David Peace - Red or Dead

On the bench, the bench at St James’ Park. In the first half, Bill watched Alan Waddle mis-hit one shot. And then Waddle mishit another. And in the second half, Bill watched Phil Boersma pass to Waddle. Waddle with the goal at his mercy. An open goal, a yawning goal. And Waddle shot and Waddle missed. And then Bill watched Waddle have another chance. Another open goal, another yawning goal. And again Waddle missed. And Waddle still could not score his second goal for Liverpool Football Club. And Liverpool Football Club drew nil — nil with Newcastle United. Away from home, away from Anfield. But that afternoon, Stoke City beat Leeds United. And Leeds United were no longer unbeaten. But Leeds United were still first in the First Division. Leeds United still had forty-eight points. And Liverpool Football Club had forty points. Liverpool Football Club still eight points behind Leeds United. But in the corridor. The corridor at St James’ Park. Before the press, the sporting press. Bill stuck out his chin. And Bill said, Let no one dare suggest we have given away our title yet. Liverpool Football Club never give away anything. Not without a fight. A fight until the end. And there is still a long way to go. A very, very long, long way to go …

On the bench, the Anfield bench. At three o’clock, on a Tuesday afternoon. Because of the power saving, because of the energy rationing. Three minutes before the end, before the end of the game, Bill and twenty-seven thousand and fifteen folk watched Phil Boersma score. And Liverpool Football Club beat Southampton Football Club one — nil. At home, at Anfield. That afternoon, Leeds United did not win. Leeds United only drew. And in the corridor, the Anfield corridor. Bill stuck out his chin again. And Bill said, You can rest assured that the doubts will be niggling at Leeds United now. Because we are closing in on them now. We are breathing down their necks. And they can feel our breath. Hot upon their necks. I am not saying it will happen, gentlemen. But it’s possible . It’s always possible. Because anything is possible …

On the bench, the Anfield bench. In the last minute, the very last minute of the game, Bill and forty-two thousand, five hundred and sixty-two folk watched Peter Cormack cross for Kevin Keegan. And Keegan headed on the cross for John Toshack. Toshack spun, Toshack shot. And Toshack scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Burnley Football Club one — nil. At home, at Anfield. That evening, Leeds United had fifty points. And Liverpool Football Club had forty-four points. Liverpool Football Club were now six points behind Leeds United. With a game in hand, with a game to come. And with a game against Leeds United to come, too. At home, at Anfield.

On the bench, the bench at Ashton Gate. In the forty-eighth minute, Bill watched Phil Thompson pass to Alec Lindsay. And Lindsay passed to Steve Heighway. Heighway passed to Peter Cormack. Cormack passed to Kevin Keegan. Keegan crossed for John Toshack. Toshack shot. And Toshack scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Bristol City one — nil in the Sixth Round of the FA Cup. Away from home, away from Anfield. Liverpool Football Club were in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. That afternoon, Newcastle United played Nottingham Forest in the Sixth Round of the FA Cup at St James’ Park, Newcastle. Early in the second half, the referee sent off a Newcastle United player. The referee awarded a penalty to Nottingham Forest. Nottingham Forest scored the penalty. And Nottingham Forest were beating Newcastle United three — one in the Sixth Round of the FA Cup. And some of the supporters of Newcastle United in the Leazes End ran onto the pitch. Some of the supporters of Newcastle United attacked some of the players of Nottingham Forest. And two of the players of Nottingham Forest were injured. The referee took the players of Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United off the pitch. The referee waited until order had been restored. Until the players had recovered. Then the referee restarted the game. And Newcastle United won the game four — three. That afternoon, one hundred and three people needed medical treatment. That afternoon, thirty-nine people were arrested. That evening, the secretary of Nottingham Forest wrote to the Football Association. Nottingham Forest protested about the events at St James’ Park, Newcastle. Nottingham Forest protested about the result at St James’ Park, Newcastle. Ted Croker, the secretary of the Football Association, said the Football Association would investigate the events at St James’ Park, Newcastle. Ted Croker said Newcastle United could be disqualified.

