What Bill Shankly Teaches Web3: Building Communities That Endure Market Cycles

When most people think about century-old European football clubs, they envision trophy cabinets overflowing with silverware. Yet the true measure of these institutions lies not in their championship count, but in something far more profound: generations of people across different social classes, nationalities, and eras willingly invest their time, money, and emotion into protecting the same community for more than a hundred years. This phenomenon offers a crucial insight for Web3 projects grappling with a fundamental problem—how to build communities that survive market cycles and thrive beyond initial hype.

The Web3 industry has mastered many things: discussing growth strategies, designing token incentives, debating governance models. What it consistently fails to achieve is something simpler yet infinitely more valuable—a genuine sense of belonging and trust that can weather economic downturns. Most projects rise and fall like shooting stars, appearing and vanishing within months. Even many DAO experiments begin with idealistic promises but devolve into self-serving conflicts of interest. The missing ingredient isn’t better technology or larger token supplies; it’s the cultural foundation that football clubs built organically over decades.

The answer may lie in understanding how football clubs themselves emerged. These institutions weren’t originally conceived to serve the commercial interests of wealthy owners. Instead, they were created to represent communities and the fans who supported them. This community-first philosophy—repeatedly emphasized but rarely executed in Web3—is precisely what century-old football clubs have perfected. By examining how these institutions survived crises, maintained fan loyalty, and leveraged inspirational leadership, Web3 communities can discover a blueprint for building the trust and belonging required for long-term resilience.

The Bill Shankly Model: How Spiritual Leadership Shapes Enduring Communities

Before examining identity and governance structures, it’s essential to understand the role of legendary figures in binding communities together. The story of Bill Shankly, Liverpool’s transformational manager, reveals why “spiritual anchors” are not merely inspirational but foundational to community longevity.

In the 1960s, Shankly didn’t just lead Liverpool back to the top flight and win championships—he fundamentally redefined the club’s relationship with its fans. Born into a Scottish mining family with socialist convictions, Shankly embraced a football philosophy centered on teamwork, collective honor, and shared purpose. His famous directive to players captured this ethos: “I’m just an ordinary fan standing in the stands, only with the responsibilities of a coach. You and the fans think alike; we are one family.”

What distinguished Shankly wasn’t merely his tactical brilliance but his profound understanding that fans were the emotional heart of the club. In his autobiography, he wrote, “From the beginning of my managerial career, I have tried to show the fans that they are the most important people. You have to know how to treat them and win their support.” He didn’t treat this as corporate messaging—he acted on it daily. When a policeman discarded a fan’s scarf during a 1973 trophy display at Anfield, Shankly immediately retrieved it, placed it around his neck, and scolded the officer: “Don’t do that, it’s precious.”

Shankly’s commitment to communication was extraordinary. He used the public address system to explain roster changes and team decisions to fans. He personally replied to fan correspondence using an old typewriter. He would unhesitatingly obtain match tickets for fans he believed deserved assistance. When Shankly passed away in 1981, tens of thousands of fans spontaneously took to the streets to pay their respects. He had transcended the role of mere manager, becoming a spiritual symbol for an entire city.

This legacy proved decisive decades later. When Liverpool faced financial catastrophe under American ownership in the late 2000s, the club’s future hung by a thread. Yet the community didn’t abandon the club—instead, fans established the “Spirit of Shankly” organization, deliberately invoking Shankly’s memory as their rallying point. Between 2008 and 2010, massive demonstrations erupted at Anfield, including organized sit-ins, banner campaigns, and coordinated legal support. The fans’ unwavering stance ultimately forced the unpopular owners to sell the club. When new management took control, they immediately recognized what their predecessors had forgotten: “The club’s unique bond lies in the sacred relationship between the fans and the team; it’s the beating of our heart.” They pledged to rebuild trust by freezing ticket prices for several years—a direct acknowledgment of the community’s power.

The lesson is unmistakable: legendary figures like Bill Shankly create shared narratives that transcend generations. Their personalities and decisions become elevated to symbolic status, guiding and inspiring entire communities. Their influence persists even long after they depart, embedded in the collective memory and values of the organization.

