Spirit Of Shankly

Spirit Of Shankly (SOS) is a supporters union for fans of Liverpool FC. Named after legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly, the union was formed in early 2008 by disgruntled fans who felt they had to take action against what they call "the dreadful custodianship" of current Liverpool FC owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
Many Liverpool fans worldwide were angered when it emerged that Hicks and Gillett, who purchased the club in 2007, had plunged the club into high debts and had failed to live up to their promise of starting work on a new stadium.
In January 2008 a meeting was called in The Sandon, a a pub in Liverpool, to discuss what fans could do about the situation. Spirit Of Shankly was born out of that meeting and has since been at the forefront of the fan protests against the Hicks and Gillett regime.
Protests
The union organised their first official protest against Hicks and Gillett on February 22nd, 2008. The union learned that Tom Hicks junior was planning to attend the game, so they called upon their members to refuse to leave the stadium after the game had finished, while singing songs directed against the owners of the club. Since then many protests have been carried out by Spirit Of Shankly in a similar fashion. Many banners can be seen around Anfield on match days, aimed at the owners of the club.
Spirit Of Shankly got word that the owners intended to attend a game at Anfield on Sunday the 13th, 2009. With little notice they organised a picket which seen fans gather at all four entrances to Anfield to block the owners from entering. This was a success as the police advised Tom Hicks, en route to the stadium, not to attend.
February 2010 saw the launch of a billboard campaign across Merseyside. The billboards had the message "Tom & George: Not Welcome Here" displayed, in reference to Tom Hicks and George Gillett, as well directing fans to join Spirit Of Shankly.
An estimated 2,000 Liverpool fans attended a Spirit Of Shankly organised rally in Liverpool city centre, held on the American independence day, the 4th of July 2010. The union declared this the day that Liverpool fans declare their independence from their American owners. They outlined how they are planning to launch a credit union partnership where supporters can buy the club. In attendance was Liverpool legend John Aldridge and Karen Gill, the granddaughter of Bill Shankly.
Tom Hicks Jr. controversy
In January 2010 Liverpool director Tom Hicks Jr, son of owner Ton Hicks, became embroiled in a row with a member of Spirit Of Shankly, in which he called the fan an "idiot", before responding with a further reply which said: "Blow me f**k face. Go to hell, I'm sick of you."
A concerned fan had emailed Hicks Jr expressing his concern at the club's financial state, which prompted the ourburst from Hicks Jr.
A spokesperson for Spirit Of Shankly said, "For one of the directors of the club, and the son of one of the owners, to respond to a fan with genuine concerns in such a manner is unacceptable. Tom Hicks Jr should resign, as his position as a director is now untenable."
The club released a statement confirming his resignation soon after.
Media
On the 18th of June 2010, the Daily Mirror published an article urging fans to join Spirit Of Shankly in their fight against Hicks and Gillett. The increasing media exposure, not only from the Mirror but from the BBC and the Liverpool Echo, has seen the union increase it's number of members as well as being contacted by Sky Sports News reporters on several big stories related to Liverpool FC, such as the sacking of manager Rafael Benitez and the appointment of Roy Hodgson.

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