Popular t-shirt selling like hotcakes
The Club’s London Supporters Branch have resurrected a famous quote from four decades ago for a t-shirt marking the 40th anniversary of Carlisle United’s promotion to the top flight of English football.
On the morning of May 4th 1974 Liverpool FC Manager Bill Shankly, recently voted Carlisle’s greatest ever Manager, began a press conference ahead of his side’s FA Cup Final against Newcastle United. He didn’t start by discussing his team’s game plan as questioned, however, but instead chose to respond with: “Before that let me tell you about my old club Carlisle United who last night were promoted to the 1st Division for the first time in their history. That is the greatest feat in the history of the game."
Carlisle were promoted to Division One the prior evening after Leyton Orient and Aston Villa drew one all in front of nearly 30,000 fans, including a fair few traveling Cumbrians. The rest is history, and a matter of months later United were sat at the top the Division One table with three wins from their first three games.
The London Branch produced t-shirt features an image of Shankly himself in a classic pose, finger in the air to signify promotion, along with that now infamous quote. The shirt is available for the low price of just £8 (plus £2 p&p when ordered online or by post) and is now back in stock after the initial batch sold out at phenomenal speed.
Fans wishing to purchase their Shankly Shirt can do so by visiting the Branch’s website, carlislelondonbranch.org, where they can also view pictures of the likes of Graham Kavanagh and Davie Irons wearing their shirts. Alternatively, the shirts will be on sale from Branch representatives at Molineux on Saturday, from the Blues Store from early next week, or is available by post with cheque made out to “CUSCLB” and sent to CUSCLB, Park House, 191 Stafford Road, Wallington, SM6 9BT.
All profits from sales of the shirts go to Carlisle United, with the amount raised rising steadily day by day.
All those who have already purchased their Shankly shirts are being urged to wear them for the trip to Wolves on Saturday to help celebrate the anniversary of United’s achievement 40 years ago, as well as to tweet pictures of themselves wearing their shirts using the hashtag #ShanklyShirt.
For more information please visit carlislelondonbranch.org or email webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.org.
Hunter Davies has his. Have you got yours?
