David Peace - Red or Dead

Bill Shankly walked into the dressing room. The away dressing room. Bill Shankly stepped over the bag in the doorway to the dressing room. Bill Shankly took out a piece of paper from his pocket. And Bill Shankly read out the names on the piece of paper –

Our team today will be Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Thompson Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan, McLaughlin, Heighway, Toshack and Callaghan. But Emlyn, you’ll play at the back with Larry, son. And Phil, you’ll play in midfield, OK, son? And Cormack will be the twelfth man today. So come on, boys. Come on …

Tommy Smith got up from the bench in the dressing room. The away dressing room. Tommy Smith picked up his bag in the doorway to the dressing room. The Liverpool dressing room. And Tommy Smith said, Good luck, lads. Good luck today. And I’ll see you all in training, lads. Back in Liverpool …

And Tommy Smith walked out of the dressing room. The Liverpool dressing room. Tommy Smith walked down the corridor. The Highbury corridor. Out of the stadium and into the crowds. The crowds of supporters of Liverpool Football Club. And one of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club saw Tommy Smith –

What are you doing, asked the supporter of Liverpool Football Club. Where are you going, Tommy lad?

I’m going home, back to Liverpool. I’m not playing today. And I don’t like watching. I’m not good at watching. So I’m going home …

The supporter of Liverpool Football Club shook his head –

If you’re not playing, Tommy. Then I’m not watching, lad. I’m coming with you then, Tommy. I’ll go back to Liverpool with you, lad. I’ll keep you company on the train, Tommy …

You’re all right, son. I’m fine, ta. You must stay and support the team. They need you more than me, son. So you stay and support the team now. Please, son. Please …

And Tommy Smith walked away, away through the crowds. The crowds of supporters. To the tube station. And Tommy Smith took the tube to Euston Station. And Tommy Smith got on the train to Lime Street. The train back to Liverpool. And Tommy Smith sat on the train. In his seat, with his bag. And Tommy Smith thought about the game. The match. The game he was not playing in. The match he was missing. In his seat, with his bag. Tommy Smith fought back tears. Tommy Smith struggled to breathe. On the train, on his own. Thinking about the game, thinking about the match. The game he was missing, the match he was missing. And all he was missing –

In the seventy-seventh minute, Emlyn Hughes scored. In the eighty-fifth minute, John Toshack scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Arsenal Football Club two — nil. Away from home, away from Anfield. Their first away win of the season. But in the corridor. The Highbury corridor. The gentlemen of the London sporting press were waiting for Bill Shankly, waiting to ask Bill Shankly about Tommy Smith. But Bill Shankly stuck out his chin –

It takes a good team to win at Highbury. It is one of the hardest grounds on which to succeed. So this victory came at just the right moment for us. Now I am confident we can score the goals necessary to beat Red Star Belgrade.

…

The next morning, the Sunday morning. Tommy Smith came into Anfield, Tommy Smith came in to train. To prove people wrong and to prove Bill Shankly wrong. Tommy Smith walked down the corridor. Past the door to the office of Bill Shankly. The door to the office of Bill Shankly open. Bill Shankly at his desk. At his typewriter. And Bill Shankly looked up. Out into the corridor –

Morning, Tommy. And how are you today, son? Come in, Tommy. And sit yourself down, son …

Tommy Smith walked into the office. But Tommy Smith did not sit down. Tommy Smith stayed on his feet.

Listen, said Bill Shankly. I know how disappointed you are, Tommy. I know how hurt you feel not to be playing, son. I know how much you love playing, Tommy. How much you want to play, son. So I don’t blame you for walking out, Tommy. For going home, son. I’d have done exactly the same myself, Tommy. If it had been me, son.

Tommy Smith looked at Bill Shankly. And Tommy Smith said, So will I be playing on Tuesday, Boss? Against Red Star Belgrade? Will I be playing, Boss? On Tuesday night?

Bill Shankly shook his head –

Now come on, Tommy. Come on, son. I have no made my mind up yet. It’s still only Sunday …

Tommy Smith stared at Bill Shankly. And Tommy Smith said, If I’m not going to be playing, then I’d rather know. And if I know I’m not going to be playing, then I’d rather go somewhere else. Somewhere where I will be playing, where I’ll be wanted.

