159-596: Graeme James Souness CBE ( / ˈ s uː n ɪ s / ; born 6 May 1953) is a Scottish former professional football player, manager and television pundit . A midfielder , Souness achieved his greatest period of success as an integral part of the Liverpool team of the late 1970s and early 1980s, during which he won five First Division titles and three European Cup trophies. He was captain for three seasons at Liverpool until his departure to Sampdoria in 1984. Souness later became player-manager for Rangers , leading
318-474: A 1–0 victory over Real Madrid – the culmination of a campaign in which Souness scored a hat-trick in the quarter-final against CSKA Sofia . This burst of success prompted Paisley to award Souness the club captaincy for season 1981–82 , to the chagrin of the incumbent Phil Thompson who had made some errors that season and with whom Paisley had a vicious row during one match at Aston Villa . Thompson initially refused to speak to Souness, claiming he had "stolen
477-513: A 2–1 league defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage . His first goal came on 11 December 1973 in a 3–0 league victory over Preston North End at Ayresome Park . Souness' tenacious style began to garner acclaim during his time at Middlesbrough. His first season saw Middlesbrough finish fourth, two places and 14 points short of promotion. Jack Charlton was appointed Middlesbrough manager, his first managerial post, in May 1973. One of Charlton's first signings
636-527: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to
795-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
954-538: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by
1113-449: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
1272-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
1431-509: A defeat to Peru and a draw with Iran , due to injury. He was selected for the final group match against the Netherlands . Souness contributed to a 3–2 victory that nevertheless saw Scotland eliminated from the tournament on goal difference. Souness played in two further World Cups. The first, in 1982 in Spain, saw Souness play all three group stage matches. His first international goal arrived in
1590-504: A fee of £650,000. Souness and England international Trevor Francis – a player at the Genoa -based club since 1982 – added experience to an emerging group of future Italian internationals , including Roberto Mancini , Pietro Vierchowod and Gianluca Vialli . In his first season, Sampdoria won the Coppa Italia with a 3–1 aggregate victory over Serie A rivals Milan in the final , securing
1749-472: A further spread of mediocrity will be the dose. Where men like Count Bernabeu with his wider horizons, think in terms of a European League for the future in which a lead could surely now be given jointly by our leaders, the Football League propose next season to implement their useless Football League Cup to be played in midweek. It gets the players, the clubs and the public nowhere." Aston Villa were
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#17331361832601908-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
2067-468: A good player, which proved to be a hoax instigated by Dia's friend (who had made the initial call). When Dia made his sole appearance in the Premier League, as a substitute for Matt Le Tissier , he performed amazingly poorly and was substituted. A notable high point of the season was a 6–3 home win over defending champions Manchester United in late October. The Saints managed to avoid relegation from
2226-558: A number of players – including Peter Beardsley and Steve McMahon – asked for improved terms in their contracts or they would move elsewhere. In the end, Beardsley, McMahon and Houghton were sold, seemingly before suitable replacements were found and these key components of Kenny Dalglish's great side were not adequately replaced. Souness said Ian Rush and Ray Houghton had also questioned why new signings like Mark Wright were earning more money than them, despite not yet having won any trophies. The sale of Peter Beardsley to local rivals Everton
2385-502: A number of upsets over a nine-year stretch; whilst playing in the third tier in 1997–98 they defeated Premier League side Sheffield Wednesday 4–3 on aggregate over both legs before knocking out fellow Premier League side (and League Cup holders) Leicester City 3–1. In 2001–02 they beat current holders Liverpool at Anfield with a 2–1 win in extra time. Four years later they recorded another giant killing by defeating Tottenham Hotspur 1–0 at home, by this time Grimsby were playing in
2544-510: A position in Europe was on offer, as was a final at Wembley Stadium , the competition's standing was improved and in the 1968–69 season only Manchester United declined to participate. Everton chose not to compete in 1970–71 so that they could concentrate their efforts on the European Cup. Entry was made compulsory for all Football League teams the following year. Liverpool have won the cup on
2703-420: A press conference at Celtic Park , but days later he signed for Rangers. Souness stated that religion was not an issue for him; his first wife was a Catholic and the children from that marriage were baptised Catholic. His main consideration was that Johnston was a good player, but he also believed that the signing would damage Celtic. He was also responsible for ordering a picture of Queen Elizabeth II be hung in
2862-488: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of
3021-488: A result. Souness said he had a number of disputes as a Liverpool player with Thompson, including in 1981, when Thompson initially refused to speak to Souness for a while after he lost the captaincy to him; Thompson had accused Souness to his face and in front of the other Liverpool players of "stealing the captaincy behind his back". They also had an argument and physical fight which took place after Thompson had accused Souness of marrying his first wife Danielle only because she
3180-549: A riot after placing a large Galatasaray flag into the centre circle of the pitch of arch rivals Fenerbahçe after Galatasaray had beaten them in the Turkish Cup final on 24 April 1996. The iconic image of Souness planting the flag drew comparisons with Turkish hero Ulubatlı Hasan , who was killed as he planted the Ottoman flag at the end of the Siege of Constantinople . This earned Souness
