Ronnie Moran

Football manager infobox
playername= Ronnie Moran


fullname = Ronald Moran
height =
nickname = Bugsy
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1934|2|28
cityofbirth = Liverpool
countryofbirth = England
currentclub =
position = Left-back
youthyears =
youthclubs = Liverpool
years = 1952-68
clubs = Liverpool
caps(goals) = 343 (14)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
manageryears = 1991 1992
managerclubs = Liverpool (Caretaker) Liverpool (Caretaker)

Ronnie Moran is a former Liverpool captain and coach, who has twice served as caretaker manager (after the departures of Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness respectively). He was the club's longest-serving employee when he retired in 1999, and he is the only surviving member of the original Liverpool Boot Room, with Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, and Reuben Bennett having all passed on.

He was born in Crosby, just outside Liverpool on February 281934. He began his footballing career at Liverpool as an apprentice electrician playing with the 'C' team. Originally a left back, Moran signed professional terms for manager Don Welsh in January 1952 and subsequently made his debut in a 3-2 defeat at Derby County on November 22, 1952. He was just 18 years old.

It was in season 1955-56 that Moran established himself as Liverpool's first choice number three. The Reds were languishing in the Second Division at this time but Moran, a good marker who was rarely beaten by a winger for pace and was also something of a penalty expert, proved himself a consistent performer missing only six games between 1955 and 1959.

He was rewarded for his sterling service towards the latter part of the decade when he was handed the club captaincy. In 1961-62, after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, he played sixteen games as the Reds finally regained their top-flight status and two seasons later was part of the Division One Championship winning side missing only seven games all season.

Injury problems then began to set in and he missed out to Gerry Byrne for the left back slot in the 1965 FA Cup Final win over Leeds United. He did, however, play in the famous Anfield victory over Inter Milan three days later before playing his last competitive game for the Reds in the awesome setting of the San Siro stadium when Liverpool were controversially beaten in the second leg of the European Cup semi-final.

In 1966 Moran was invited onto the coaching staff by Bill Shankly though he continued playing for Joe Fagan's reserves for a further two years, helping to bring on the younger players. He formally retired from playing during the 1968-69 season and joined the coaching staff full time, where he became a part of the famous Boot Room team. In 1971 he took charge of the reserve team and in 1972-73 guided the Reds' second string to the Central League Championship.

Moran, or 'Bugsy' as he had become known, became a vital ingredient in the Liverpool success story with his shrewd knowledge of the game and the ability to get the best out of the players. In a spectacularly successful period for the club he was a fine, loyal servant working first under Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and then Kenny Dalglish, and later for Graeme Souness and Roy Evans.

In keeping with the Boot Room traditions he never sought the limelight, never promoted himself above his colleagues or the team. He became famous on the bench for his loud voice shouting instructions to the players which could be heard in the packed Kop.

When Dalglish sensationally announced his resignation as manager in 1991, Moran was installed as 'caretaker' boss, a role he occupied for only ten games. He had placed on record an unwillingness to take the job on full-time and summarily stood down when Graeme Souness was duly appointed as Dalglish's successor.

Moran remained on the coaching staff under Souness and then under friend Roy Evans when he took over as manager. Evans became the ninth manager Moran had worked under at the club in one capacity or another in his near half century of dedicated service, the full list being:

George Kay, Don Welsh, Phil Taylor, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Roy Evans.

Ronnie Moran finally announced his retirement from football and left Liverpool in 1998. Along with the great Bob Paisley, he had filled every role imagineable at the club from player, to physio, to coach and trainer, through to manager.

Perhaps though, like his great Boot Room colleague Joe Fagan, Moran is destined to be remembered most for his years of unstinting loyalty as a coach, a key member of the Boot Room set up which was the cornerstone of English football's greatest ever success story.

Honours

* Division 2 (Level 2): 1962
* Division 1 (Level 1): 1964
* Charity Shield: 1964

External links

* [http://www.ronniemoran.com Ronnie Moran website]
* [http://www.lfconline.com/news/loadfeat.asp?cid=EDB4&id=138728 LFC Online profile]
* [http://www.lfchistory.net/player_profile.asp?player_id=383 Player profile at LFChistory.net]
* [http://www.lfchistory.net/managers_profile.asp?manager_id=17 Manager profile at LFChistory.net]
* [http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/archivedirs/news/2006/jun/28/N152653060628-1114.htm 100 Players Who Shook The Kop - No.70]