Reuben Bennett | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1913-12-21)21 December 1913 |
| Died | 14 December 1989(1989-12-14) (aged 75) |
| Occupation | professional footballer |
Reuben Bennett (21 December 1913 – 14 December 1989) was a Scottish professionalfootball player and manager who played as agoalkeeper forHull City,Queen of the South,Dundee andElgin City. He was then manager ofAyr United and a founding member of theBoot Room coaching staff atLiverpool.[1]
In Bennett's playing days, he was a goalkeeper with Hull City andDumfries club Queen of the South.[2][3] After his war service, he joined Dundee where in three seasons from 1946 to 1949, he made 21 league appearances. Among his Dundee club mates wasBobby Ancell. Bennett then moved toElgin City.[1][4]
After retiring as a player, he wasmanager with Ayr United from May 1953 to 9 April 1955. Coaching was his strength but he was not cut out for management and the 1954–1955 season was punctuated by some demoralising results. Despite his two cup quarter final places, his team also squandered two good promotion chances after mediocre league performances and he left as manager in April 1955. After resigning, he later became assistant trainer forBobby Ancell atMotherwell then trainer atThird Lanark.[1][5]
Bennett joined Liverpool's coaching staff whenPhil Taylor was team manager. However Taylor resigned on 17 November 1959. In December Taylor's replacement was announced asBill Shankly who immediately set about rejuvenating the club with relish. Shankly arrived at a decayed club in stagnation but recognised the strength of the existing coaching staff of Bennett,Bob Paisley andJoe Fagan. Shankly elected to retain all three with Bennett staying on board until 1986. Shankly started holding his coaches meetings in theAnfield boot room. In this informal environment, between them they discussed tactics and plans. Thus the management philosophy behind Liverpool's success over the next three decades was born. A fitness fanatic, at Liverpool Bennett was entrusted by Shankly with responsibility for player training and physical condition.[1]
Shankly signedIan St. John from Bennett's former club Motherwell andRon Yeats fromDundee United after the season's end in 1961. Yeats was immediately installed as captain. Liverpool were emphatic winners of the Second Division title (then the second tier of English domestic football) in1962 by eight points. In the top division they were champions in1964 and1966 as well as winners of the FA Cup in1965. In Europe, Liverpool reached the European Cup semi-final in1965 (losing to the eventual winnerInter Milan) and European Cup Winners' Cup final in1966 (losing toBorussia Dortmund after extra time atHampden Park in Bennett's native Scotland).[1]
A string of domestic and European trophies were then captured in the 1970s and 1980s. Bennett's retirement in 1986, at the age of 72, came in the year that Liverpool wonthe double in their first season under the management ofKenny Dalglish. He had served under five managers—Phil Taylor, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish—in 30 years atAnfield.
Bennett, who died in December 1989 at the age of 75, is the only one of the original Anfield boot room quartet who did not manage Liverpool at some point during his career.[1]
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