3339-576: A riot at the European Cup final, resulting in the death of 39 spectators. That year's winners of the League Cup were Norwich City , who would otherwise have played in a European competition for the first time in the 1985–86 season . Oxford United , Arsenal , Luton Town and Nottingham Forest also missed out on the chance to compete in the UEFA Cup as League Cup holders over the next four years. Even when
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#17331361832603498-550: A sixth-place finish in 2003 and took them into the UEFA Cup for a second successive season, before finishing a disappointing 15th in 2003–04 . Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside
3657-543: A substitute, allowing access as a player to the dugout . In May 1990, Souness was fined £5,000 by the SFA for breaching a touchline ban after television pictures showed him in the tunnel area yelling at his players on the pitch. Souness later said that conflict with officialdom was one of the principal factors precipitating his departure from Ibrox. In 2009, Souness said of his time as Rangers manager, "When I look back on my actions and antics at Ibrox I bordered on being out of order. I
3816-469: A then British record fee of £440,000. Souness formed the final part of the Scottish triumvirate, leaving Middlesbrough in acrimonious circumstances for a club-record fee of £350,000 on 10 January 1978. Souness' Liverpool debut came in a 1–0 league victory over West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on 14 January 1978. His first goal – a volley from just inside the penalty box, eventually awarded fans' goal of
3975-512: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
4134-653: Is best remembered for his seven seasons at Liverpool , where he won five League Championships , three European Cups and four League Cups . Souness' time at Anfield began in January 1978 as a replacement for veteran Ian Callaghan . After winning his first European Cup in 1977, Liverpool manager Bob Paisley sought reinforcements by signing three Scottish players, all of whom were to contribute substantially to further success. Central defender Alan Hansen arrived from Partick Thistle for £110,000. Kenny Dalglish – an established Scottish international – signed from Celtic for
4293-931: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
4452-456: Is the only leg in the competition played at a neutral venue and on a weekend (Sunday). The first two rounds are split into North and South sections, and a system of byes based on league level ensures higher ranked teams enter in later rounds and defers the entry of teams still involved in Europe. Winners not only receive the EFL Cup, of which there have been three designs, the current one also being
4611-408: Is transferred to the highest-placed Premier League team that has not already qualified for European competition. The most successful club in the competition are current holders Liverpool , who defeated Chelsea 1–0 in the 2024 final to win their tenth League Cup. Although the League Cup is one of the four domestic trophies attainable by English league teams, it is regarded as of lower prestige than
4770-605: The 1989–90 season , when he brought himself on for the final 20 minutes. While a Middlesbrough player, Souness received his first international cap for Scotland on 30 October 1974 in a 3–0 friendly victory over East Germany at Hampden Park . By the time Souness was selected by manager Ally McLeod for the Scotland squad for the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, he had been awarded only six caps. His move to Liverpool increased his profile. Souness missed Scotland's first two matches,
4929-447: The 1993–94 season . The season began well, but the disappointing results quickly returned. Souness finally resigned as Liverpool manager at the end of January 1994 when Liverpool had suffered a shock FA Cup exit at the hands of Bristol City . He was succeeded by long-serving coach Roy Evans . Souness's three-year reign as Liverpool manager was not remembered with fondness by the club's fans, although his reign did bring some success to
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5088-496: The Football League competition had fallen by 4 million from the previous season. Richards is reputed to have told Hardaker that he foresaw 'the League Cup final being held at Wembley, but that it wouldn't be during his lifetime'. The first League Cup final to be held at Wembley was Third Division Queens Park Rangers's win over First Division West Bromwich Albion on 4 March 1967. Richards died in 1968. The first League Cup
5247-612: The Football League Cup , it is one of the three top-tier domestic football competitions in England alongside the Premier League and FA Cup . It concludes in late-February, long before the other two major competitions, which end in May. It was introduced by the league as a response to the increasing popularity of European football, and to also exert power over the FA. It also took advantage of
5406-596: The Heysel disaster of 1985, and reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals , where they were eliminated by Genoa . By April 1992, they were only in contention for the FA Cup. Souness had major heart surgery in April 1992. A controversy arose after the FA Cup semi-final against Portsmouth , which Liverpool needed a replay and penalties to win. In the event of a victory for Liverpool, an interview
5565-805: The League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition in men's domestic football in England . Organised by the English Football League (EFL), it is open to any club within the top four levels of the English football league system —92 clubs in total—comprising the top-level Premier League , and the three divisions of the English Football League's own league competition ( Championship , League One and League Two ). First held in 1960–61 as
5724-484: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
5883-412: The away goals rule and penalties being adopted instead. The semi-finals were the exception to this, with level ties being replayed until 1986–87 , after which the away goals rule and penalties were introduced. The semi-finals, when played over two legs, would apply the away goals rule only after extra time. From 2018–19 , extra time was scrapped for all rounds except the final, and the away goal rule
6042-546: The civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition
