes made on both nights and the Honorary Citizen's Award to be made on Thursday 17^th.

Tickets are available at BT CONVENTION CENTRE (Next to LIVERPOOL ECHO ARENA)

Dates: Thursday 17-Friday 18 December 2009 at 8pm Tickets: £25.00 and £35.00

Liverpool Echo Arena Box Office:  0844 8000 400, in person at the Liverpool Echo Arena or online at www.echoarena.com.

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