Building Identity: When Workers’ Dreams Become Global Icons

The spiritual leadership embodied by figures like Bill Shankly rests upon a foundation—a clear, powerful identity rooted in authentic community origins. Manchester United’s genesis illustrates this principle perfectly.

In 1878, railway locomotive factory workers gathered in a pub outside Manchester, discussing an ambitious idea: officially forming a football team. These ordinary workers established a club in Newton Heath, adopting their railway company’s green and gold colors as their kit and renting a nearby pub as their locker room. From this humble working-class foundation grew Manchester United, today one of the world’s most successful football institutions.

This pattern repeats across European football’s landscape. In 1899, a young Swiss man named Hans Gamper, seeking community while far from home, placed an advertisement in a Barcelona sports magazine seeking football enthusiasts. This simple request catalyzed the founding of FC Barcelona. Gamper’s vision transcended typical club management—he envisioned an organization open to all, where members could speak freely and experience genuine democratic governance. To honor Catalonia’s embrace of him, Gamper embedded Catalan cultural identity into the club’s DNA, creating an identity that has defined Barcelona ever since.

Even Juventus, which recently rejected a takeover offer from stablecoin company Tether, maintains its community roots. Official accounts describe 1897 Turin high school students conceiving the club while sitting on a bench in the city center. What’s remarkable isn’t this modest origin story but how Juventus transcended geographical limitations. By attracting immigrants from southern Italy, supporting Juventus became intertwined with the immigrant experience of integration into northern city life—transforming a “city club” into a nationwide institution.

A critical element unites these founding stories: symbolic power. The team’s colors, name, stadium, and ceremonies all strengthened community identity. These clubs mastered using symbols and narratives to add identity labels that ordinary people embraced with pride. When Blackburn Olympic became the first working-class team to win the FA Cup in 1883, common people throughout northern England rejoiced, seeing it as grassroots triumph over aristocratic privilege. This underdog narrative ignited fan passion everywhere, generating exponential growth through genuine emotional investment.

For Web3 projects, this foundational lesson is critical: clearly define a unique identity, cultural foundation, and sense of mission from the outset. Just as industrial-era workers united through shared city origins and class identity, Web3 communities can unite users through authentic shared values or visions. Projects should distill clear identity symbols and narratives—not corporate-designed marketing campaigns, but genuine cultural touchstones.

Early Web3 communities need to discover their “spiritual home”—whether a commitment to decentralization, a subcultural identity, a mission addressing genuine problems, or an underdog positioning against incumbent institutions. By emphasizing this identity and belonging, early like-minded participants spontaneously gather, creating organic growth that no token incentive alone can generate.

Collective Action: The Power of Community When Leadership Fails

Even the most iconic figures inevitably depart. What determines whether a community survives this departure? The answer lies in institutional resilience rooted in shared community power—precisely the factor that saved Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool during their respective crises.

In the mid-2000s, Borussia Dortmund’s excessive spending and mismanagement accumulated massive debts, pushing the club toward bankruptcy by 2005. At this critical juncture, something remarkable occurred: fan organizations launched the “We Are Dortmund” movement, rallying all sectors of the city to intervene. Tens of thousands of fans gathered outside the home stadium, singing the club’s anthem while raising funds for their own rescue. Players voluntarily accepted 20% salary reductions. Local government and businesses contributed their own support. Through collective action, the club achieved a phoenix-like resurrection.

This rebirth generated a new cultural foundation: the club embraced the motto “Echte Liebe” (True Love), emphasizing unconditional community support as the club’s defining spirit. A Dortmund midfielder explained: “True love means unconditional love—that is the spirit of Dortmund, our strength.” What emerged was recognition that community bonds, not individual leadership or ownership capital, provided the actual foundation for survival.

Some institutions have formalized this principle into governance structures. Barcelona and Real Madrid maintain membership systems with no shareholder dividends, with club presidents elected by member votes. Barcelona boasts over 150,000 members—the world’s largest member-based club. This decentralized ownership proves remarkably resilient: when Barcelona faced financial difficulties in the mid-2010s, the club refused external takeover bids. Tens of thousands of members protected the institution’s independence through democratic voting—something no private owner could have accomplished alone.

Similarly, most German clubs follow the “50+1” rule, ensuring fans and members retain voting majorities. This transforms clubs into quasi-public assets; when crises strike, fans participate as stakeholders rather than spectators, motivated to overcome challenges collectively.

