David Peace - Red or Dead

A European final.

…

On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill and fifty-six thousand, two hundred and two folk were watching the last home game of the season, the very last game of the season. Bill and fifty-six thousand, two hundred and two folk who knew Liverpool Football Club needed only one point to be crowned Champions of England. Just one point, one last point. And for ninety minutes, Bill and fifty-six thousand, two hundred and two folk watched Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan, Boersma, Thompson, Heighway, Callaghan and then Hall attack and attack. But Liverpool Football Club did not score. And for ninety minutes, Bill and fifty-six thousand, two hundred and two folk watched Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan, Boersma, Thompson, Heighway, Callaghan and then Hall defend and defend. But Leicester City did not score. And in the ninetieth minute, the referee looked at his watch. The referee put his whistle to his lips. And the referee blew his whistle. Liverpool Football Club had drawn nil — nil with Leicester City. And Liverpool Football Club had their point. Their one point, their one last point. And Liverpool Football Club were Champions of England. At home, at Anfield. Liverpool Football Club were crowned Champions again, Champions at last. And on this day, this coronation day. The supporters of Liverpool Football Club erupted, the supporters of Liverpool Football Club exploded. With joy and with relief. In applause and in song. In praise and in celebration. And the players of Liverpool Football Club paraded the Football League trophy around the ground. The Anfield ground. All four sides of the ground. The Anfield ground. And all four sides of the ground applauded and sang. In praise and in celebration. And on the bench, the Anfield bench. His jacket stuck to his shirt. His shirt stuck to his vest. His vest stuck to his skin. Bill stood up, Bill got to his feet. And Bill walked across the pitch. The Anfield pitch. And Bill stood before the Kop. The Spion Kop. His jacket stuck to his shirt. His shirt stuck to his vest. His vest stuck to his skin. Bill put his hands together. Not in prayer, but in thanks. In thanks to the Kop. The Spion Kop –

And the Spion Kop threw their scarves down towards Bill. Their red scarves. Raining down on Bill. In thanks. All of their scarves. Their red scarves. And Bill picked up their scarves. All of their scarves. Their red scarves. And Bill tied one scarf around his neck. One red scarf. And Bill held up another scarf. Another red scarf. In his arms. A scarf. A red scarf. Aloft. His arms aloft,

in thanks.

…

Before the house, on their doorstep. In the evening and in the silence. Bill opened the door, Bill stepped into the house. Into the hall. And there was Ness. In the house, in their home –

Well done. Well done, love.

Thank you, love.

I’ve got the kettle on. It’s almost boiled. So sit yourself down, love. You must be exhausted …

Bill nodded. And Bill followed Ness into the kitchen. His jacket still stuck to his shirt. His shirt still stuck to his vest. His vest still stuck to his skin. Bill sat down at the table. The kitchen table. The scarf still around his neck –

The red scarf.

Ness waited for the kettle to boil. Ness poured the boiling water into the teapot. Ness waited for the tea to stand. Ness walked over to the refrigerator. Ness took out the jug of milk. Ness poured the milk into the two mugs. The two Liverpool mugs. Ness put the milk jug down. Ness picked up the teapot. Ness poured the tea into the two mugs. The two Liverpool mugs. And then Ness carried the two mugs over to the table. Ness put one mug down on the table in front of Bill. And Bill saw her hand. Her fingers and her nails. And Bill reached out to Ness. Bill took her hand, Bill held her hand. And Bill said, Look at your nails, love. What have you been doing, love?

I was a bit worried, laughed Ness.

Bill shook his head. And Bill said, I’m sorry, love. I’m sorry I make you so worried. Every day, every game …

Don’t be sorry, said Ness. Be happy, be pleased. Happy you’ve another game, love. A final …

…

In the dressing room, the Anfield dressing room. Bill looked from player to player. The sixteen players in the Liverpool dressing room. The sixteen players desperate to play for Liverpool Football Club in the first leg of the final of the UEFA Cup against Borussia VfL 1900 Mönchengladbach e.V. of West Germany. At home, at Anfield. Bill took out a piece of paper from the pocket of his coat. And Bill said, Our team will be Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan, Cormack, Hall, Heighway and Callaghan. And our substitutes will be Lane, Thompson, Storton, Boersma and Toshack.

And in the dressing room, the Anfield dressing room. Tommy Smith stood up. And Tommy Smith led out the players of Liverpool Football Club. Into the rain, the heavy rain. There were pools of water standing on the pitch. The Anfield pitch. But at half past seven, the match kicked off. In the ceaseless, heavy rain. The players could not kick the ball further than two yards. In the ceaseless, heavy and torrential rain. The pools of water became lakes of water. The ball not moving, the ball stuck. The lakes of water now a sea. And at eight o’clock, the referee took the players off the field. And in the ceaseless, heavy and torrential rain. The Spion Kop sang, Ee-aye-addio, we’re not going home! We’re not going home! Ee-aye-addio, we’re not going home! But twenty minutes later, the match was abandoned. Abandoned and postponed until tomorrow evening. And in the ceaseless, heavy and torrential rain. Bill walked down the touchline. The Anfield touchline. Bill walked into the dressing room. The home dressing room. Bill looked from player to player. From drenched and sodden player to drenched and sodden player. And Bill said, Get yourselves bathed, boys. Get yourselves changed. And get yourselves away to your homes, away to your beds, boys. And I’ll see you all back here tomorrow.

…

In the corridor, the Anfield corridor. The morning after the match had been abandoned. The match postponed. John Toshack knocked on the door to the office of Bill Shankly. John Toshack took a deep breath. And John Toshack opened the door –

In the office, at his desk. Bill looked up from his desk. Up from his typewriter. And Bill said, Hello, son. How are you today, son?

Actually, I’m not very well, said John Toshack.

I’m sorry to hear that, son. What’s the matter with you?

I’ll tell you what’s the matter with me, said John Toshack. You’re the matter with me, Boss! But I’ll say this for you, Boss. You must be the luckiest man alive. You’ve gone out at home in a European final playing just two men up because Bob bloody Paisley and Joe bloody Fagan told you the bloody Germans would attack. But the Germans fooled Bob and Joe. The Germans kidded you all. And so you were bloody lucky the game was abandoned. Because you’d never have beaten them, Boss. Not playing like that. You’d have been lucky to win a bloody corner. Let alone the match. You’d never have won. Not playing like that. Not with that team. You’d have been lucky to get a draw. A bloody draw. At home. In a European final. And if you play like that tonight. Play that same team tonight. That’s all you’ll get, Boss. A bloody draw. And I tell you. They’ll be laughing all the way back to Germany. Because they know they’ll slaughter you back at their place. Back in Germany. They know they’ll bloody slaughter you!

Bill stared at John Toshack. And Bill said, Finished?

No, said John Toshack. I haven’t finished. I have one last question for you, Boss. I want to know who picks the team. Is it you, Boss? Or is it Bob bloody Paisley and Joe bloody Fagan? I want to know who picks the team here. Is it you, Boss?