6201-421: The " Mickey Mouse cup ". However, in 2010, in response to Arsène Wenger 's claim that a League Cup win would not end his trophy drought, Alex Ferguson described the trophy as worth winning. After a period of decline when the competition's future was regularly questioned, recent years have seen a revival in respect for the trophy, as the larger Premier League clubs have come to dominate the competition again, and
6360-574: The 1984 European Cup final after beating Romanian champions Dinamo București in the semi-final 3–1 on aggregate. In an ill-tempered first leg at Anfield, Souness broke the jaw of Dinamo captain Lică Movilă , which went unpunished by the referee. Liverpool won the 1984 final after a penalty shoot-out win over Roma , with Souness scoring one of the penalties in the shootout. Souness' Liverpool career ended in 1984 after 358 appearances and 56 goals. Souness left Liverpool in 1984, joining Sampdoria for
6519-461: The 1986 World Cup. He had made 54 appearances in almost 12 years, scoring four goals. Souness was appointed Rangers' first player-manager in April 1986, signing from Sampdoria for a fee of £300,000 and succeeding Jock Wallace . Financed initially by the club's then owner, Lawrence Marlborough, Souness and club chairman David Holmes embarked upon a bold strategy of reclaiming the footballing ascendancy Rangers had lacked in recent years, having not won
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6678-464: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
6837-424: The 2–1 win over Manchester United in 1983 , Souness stepped back and insisted that Paisley collect the trophy in the manager's retirement season. In 1983–84 , Souness lifted three trophies. He scored the winning goal in the 1984 League Cup final replay at Maine Road against Merseyside rivals Everton , the first all-Merseyside cup final. Liverpool won the league title for the third consecutive season and reached
6996-788: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
7155-490: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
7314-462: The Champions League. Some clubs have repeatedly fielded a weaker side in the competition, making the opportunity for giant-killing of the larger clubs more likely. Many teams in the Premier League , Arsenal and Manchester United in particular, have used the competition to give young players valuable big-game experience. Consequently, it began to be described sarcastically by many fans as
7473-519: The Championship and the League Cup, defeating Celtic 2–1 in the final. They retained the League Cup in 1987–88, defeating Aberdeen on penalties after extra-time, although they surrendered their league title to Celtic. Two more Championships were to follow, this time in successive seasons ( 1988–89 and 1989–90 ), and a further two League Cup victories, over Aberdeen 3–2 in 1988–89 and Celtic 2–1 (after extra time) in 1990–91 . In April 1991, Rangers were in
7632-420: The FA Cup. However, it was not Rous who came to implement it, but Football League Secretary Alan Hardaker . Hardaker initially proposed the competition as a way for the clubs to make up for lost revenue due to a reduction in matches played, for when the league was to be reorganised. The reorganisation of the league was not immediately forthcoming; however, the cup competition was introduced regardless. The trophy
7791-483: The Football League more negotiating power with the FA and UEFA. Hardaker threatened UEFA with a boycott of the UEFA Cup , unless UEFA gave the League Cup winner European qualification. As a result of the negotiating tactics, UEFA provided the League Cup winner with a place in the European competitions, providing the team was in the first division. Tottenham Hotspur were the first team to qualify for Europe by virtue of winning
7950-528: The League Cup than in the FA Cup due to the absence of non-league sides and the fact that big clubs often field more inexperienced sides in the early rounds. However, there have been some notable upsets, the final of 1966–67 saw Division Three side Queens Park Rangers come from 2–0 down at half time to win 3–2 against top-flight West Bromwich Albion in the first League Cup Final to be hosted at Wembley Stadium. Two years later in 1968–69 , Third Division side Swindon Town beat Arsenal 3–1 after extra time in
8109-489: The League Cup's winners. England and France are the only UEFA members to offer a European berth to the winners of their second cup competitions until 2020, when Coupe de la Ligue was suspended indefinitely, meaning England is the only UEFA member to do so. This has allowed the League Cup to retain popularity, especially with fans of clubs for whom success in cup competitions offers their only realistic chance of qualifying for Europe. Giant-killings are less well remembered in
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#17331361832608268-525: The League is going to fall out with the F.A. or anybody else... the time has come for our voice to be heard in every problem which affects the professional game." The League Cup competition was established at a time when match-day attendances were dwindling. The league had lost a million spectators compared to the previous season. It was established at a time when tensions between the Football League and The Football Association were high. The biggest disagreement
8427-785: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
8586-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
8745-513: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
8904-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
9063-405: The Premier League in 1996–97, finishing 16th, but he resigned towards the end of May 1997. Within days, it was reported Everton, Liverpool's local rivals , were interested in appointing Souness as manager to succeed Joe Royle , but Howard Kendall was appointed for a third time instead. After his stint at Southampton, Souness went back to Italy to become the coach at Torino . When he arrived, it
9222-541: The Rangers dressing room, a tradition Rangers continued. Souness also found himself under scrutiny from the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and Scottish League more than once. A succession of confrontational after-match comments pitched Souness regularly at loggerheads with both organisations, prompting touchline bans which Souness circumvented in characteristically provocative fashion by naming himself as
9381-460: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
9540-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
