David Peace - Red or Dead

LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL …

And before he had kicked a ball for Liverpool Football Club, before he had kicked one single ball at Anfield, the Kop, the Spion Kop, chanted, Ke-vin Kee-gan, Ke-vin Kee-gan, Ke-vin Kee-gan …

And a man leapt from the Kop, from the Spion Kop. And the man ran across the pitch, the Anfield pitch. And the man came up to Kevin Keegan. And the man kissed Kevin Keegan on his lips. And then the man fell to his knees on the pitch. The Anfield pitch. And the man kissed the grass. The Anfield grass. Before the Kop, the Spion Kop. And then the man stood back up. And the man ran back across the pitch, the Anfield pitch. Back to the Kop, to the Spion Kop.

And in the twelfth minute of his first game for Liverpool Football Club, a cross from Thompson came to Keegan. Keegan six yards from the goal. Keegan met the cross. And Keegan shot. But the ball skimmed off the top of his boot. And the ball bobbled towards the goal. Towards the keeper on the goal line. The Nottingham Forest goal line. The two full-backs on the goal line. But the ball kept bobbling. And the ball bobbled over the feet of one of the full-backs. Over the line and into the net. Into a goal. And in the twelfth minute of his first game for Liverpool Football Club, on his Anfield debut, Kevin Keegan had scored for Liverpool Football Club. Three minutes later, Keegan was fouled in the penalty area. The Nottingham Forest penalty area. Smith took the penalty. And Smith scored the penalty. And in the fifty-fifth minute, Hughes scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Nottingham Forest three — one. At home, at Anfield.

Three days afterwards, Wolverhampton Wanderers came to Anfield, Liverpool. That night, fifty-one thousand, eight hundred and sixty-nine folk came, too. And in the seventh minute, John Toshack scored. In the twenty-seventh minute, Steve Heighway scored. And in the eighty-ninth minute, Tommy Smith scored another penalty. In the last minute, the very last minute. Liverpool Football Club beat Wolverhampton Wanderers three — two. At home, at Anfield. Four days later, Liverpool Football club travelled to St James’ Park, Newcastle. In the tenth minute, Emlyn Hughes scored. In the fifteenth minute, Smith missed a penalty. In the seventy-fifth minute, Keegan scored. But it didn’t matter, it didn’t count. Malcolm Macdonald scored for Newcastle United. Malcolm Macdonald scored again for Newcastle United. And Malcolm Macdonald scored again for Newcastle United. And Liverpool Football Club lost three — two to Newcastle United. Away from home, away from Anfield. Three days later, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Selhurst Park, London. And in the fifty-seventh minute, John Toshack scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Crystal Palace one — nil. Away from home, away from Anfield.

On Saturday 28 August, 1971, Leicester City came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, fifty thousand, nine hundred and seventy folk came, too. In the twenty-fifth minute, Steve Heighway scored. In the thirty-fifth minute, Kevin Keegan scored. And in the seventy-first minute, a shot deflected off Toshack, into his own goal. But it didn’t matter, it didn’t count. Liverpool Football Club beat Leicester City three — two. At home, at Anfield. And that night, in the first month of the new season, Liverpool Football Club had played five games. They had won four of those games and they had lost one of those games. That night, Sheffield United had nine points. Manchester United had eight points. And Liverpool Football Club had eight points, too. That night, Liverpool Football Club were third in the First Division. It was not a perfect start. But it was not a bad start.

