All five Shankly brothers played professional football and Shankly claimed that "once, when we were all at our peaks, we could have beaten any five brothers in the world".[1] His brothers were Alec, known as "Sandy" by the family, who played for Ayr United and Clyde; Jimmy (1902–72), who played for various clubs including Sheffield United and Southend United; John (1903–60), who played for Luton Town and Blackpool; and Bob (1910–82), who played for Alloa Athletic and Falkirk. Bob became a successful manager, guiding Dundee to victory in the Scottish championship in 1962 and the semi-finals of the European Cup the following year.[5] Their maternal uncles, Robert and William Blyth, were also professional players and both became club directors at Portsmouth and Carlisle United respectively.[6]
