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"Honest" John McKenna - Liverpool Legend

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Ronnie Whelan
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    Posted: 02 Aug 2011 at 5:20am

On Saturday 20th August at 6pm in the village of Glaslough, Monaghan a commemoration will take place to honour the outstanding achievements of Monaghan native "Honest" John McKenna. John was a founding member of Liverpool Football Club, he was also Liverpool FCs first manager and was ably assisted by William Barclay. This team was also made famous by his team of Macs (every player being brought down from Scotland). His story doesn't end there, he was also Chairman of The Football League, Vice Chairman of the FA and had two spells as Liverpool chairman.
 
As you know it was only due to the split involving John Houlding and Everton board members that led to the birth of Liverpool Football Club. John McKenna had worked hard to heal the rift from that split and he had done so with the help of lifelong friend and Everton chairman Will Cuff. Cuff spoke at McKenna’s funeral and said: “I think the greatest man in football has gone” and continued “He will live long in the memory of all who had anything to do with the governing of football. Fearless, outspoken, and absolutely honest, he was well named Honest John” It says it all about the man.
 
The event in Glaslough will include a talk on John McKenna by football historian Peter Lupson, Peter is the author of "Across the Park" (The definitive story of the origins of Everton and Liverpool) and "Thank God For Football" (Peter traces the origins of 12 clubs back to their church roots). We are truly lucky to have obtained Peters services for this.
 
I would be very grateful if you could pass on the facebook link below so that as many people as possible in Ireland, Liverpool, the UK and indeed Worldwide are aware of the event and of John McKenna. Representatives of Liverpool FC, Everton FC, The Football League, The FA and the FAI have also been invited. Hopefully, if its possible, you'll make it as well.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Neil Armstrong Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2011 at 5:48am
good man i will spread the wordThumbs Up
Ulster Champions 2020 our 40th Title. Take that all ye Moanaghan ***ts!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Clonbhoy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2011 at 6:03am
Anymore info on those two books this lad wrote? Sound interesting. Best of look with the night btw
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LKDAVE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Aug 2011 at 11:12am
Heres the link for Across the Park, a marvellous book on the orgins of both Eveton and Liverpool
Great value here
 
Thank God for football is another classic, Manchester City can trace their roots to Clones in Monaghan !!
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LKDAVE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Aug 2011 at 11:23am

Heres the poster for the comemoration on Aug 20th. The Liverpool Echo are running a story about this man in tomorrows edition.

 
                                                         
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LKDAVE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Aug 2011 at 11:49am
Heres a article that appeared in Red All Over The Land and LFC Weekly
 

John McKenna – Liverpool FC Legend – Monaghan Native

For Liverpool FC followers and football aficionados, the following names roll off the tongue, Shankly, Paisley, Fagan, Dalglish, Houllier, Benetiz and now Dalglish again. All have one thing in common; each had the honour of managing Liverpool Football Club and each have played a massive part in the illustrious history of Liverpool FC and in turn made the club one of the most famous names in world football.  Between them they have won League titles, European Cups, UEFA cups and FA Cups, and that’s not including other managers like Souness and Evans who came and went in the interim and who also won silverware for the club in the 90’s. Depending on your age, there’s no doubt that Liverpool FC supporters in County Monaghan can remember intimate details on some if not all of the above victories, with the unforgettable finals in Istanbul and Cardiff the most recent.  Great memories for all reds in the county, but it would also be fair to say that none of these victories would have been possible without the intervention of a north Monaghan native.

March 22nd 2011 marks the 75th anniversary of the death of one of footballs great administrators and Liverpool FC’s first manager, John McKenna. McKenna was born on the 3rd January 1855, son of Patrick McKenna and Jane McCrudden from the parish of Donagh, North Monaghan. Like thousands of other Irishmen of his generation, McKenna had to emigrate in search of work in the 1870’s; his port of call was Liverpool. He first found employment as a grocer’s boy before taking the role as a vaccinations officer for the West Derby Union; the union was responsible for the upkeep of the Liverpool workhouses at the time.  He also had a keen interest in sport, in particular rugby and shooting. McKenna was the leading figure in the formation of a regimental rugby club and also became involved with the West Lancashire Rugby Union. But it was through his politics and religious beliefs that he would first meet a certain John Houlding, and John McKenna’s love of Association Football would surface when Houlding invited him to Anfield to watch his Everton team in action.

