Welcome to
my weekly blog “The Igor Bišćan Hall of Fame” every week I’ll be adding two new
additions, one will be a Liverpool Legend or fans favourite, the other a
Player, Manager or Club who have contributed to the world game we all love
(Gary Neville need not worry). Please comment below who you’d like to see make
the IBHoF, here are this weeks entries. YNWA
GERRY BYRNE
1957/58 -
1968/69
When Bill
Shankly breezed into Anfield in December 1959, the career of full-back Gerry
Byrne was going nowhere rather too quickly for comfort. After making only two
first-team appearances in two seasons and performing but moderately for the
reserves, the swarthy defender was on the transfer list and looked for all the
world like a player who would loiter on the fringe of the big time for several
years before drifting inevitably towards a lower grade of football.
The new
boss, however, saw something that everyone else had evidently missed. He
transformed Gerry from a Central League plodder into one of the most effective
backs in the land - and although he couldn't have known it at the time he was
breathing life into the future of a man who, one rainy day in May 1965, was destined
to become one of the true heroes of Liverpool soccer history.
But even
the most inspired manager needs a little help from fate and it came in the form
of injuries to regular left-back Ronnie Moran. Gerry stepped in with a string
of accomplished performances and, when Ronnie returned to first-team duty,
continued his development by switching to right-back at the expense of Dick
White.
He was an
ever-present in the 1961/62 promotion campaign and became an automatic choice
throughout the heady triumphs of the mid-sixties, reclaiming his left-sided
role when Chris Lawler replaced the ageing Moran. Quiet and undemonstrative in
both play and demeanour, Gerry brought a granite reliability to the Reds'
defence. He wasn't over-endowed with pace but compensated by reading the game
with cool assurance and with a tackle that was fearsome. Shankly was adamant
that there wasn't a harder - or fairer - footballer in the game and, never a
man prone to understatement, he described his protege's performance in the defeat
of Belgian champions Anderlecht in late 1964 as 'the best full-back display
Europe has ever seen'.
The match
which clinched Gerry's place in Liverpool legend was the 1965 FA Cup Final
against Leeds United in which he played for 117 minutes with a broken collar-bone,
overcoming grinding pain and disguising his infirmity from Don Revie's men, who
would certainly have taken advantage if they had recognised his plight. Not
only did he subdue the lively Johnny Giles, he also laid on the Reds' first
goal in extra time when he took a glorious pass from Willie Stevenson, reached
the byline and swept over a cross for Roger Hunt to head home.
Having
played a full part in taking two Championships as well as the Cup triumph,
Gerry hurt a knee against Leicester City in August 1966 and was never quite the
same dominant force again. When recurring knee trouble prompted premature
retirement in 1969, leading to a spell as an Anfield coach, Shanks was again
warm in his praise: 'When Gerry went, it took a big chunk out of Liverpool.
Something special was missing.'
For a man
who enjoyed so much success at club level, Gerry had little international joy.
In the first of his two outings for England he endured a chasing from
Scotland's Willie Henderson, and he lacked the class, perhaps, to mount a
serious challenge to the immaculate Ray Wilson. Liverpool, though, knew his
value - and it was immense.
BORN:
Liverpool, 29.8.38. GAMES: 329 (1). GOALS: 3.
CLUBS:
1957-1969 Liverpool.
HONOURS:
League Championship 63/4, 65/6. Second Division Championship 61/2. FA Cup 64/5.
INERNATIONAL
CAREER: 2 England caps (63-66).
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GIUSEPPE
MEAZZA
Giuseppe
Meazza was Italian football's first superstar. Nicknamed 'Peppino', he was a
graceful centre forward with never a single Brylcreemed hair out of place. The
highlights of his career were two World Cup triumphs - the second as Italy's
captain.
Born in
Milan, he made his debut with Inter at the age of seventeen' marking his
arrival by scoring twice in a Cup game. In his second season he set a new club
record with 33 goals (twice netting five in a game and once, against Venezia,
scoring six). In 1930 he was the League's top goalscorer - a feat he would
repeat on two more occasions (1936 and 1938).
He was
particularly deadly in one-on-one situations, delighting in rounding the keeper
before stroking the ball into the net. In 1933 Juventus and Italy keeper
Giampiero Combi had the temerity to suggest that Meazza would not be able to
sidestep him. Meazza told his friend to put his money where his mouth was and
Combi duly accepted the bet. When Inter and Juventus next met, Meazza set off
on a dazzling run from the half-way line, leaving several defenders trailing in
his wake, before dummying Combi and scoring. Combi went straight up to him and
shook his hand. With Meazza such a consistent marksman, Inter won the Serie A
title in 1930 and 1938 and the Coppa Italia in 1939.
He made his
international debut against Switzerland in 1930, scoring twice, and went one
better three months later with a hat-trick against Hungary. He remained a
virtual ever-present in the national side for nine years, Vittorio Pozzo, the
Italy coach, having taken the decision to switch Meazza from his club position
of centre forward to an inside-forward berth that would allow him to use his
passing skills to better effect.
In 1934
Meazza was one of only a handful of home-grown talents in the Italian World Cup
team, the remainder being South Americans. When quizzed about this, Pozzo said
that if the South Americans could die for Italy (they were eligible for
national service), they could play football for the country, and FIFA chose to
turn a blind eye. Inspired by Meazza, who scored two goals in the tournament
including a crucial header in the quarter-final replay against Spain, Italy
became world champions. Two years later he helped Italy win the Olympic
football competition, as a result of which he was appointed captain for the
1938 World Cup in France. Following wins over Norway and the host nation,
Meazza's penalty enabled Italy to overcome Brazil 2-1 in the semi-final. A 4-2
victory over Hungary in the final saw Meazza receive the trophy in front of Mussolini
with a Fascist salute.
Having
reached the summit of his profession, Meazza began to fall from grace. His
extravagant lifestyle left him in financial difficulties and injuries severely
restricted his appearances. At the end of 1939 he moved to city rivals AC Milan
but although his class still shone through, he had lost much of his pace. After
two stop-start years with Milan (37 games - 9 goals), he guested for Juventus
(27 games -10 goals) before joining Atalanta for one season in 1945, scoring twice
in fourteen games. With Inter struggling, he returned to his old club as
player/coach and worked his old magic to help them stave off relegation. He
played his last Serie A game against Bologna in Milan's San Siro Stadium in
June 1947. In total he had scored 243 goals in 361 games for Inter - a
magnificent record.
When Meazza
died in 1979 at the age of 68, the City Council of Milan decided to honour him
in recognition of his importance to Italian football. Accordingly on what would
have been his 69th Birthday, the San Siro Stadium was officially renamed Stadio
Giuseppe Meazza.
BORN:
Milan, Kingdom of Italy. 23.8.10.
DIED:
Rapallo, Italy. 21.8.79 (aged 68).
CLUBS:
1927–1940 Inter, 1940–1942 Milan, 1942–1943 Juventus, 1944 Varese, 1945–1946
Atalanta, 1946–1947 Inter.
INERNATIONAL
CAREER: Italy 1930–1939 Caps 53 Goals 33.
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