Ten years ago today Liverpool fans were still coming down after the excitement of Gerard Houllier’s treble winning season with the drama of the FA Cup Final win over Arsenal at Cardiff and the amazing UEFA Cup Final against Alaves in Dortmund still fresh in the memory. Sadly it was not to be the dawn to a new era of domination, but amid the backdrop of all this optimism came the sad news that Liverpool’s original treble winning manager, Joe Fagan had passed away.

Smokin Joe was a scouser and after representing Liverpool Schoolboys, his playing career took him to the blue half of Manchester, but he had been an integral part of the famous Liverpool Boot Room for almost thirty years by the time he retired in the aftermath of the Heysel tragedy.

Joe Fagan the trainer, the coach and the manager was undoubtedly a Liverpool legend, but to me he was also part of my growing up.

I grew up on living in Oakdene Road, off Priory Road, half a mile from Anfield football ground. At the bottom of our terraced road was Lynholme Road, and it was at no 42 Lynholme that Joe and his family lived from the time he arrived at LFC in 1958 (a year before Shankly) until he passed away in 2001.

Joe and his wife Lil, being good catholic stock, packed their modest semi-detached home with five sons and a daughter. Of course most of the boys were football crazy, especially Kit (Christopher), Steven and Michael.  Those were the days when every available hour out of school hours was spent either playing ‘3-and-in’, ‘attack and defence’ or ‘knockout’in the street or in nearby Stanley Park. We did not need marked out pitches and goalposts then to have a full-sized game in the park. There were no referees, and of course we used ‘jumpers for goalposts’.

Whilst Kit was a bit older than us,I spent many many hours during the sixties and seventies,playing against and alongside Mike and Steve, going on toplay alongside them in amateur football teams into the 1980’s.

All this while their dad, Joe was working tirelessly on building the Liverpool FC Empire with Bill, Bob, Ronnie and Reuben.  To us though, more than anything, he was our friends’ dad.

When I first started going to watch my heroes in the 60’s, Joe Fagan was the ‘trainer’. These days he would be called the physio. He was the man who would race on to administer the magic sponge.  Many a time I would cheer on the reds at 3pm go home for my tea and then knock at chez Fagan to see the lads. The front door would be opened and upon entering, I would be greeted with the sight of a huge pile of steaming, mud stained shirts, socks and shorts. Yes, in those simple times, the League Champions kit was taken home by the trainer for his wife to wash!

I recall one occasion when the lads persuaded Mr Fagan to come over to the Vernon Sangster and give us a bit of a training session. We were fit lads at that time, often playing footy in some form or other before lunch, during the afternoon and again after tea until the sun disappeared behind Goodison Park. Fit? WE were ready to drop dead after an hour with Joe, who had us running absolutely non-stop for the full sixty minutes. Looking back I think he was just having a bit of fun at our expense, but when Joe Fagan says “Run”, believe me we ran!

During the early seventies Liverpool started reaching semi-finals and finals with more regularity. Along with derby games, these were the only matches which were all-ticket. We were always reluctant to go straight to Steve or Mike for tickets, as they would be hounded to death at school, but having exhausted every other avenue there was often no choice but to sheepishly ask them whether there was any chance. Joe had a rule that he wanted to know who the tickets were going to, and often he would deliver them himself.

One of these occasions sticks out in my memory. Liverpool had reached the FA Cup Final in 1974 to face Newcastle. My dad had qualified for two tickets via his season tickets, but that would have meant me missing out as my elder brother was above me in the pecking order. On the Sunday afternoon before the Final, there was a knock on the door and there was Mr Fagan on the step. This couldonly mean one thing... a ticket for me!!!!  He chatted with my dad, and asked who the ticket was for. Upon learning is was for me, he then turned tomy little brother John, who was 14 at the time. “Aren’t you going son?” asked the great man. When John replied that he wasn’t, JF asked him whether he wanted to go too. Of course our kid’s eyes lit up as another ticket was produced!

So off to Wembley went the whole Durand male clan, where we witnessed a classic FA Cup Final win, and we were back in the city in time to watch Emlyn singing Everton are Tragic to the welcoming hordes the following day.

In those days I used to go home for my dinner, and that Monday was no different. This time though, the phone rang(unusual) and Steve Fagan’s voice was on the line. “Come ‘round to ours, now, and bring your camera”. Of course, I did not have a clue what he was on about, but it sounded good to me, so off I went.

There in the Fagan back garden was the glistening FA Cup trophy set up on a small coffee table draped in Liverpool and Newcastle football shirts. So two days after Emlyn lifted the cup in the Royal Box at Wembley I was re-enacting the moment in my mate’s back garden!

There are many other memorable stories, not least the Paris 1981 European Cup Final when Mr and Mrs Fagan got us into the after-match party at the Meridian in Paris, but not after I gave Ronnie Moran the fright of his life when he arrived back in his room after the victorious win over Real Madrid to find me sitting on his bed, fresh out of his shower! (It’s a long story, and I will save it formy book!)

As we all know, Joe Fagan famously took over with reluctance after Bob Paisley  stepped down and in an incredible first season in charge won the League Championship, League Cup and European Cup treble.

Joe had already decided to step down after the 1985 European Cup Final, but the disastrous events and loss of life completely overshadowed his retirement and went very close to breaking him.

Joe Fagan Trivia

Bill Shankly had originally tried to sign Joe Fagan as a player for Grimsby Town.

Joe played for Manchester City in 46-47 promotion season,alongside Harry Catterick

In 1953 Joe became a coach at Rochdale under Catterick.

It was Harry Catterick (later to manage Everton) who recommended Joe Fagan to Liverpool as an Assistant Trainer in 1958

Ian Rush scored 47goals (32 League) during Joe Fagan’s first season in charge of Liverpool

In his two seasons as LFC boss, Liverpool reached the Final of the European Cup both seasons.

Gary Gillespie, current LFCTV pundit, was Joe Fagan’s first LFC signing.

Joe Fagan also signed Paul Walsh and Jan Molby for Liverpool FC

Joe Fagan turned down the chance to sign Brian Durand for Liverpool FC. (Their loss!)