John Houlding was the driving force behind Everton FC. A successful brewer and businessman; he became president of the club in 1881. It was he who oversaw the move which would see his club, Everton, play their home games at a ground called Anfield for the start of the 1884/85 season. The new ground had no dressing rooms but Houlding suggested that the teams could change at his public house nearby, The Sandon. The Sandon pub still stands today and thus holds a significant part in both Everton and Liverpool FC’s history. However, a serious disagreement arose between the members and Houlding over the payment of rent at Anfield and the fact that Houlding insisted that the only ale on sale on match days should be his own. This caused an acrimonious split which resulted in Houlding forming a new club. This new club was to be called The Liverpool Association Football Club and it’s from this moment that McKenna started on a path that would make him one of the games most highly influential figures.

Liverpool would be playing in the Lancashire League in their first season and McKenna was to be their first secretary-manager. He was ably assisted by W.E. Barclay who controlled administrative matters. Locating suitable players proved a problem for McKenna and he looked north of the border for suitable talent. He recruited 13 players that fitted his criteria.  On September 1st 1892, Liverpool played their very first match versus Rotherham Town in a friendly at Anfield. The game resulted in a 7-1 victory for the locals; however not one of the starting 11 were from the locality, or even English. In fact, every single member of the Liverpool team that day was a Scotsman. This team became known as the “Team of Macs” due to the number of players with “Mc” in their surname.  The club played their first match in the Lancashire league against Higher Walton before an attendance of just 200 spectators, playing in blue and white halves and white shorts, Liverpool stormed to victory by eight goals to nil. Word must have got around the city about this teams attacking flair, as for the next home game versus Bury, the crowd had grown to an incredible 4,000. The club won 17 of their 22 games and easily claimed the Lancashire League championship. But McKenna had his sights set much higher than the Lancashire League. He had spotted an advertisement inviting clubs to apply for membership for the second division of the Football League.

Not everyone at Liverpool shared McKenna’s ambition for league membership. His assistant, Barclay, was opposed to such a move. However McKenna was adamant that this was Liverpool’s big chance. Without consulting with anyone at the club, McKenna sent a telegram to the football league secretary, it simply read, “Liverpool make application to the Second Division of the League”, but he didn’t put his own name to the telegram, he put the name and address of William Barclay. A stunned Barclay received a swift reply from the Football League which read “Liverpool elected. Come to London, meeting at 3 o’ clock tomorrow to arrange fixtures”. McKenna was sent for to explain the current state of affairs. He had the rest of the day to persuade not only Barclay, but the rest of the directors that this was the way forward for the club. Not only did he manage this, but he also convinced them that he should travel to London the following day as the clubs representative. He returned with the season’s fixtures in his hand and thus another chapter in the remarkable journey of Liverpool Football Club had begun.

On September 2nd 1893 Liverpool made a winning league debut away to Middlesbrough Ironopolis on a score-line of 2-0. Malcolm McVean scoring the clubs first ever league goal. This win set the tone for the team as the club remained unbeaten for the whole season and claimed the Second Division Championship at the first attempt. However, this did not guarantee promotion as they had to defeat the bottom club in Division One in a play off to achieve this. This they did, when defeating Newton Heath (later to be renamed Manchester United) 2-0 at Ewood Park, Blackburn. McKenna’s decision to apply for league status was fully vindicated as the club now looked to establish themselves in Division One the following season.

Liverpool found life to be very difficult in the higher echelons of league football and were soon cut adrift at the bottom of the division.  A 3-0 hammering at the expense of Everton was a low point for the club in a dire season. Undoubtedly McKenna’s and Liverpool’s pride were dented as they embarked on another campaign in Division Two. But it was a short-lived stay, and once more they gained promotion. During this promotion season the club beat Rotherham Town 10-1, this is a league record for the club to this day. It is to McKenna’s great credit and honesty that he felt that he was unable to take the club any further on the playing field and so he sought an appointment which he hoped would take Liverpool onwards to success. The most revered manager during this era was Tom Watson, who had guided Sunderland to three league championships. But McKenna managed to secure his services for Liverpool, and within five years, Liverpool FC had landed the First Division Championship, just nine years after their formation. The influence that Monaghan man John McKenna had in this rise to prominence cannot be understated. During his time as manager he was in charge for 88 league games and managed the club to two second division championships and yet he was to embark on another journey that he was to be even more successful in, the world of football administration.