9699-476: The appetite for European football as 'continental fever'. He was keen for the league to re-establish itself: 'We must be prepared to put the interests of the League and the game before individual clubs.' Sixteen clubs opposed the competition's creation, thirty-one approved it. The average attendance across the League Cup was 10,556, just higher than the average gate in the Third Division. The total attendance of
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#17331361832609858-527: The ban was lifted in 1990, League Cup winners did not participate in European competitions for two more years, when Manchester United won the trophy and qualified for the UEFA Cup anyway, as they had finished second in the league. In the previous two seasons, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday had both been prevented from competing in the UEFA Cup as League Cup winners, due to the gradual reintegration of English clubs in European competitions. In 2016–17 ,
10017-431: The captaincy" from behind his back. This was the start of several long-running feuds between the two robust characters, and over the coming years, they would confront each other in various circumstances. Under Souness' captaincy, two trophies followed as Liverpool regained the League championship and retained the League Cup, trophies that were successfully defended in season 1982–83 . For the trophy award presentation after
10176-468: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
10335-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
10494-532: The club and signing big name players like Andy Cole , Tugay Kerimoğlu , Barry Ferguson , Brad Friedel and Dwight Yorke . Cole and Jansen scored in Blackburn's 2–1 League Cup final victory over Tottenham Hotspur in February 2002. Blackburn were still battling against relegation back to Division One when they lifted the League Cup, but went on to finish a secure 10th in the final table. Souness then guided Blackburn to
10653-566: The club and stated, "Vale e Azevedo lies when he looks in the eyes. Be careful, this man is dangerous." Souness returned to the English league in March 2000 to become manager of Blackburn Rovers , earning promotion back to the Premier League in his first full season. During his four-year spell at Blackburn, he initially got the very best out of talented youngsters such as Damien Duff , David Dunn and Matt Jansen , as well as bringing Henning Berg back to
10812-549: The club to three Scottish titles and four league cups. His final game as a player came in the closing minutes of Rangers' final match of the 1989–90 season , which was his only appearance of the season. Souness continued as Rangers coach for a further year before joining Liverpool as manager for the 1991–92 English First Division season. He went on to have spells at Galatasaray , Southampton , Torino , Benfica , Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United . At international level, Souness gained 54 caps for Scotland , captaining
10971-539: The club. Apart from guiding them to FA Cup success in 1992, he also oversaw the breakthrough of three young players who would go on to be a key part in Liverpool's improved performances over the next five years – Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler and Jamie Redknapp , allowing them to play and develop in the first team where they went on to inspire an upturn in fortunes at Anfield . Souness later said in his autobiography The Management Years that he faced an uphill struggle from
11130-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
11289-542: The competition was renamed the EFL Cup as part of the Football League's rebranding to become the English Football League . In the early 21st century, following restructuring of European football, particularly of its international club competitions, the UEFA Champions League , UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League , there were considerations of removing the prize of European qualification from
11448-581: The competition, narrowly, 1–0, against Arsenal . In 1995–96 , Manchester United were beaten 3–0 at home by York City in the second round, first leg; United could only win 3–1 in the second leg and went out 4–3 on aggregate (York went on to repeat the achievement against Everton the following year). United went on to win the FA Premier League and FA Cup double and did not lose another home game that season, while York narrowly avoided relegation to Division Three (fourth tier). Grimsby Town recorded
11607-481: The competition. Although Leeds United had won the competition before Tottenham, Leeds qualified for Europe based on league position. The winners of the 1966–67 and 1968–69 editions , Queen's Park Rangers and Swindon Town did not participate in Europe, as they were not in the First Division. Prior to the agreement with UEFA, the competition was not considered worthy of the larger clubs' attention. However, once
11766-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
11925-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
12084-704: The demolition of the old Wembley . Between 1967 and 1997 , finals that finished level after extra time were replayed at an alternative venue until a winner was decided. The only final to require two replays was the 1977 final between Aston Villa and Everton . The venues that hosted replays were Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield , Old Trafford and Maine Road in Manchester and Villa Park in Birmingham. Since 1998 , finals that have finished level after extra time have been decided by penalty shoot-out. Until 1999–2000 ,
12243-427: The development nature of the competition has begun to be viewed as a positive for the clubs involved. Premier League giants Manchester City (6), Manchester United (5), Liverpool (5) and Chelsea (3) between them won 19 editions of the tournament between 2001 and 2024. The original idea for a League Cup came from Stanley Rous , who saw the competition as a consolation for clubs who had already been knocked out of
12402-607: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
12561-421: The end of that campaign, Souness gave a professional contract to 17-year-old striker Robbie Fowler . During the 1991–92 season , Liverpool rarely looked like serious title contenders, but it soon became a two-horse race between Leeds United and Manchester United . Leeds eventually won the title, while Liverpool came sixth. They returned to European competition that season after six years of isolation following
