Following last week’s Kenny Dalglish appreciation thread, let’s hear it for another Anfield great.
Alan Hansen
Honours board:
First Division Championship 1978/79, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86, 1987/88 & 1989/90, FA Cup 1986 & 1989, League Cup 1981, 1983 & 1984, European Cup 1978, 1981 & 1984, Charity Shield 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986 (shared) & 1989.
For many, 1955 saw the birth of Rock and Roll, when Bill Haley and his Comets’ ‘Rock Around the Clock’ was first heard by theatre-goers attending performances of ‘Blackboard Jungle’ in the US. It is claimed that some teenagers actually stood up from their seats and danced.
Also in 1955, Winston Churchill resigned as Prime Minister; Disneyland opened in the US and the UK’s first commercial broadcaster, ITV, took to the screens
It was also the year when Albert Einstein died, aged 76 and James Dean died tragically young at the age of 24. But as the world said goodbye to two geniuses, it welcomed the arrival of another.
Alan David Hansen, arguably the most elegant centre-half in the history of British football was born on 13 June, 1955 in Clackmannanshire, Scotland.
The young Hansen was a bright lad indeed, but he turned down a place at Aberdeen University to join Partick Thistle (often referred to by their full name, Partick Thistle Nil) as an apprentice. However, just prior to joining Partick Thistle, Hansen suffered an accident that would leave a lasting mark. He and his mates were running late to take part in a school volleyball tournament and in his haste to arrive on court, Hansen ran straight through a glass door, leaving him permanently scarred across his forehead.
Between 1973 and 1977, Hansen made 108 appearances for Partick, scoring six goals (note to Carra, that’s one in 18 ).
Bob Paisley, who knew talent when he saw it, snapped up the talented youngster for £100,000, not exactly small change in those days. Hansen made his Liverpool debut in September of the same year in a 1-0 home win over Derby County.
In his first full season, Liverpool won their first of five (count them Fergie, Jose, Arsene – that’s more than you boys and Cloughie put together) European Cups, although our hero didn’t pick up a winner’s medal as he didn’t appear in the final. He didn’t have to wait long to get his hands on ‘old big ears’, as the Reds famously defended their crown the following year with a 1-0 win over FC Bruges at Wembley.
And that was just the start. Trophies and medals flooded in as the Red’s enjoyed a period of unparalleled success at home and abroad. Hansen’s partnerships, first with Phil Thompson, then with Mark Lawrenson, were the stuff of legend. And with his fellow countrymen Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness, Hansen and Liverpool boasted a steel and style that was simply unstoppable.
But Hansen’s career was not without controversy. Who shot Kennedy? Did The Titanic really come off worst in a fight with a giant ice cube? And did Neil Armstrong really set foot on the moon? These were three of the great mysteries of the 20th Century. The other involved our Jocky. How could a man who was at the very heart of the most dominant club side in European football, play only 26 times at international level for a super-power of world football? That in itself would have been odd, but how he could only play 26 times for Scotland is truly unfathomable.
It has often been rumoured that Kenny Dalglish quit international football in 1986 because he was so aghast at his great mate being left out of the Scotland squad that went to the 1986 World Cup. That’ll be the same Scotland that went out in the first round, having lost to mighty Morocco.
Hansen’s disappointment at this time was at least partially eased by Kenny’s appointment as the club’s new manager and his own appointment as captain. The pair led Liverpool on and off the pitch to the club’s first League-FA Cup double in 1986, beating Chelsea in the last league match of the season (ha!) and Everton a week later at Wembley (ha!).
In 1988, Hansen led that magnificent Liverpool side of Barnes, Beardsley, Aldridge and more to a 29-game unbeaten run.
The following year and tragedy called at our club’s door. Once again, the Hansen and Dalglish partnership provided Liverpool with dignified leadership at the most difficult of times.
By 1991, Hansen’s persistent knee problems finally caught up with him and the great man hung up his boots. Elevation to the Boot Room seemed inevitable, but Hansen always made clear his determination not to enter management. The opportunity to manage Liverpool came along at least twice and twice Jocky turned it down. It is rumoured he was also offered the Manchester City hot-seat in 1996, but having turned down the club he loved, he was never going to manage elsewhere.
Handsome and articulate, Hansen was a natural for television punditry. He started out on Sky but really made a name for himself on the BBC alongside the great grey, Desert Orchid. Sorry, that should be Desmond Lynam. Just as he was in his playing career, Hansen remains loyal to his employer and shows his versatility by also presenting football-related documentaries and doing the occasional stint at the US Masters Golf and the Open Championship.
Today, Hansen lives in Southport with his wife Janet. The couple have two children – Adam (born 1981) and Lucy (1984). Having dominated British football from the late 70s to early 90s, Hansen and Dalglish remain great mates and golfing partners.
In total, Alan Hansen made 623 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 13 goals.