It was McKenna who in 1906 oversaw the development of the Walton Breck Road End at Anfield, into what is now the legendary Kop. He also held various roles within the club such as, vice-chairman, chairman and director and seen his beloved Liverpool win the Football League Championship three times during his tenure. The work John McKenna was doing at Liverpool did not go unnoticed at national level. He was elected to the management committee of the Football League in 1902, became vice-president in 1908, and then president in 1910.

In 1922 he retired from his duties at Liverpool FC to concentrate fully on his role as President of the Football League. It was in this capacity that he officially opened the newly roofed and extended Kop in 1928 in what must have been a very proud moment for him.

Despite being a figure of immense importance, one of McKenna’s greatest traits was that he was always on hand to give advice to players whenever it was needed. He won the admiration from all quarters of the game for his integrity and honesty, so much so that he became known in football circles as “Honest John”. John McKenna held the post of Football League president for a total of 26 years until his death in 1936. He fell ill returning from an England V Scotland amateur international and died in Walton Hospital on 22 March 1936, aged 81.

The funeral of John McKenna demonstrated the high regard in which he was held within the football community. Every league club sent tributes and there were floral wreaths from the football associations of England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Germany. The German wreath was accompanied by the following inscription: “With deepest memories of a man we have always loved and respected.” It wasn’t only Liverpool FC but also their city rivals Everton that were engulfed in grief and three Everton players helped carry the coffin into St Margaret’s church in Liverpool. McKenna had worked hard to heal the rift from the split all those years previously and he had done so with the help of lifelong friend and Everton chairman Will Cuff. Cuff spoke at McKenna’s funeral and said: “I think the greatest man in football has gone” and continued “He will live long in the memory of all who had anything to do with the governing of football. Fearless, outspoken, and absolutely honest, he was well named Honest John”.

The following year, Cuff unveiled a plaque in the foyer at Anfield in memory of his friend John McKenna where it is still displayed. In the years that followed the football legends of Liverpool FC and numerous other teams would have passed this memorial. One can only hope that they may have taken a moment to stop and acknowledge the fact that without John McKenna there would most certainly not be the Liverpool FC we know today. As for Monaghan or indeed Irish reds, surely the time is long overdue for recognition in his home county and country. It’s the least we can do for this football visionary, Liverpudlian and son of Monaghan.

*****A plaque will be unveiled in the village of Glaslough, Monaghan on Saturday 20th August. Special guest speaker is football historian Peter Lupson, author of Across the Park and Thank God for Football. Liverpool FC, Everton FC, The Football League, The FA and FAI will all be present at the event******

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sham157 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Aug 2011 at 4:12am
Purchased a lovely A3 poster/scroll type memorial piece from a stall in Liverpool city centre in the mid 90s dedicated to honest John. If I can get up for this event I will. Thanks for posting this.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LKDAVE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Aug 2011 at 4:51am

Thats unusual for the stalls to be selling stuff like that, must keep an eye out but. The Liverpool Echo did a piece on it today

 
Maybe you could bring your banner sham?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sham157 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Aug 2011 at 4:54am
I'll root it out LK and stick a pic up. If I manage to make it I'll bring the mons flag up. Should be an interesting night
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LKDAVE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Aug 2011 at 8:14am
Originally posted by sham157 sham157 wrote:

I'll root it out LK and stick a pic up. If I manage to make it I'll bring the mons flag up. Should be an interesting night
Would love to see a picture of that Eunan, cheers. Should be in the Standard next week or Thursday before 20th.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sham157 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Aug 2011 at 10:35am
Originally posted by LKDAVE LKDAVE wrote:

Originally posted by sham157 sham157 wrote:

I'll root it out LK and stick a pic up. If I manage to make it I'll bring the mons flag up. Should be an interesting night
Would love to see a picture of that Eunan, cheers. Should be in the Standard next week or Thursday before 20th.
LOL Fail. I aint one of the 'boys'!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LKDAVE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 6:42am
Ooops, apologies. Shouldn't assume i suppose !
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Neil Armstrong Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Aug 2011 at 7:00am

Right Monaghan Supporters Branch hosting Letterkenny and Sion Mills Branches in The Squealing Pig tommorrow(Sat) at 12.30pm (pool/arsenal k.o. 12.45) a round of drinks will be put up! after the match transport will be laid on for anyone going out to Glaslough. Ray Houghton will be in attendance at unveiling amongst others! unveiling to take place at 5.30pm! ALL Reds welcome!

Ulster Champions 2020 our 40th Title. Take that all ye Moanaghan ***ts!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LKDAVE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Aug 2011 at 5:09pm
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