by lakes10 » Tue Nov 09, 2004 11:44 am
Emlyn Hughes will be remembered as somebody who did everything to the maximum.
Whether it was as a swashbuckling player whose style earned him the nickname Crazy Horse, or as a television quiz show captain who literally rubbed shoulders with royalty, Emlyn Hughes never did things by half.
Emlyn Hughes was born in Barrow in August 1947, into a sporting family.
His father Fred was a Great Britain rugby league international, as was an uncle, while one of his aunts was a hockey international.
He signed for Blackpool but his all-action style soon brought him to the attention of Liverpool boss Bill Shankly.
The astute Shankly saw enough in Hughes to splash out the then huge sum of £65,000 for a 19-year-old who had made just 31 appearances for the Tangerines.
Hughes was an archetypal Shankly player, who allied skill with boundless reserves of drive, enthusiasm and battling qualities
The versatile Hughes could slot in anywhere along the back line, or take his combative, all-action style into midfield.
Wherever he played, Hughes' performances were characterised by powerful, surging runs which earned him his nickname of Crazy Horse.
Having built his team around Hughes, Shankly handed the legacy on to successors Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan.
Hughes was the body and spirit of the all-conquering Liverpool side of the mid to late 1970s, and his reputation grew as his and Liverpool's trophy cabinets bulged.
He became the first Liverpool captain to get his hands on the European Cup when he lifted the trophy in Rome in 1977 after the 3-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach
He took possession of the trophy again a year later following the 1-0 win over Bruges at Wembley, and he also led Liverpool to the European Super Cup.
Hughes was also able to boast five League Championship medal, two Uefa Cup winnners medals, and an FA Cup winner's gong.
Inevitably, the qualities that made him a success at Liverpool were coveted by a similarly driven man, England boss Sir Alf Ramsay.
Hughes won the first of his 62 England caps against Holland in 1969, and captained his country 23 times.
After making 665 first-team appearances for Liverpool, Hughes extended his career when he joined Wolves in 1979 for £79,000.
Hughes' leadership qualities were still intact, and he led Wolves to a League Cup triumph in 1980, filling the gap in his trophy cabinet with the only domestic honour he had never captured at Liverpool
He was awarded an OBE in 1980 for his services to football and after his playing days ended, tried his hand at management.
Like many great players, he was unable to transfer his success to management and lasted 20 months as manager of Rotherham.
After his dabble with management, he carved out a career for himself in the media, where his face became known to non-football fans as a long-serving captain in the BBC's Question of Sport.
Hughes' wide grin and infectious laugh became one of the show's trademarks and he propelled the show into national notoriety when he put his arm round the shoulder of team member Princess Anne when she appeared on the show.
It was typical of Hughes, who would not let protocol be a barrier to what he percieved to be a piece of bonding of team spirit.
After leaving Question of Sport, Hughes continued to be one of the most eagerly sought after-dinner speakers, and was also in demand as a motivational speaker
EMLYN HUGHES' HONOURS
2 European Cups
2 Uefa Cups
5 League Championships
1 FA Cup
1 League Cup
1 European Super Cup
INTERNATIONAL HONOURS
63 England Caps
Captained England 23 times
1st cap v Holland 1969