…

Every morning, every day. Bill Shankly trained with the players of Liverpool Football Club and Bill Shankly watched the players of Liverpool Football Club. And every morning, every day. Bill Shankly trained with Kevin Keegan and Bill Shankly watched Kevin Keegan. Bill Shankly could not keep his eyes off Kevin Keegan. The way Kevin Keegan trained. The way Kevin Keegan worked. All the players of Liverpool Football Club trained hard, all the players of Liverpool Football Club worked hard. But this was different, this was something else. This boy was different, this lad was something else. And Bill Shankly did not quite know what it was. Bill Shankly did not quite know what he had. Because Bill Shankly had not come across a player like Kevin Keegan before. Bill Shankly had not seen a player like Kevin Keegan before. Kevin Keegan was not a naturally gifted footballer. He did not have natural control, he did not have natural touch. He did not even look like a footballer. But Kevin Keegan was a footballer. A footballer unlike any other Bill Shankly had ever seen. Kevin Keegan was small, but Kevin Keegan was strong. And he was willing to learn and he was willing to work. Every morning, every day. Reuben Bennett was building up the boy’s stamina. Every morning, every day. Joe Fagan was improving the lad’s technique. Every morning, every day. Bob Paisley was building up the boy’s knowledge. And every morning, every day. The lad was taking it all on board. The stamina. The technique. And the knowledge. Every morning, every day. Kevin Keegan was absorbing everything he heard. Everything he saw. And every morning, every day. Kevin Keegan was getting better and better. And every morning and every day. Bill Shankly saw him. Every morning, every day. Bill Shankly watched him. And Bill Shankly knew they were getting closer to building the perfect footballer. Bill Shankly knew they were getting closer to creating the perfect footballer for Liverpool Football Club. This boy who would be the spark, the new spark. This lad who would ignite Liverpool Football Club, the new Liverpool Football Club.

…

On Wednesday 1 September, 1971, the new Liverpool Football Club travelled to Maine Road, Manchester. That night, for the first time that season, the new Liverpool Football Club did not score. But Mellor scored for Manchester City. And the new Liverpool Football Club lost one — nil to Manchester City. Away from home, away from Anfield. Three days later, the new Liverpool Football Club travelled to White Hart Lane, London. And Keegan ran and Keegan ran. And Keegan leapt over this tackle and Keegan leapt over that tackle. But in the eleventh minute, Kinnear took a corner kick for Tottenham Hotspur. And Gilzean headed on the corner kick for Chivers. And Chivers had time to wander across the goalmouth. All the time in the world. To wander across the goalmouth with the ball at his feet. All the time in the world. To put the ball into the back of the net. And into a goal. But still Keegan ran and Keegan ran. Still Keegan leapt over this tackle, still Keegan leapt over that tackle. But in the fifty-seventh minute, Coates passed to Knowles. Knowles crossed for Peters. And Peters met the cross. And Peters headed the cross past Clemence. Into the net and into another goal. And the new Liverpool Football Club lost two — nil to Tottenham Hotspur. Away from home, away from Anfield.

On Tuesday 7 September, 1971, Hull City came to Anfield, Liverpool. That night, thirty-one thousand, six hundred and twelve folk came, too. Thirty-one thousand, six hundred and twelve folk to watch the new Liverpool Football Club play Hull City of the Second Division in the Second Round of the Football League Cup. But that night, Tommy Smith did not play. Smith was injured. And Ian Callaghan did not play. Callaghan was injured. And John Toshack did not play. But Toshack was not injured. Toshack was dropped. And Peter Thompson did not play. Thompson not injured, either. Thompson dropped, too. In the thirty-fourth minute, Chris Lawler scored. Four minutes later, Alec Lindsay scored. And in the fifty-fourth minute, Brian Hall scored a penalty. And the new Liverpool Football Club beat Hull City of the Second Division three — nil in the Second Round of the Football League Cup. At home, at Anfield. Four days later, Southampton Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, forty-five thousand, eight hundred and seventy-eight folk came, too. And Ian Callaghan played. And John Toshack played. And in the thirty-second minute, Toshack scored. And the new Liverpool Football Club beat Southampton Football Club one — nil. At home, at Anfield. That evening Sheffield United had fourteen points. And Sheffield United were first in the First Division. That evening, the new Liverpool Football Club had ten points. And the new Liverpool Football Club were seventh in the First Division.