Sir Matt Busby and Bill Shankly’s surprising friendship explored in new movie

Without Sir Matt Busby or Bill Shankly, Manchester United and Liverpool FC would not be the illustrious institutions they are today.

These two managers were responsible for turning humble northern teams into internationally-recognised juggernauts of sport – scooping so much silverware they were each immortalised in bronze outside stadiums.

Today, a statue of Busby greets fans at Old Trafford, whilst Shankly stands with arms aloft in front of Anfield’s famous Kop.

They’re two of the most famous names in football and their contributions to the beautiful game have been widely documented.

But what’s less known is the fact they were actually great friends.

A brand new movie has been released exploring the fascinating relationship between two managers who thrived at rival clubs.

But it also looks at the success of another world football legend in Celtic’s Jock Stein.

Busby, Shankly and Stein were all born 30 miles of one another in Glasgow – and the film, titled ‘The Three Kings’, takes a closer look at how their upbringings influenced their success.

Director Jonny Owen, who also wrote the Brian Clough documentary I Believe In Miracles, has called the project a “love story” to Scottish football.

“There is something about those men – the values they had and the world they lived in,” Owen commented.

“They are gone but their influence lives on, especially in the world of football.”

The Three Kings arrived in cinemas last weekend, but is being released on DVD later this month.

You can a copy online.