May 6, 1967
The strain of constant Soccer has led to four Liverpool players turning down personal invitations from Sir Alf Ramsey to tour with England teams this summer.
Roger Hunt, Peter Thompson, Ian Callaghan, and Tommy Smith have all told Ramsey that they feel they will benefit more from a rest that will inemde a ten-day club holiday in Majorca.
Hunt said last night: “Alf was disappointed, but I think he understood. I certainly hope so. The real thing that clinched the decision was the fact that we are having to report for training earlier than usual because of a pre-season tour of Germany.
“Going to Canada with the England party at the end of this month would have meant virtually no break at all.”
Liverpool manager Bill Shankly summed up the situation: “The Liverpool players have been living in a pressure cooker for years,” he said. “They need the rest because they have got to get ready for another hard season next year.”
(Daily Mirror: May 6, 1967)