12720-582: The final game prior to elimination, a 2–2 draw with the Soviet Union in Málaga . A final World Cup appearance came in 1986 in Mexico, at a time when Souness had already been appointed Rangers player-manager. Souness played in defeats to Denmark and West Germany . He later said he had performed poorly in those matches, having struggled with the high altitude and losing a significant amount of weight and power. Souness
12879-485: The final to win the trophy. In 1974–75 , Fourth Division side Chester beating defending league champions Leeds United 3–0 on their surprise run to the semi-finals. Former League club and now defunct Scarborough defeated Chelsea 4–3 on aggregate in October 1989, while a Fourth Division club. In 1992–93 , Scarborough then defeated Coventry City (then a top-tier side) 3–2 on aggregate, before ultimately going out of
13038-530: The final was played in late March or early April. Thereafter it has been played in late February or early March. Since 1989–90 , the best player in the League Cup final has been presented with the Alan Hardaker Trophy , named after Alan Hardaker , the former secretary of the Football League who devised the Football League Cup. John Terry , Ben Foster , Vincent Kompany and Virgil van Dijk are
13197-530: The final, where they were beaten by Swansea City . In their centenary year, Swansea became the first team from outside England to win the League Cup on 24 February 2013, when they beat Bradford City 5–0 to win their first major English trophy. In the 2022–23 competition, Gillingham (then ranked 22nd in League Two) eliminated Brentford (then ranked 11th in the Premier League) in the third round on penalties;
13356-444: The first 34 minutes. Disciplinary problems – something that had recurred periodically throughout Souness's career – resurfaced on a number of occasions during his time as a player at Rangers, and the spell was also blighted by injury. He made 73 appearances in total for Rangers (50 in the league), scoring three goals. His final appearance as a player was at Ibrox in a 2–0 victory over Dunfermline Athletic in Rangers' last home match of
13515-532: The first competition sponsor – the Milk Marketing Board, who chose to award their own trophy from 1981–82 to 1985–86. The next sponsor, Littlewoods, also chose to award their own trophy, from 1986–87 until 1989–90 . Later sponsors have used the original. In the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, 15 matches will be broadcast live by Sky Sports through 2024 with highlights from the several matches on ITV Sport beginning in 2022/23. This competition
13674-515: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
13833-423: The fourth tier. Manchester United have also been knocked out by Southend United and Coventry City in 2006–07 and 2007–08 respectively: in the match against Southend they fielded a strong side with 10 internationals, bucking a trend they had themselves started during the 1990s. In the 2014–15 season, Manchester United fielded five international players but lost 4–0 in the second round (in which they entered
13992-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
14151-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
14310-417: The historic pattern of Scotland's most able footballers playing in England. His first signings included Terry Butcher , captain of Ipswich Town and an established England international , and Chris Woods of Norwich City , England's second-choice goalkeeper. Subsequent seasons saw the arrival of other English internationals, such as Trevor Steven , Gary Stevens , Trevor Francis and Ray Wilkins . Souness
14469-594: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". EFL Cup The EFL Cup , often referred to as
14628-449: The inaugural winners in 1960–61 , defeating Rotherham United 3–2 in the final over two legs. Football in England was considered to be of a low quality, compared to what was being played on the continent, as relatively unfashionable clubs Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers were England's representatives in Europe that year, having lifted the major honours ahead of much bigger clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United . Richards referred to
14787-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
14946-624: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
15105-461: The last single-legged tie to require a replay was played in 1996–97. Until 1974–75 , two-legged ties that remained level after extra time in the second leg would be replayed; in that time, three ties reached a third replay. Between 1975–76 and 1979–80 , ties would still be replayed, but a penalty shoot-out would be used to settle ties that could not be decided after a replay; replays of two-legged matches were finally abolished for 1980–81 , with
15264-519: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
15423-462: The league title or the FA Cup . League Cup winners receive £100,000 prize money (awarded by the Football League) with the runners-up receiving £50,000, considered relatively insignificant to top-flight teams, compared to the £2 million prize money of the FA Cup, which is in turn eclipsed by the Premier League's television money (awarded on final league position) and consequent participation in
15582-475: The league title since 1978, with all of the Scottish league titles since then being claimed by their arch-rivals Celtic, and the emerging "New Firm" of Aberdeen and Dundee United . A 33-year-old Souness arrived at Ibrox with a reputation as one of Europe's leading midfielders. His signing was unusual in that Scottish clubs had rarely been able to sign top-quality internationals, including Scots, from other leagues. Scottish clubs had often found themselves being in
15741-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
15900-569: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,
16059-547: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of
16218-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with
16377-418: The most occasions with ten victories, and both they and Manchester City have won four League Cups in successive years. Liverpool completed two trebles of trophy wins, in 1983–84 and 2000–01 , winning the League Cup in both of these years. English clubs lost their place in European competitions for an indefinite period in 1985 as a result of the Heysel disaster , where Liverpool fans had taken part in
16536-469: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
