They crossed the generations, just as he had crossed the generations.
Those two great loves of Ronnie Moranâs life - family and football - gathered to say their farewell to a man who had touched all their lives.
And so many more lives besides, well beyond this simple funeral service at St Lukeâs Church in his home town of Crosby.
For family, his beloved wife Joyce, sisters Peggy and Hilda and son Paul led the mourners through the wider family circle, four grandchildren and right down to five great grand-children, the most recent Harley born within just the last couple of weeks.
And then his other family, the football family.
It would be easier to say who wasnât there than to list who was - a whoâs who of Anfield legends gathered to pay their last respects to a man who had helped make them all what they were. A man who had forced the best out of them.
From the 60s team of Ian St John, Tommy Lawrence, Roger Hunt and Chris Lawler to the 70s and early 80s with Phil Thompson, Kenny Dalglish, David Fairclough, Phil Neal, Terry McDermott, David Johnson and Graeme Souness through Alan Hansen, Ian Rush and Mark Lawrenson to the later 80s and 90s with John Barnes, Jim Beglin, Jamie Redknapp, Robbie Fowler and Gary Gillespie to the more recent legends of Gary McAllister, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. Roy Evans too, a man who shared so many Boot Room memories and Liverpool benches with his great friend.
All gathered here in celebration and remembrance.
It was a service which bore all the hallmarks of a Moran touchline instruction - simple but just right.
After a beautiful introduction from singer Stephanie Hodges with âSongbirdâ the congregation rose for "Abide With Me," the hymn of so many Wembley occasions which Moran graced in his 49 astonishing years with the Reds.
Then after a reading from family member Ian Johnson, Phil Thompson rose to speak of a man he regarded as his âmentorâ in a heartfelt and emotional eulogy.
The former Reds captain said he was honoured and privileged to speak at the occasion but joked that it was a fairly impossible to sum up Moranâs impact and achievements in the time available.
Thompson said: âHe was 50 years nearly at our football club and 29 trophies - and Iâve got a couple of minutes!
âRonnie and my paths crossed in 1969 when he became a coach at Liverpool. I was starting out on my life at Liverpool, a 15-year-old skinny kid from Kirkby coming as a two-year apprentice.
âOur paths crossed, B team, A team, reserve team and then to the first team - he took me on a magical tour doing things which I never ever dreamt I could do. It was wonderful and thatâs why I talk about the great Bill Shankly as being my hero from when I was a kid, to Ronnie Moran who was my mentor.
âHe was my guide, my motivator throughout my life, Iâve said it for many years, he was a wonderful help to me.â
And Thompson reflected on how Moran had played a crucial role in establishing Liverpool as a global force in football.
âIn 1974 it all happened. Ronnie stepped forward when Shanks left, Ronnie took over the first team and thatâs where it all started. Thatâs where we all got it as players, it was a fascinating time, because Ronnie was that guide.
âFrom 1974 we were just on a mission, the more trophies kept coming in, the more medals kept coming in, it was wonderful. And what did he call us lads? The big heads!
âHow could we be the big heads? He wouldnât let us get big headed, he was our driving force, he was the one who was demanding almost every day of our lives. Ronnie would be on to us from a Monday morning for the whole of the week preparing for the next Saturday.
This guy was relentless, it was pressure on, pushing our club forward to make sure we would win trophies, that we would go and do our best. He loved everything about the football club and we were just playing a part with him.
âIt was a fantastic time and we would like to believe that we and what Ronnie Moran did for our football club was quite astonishing. He was brilliant.
âAnd after winning all those trophies, what did we become? A global football club. Global, with fans now all over the world. The call us a global brand - though Iâm not sure how Ronnie would have taken that word! Would we ever have become that that (without him)?
âYes, maybe Bill Shankly was responsible for us becoming this global, well supported football club throughout the world, yes maybe Bob Paisley has a part there, yes maybe Kenny Dalglish has a part to play in that.
âBut I think of everyone who says we would never have got anywhere near what we did without having Ronnie Moran alongside them, and making sure he was that driving force. That is how important Ronnie Moran was to this football club
âJoyce, to you and your family, our football club owes you a massive debt of gratitude for what this great man did for us as players, for our football club in general.
âMay you rest in peace Bugsy.â