Alan Jocky Hansen. Take a bow.
Alan Hansen
Honours board:
First Division Championship 1978/79, 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86, 1987/88 & 1989/90, FA Cup 1986 & 1989, League Cup 1981, 1983 & 1984, European Cup 1978, 1981 & 1984, Charity Shield 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986 (shared) & 1989.
For many, 1955 saw the birth of Rock and Roll, when Bill Haley and his Comets’ ‘Rock Around the Clock’ was first heard by theatre-goers attending performances of ‘Blackboard Jungle’ in the US. It is claimed that some teenagers actually stood up from their seats and danced.
Also in 1955, Winston Churchill resigned as Prime Minister; Disneyland opened in the US and the UK’s first commercial broadcaster, ITV, took to the screens
It was also the year when Albert Einstein died, aged 76 and James Dean died tragically young at the age of 24. But as the world said goodbye to two geniuses, it welcomed the arrival of another.
Alan David Hansen, arguably the most elegant centre-half in the history of British football was born on 13 June, 1955 in Clackmannanshire, Scotland.
The young Hansen was a bright lad indeed, but he turned down a place at Aberdeen University to join Partick Thistle (often referred to by their full name, Partick Thistle Nil) as an apprentice. However, just prior to joining Partick Thistle, Hansen suffered an accident that would leave a lasting mark. He and his mates were running late to take part in a school volleyball tournament and in his haste to arrive on court, Hansen ran straight through a glass door, leaving him permanently scarred across his forehead.
Between 1973 and 1977, Hansen made 108 appearances for Partick, scoring six goals (note to Carra, that’s one in 18 ).
Bob Paisley, who knew talent when he saw it, snapped up the talented youngster for £100,000, not exactly small change in those days. Hansen made his Liverpool debut in September of the same year in a 1-0 home win over Derby County.
In his first full season, Liverpool won their first of five (count them Fergie, Jose, Arsene – that’s more than you boys and Cloughie put together) European Cups, although our hero didn’t pick up a winner’s medal as he didn’t appear in the final. He didn’t have to wait long to get his hands on ‘old big ears’, as the Reds famously defended their crown the following year with a 1-0 win over FC Bruges at Wembley.
And that was just the start. Trophies and medals flooded in as the Red’s enjoyed a period of unparalleled success at home and abroad. Hansen’s partnerships, first with Phil Thompson, then with Mark Lawrenson, were the stuff of legend. And with his fellow countrymen Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness, Hansen and Liverpool boasted a steel and style that was simply unstoppable.
But Hansen’s career was not without controversy. Who shot Kennedy? Did The Titanic really come off worst in a fight with a giant ice cube? And did Neil Armstrong really set foot on the moon? These were three of the great mysteries of the 20th Century. The other involved our Jocky. How could a man who was at the very heart of the most dominant club side in European football, play only 26 times at international level for a super-power of world football? That in itself would have been odd, but how he could only play 26 times for Scotland is truly unfathomable.
It has often been rumoured that Kenny Dalglish quit international football in 1986 because he was so aghast at his great mate being left out of the Scotland squad that went to the 1986 World Cup. That’ll be the same Scotland that went out in the first round, having lost to mighty Morocco.
Hansen’s disappointment at this time was at least partially eased by Kenny’s appointment as the club’s new manager and his own appointment as captain. The pair led Liverpool on and off the pitch to the club’s first League-FA Cup double in 1986, beating Chelsea in the last league match of the season (ha!) and Everton a week later at Wembley (ha!).
In 1988, Hansen led that magnificent Liverpool side of Barnes, Beardsley, Aldridge and more to a 29-game unbeaten run.
The following year and tragedy called at our club’s door. Once again, the Hansen and Dalglish partnership provided Liverpool with dignified leadership at the most difficult of times.
By 1991, Hansen’s persistent knee problems finally caught up with him and the great man hung up his boots. Elevation to the Boot Room seemed inevitable, but Hansen always made clear his determination not to enter management. The opportunity to manage Liverpool came along at least twice and twice Jocky turned it down. It is rumoured he was also offered the Manchester City hot-seat in 1996, but having turned down the club he loved, he was never going to manage elsewhere.
Handsome and articulate, Hansen was a natural for television punditry. He started out on Sky but really made a name for himself on the BBC alongside the great grey, Desert Orchid. Sorry, that should be Desmond Lynam. Just as he was in his playing career, Hansen remains loyal to his employer and shows his versatility by also presenting football-related documentaries and doing the occasional stint at the US Masters Golf and the Open Championship.
Today, Hansen lives in Southport with his wife Janet. The couple have two children – Adam (born 1981) and Lucy (1984). Having dominated British football from the late 70s to early 90s, Hansen and Dalglish remain great mates and golfing partners.
In total, Alan Hansen made 623 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 13 goals.
Alan Jocky Hansen. Take a bow.