For Web3 projects, the translation is straightforward: genuine community governance through token-based voting and DAO mechanisms directly mirrors these time-tested models. When users vote on critical decisions, they transform from passive consumers into invested stakeholders. When communities possess actual governance power, they behave differently during downturns—rather than abandoning the project, deeply engaged members actively contribute toward recovery.

The specific mechanism matters less than the principle: align long-term incentives so community members possess economic and emotional investment in project success. Reference season tickets and equity-sharing in traditional sports clubs by issuing tokens with governance rights or revenue-sharing mechanisms that grant increased rights to long-term holders. Design reasonable token structures that reward sustained participation rather than speculative trading.

Most critically, emphasize spiritual motivation during difficult periods. Football fans’ support represents selfless emotional investment. Web3 communities should cultivate comparable bonds by communicating sincerely during downturns, acknowledging mistakes, and expressing genuine respect and gratitude to community members—precisely as Liverpool’s new management did when they recognized and honored the “Spirit of Shankly” that saved their club.

From Bill Shankly to Web3: The Missing Spiritual Foundation

The arc connecting Bill Shankly’s transformational leadership to community resilience during crises reveals a pattern that Web3 communities must understand: legendary figures provide narrative cohesion and spiritual guidance that transcend individual tenure.

Shankly’s influence persisted decades after his 1981 death precisely because he embedded his values into the club’s culture. His philosophy—that fans represented the club’s true heart, that shared purpose mattered more than individual glory, that treating the community with respect was a manager’s fundamental responsibility—became institutionalized through storytelling and symbolic action. When fans named their 2008 protest movement the “Spirit of Shankly,” they weren’t merely invoking nostalgia; they were activating a dormant cultural code embedded in Liverpool’s identity forty years earlier.

Similarly, Manchester United’s legacy under Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson, Barcelona’s transformation through Johan Cruyff’s playing and coaching career—these narratives provide ongoing spiritual guidance independent of current management. Every great club’s story becomes vivid and compelling through these influential figures.

In Web3 contexts, core team members and project spokespeople can similarly enhance community cohesion through personal charisma and authentic values. This isn’t advocacy for personality cults; rather, it’s recognition that clear spiritual guidance grounded in leader’s demonstrated values creates powerful narrative foundations. Core figures should model the ethical and professional standards they expect from communities. They should actively engage with community members, maintain transparency about challenges and failures, and genuinely care for community welfare as Bill Shankly demonstrated respect for fans.

However, Web3 teams must balance leveraging this star effect with building systemic resilience. Over-reliance on individual figures introduces fragility—what happens when the legendary figure departs or faces scandal? Liverpool survived this risk precisely because Shankly’s philosophy was institutionalized through governance structures, community traditions, and successive leaders who honored his legacy.

The solution is dual: utilize the authentic influence of core figures to provide narrative foundation and spiritual guidance, while simultaneously building cultural systems and governance mechanisms that transmit these values across generations of community members and leaders. The most resilient Web3 communities will combine the inspirational power of visionary figures with the structural stability of genuine community governance and transparent institutional values.

Conclusion: The Time-Tested Path to Community Resilience

Century-old European football clubs survived competition from wealthier institutions, weathered global economic crises, recovered from near-bankruptcy, and maintained fan loyalty across generations—not through superior resources or marketing sophistication, but through three interlocking principles: authentic community identity, distributed governance structures that embed community power, and spiritual leadership that transmits values across time.

Web3’s technological innovations enable these principles to be implemented at unprecedented scale and efficiency. Yet many projects still chase growth through token incentives alone, neglecting the cultural foundation that turns temporary participants into lifelong community members. The answer lies not in revolutionary new approaches but in learning from institutions that have successfully solved this problem for over a century.

Projects that study Bill Shankly’s philosophy—that fans are the club’s true heart—and implement this understanding through authentic identity-building, genuine community governance, and inspirational leadership will build the trust and belonging required to survive market cycles. Those that treat communities as merely another variable in growth mechanics will continue to experience the rapid rise and fall characteristic of modern Web3.

The choice is clear: learn from the past or repeat its cycles.