Former
Liverpool FC star Geoff Strong has died, aged 75.
The club confirmed
that Strong, who had battled bravely against Alzheimer's disease in recent
years, passed away peacefully on Monday morning at his Southport care home.
Strong, who
signed from Arsenal for £40,000 after having scored against the Reds at Anfield
on two occasions for the Gunners, made 201 appearances for the Reds between
1964 and 1970, scoring 33 goals.
He was part
of the team that clinched the club's first ever FA Cup win under Bill Shankly
in 1965 but is best remembered for his role in helping Liverpool reach the
European Cup Winners Cup Final the following season.
In the
first round, Strong was on the scoresheet in a 2-0 Anfield win over Italian
champions Juventus as the Reds overturned one-goal deficit from the first-leg
in Turin but it was in the second leg of the semi-final against Glasgow Celtic
that Strong wrote his name into LFC folklore.
Again the
Reds were a goal behind after the first leg away from home and over 54,000,
including many from north of the border, packed into Anfield for the
much-anticipated 'Battle of Britain'.
Jock
Stein's side were just a year away from becoming the first British side to win
the European Cup and it took Liverpool an hour to level the scores when Tommy
Smith drove home a free kick.
There were
already in effect playing with ten men as Strong has picked up a leg injury
but, as substitutes were still a year away from coming into effect, he stayed
on the pitch and managed to get his head to Ian Callaghan's cross on 67 minutes
to score the crucial winning goal that sent Liverpool into the Final at Hampden
Park.
That proved
to be his final game of the season but he did play enough games to qualify for
a championship medal as Shankly's men won their second title in three years.
Strong's
versatility proved to be one of greatest attributes, playing in almost every
outfield position for the club before leaving in 1970. He also represented
Stanley United and Coventry City in an 18-year career.
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