16695-484: The nickname "Ulubatlı Souness". Souness then returned to England to manage Southampton , but after one season he resigned, citing differences with chairman Rupert Lowe . Souness is perhaps best remembered at Southampton for signing Senegalese player Ali Dia , supposedly on the recommendation of former FIFA World Player of the Year and former Liberian striker George Weah . Souness did not check any of Dia's credentials as
16854-449: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
17013-536: The official club areas, he was certain he had "made an enemy for life". After leaving Liverpool, Souness was out of work for over a year, despite reports at the end of the 1993–94 season linking him with a return to Middlesbrough, this time as a manager, a job which went to Bryan Robson instead. Souness went to manage Galatasaray in Turkey in June 1995, and again managed to court controversy with local issues, nearly sparking
17172-401: The only players to win the award more than once. From 1981 to the present (except from 1960 to 1981 and in 2016–17), the League Cup has attracted title sponsorship, which meant, unlike its older sibling the FA Cup , the League Cup was named after its sponsor , giving it the following names: The winners receive the EFL Cup, of which there have been three designs – the current one also being
17331-605: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
17490-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of
17649-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
17808-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from
17967-400: The original, a three-handled Georgian-style urn with a separate plinth (added later). Designed and manufactured by Mappin & Webb , it weighs 2.976 kg and measures 27 cm by 20.5 cm. It is worth around £20,000. It was used until the 1980–81 competition, before coming back into use ever since the 1990–91 competition. The reason for the break in usage was the introduction of
18126-578: The original, but also qualify for European football: from 1966–67 until 1971–72 the winners received a place in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup , from 1972–1973 until the 2019–20 season in the UEFA Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup) and starting with the 2020–21 season in the UEFA Conference League . Should the winner also qualify for Europe through other means at the end of the season, this place
18285-420: The position of selling their top players to English clubs, notable examples being Kenny Dalglish (sold from Celtic to Liverpool in 1977), Gordon Strachan (sold from Aberdeen to Manchester United in 1984) and Frank McAvennie (sold from St Mirren to West Ham United in 1985). A string of major signings for Rangers from English clubs began to be termed the "Souness Revolution". Significantly, this reversed
18444-530: The process of winning a fourth league title in five seasons when Souness left Rangers to take over as manager of Liverpool. He was replaced by his assistant Walter Smith four matches prior to the end of what was to become another championship-winning season. Rangers went on to win six further league titles in succession, as well as a string of domestic cups, under Smith's management. Although Souness had been hugely successful in his time at Ibrox , his time in charge had not been without controversy. A significant act
18603-502: The reserve team manager, was overheard angrily criticising his tactics and purchases behind his back. This was overheard by Manchester United assistant manager Brian Kidd and relayed to Walter Smith , who was so alarmed by Thompson's behaviour that he drove from Scotland to Liverpool to tell Souness what had been said. Souness dismissed Thompson as a result and the two have remained bitter towards each other since, with Thompson claiming in his own book he would never speak to Souness again as
18762-404: The roll-out of floodlights, allowing the fixtures to be played as midweek evening games. With the renaming of the Football League as the English Football League in 2016, the tournament was rebranded as the EFL Cup from the 2016–17 season onwards. The tournament is played over seven rounds, with single-leg ties throughout, except for the semi-finals. The final is held at Wembley Stadium , which
18921-586: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
19080-423: The season have received a bye to the third round; the remaining Premier League teams enter at the second round, and the remaining Football League teams enter at the first round. If the number of byes causes an odd number of teams to enter a round, another team may be given a bye (usually the highest-placed team of those relegated from the Premier League the previous season) or a preliminary round may be played between
19239-471: The season – came in a 3–1 win over rivals Manchester United at Anfield on 25 February 1978. Souness played a pivotal role in Liverpool's retention of the European Cup against FC Bruges in 1978 at Wembley Stadium , providing the pass for Kenny Dalglish to score the match's only goal. Sustained success followed. Souness's first League title medals were won in seasons 1978–79 and 1979–80 . A second European Cup medal for Souness arrived in 1981 with
19398-580: The season, in which Rush scored 11 Premier League goals, saw them finish sixth. This time there was no success in any of the cup competitions, meaning that there would be no European competition for Liverpool in the 1993–94 season. Aside from the six seasons when Liverpool were banned from European competitions, this was the first time since 1963 that Liverpool had failed to qualify for Europe. The pressure on Souness continued to mount throughout 1993, but he made another attempt at revitalising Liverpool by signing defender Julian Dicks and striker Nigel Clough for
19557-416: The semi-finals, which have been two-legged since the competition began. The final was two-legged from 1961 to 1966 , but has been single-legged ever since. The first round was two-legged from 1975–76 to 2000–01 , and the second round was two-legged from 1979–80 to 2000–01 . Single-legged matches would be replayed as necessary until 1993–94 , when penalties were introduced to settle the first replay;
19716-532: The squad in his first six months as manager, bringing in Dean Saunders for an English record of £2.9 million as well as defenders Mark Wright and Rob Jones and midfielder Mark Walters . He also gave a regular place in the team to 19-year-old midfielder Steve McManaman , whose debut had come under Dalglish in December 1990, and a debut to one of Dalglish's last signings, teenage midfielder Jamie Redknapp . At
19875-455: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
