Profile of Brian Hall on Famous Like Me

This page is about the former footballer Brian Hall. There was also an actor Brian Hall

Brian Hall (born Glasgow, 22nd November 1946) was a compact and hard-working midfield player in the hugely successful Liverpool team of the 1970s.

A bright lad, Hall chose to go into higher education to study mathematics rather than follow a professional career exploiting his obvious football skills but, upon graduation from Liverpool University, he signed as a pro for Liverpool in 1969, having enjoyed playing for them as an amateur while studying.

Hall and fellow graduate Steve Heighway both made their first team debuts in 1970 with some novelty value, given that no known university graduate had ever played such high-profile professional football before. Indeed, they became known as Little Bamber (Hall) and Big Bamber (Heighway). These affectionate nicknames derived from Bamber Gascoigne, the host of University Challenge.

In a bruising semi-final of the FA Cup against Merseyside rivals Everton, Hall scored the winning goal with an awkward shot over his shoulder which won the match and sent Liverpool to Wembley. It was his first goal for the club.

Hall played in the final and was one of Liverpool's brighter performers on the day, but Arsenal won the game 2-1. Two years later, he was part of the team which won both the League championship and UEFA Cup, and then in 1974 he played an integral role in Liverpool's 3-0 demolition of Newcastle United to win the FA Cup.

Hall's famous 'dummy' set up the first goal of the game for team-mate Kevin Keegan - it wasn't the orthodox 'stepping over' of the ball which he carried out to let Tommy Smith's pass through to Keegan; instead he physically dived underneath the ball. It was a feinting tactic which had not been seen before and has rarely been imitated since. Newcastle's covering defenders were fooled and Keegan had time to control the ball and lash it into the net.

A famous photograph of manager Bill Shankly was taken in the immediate aftermath of the 1974 win. It shows Shankly being blessed by an overjoyed, besotted supporter who had sunk to his knees to kiss the turf at Shankly's feet. Hall was captured in the picture with an amused but bamboozled smile on his face as he walked past the incident.

Hall's chances over the next two years diminished as younger midfielders such as Jimmy Case and Ray Kennedy arrived on the scene. He left Liverpool in 1976 and joined Plymouth Argyle, moving again to Burnley a year later. He quit in 1980.

He then returned to Anfield and he now works as the club's PR officer.

Honours

• 1972/73 Football League First Division
• 1972/73 UEFA Cup
• 1973/74 FA Cup
• 1974/75 Charity Shield
• 1975/76 Football League First Division

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