David Peace - Red or Dead

On Wednesday 15 September, 1971, the new Liverpool Football Club came to the Stade de Charmilles, in Geneva, in Switzerland, to play Servette Football Club of Geneva in the first leg of the First Round of the European Cup Winners’ Cup. That night, Tommy Smith did not play. Smith still injured. And that night, Kevin Keegan did not play. Keegan had complained of severe pains in the bones of his left foot. Keegan was injured. And that night, Dörfel scored for Servette Football Club of Geneva. And Neneth scored for Servette Football Club of Geneva. And in the eighty-first minute, Chris Lawler scored for the new Liverpool Football Club. But that night, the new Liverpool Football Club lost two — one to Servette Football Club of Geneva in the first leg of the First Round of the European Cup Winners’ Cup. Away from home, away from Anfield. Three days afterwards, the new Liverpool Football Club travelled to Elland Road. And again Tommy Smith did not play. Smith still injured. And again Kevin Keegan did not play. Keegan still injured. And the new Liverpool Football Club lost one — nil to the old Leeds United. Away from home, away from Anfield.

On Saturday 25 September, 1971, Manchester United came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, fifty-five thousand, six hundred and thirty-four folk came, too. Fifty-five thousand, six hundred and thirty-four folk and Kevin Keegan. Keegan injected with cortisone. Injected with enough cortisone to play against Manchester United. Manchester United were second in the First Division. The new Liverpool Football Club seventh in the First Division. In the eighth minute, Ian Callaghan shot. And the shot hit Bobby Graham’s leg. The shot deflected off Graham’s leg. Past Stepney. Into the net and into a goal. And in the twenty-fourth minute, Graham shot. And the shot hit Brian Hall’s back. The shot deflected off Hall’s back. Past Stepney. Into the net and into another goal. And at half-time, the new Liverpool Football Club were beating Manchester United two — nil. But in the eighth minute of the second half, Best dragged the defenders of Liverpool Football Club across the penalty area. The Liverpool penalty area. And Best clipped the ball back across the penalty area. The Liverpool penalty area. And Law touched on the ball. With the side of his foot. From point-blank range. Into the net and into a goal. And in the seventy-second minute, Best passed to Charlton. And Charlton shot. Into the net and into another goal. But minutes later, Emlyn Hughes shot. Into the penalty area. The Manchester United penalty area. And the shot hit the hand of James. In the penalty area. The Manchester United penalty area. But the referee did not blow his whistle. The referee did not award a penalty. And the ball ran loose from the hand of James. The ball loose at the feet of Graham. And Graham shot. Into the net and into a goal. But the linesman had raised his flag. The linesman said Graham was offside. And the referee blew his whistle. The referee shook his head. And the referee disallowed the goal. And the players of Liverpool Football Club protested. But still the referee shook his head. Still the referee disallowed the goal. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club howled at the referee. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club wailed at the referee. But the new Liverpool Football Club drew two-all with Manchester United. At home, at Anfield. Bill Shankly walked down the touchline. The Anfield touchline. Bill Shankly shook the hand of Frank O’Farrell –

That was either a penalty or a goal, said Bill Shankly. We should have had either a penalty or a goal. You must agree we have been robbed. You must agree you’ve been very lucky, Frank …

Frank O’Farrell shook his head. And Frank O’Farrell said, It was never a penalty, Bill. And Graham was clearly offside. So I don’t agree you were robbed, Bill. In fact, I think you were very lucky to get a draw. I think we were the ones who were robbed. The way we played in the second half. It was men against boys. Men against boys, Bill.

Bill Shankly shook his head. And Bill Shankly walked away. Down the touchline. The Anfield touchline. Down the tunnel. The Anfield tunnel. Into the darkness. Into the evening –

That evening, some of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club threw bottles and bricks at the Manchester United team bus. That evening, some of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club broke the windows of the Manchester United team bus. That evening, some of the players of Manchester United were injured by broken glass. And that evening, Sheffield United were still first in the First Division. And Manchester United still second in the First Division. Derby County third, Manchester City fourth, Leeds United fifth, Arsenal Football Club sixth and Tottenham Hotspur seventh. That evening, the new Liverpool Football Club were eighth in the First Division. The new Liverpool Football Club still nowhere –

Still bloody nowhere –

Still not even close, not even fucking close.