20034-405: The start for a number of reasons. The majority of key players were in their late 20s or early 30s when he took over, and some appeared to have passed their peak. He knew they had to be eventually replaced and he doubted the desire of some of them. He said the senior players also appeared not to want to listen to him and may have resented his disciplinarian approach to their behaviour, and also claimed
20193-469: The system of four up and four down". Hardaker felt that the Football League needed to adapt to the times, as the English game was losing prestige. He felt that the Football League should take the lead in revitalising football in the nation: "It must be obvious to all of you that the time has come to do something, and it is up to the Football League to give the lead. I hope the Press will not immediately assume that
20352-462: The team on 27 occasions. Souness was brought up in the Saughton Mains area of Edinburgh , and supported local side Hearts and Rangers . As a teenager, Souness played for local boys' club North Merchiston. Souness' career began as an apprentice at Tottenham Hotspur under Bill Nicholson . He signed professional forms as a 15-year-old in 1968. Frustrated at a lack of first-team opportunities,
20511-450: The teams were 79 places apart in the English football league system . The League Cup is open to all 92 members of the Premier League and English Football League and is divided into seven rounds, organised so that 32 teams remain by the third round (with the exception of the 1961–62 competition). The fixtures in every round except the final are determined by a random draw. Since 1996–97 , teams involved in European competition during
20670-638: The teenage Souness told Nicholson he should be selected for the first team. Souness made one first-team appearance for Spurs, in a UEFA Cup tie as a substitute. During the summer of 1972, Souness played in the North American Soccer League for the Montreal Olympique . He appeared in 10 of his team's 14 matches and was named in the league's All-Star team for that season. Spurs sold Souness to Middlesbrough for £30,000 in 1972. He made his first appearance for Middlesbrough on 6 January 1973 in
20829-438: The time, Souness has since said that he probably should have resigned at that point. There were continued calls from many fans for Souness to resign or be sacked. Souness attended the 1992 FA Cup Final , which Liverpool won 2–0 against Sunderland , against the advice of his doctors. 1992–93 was an even more frustrating season for Souness. Just after the start of the season, he sold Dean Saunders to Aston Villa. While Saunders
20988-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
21147-577: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and
21306-459: The tournament) against third-tier side MK Dons . In 2010, Liverpool were humbled again by Northampton Town , one of the lowest placed teams in League Two. In the 2012–13 competition, League Two (fourth tier) side Bradford City eliminated three Premier League sides from the competition, becoming the lowest-ranked team to do so since Rochdale in 1961–62 . However, their luck finally ran out in
21465-480: The trophy for the first time in club history. Souness scored the only goal of the game in the first leg of the final. Souness' career in Italy ended in 1986 as he took up the position of player-manager at Rangers. His playing career at Ibrox began inauspiciously. His competitive debut – in the opening match of the 1986–87 season, against Hibernian in his hometown of Edinburgh – saw him sent off after two yellow cards in
21624-539: The two teams promoted from the Football Conference the previous season (or, if only one team is promoted, that team would play against the lowest-placed team not to be relegated from the Football League the previous season); preliminary rounds have only been necessary in the 2002–03 and 2011–12 competitions. Up to 1995–96 , all teams were involved by the second round, although some received byes to that stage. Matches in all rounds are single-legged, except for
21783-435: Was a controversial move, and the player performed well for Everton in his two seasons there, and continued to do well despite his advancing years during four seasons at Newcastle United . Souness also claims Liverpool chief executive Peter Robinson at the time had warned him this was a Liverpool team in decline and that they only had one player who was still "great" - John Barnes . Souness was left disappointed by Barnes as he
21942-520: Was a key player in Villa's near-successful title challenge, his successor Paul Stewart proved to be a huge disappointment, scoring just one league goal from 32 appearances over the next two seasons, struggling with injuries as well as inconsistent form. Top scorer Ian Rush was having a difficult time scoring goals, and Liverpool spent much of the season in the bottom half of the table. They entered March still only in 15th place, but an excellent final quarter of
22101-516: Was able to offer the lure of European club competition, at a time – 1985–1990 – when English clubs were banned from Europe in the wake of the Heysel Stadium disaster . Rangers profited from this by embarking upon a signing policy which drew on their relative wealth to compete, for the first time, directly with England's most powerful clubs. Souness revitalised Rangers quickly began to dominate Scottish football. In his first season, 1986–87 , they won
22260-486: Was about how revenue was shared between the clubs. During the late 1950s, the majority of senior English clubs equipped their grounds with floodlights . This opened up the opportunity to exploit weekday evenings throughout the winter. The League Cup was introduced in the 1960–61 season specifically as a mid-week floodlit tournament to replace the Southern Professional Floodlit Cup . The League Cup
22419-689: Was at this time frequently suffering from injuries, and in particular suffered a ruptured achilles tendon which was to eventually affect his acceleration therefore affecting his playing style, and not giving Souness what he wanted from a vintage Barnes at his peak, which was what he saw as a "devastating winger with pace and goalscoring touch". He had also said Barnes was once the "best player in Britain" but unfortunately only saw flashes of his brilliance. Souness also fell out with former Liverpool teammates Tommy Smith and Phil Thompson during his time in charge at Anfield. In his autobiography, Souness said that Thompson,
