ABSTRACT
Liverpool Football Club taught Manchester United how to be Manchester United. They, in turn, taught Chelsea how to be Chelsea. Through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, Liverpool transformed into an international footballing phenomenon. Without these preliminary experiments in global marketing, Manchester United would have had no template to follow. Obviously there are significant distinctions. The Theatre of Dreams has little of the Kop’s aura. While United have had their share of effective and skilled managers, none – not even Ferguson – had the presence of Bill Shankly.1 The footage of Shankly speaking to Liverpool’s faithful captures the religious passion of a sermon on the mount. The ghost of Shankly – perhaps damagingly for the current club administration – still attends every game.