In the house, in their kitchen. Bill got up from the table. Bill picked up the plates. Ness got up from the kitchen table. Ness walked out of the kitchen. Bill put the plates in the sink. Bill walked back over to the kitchen table. Ness went into the front room. Ness sat down in her chair. Bill picked up the salt and pepper pots. Bill put them in the cupboard. Ness picked up her packet of cigarettes from the arm of the chair. Ness lit a cigarette. Bill walked back over to the table. Bill took the cloth off the table. Bill walked over to the back door. Bill opened the back door. Bill stepped outside. Bill stood on the step. Bill shook the cloth. Bill stepped back into the kitchen. Bill closed the door. Bill folded up the tablecloth. Bill put it in the drawer. Ness finished her cigarette. Ness stubbed out her cigarette. Bill walked back over to the sink. Bill turned on the taps. Bill squeezed washing-up liquid into the sink. Bill turned off the taps. Bill picked up the scrubbing brush. Bill washed up the plates. Bill washed up the pans. Bill washed up the knives and forks. Bill put them on the draining board. Bill pulled out the plug. Bill dried his hands. Ness picked up the newspaper and her pen. Ness turned to the crossword. Bill picked up the tea towel. Bill dried up the pans. Bill dried up the plates. Bill dried up the knives and forks. Bill put the pans in one cupboard, Bill put the plates in another. Bill put the knives and forks in the drawer. Ness put down her pen. Ness lit another cigarette. Bill walked back over to the sink. Bill picked up the dishcloth. Bill wiped down the draining board. Bill turned on the taps again. Bill rinsed the dishcloth under the taps. Bill turned off the taps. Bill squeezed the water out of the dishcloth. Bill put the dishcloth down next to the bottle of washing-up liquid. Bill turned around. Bill looked round the kitchen. Ness finished her cigarette. Ness stubbed out her cigarette. Bill turned back to the sink. Bill bent down. Bill opened the cupboard under the sink. Bill took out a bucket from under the sink. Bill bent back down. Bill opened a box under the sink. Bill took out a Brillo pad from the box. Bill closed the cupboard door. Bill picked up the bucket. Bill put the bucket in the sink. Bill turned the taps on again. Bill filled the bucket half full. Bill turned off the taps. Ness put her pen in her mouth. Ness stared down at the crossword. Bill took the bucket and the Brillo pad over to the cooker. Bill put the bucket down in front of the cooker. Bill opened the oven door. Bill looked inside. Bill saw the darkness. Bill smelt the fat. Bill knelt down on the kitchen floor. Bill unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt. Bill rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Bill picked up the Brillo pad. Bill sank the Brillo pad into the bucket of water. Bill pulled the Brillo pad back up, out of the water. Bill squeezed the water from the Brillo pad. The wet, steel wool. Bill squeezed it tighter. Bill put his hand inside the oven. Into the darkness. Amongst the fat. Ness put down her pen again. Ness lit another cigarette. In the kitchen, on his knees. Bill began to scrub. On his knees, Bill began to scour. Bill began to clean. To clean, and to clean, and to clean. And Bill heard Ness begin to cough. To cough, and to cough, and to cough. On his knees, Bill knew flesh aged. Flesh strained and flesh tore. In the damp. Bill knew bones aged. Bones fractured and bones broke. In the dry. Bodies aging. Bit by bit. Older and older, weaker and weaker. Bodies dying. Bit by bit. Hour by hour, day by day. In the damp and in the dry. Bill knew that was the battle. That was the war. The battle against age, the war against death. The battle you could not win, the war you could never win. But the battle you must try to fight. Hour by hour. The war you must try to win. Day by day. In the damp and in the dry. On his knees, Bill knew you had to fight against age. Hour by hour, day by day. In the damp and in the dry. On his knees, Bill knew you had to try to beat death. You had to try, you had to try.