I know that, Tommy. I know that, son.

…

On Tuesday 6 November, 1973, Fudbalski Klub Crvena Zvezda Beograd came to Anfield, Liverpool, to play Liverpool Football Club in the second leg of the Second Round of the European Cup. That night, forty-one thousand, seven hundred and seventy-four folk came, too. But not Tommy Smith. Tommy Smith was not in the Liverpool team. Tommy Smith was not even on the Liverpool bench. That night, Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Thompson, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan, McLaughlin, Heighway, Toshack and Callaghan were in the Liverpool team. And Lane, Storton, Cormack, Hall and Boersma were on the Liverpool bench. And that night, under a silver moon, the supporters of Liverpool Football Club swayed and swayed. In a roaring sea of red banners and red scarves. And that night, under the silver moon, the players of Liverpool Football Club attacked and attacked. In a continuous wave of red shirts. Red shirts breaking against the white shirts of Fudbalski Klub Crvena Zvezda Beograd. Three times the white shirts of Fudbalski Klub Crvena Zvezda Beograd stood firm to clear the ball off their own goal line. But then the white shirts of Fudbalski Klub Crvena Zvezda Beograd turned defence into attack. And in the sixtieth minute, Pavlović beat Steve Heighway to the ball. Pavlović pushed the ball out to Janković. Janković flicked the ball on to Lazarević. Lazarević on the edge of the penalty area. And Lazarević struck the ball. And the ball struck the back of the net. The back of the goal. An away goal, a dangerous goal. Three minutes later, Bill Shankly took off John McLaughlin. And Bill Shankly sent on Brian Hall. And in the seventy-seventh minute, Bill Shankly took off Steve Heighway. And Bill Shankly sent on Phil Boersma. And in the eighty-fifth minute, Chris Lawler equalised. But in the last minute, the very last minute, Janković took a free kick. And Janković scored. And one minute later, the referee looked at his watch. The referee put his whistle to his lips. And the referee blew his whistle. And Liverpool Football Club had lost two — one on the night and four — two on aggregate to Fudbalski Klub Crvena Zvezda Beograd in the Second Round of the European Cup. And the Champions of England were out, out of the European Cup –

Out, out. Again.

In the house, in their kitchen. In the darkness, among the fat. On his knees. Bill was cleaning and cleaning and cleaning. In the house, in their kitchen. On his knees. Bill heard Ness cough. In the house, in their kitchen. On his knees. Bill looked up. And Bill saw Ness –

How long is this going to go on, asked Ness.

I don’t know, love. I cannot tell you.

…

In the dressing room, the home dressing room. On the Saturday, the next Saturday. Bill looked from player to player. From Ray to Chris, from Chris to Alec, from Alec to Phil, from Phil to Larry, from Larry to Emlyn, from Emlyn to Kevin, from Kevin to Peter, from Peter to Steve, from Steve to Tosh and from Tosh to Cally. And Bill said, Well, boys. I know you are all still hurting from Tuesday night. I know you are all still bitterly disappointed, boys. But I also know you all played your hearts out on Tuesday night. You all gave everything you had, boys. All played your hearts out for the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. All gave everything you had for Liverpool Football Club, boys. And so I know you can all hold your heads up high today. When you go out there today, boys. Because I know you’ll all play your hearts out again. You’ll all give everything you have again, boys. Because you’ll have to play your hearts out, boys. You’ll have to give everything you have, boys. If we are to catch Leeds United. If we are to be Champions again, boys. Because only if we catch Leeds United. Only if we are Champions again, boys. Only then will we play in the European Cup again. Only then will we have the chance to win the European Cup, boys. To give these supporters the one cup they have never had. The one thing that would make them happier than anything else, boys. The European Cup, boys. If we catch Leeds United and we are Champions again. That is the only ways, boys. The only way to get over the disappointment. To get over the hurt, boys. That is the only ways, boys. To be Champions again. And to play in the European Cup again. The only way, boys. The Liverpool way …