22578-627: Was clear he would have no say in what players he could buy or sell, as the club's owner made those decisions. Souness lasted just four months before being dismissed. In November 1997, Souness was appointed by Benfica 's new chairman João Vale e Azevedo , who promised to return the club to its former glory. The Scottish manager brought several British players from the Premier League, including defenders Steve Harkness and Gary Charles , midfielders Michael Thomas and Mark Pembridge and forwards Dean Saunders and Brian Deane , as well as refusing to sign emerging talent Deco . 18 months later, Souness left
22737-439: Was criticised by the better-endowed clubs. The Times ' correspondent at the time felt that the League Cup was a step in the wrong direction; the European Cup had been formed five years prior to the League Cup and the correspondent felt the League Cup's introduction was adding to existing problems. The Times published on 30 May 1960: "Where a drastic reduction is required in an attempt to raise quality, no doubt quantity and
22896-466: Was due to be published in the Sun , a British tabloid, with Souness celebrating the win and his own successful surgery. The photograph which accompanied the interview was of Souness, in his hospital ward, kissing his girlfriend with joy at his own recovery and his team's win. The interview was due to go in alongside the match report on 14 April 1992, but the late end to the game meant the deadline for publication
23055-458: Was experienced former Celtic midfielder Bobby Murdoch , a fellow Scot whom Souness later cited as an important influence in the development of his playing style. Promotion as champions of the Second Division followed in 1973–74 . Souness' influence was demonstrated when he scored a hat-trick in the season's final fixture, an 8–0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday . Souness' playing career
23214-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
23373-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
23532-511: Was missed and the report, with interview and photograph, went in on 15 April instead – the third anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster . Many Liverpool fans reacted with fury after seeing the interview was conducted with The Sun , a newspaper which had been reviled and widely shunned on Merseyside following its false reporting on the disaster. Souness himself had restricted Liverpool players from talking to The Sun . Although he apologised at
23691-469: Was obnoxious and difficult to deal with." He was manager during 261 matches in all competitions for Rangers, winning 125 (64%) of 193 league fixtures. Kenny Dalglish , who had played alongside Souness at Liverpool, had resigned as Liverpool manager in February 1991, despite having won three league titles and two FA Cups in the previous five seasons, and with Liverpool still being in contention for both trophies when he resigned. Long-serving coach Ronnie Moran
23850-484: Was omitted by caretaker manager Alex Ferguson for Scotland's final match against Uruguay . Souness claimed in his autobiography, The Management Years , and press interviews that this was the only time in his whole career he had been dropped. Souness also stated Ferguson was unusually apologetic and was very respectful and diplomatic in his conversation with Souness at night when he broke the news to him, as he held Souness in high regard. His international career ended after
24009-508: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as
24168-442: Was paid for personally by Football League President Joe Richards, who was proud of the competition, and he had his own name engraved on it. Richards described the competition's formation as an "interim step" on the way to the league's re-organisation. Richards' priority was the reorganisation of the leagues, "perhaps by cutting down the number of clubs in each division, as has already been suggested, and even given more consideration to
24327-418: Was put in temporary charge following Dalglish's sudden resignation, but he did not want the job permanently. Souness was appointed Liverpool manager, having signed a five-year contract, on 16 April 1991, leaving Rangers with four games of their season remaining. Souness took over at Anfield just before Liverpool surrendered their defence of the English league title to Arsenal . He made a major reorganisation of
24486-566: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
24645-527: Was scrapped for the semi-final, with level ties going straight to a penalty shoot-out. For the first six seasons of the Football League Cup, the final was played over two legs, with each leg being played at the home ground of each finalist. Since 1967 , the final has been played as a single match at Wembley Stadium , although the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff was used between 2001 and 2007 , following
24804-549: Was the signing of Mo Johnston in 1989. Rangers, historically a team supported by Protestants , had for most of the 20th century a policy of refusing to sign Roman Catholics . Although there had been many Rangers players of Catholic faith, particularly before the sectarian divisions hardened after World War I, none of them were as high-profile as Johnston. He had previously played for Celtic, and had looked set to rejoin them from Nantes until Souness made an offer to sign him. Johnston publicly announced he would return to Celtic in
24963-526: Was to be given for services rendered in the UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use
25122-465: Was wealthy. Souness believed these incidents may have contributed to Thompson's hostility and disrespect of him. Tommy Smith had been strongly critical of Souness in the local media at the time, and he had been caught mixing with the players and some of the coaches at Anfield despite no longer having an official position at the club. Souness banned Smith from the club areas, and said that in his last phone call with Smith, instructing him not to be seen around
25281-411: Was won in 1960–61 by Aston Villa who, at the time, held the overall record for major trophies won in England. The next three finals, however, saw the trophy won by clubs who had never won a major trophy before. One of them, Norwich City , had yet to even play in the First Division, while their opponents Rochdale had played no higher than the Third Division. The introduction of the League Cup gave
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