David Peace - Red or Dead

On Saturday 22 January, 1972, the new Liverpool Football Club travelled to Molineux, Wolverhampton. But in a dour game, in a miserable game, the new Liverpool Football Club could not score. They did not score. And the new Liverpool Football Club drew nil — nil with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Away from home, away from Anfield. That night, the new Liverpool Football Club were tenth in the First Division. Tenth. And the next morning, in the Sunday papers, people wrote that Liverpool Football Club were a faded side, a jaded side. A team going backwards, a team in retreat. That morning, in the papers. People wrote off Liverpool Football Club –

One week afterwards, Bill Shankly walked into the dressing room. The Anfield dressing room. Bill Shankly looked around the dressing room. The Liverpool dressing room. From player to player. From Clemence to Lawler, Lawler to Lindsay, Lindsay to Smith, Smith to Lloyd, Lloyd to Hughes, Hughes to Keegan, Keegan to Ross, Ross to Heighway, Heighway to Toshack and from Toshack to Callaghan. And Bill Shankly put his hand in his pocket. His coat pocket. Bill Shankly took out some cuttings. Newspaper cuttings. And Bill Shankly read from the cuttings –

You are a faded side. You are a jaded side. A team going backwards. A team in retreat. That is what people are saying about Liverpool Football Club, boys. That is what people are writing about Liverpool Football Club. But I know they are lying, boys. I know they are wrong. And I know today you are going to expose them as the liars they are, boys. You are going to show them they are wrong. Wrong about you, boys. And wrong about Liverpool Football Club. And I know the forty thousand people who have come here today do not believe them either, boys. Because I know the supporters of Liverpool Football Club believe in you. They believe in you, boys …

In the thirty-eighth minute, Chris Lawler scored. In the sixty-sixth minute, Chris Lawler scored again. In the seventy-second minute, Ian Callaghan scored. And in the eighty-second minute, Kevin Keegan scored. And the new Liverpool Football Club beat Crystal Palace four — one. At home, at Anfield.

One week later, Leeds United came back to Anfield, Liverpool. In the rain. That afternoon, fifty-six thousand, five hundred and ninety-eight folk came, too. In the rain. Fifty-six thousand, five hundred and ninety-eight folk to watch the new Liverpool Football Club play the old Leeds United in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup. In the rain. The biggest crowd inside Anfield for nine years, the gates closed fifty minutes before kick-off. And sixteen minutes after kick-off, in the rain, Chris Lawler met a clearance from Bates. Lawler headed the ball down to John Toshack. Toshack on the edge of the penalty area. The Leeds penalty area. Sprake raced out towards Toshack. Toshack passed wide to Steve Heighway. Heighway eight yards from the goal. The Leeds goal. The Leeds goal gaping, the Leeds goal yawning. But Heighway miskicked the ball. The ball fell to Kevin Keegan. And Keegan shot. But the Leeds goal was no longer gaping, the Leeds goal no longer yawning. And the shot was cleared, the Leeds line cleared. And now Leeds United broke, now Leeds United attacked. In the rain. Lorimer breaking, Lorimer attacking. Lorimer lobbed the ball over Ray Clemence. But Clemence threw himself back, back after the lob. And Clemence saved. And then saved from Clarke. In the rain. And then again from Lorimer. And in the rain, Sprake saved from Lloyd. And in the rain, in the ninetieth minute, the referee blew his whistle. And Bill Shankly walked down the touchline. The Anfield touchline. In the rain. Bill Shankly shook the hand of Don Revie –

And so we’ll have to play each other again, Don. After all. And so I’ll see you soon, Don …

On Wednesday 9 February, 1972, the new Liverpool Football Club travelled to Elland Road to play the old Leeds United in the Fourth Round replay of the FA Cup. On the day of a Proclamation of Emergency. In a State of Emergency. Because the National Union of Mineworkers were on strike. Because the stocks of coal were falling. The kick-off brought forward to half past two in the afternoon. Because the Electricity Board could not guarantee there would lighting in the evening. Lighting for the floodlights, lighting for the ground. Because the power used for floodlights was not essential. Because football was not essential. In a State of Emergency. Ten thousand supporters of Liverpool Football Club travelled to Elland Road, Leeds. In a State of Emergency. Forty-five thousand, eight hundred and twenty-one folk came to Elland Road. In a State of Emergency. Hundreds were locked out of Elland Road. In a State of Emergency. Folk standing on the roof of the Old Peacock pub. In a State of Emergency. In the second minute of the Fourth Round replay of the FA Cup, Emlyn Hughes brought down Clarke. In a State of Emergency. In the thirteenth minute, Ian Callaghan passed to Steve Heighway. Heighway passed to Hughes. Hughes shot. And Hughes missed. In a State of Emergency. In the twenty-second minute, Bremner passed to Cooper. Cooper passed to Giles. Giles passed to Madeley. Madeley passed to Bremner. Bremner still breaking forward, Bremner still thrusting forward. Bremner twisting and Bremner turning. Bremner flipped the ball to Clarke. Chris Lawler bearing down on Clarke, Tommy Smith bearing down on Clarke, Larry Lloyd bearing down on Clarke, and Ray Clemence coming out towards Clarke. But Clarke flipped the ball over Clemence. Into the net and into a goal. In a State of Emergency. In the second half, Sprake saved from Callaghan. And Sprake saved from Bobby Graham. But in a State of Emergency. In the sixty-third minute, Giles passed to Clarke. Clarke out on the touchline. Clarke by the halfway flag. Clarke began to run. Lloyd went for Clarke. Clarke skipped over Lloyd. Clarke still running, Clarke still coming. Running at Clemence, coming at Clemence. And with a slight turn, with a sudden turn. Clarke left Clemence on the ground. The Elland Road ground. Clarke shot. And Clarke scored. And in a State of Emergency. The new Liverpool Football Club lost two — nil to the old Leeds United in the Fourth Round replay of the FA Cup. Away from home, away from Anfield. In a State of Emergency. Bill Shankly walked down the touchline. The Elland Road touchline. Bill Shankly shook the hand of Don Revie. And Bill Shankly shook his head –

Well played, Don. Very well played indeed. But you have to admit, Don. You have to say, there was not much in it. Not much but two clever goals, Don. Two very clever goals …

Don Revie smiled. And Don Revie said, It was a great game, Bill. A great game. And we could never relax, Bill. Because you always give us a game. A very hard game. But at least now you won’t have to play us again, Bill. Not this season …

On Saturday 12 February, 1972, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Leeds Road, Huddersfield. In a State of Emergency. There was no heating in shops, there was no heating in offices. Offices and factories working for only three days a week. Heating allowed for only one room in a house, lighting allowed for only one room in a house. The kick-off of all football matches brought forward to half past two. To conserve energy, to save power. And in this State of Emergency. In the seventy-third minute, Jack Whitham scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Huddersfield Town one — nil. Away from home, away from Anfield. In a State of Emergency. Liverpool Football Club had thirty-three points. Liverpool Football Club eighth in the First Division. Eighth.

One week afterwards, Sheffield United came to Anfield, Liverpool. In a State of Emergency. Forty-two thousand and five folk came, too. In a State of Emergency. In the forty-second minute, John Toshack scored. And in the eighty-second minute, Toshack scored again. And in a State of Emergency. Liverpool Football Club beat Sheffield United two — nil. At home, at Anfield. In a State of Emergency. Liverpool Football Club had thirty-five points. Liverpool Football Club sixth in the First Division. Sixth.