FourFourTwo UK – September 2019

GRAEME

SOUn ESS

FourFourTwo September 2019 57

image. “Graeme tosses up before kick-off with
a gold-plated credit card,” said the manager.
The first time he led the team to the title, in
1981-82, he accepted the delicate, cherished
championship trophy nicknamed ‘The Lady’ as
if it was a meaningless trinket. He brandished
it one-handed in front of the Kop end and then
casually threw the priceless artefact to Ronnie
Whelan. Anfield gasped. This was his team, his
stadium, his trophy.
In that era the Liverpool squad was ruled by
the Scottish trio of Souness, Kenny Dalglish and
Alan Hansen. “It was a harsh, harsh dressing
room,” admits Souness.
Johnston puts it in much starker terms. “The
Scots set the tone,” said the Australian. “They
decided what was funny, what was acceptable,
who played well and who played badly. They
were like strict schoolmasters. They understood
how you had to behave if you were a group of
men who wanted to win things.”
There was no place for shirkers at Anfield.
“They were warriors,” added Johnston. “There
was a bit of a Braveheart culture about them.
They were clansmen. If you were tired, not
contributing or slacking, they didn’t want to

know you. They kept everyone in line. They kept

the rest professional. They were savage about

getting the job done in the most direct way.”

If the captain was savage to his team-mates,

opponents knew they had to be careful, too.

Much-travelled former Leicester and England

striker Frank Worthington claimed: “He’s the

nastiest, most ruthless man in soccer. Don

Revie’s bunch of assassins at Leeds were bad

enough, but there’s a streak in Souness that

puts him top of the list.”

Souness is unrepentant, though. “People like

to see a physical challenge,” he says. “Look at

the success of boxing and mixed martial arts.

In those days, every team had two or three

players who were willing to go down that road.

You had to fight for the right to play, as every

team had men who’d take you on.

“When I was 19 at Middlesbrough, we were

up against Leeds. They had Billy Bremner and

Johnny Giles. They were tough. I got involved

with them and didn’t see Terry Yorath coming

in from the side. He whacked me. I learnt a lot

that afternoon.”

The challenge sparked a gladiatorial clash

with Yorath at every subsequent meeting of

the pair throughout their playing days. “We

had some great battles together,” admits the

Scot, relishing the memory. “He was the one

I had most fun with.”

Yorath was brave.

YOU WOULDN’T LIKE HIM WHEN HE’S ANGRY

It was a mistake to cross Champagne Charlie.

Those who did often ended up regretting it.

The most notorious incident was in the 1984

European Cup semi-final first leg at home to

Anti-clockwise from

left Souness signed

professional forms at

Spurs in 1968; before

his ferocious style

came to the fore at

Boro; then Liverpool