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At number 45 in our '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series is renowned seventies hard man Jimmy Case.
Four years after our ground-breaking '100 Days That Shook The Kop', we are delighted to invite you to enjoy our new '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series – the definitive countdown of the 100 players who have made the biggest impact at Liverpool.
Over 110,000 supporters have all nominated their own personal Top 10 players in order of impact made and now the definitive top 100 countdown is underway.
Every player who has made the top 100 – and there are some surprises in there - will be honoured on this website via the e-Season ticket console with a specially produced video clip, including archive footage and exclusive interviews.
Since 1892 hundreds of players have represented this club but everyone has their own particular favourites so don't expect this list to be based solely on talent. The greatness of a player can be measured in many ways – obviously, his ability on the pitch is the most important, but 100 PWSTK is much more than that. It's about the impact the individuals chosen have had on this club, be it for a variety of reasons. Maybe it was because of their unique rapport with the crowd, a specific incident that has never been forgotten or anything else that has left a lasting impression.
Name: Jimmy Case
Years at Liverpool: 1973 to 1981
Position: Midfield
Date-of-birth: 18/5/1954
Birthplace: Liverpool
Signed from: South Liverpool (May 1973)
Games: 276
Goals: 46
Honours: First Division Championship (1975/76, 1976/77, 1978/79, 1979/80), European Cup (1977, 1978, 1981), UEFA Cup (1976), League Cup (1981), Super Cup (1977), Charity Shield (1976, 1977, 1979, 1980)
Tough tackling hard-man Jimmy Case was arguably the most powerful striker of a ball in the Liverpool history and an unsung member of the all-conquering side of the mid-to-late 1970's. Highly valued by his team-mates, respected by the fans and feared by the opposition, Case was a vital cog in the formidable Red machine that dominated at home and abroad. A product of the now defunct South Liverpool FC, Case joined Liverpool as an amateur during the Bill Shankly era and served his apprenticeship in the reserves before breaking through for his senior debut on the final day of the 1974-75 season. Before turning professional Case had worked as an electrician and his livewire forward raids down Liverpool's right flank were to illuminate many games during the remainder of a glory-laden decade for the Reds. Never one to shirk a challenge or go hiding when the going got tough, Case relished a battle and his fighting spirit was seen as the ideal foil for the more cultured play of those around him. But, like his team-mates, he could play as well and the explosive shooting power for which he became renowned was an important weapon in Liverpool's attacking armory. Among the 46 goals he scored in a Red shirt were two hat-tricks and a host of memorable strikes, none more so than the one that almost burst the Wembley net in the 1977 FA Cup Final against Manchester United. Unfortunately, Case was to finish on the losing side that day but he more than made up for that disappointment by collecting an impressive array of medals in every other competition. At his peak he was without doubt one of the finest midfielder's in Europe, yet full international honours remarkably eluded him. An astounding fact that says more about the incompetence of the England set-up of the time, than any flaws in his ability as a player. A passionate Liverpudlian who had supported the club since boyhood, Case enjoyed nothing better than assisting Liverpool in their seemingly never-ending trophy-winning spree and it seemed inconceivable that he could play for any other team. But a series of highly-publicised off-field scrapes were to land him in trouble with the Anfield hierarchy and during the summer of 1981 Paisley shocked the Kop when he sold him to Brighton for £350,000. Case had only just turned 27 and was considered to still be in his prime. Two years later he came back to haunt his old club by scoring a famous FA Cup winner in a 2-1 5th round victory for the Seagulls and then continued playing until he was 38. One of only a select few ex-Liverpool players to have enjoyed success after leaving Anfield, Jimmy Case will always be regarded as a true Red legend in Kopite eyes.
Sold to: Brighton & Hove Albion (August 1981)
Claim to fame: Scoring one of the best-ever goals in the FA Cup Final
Did you know? He was named European Young Player of the Year in 1977
Where is he now? Currently works for Southampton's in-house radio station 'The Saint'
Brian Hall on Jimmy Case: "Jimmy's contribution during that period was an enormous one, he scored some goals, his energy was terrific but again he epitomised what putting on that red shirt on your back was all about."
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