…

Outside the ground, outside Anfield. There had been queues since breakfast time. The gates closed one and a half hours before kick-off. And inside the ground, inside Anfield. For an hour and a half before kick-off, the supporters of Liverpool Football Club roared. And roared. And on the bench, the Anfield bench. From the first minute, the very first minute of the match, Bill and fifty-six thousand and three folk watched Liverpool Football Club thunder into attack. And Hunter cleared off the goal line. The Leeds goal line. From John Toshack. And Emlyn Hughes cleared off the goal line. The Liverpool goal line. From Lorimer. Liverpool Football Club attacking and then defending. Leeds United defending and then attacking. From front to back. From end to end. From back to front. From end to end. Attack and defence, defence and attack. And in the eighty-second minute, Bill and the fifty-six thousand and three folk watched Alec Lindsay lob the ball into the penalty area. The Leeds penalty area. And Kevin Keegan nodded the ball down to Toshack. Toshack touched the ball on to Steve Heighway. Heighway shot. And Heighway scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Leeds United one — nil. At home, at Anfield. Liverpool Football Club had won thirteen games that season in the last ten minutes. Liverpool Football Club had conceded just one goal in their last nine games. And Liverpool Football Club were now unbeaten in their last sixteen games. Cup and League. Liverpool Football Club now had forty-six points. And Leeds United had fifty-two points. Liverpool Football Club still six points behind Leeds United. But Liverpool Football Club had two games in hand, two games to come. And in the corridor, the Anfield corridor. Bill stuck out his chin. And Bill said, Never mind the Championship. That was a great match. Just what the public needed. Just what the public wanted. After recent sad events …

And in the corridor, the Anfield corridor. Don Revie nodded –

Yes, said Don Revie. If nothing else, it was a first-class advertisement for football. If nothing else …

On the bench, the bench at Molineux. In the twenty-seventh minute, Bill watched Alec Lindsay pass to Steve Heighway. And Heighway passed to Brian Hall. Hall shot. And Hall scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Wolverhampton Wanderers one — nil. Away from home, away from Anfield. That afternoon, Leeds United lost four — one to Burnley Football Club. At home, at Elland Road. Leeds United had fifty-two points. And Liverpool Football Club had forty-eight points. Liverpool Football Club now just four points behind Leeds United. Still with two games in hand,

still with two games to come.

…

On the bench, the bench at Old Trafford. Bill and sixty thousand folk were watching Liverpool Football Club play Leicester City in the semi-final of the FA Cup. And from the first minute, the very first minute, they watched the players of Liverpool Football Club attack. And in the thirty-fifth minute, Kevin Keegan headed the ball at the goal. And Rofe blocked the ball on the goal line. In the sixtieth minute, Keegan headed the ball at the goal again. And Cross blocked the ball on the goal line. And in the eighty-sixth minute, Keegan headed the ball at the goal again. And the ball hit the post. 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. In a match in which Liverpool Football Club had won thirteen corners. And Leicester City had won one. In a match Liverpool Football Club should have won. And won easily. Liverpool Football Club had drawn nil — nil with Leicester City. In the semi-final of the FA Cup. Away from home, away from Anfield. Bill walked into the dressing room. The Old Trafford dressing room. And Bill looked around the dressing room. The Liverpool dressing room. From player to player. Exhausted player to exhausted player. From Clemence to Smith. From Lindsay to Thompson. From Cormack to Hughes. From Keegan to Hall. From Heighway to Toshack. And from Toshack to Callaghan. From disappointed player to disappointed player. And Bill said, Now then, boys. Come on now. Chins up, boys. Heads up. I know we have got to go and play that lot again on Wednesday. Even though we have already beaten them once. I know we have to go and beat them again. Because the rules clearly state that unless either side puts the ball in the net, the score remains a draw. And so we have to go and play that lot again on Wednesday night at Villa Park. Play that lot again and beat that lot again. Even though we have already beaten them once. And so I know you are exhausted, boys. And I know you are disappointed, boys. But can you imagine how that lot are feeling? Can you imagine, boys? How would you feel if you were fighting George Foreman and you were getting clubbed to death for six rounds when — suddenly — the lights went out and you were forced to go back and fight him again four days later? Can you imagine how you would feel, boys? Can you imagine? You wouldn’t look forward to that, would you, boys? Well, I can tell you, boys. I looked at the faces of those Leicester players as they walked off just now. And I looked into their eyes, boys. And I can tell you they looked as though they had been to hell and back. To hell and back, boys. And so I tell you. They are sat across that corridor, boys. In that dressing room. And they are not looking forward to Wednesday night, boys. Not one of them. Because they don’t want to go through that again. And so on Wednesday night you go and finish the job, boys. You go and beat that lot again, boys. And you put them out of their misery …