David Peace - Red or Dead

On Saturday 25 November, 1972, Liverpool Football Club travelled to White Hart Lane, London. And in the dressing room. The away dressing room at White Hart Lane. Bill Shankly looked 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 Cormack, Cormack to Heighway, Heighway to Toshack and from Toshack to Callaghan –

To win anything. Anything at all these days. Then you have to beat Leeds United. You have to beat Chelsea. You have to beat Arsenal. And you have to beat Spurs. And you’ve beaten Leeds United. And you’ve beaten Chelsea. And so now you have to beat Spurs, boys. You have to beat them today. Here at White Hart Lane, boys. If we are to win anything. But I know you can, boys. And so I know you will. I know you can and I know you will …

In the twenty-eighth minute, Kevin Keegan passed to Steve Heighway. Heighway feinting one way, Heighway swerving the other way. The Tottenham defence going one way, the Tottenham defence leaving the other way open. And Heighway chipped the ball over Jennings. Into the net and into a goal. In the fortieth minute, Peter Cormack played a short corner to Ian Callaghan. Callaghan crossed the ball. Keegan jumped and Keegan leapt. On spring heels. To meet the cross, to head the ball. Into the net and into a goal. And Liverpool Football Club beat Tottenham Hotspur two — one. Away from home, away from Anfield. That evening, Arsenal Football Club had twenty-five points. Leeds United had twenty-six points. And Liverpool Football Club had twenty-eight points. That evening, Liverpool Football Club were still first in the First Division. First, by two points.

Four days afterwards, in the ice and in the snow, Liverpool Football Club came through Checkpoint Charlie to the Sportforum Hohenschönhausen to play Berliner Fußball Club Dynamo of East Berlin, East Germany, in the first leg of the Third Round of the UEFA Cup. But Tommy Smith did not travel. Smith was injured. Trevor Storton travelled. And in the last minute of the first half, the very last minute of the first half, in the ice and in the snow, Brillat crashed into Kevin Keegan. Keegan hurt, Keegan injured. And Brian Hall came on for Keegan. But in the ice and in the snow, Liverpool Football Club held on. Liverpool Football Club prevailed. In the ice and in the snow. Liverpool Football Club drew nil — nil with Berliner Fußball Club Dynamo of East Berlin the first leg of the Third Round of the UEFA Cup. Away from home, away from Anfield.

On Saturday 2 December, 1972, Birmingham City came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, forty-five thousand, four hundred and seven folk came, too. But not Tommy Smith. Smith still injured. And in the thirteenth minute, Taylor scored for Birmingham City. And in the twenty-first minute, Hope scored for Birmingham City. In the thirty-second minute, Alec Lindsay scored. But ten minutes later, Latchford scored for Birmingham City. One minute later, Peter Cormack scored. But at half-time, Liverpool Football Club were losing three — two to Birmingham City. At home, at Anfield. But ten minutes into the second half, Lindsay equalised. And in the seventy-seventh minute, John Toshack scored. And Liverpool Football Club had come back from three — one down to beat Birmingham City four — three.

Two days later, just two days later, Tottenham Hotspur came to Anfield, Liverpool. That evening, forty-eight thousand, six hundred and seventy-seven folk came, too. Forty-eight thousand, six hundred and seventy-seven folk to watch Liverpool Football Club play Tottenham Hotspur in the Fifth Round of the Football League Cup. In the fifty-fourth minute, Pearce sent a corner over the penalty area. To the far post. The Liverpool far post. And there was Peters. At the far post. The Liverpool far post. And Peters scored. But in the seventy-eighth minute, Emlyn Hughes cut in from the left. And with his left foot, from an impossible angle, Hughes shot. And Hughes scored. And Liverpool Football Club drew one-all with Tottenham Hotspur in the Fifth Round of the Football League Cup. At home, at Anfield. There would have to be yet another replay. Yet another game –

Two days later, just two days later, Liverpool Football Club travelled to White Hart Lane to play Tottenham Hotspur in the replay of the Fifth Round of the Football League Cup. And on a rain-lashed pitch, under a sky lit by lightning, a night deafened by thunder, Tottenham Hotspur scored three goals in the first fifteen minutes. And on a rain-lashed pitch, under a sky lit by lightning, a night deafened by thunder, in the eighty-fifth minute, Ian Callaghan scored. But it didn’t matter, it didn’t count. On a rain-lashed pitch, under a sky lit by lightning, a night deafened by thunder, Liverpool Football Club had lost three — one to Tottenham Hotspur in the replay of the Fifth Round of the Football League Cup. Away from home, away from Anfield. Liverpool Football Club drenched, Liverpool Football Club soaked. Drained

and exhausted –

Three days later, Liverpool Football Club travelled to the Hawthorns, Birmingham. But Tommy Smith did not travel. And Kevin Keegan did not travel. Phil Thompson travelled and Phil Boersma travelled. And in the twenty-first minute, Boersma scored. But West Bromwich Albion scored, too. And Liverpool Football Club drew one-all with West Bromwich Albion. Away from home, away from Anfield. Another draw, another draw.

Four days later, Berliner Fußball Club Dynamo of East Berlin came to Anfield, Liverpool. That evening, thirty-four thousand, one hundred and forty folk came, too. Thirty-four thousand, one hundred and forty folk to watch Liverpool Football Club play Berliner Fußball Club Dynamo of East Berlin in the second leg of the Third Round of the UEFA Cup. But again Tommy Smith did not come. And again Kevin Keegan did not come. Again Phil Thompson came and again Phil Boersma came. And in the first minute, Peter Cormack passed to Steve Heighway. And Heighway shot. The shot straight at Lihsa. Lihsa unable to hold the shot. The ball loose. And there was Boersma. Boersma racing in from the left. To gather up the loose ball. To shoot. And to score. But then a neat chip from Netz found Schulenberg. Schulenberg jumped the tackle from Alec Lindsay, Schulenberg passed back to Netz. Netz shot. And Netz scored. An away goal. A dangerous goal. But in the twenty-fifth minute, Heighway shot again. And the shot hit Brillat. The shot cannoned off Brillat. Into the net and into a goal. And in the fifty-sixth minute, Cormack took a free kick. And John Toshack met the free kick. And Toshack scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Berliner Fußball Club Dynamo of East Berlin three — one in the second leg of the Third Round of the UEFA Cup. At home, at Anfield.

On Saturday 16 December, 1972, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Portman Road, Ipswich. In the twenty-fourth minute, Steve Heighway scored. But Ipswich Town scored, too. And Liverpool Football Club drew one-all with Ipswich Town. Away from home, away from Anfield. Another draw.

One week afterwards, Coventry City came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, forty-one thousand, five hundred and fifty folk came, too. In the sixth minute, John Toshack scored. And in the twenty-second minute, Toshack scored again. And Liverpool Football Club beat Coventry City two — nil. At home, at Anfield.

On Boxing Day, 1972, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Bramall Lane, Sheffield. In the twenty-seventh minute, Phil Boersma scored. In the fiftieth minute, Chris Lawler scored. And in the eighty-first minute, Steve Heighway scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Sheffield United three — nil. Away from home, away from Anfield. And that evening, that Boxing Day evening, Leeds United had thirty-three points. Arsenal Football Club had thirty-four points. And Liverpool Football Club had thirty-six points. That evening, that Boxing Day evening, Liverpool Football Club were still first in the First Division. Still first, by two points.