David Peace - Red or Dead

On the bench, the bench at Villa Park. From the first minute, the very first minute, Bill and fifty-five thousand, six hundred and nineteen folk watched the players of Liverpool Football Club attack again. But this time the players of Leicester City attacked, too. End to end. Liverpool Football Club attacked and Leicester City attacked. End to end. Shilton saved and Ray Clemence saved. But thirty-five seconds into the second half, John Toshack headed down the ball. And in a scramble, a goalmouth scramble. Brian Hall knocked the ball over the line. Into the net and into a goal. But three minutes later, Earle shot. The shot cannoned off Emlyn Hughes. The ball fell to Glover. And Glover shot. Into the net and into a goal. But still the players of Liverpool Football Club attacked. And still the players of Leicester City attacked. End to end. Liverpool Football Club attacked and Leicester City attacked. End to end. Shilton saved and Ray Clemence saved. But in the sixty-second minute, Toshack lobbed the ball forward. And Kevin Keegan chased after the ball. Faster than the defenders of Leicester City, outstripping the defenders of Leicester City. The ball falling. Keegan chasing. The ball falling. Keegan chasing. Falling, chasing. Keegan caught the ball, Keegan struck the ball. Keegan volleyed the ball. From twenty yards out. Keegan volleyed the ball. Into the net and into a goal. A killer goal, a wonder goal. The goal of the season. Of any season. And then in the eighty-sixth minute, Peter Cormack passed to Toshack. Toshack shot. And Toshack scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Leicester City three — one in the semi-final replay of the FA Cup. Away from home, away from Anfield. Bill stood in the corridor, the corridor at Villa Park. Bill cocked his head, Bill stuck out his chin. And Bill said, This was a magnificent match. Both teams were a credit. It was marvellous to watch. And the atmosphere was electric. But we played as well as we have ever played. We played class football from the back, moving the ball around with skill and flair. And I do not want to single out individual players. Because it was collective brilliance. Collective brilliance. But Smith was outstanding. And Callaghan. And Hall. And Cormack. All outstanding in a team of collective brilliance. And as for Keegan. Well, Keegan has scored many brilliant goals this season. But this was his most important. Because that was the killer goal for Leicester City. And it matched his all-round display. A fantastic display, an unbelievable display. But what is truly unbelievable to me is that the boy isn’t even in the England side. It’s nothing short of criminal. In fact, it’s like hanging an innocent man.

And in the corridor, the corridor at Villa Park. The gentlemen of the press nodded. And the gentlemen of the press asked, But what about the Championship, Bill? You have to play nine games in the next twenty-four days. Can you still win the Championship? And the Cup? And do the Double? Because if you are to do that, if you are to win the Double. You’ll have to win nine games in twenty-four days …

Bill smiled. And Bill said, I don’t even know who we play on Saturday. Someone will tell me tomorrow. But I know we will try. Because we always try. Liverpool Football Club always try to win every game they play. Every game we play …

On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill listened to fifty-two thousand and twenty-seven folk singing, We’re going to win the Cup! We’re going to win the Cup! Ee-aye-addio, we’re going to win the Cup! And in the seventh minute, Bill and the fifty-two thousand and twenty-seven folk watched Alec Lindsay score a penalty. And in the twenty-ninth minute, they watched Queens Park Rangers score an own goal. And Liverpool Football Club beat Queens Park Rangers two — one. At home, at Anfield. Fifty-two thousand and twenty-seven folk still singing, now singing, We’re going to win the League! We’re going to win the League! Ee-aye-addio, we’re going to win the League!

On the bench, the bench at Bramall Lane, Sheffield. In the fifteenth minute, Bill watched Woodward pass to Garbett. And the linesman put his flag up. For offside. But Garbett passed to Nicholl. And the linesman put his flag down. And Nicholl shot. And Nicholl scored. And the linesman kept his flag down. And the goal stood. And Liverpool Football Club lost one — nil to Sheffield United. Away from home, away from Anfield. Leeds United had fifty-four points. Liverpool Football Club had fifty points. But Liverpool Football Club still had two games in hand, still two games to come –

On the bench, the bench at Maine Road. In the eighteenth minute, Bill watched Peter Cormack score. But in the sixty-fifth minute, Bill watched Lee score. And Liverpool Football Club drew one-all with Manchester City. The next day, the very next day. On the bench, the bench at Portman Road. In the first half, Bill watched Whymark score for Ipswich Town. And in the second half, Bill watched Emlyn Hughes equalise for Liverpool Football Club. And Liverpool Football Club drew one-all again. Away from home, away from Anfield. That afternoon, Leeds United drew, too. And Leeds United had fifty-five points. And Liverpool Football Club had fifty-two points. But Liverpool Football Club still had a game in hand,

still a game to come –

On the bench, the Anfield bench. In the third minute, Bill and fifty thousand, seven hundred and eighty-one folk watched Brian Hall score. In the twelfth minute, they watched Hall score again. In the sixteenth minute, they watched Phil Boersma score. And in the thirty-fifth minute, they watched Kevin Keegan score. And Liverpool Football Club beat Manchester City four — nil. At home, at Anfield. The supporters of Liverpool Football Club sang and sang, We’re going to win the Cup! We’re going to win the League! Ee-aye-addio —

WE’RE GOING TO WIN THE DOUBLE!

On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill and fifty-five thousand, eight hundred and fifty-eight Merseyside folk watched Liverpool Football Club play Everton Football Club. But Liverpool Football Club did not score and Everton Football Club did not score. No one scored. And Liverpool Football Club drew nil — nil with Everton Football Club. At home, at Anfield. Liverpool Football Club had fifty-five points. And Leeds United had sixty points. But again Liverpool Football Club had two games in hand, again two games to come. And in the corridor, the Anfield corridor. Again. Bill stuck out his chin. And again. Bill said, It’s not finished yet –

Not yet, not yet …

On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill and forty-seven thousand, nine hundred and ninety-seven folk were watching Liverpool Football Club play Arsenal Football Club. Bill and forty-seven thousand, nine hundred and ninety-seven folk still believing. And they watched Kevin Keegan shoot. But Rimmer saved the shot. And they watched John Toshack shoot. And Rimmer saved the shot again. And they watched Tommy Smith shoot. But Smith hit the crossbar. And then they watched Ball pass to Kelly. And Kelly passed to Kennedy. And Kennedy shot and Kennedy scored. And Liverpool Football Club lost one — nil to Arsenal Football Club. At home, at Anfield. Their first defeat of the season. At home, at Anfield. That night, Liverpool Football Club had fifty-five points. And Leeds United had sixty points. But Liverpool Football Club had only two more games to play, two more games to come. And Liverpool Football Club could not catch Leeds United. That night, in their homes. Leeds United were first in the First Division. In their homes, with their feet up –

Leeds United were the Champions.

On the bench, the bench at Upton Park. In the first half, Bill watched Alec Lindsay have a penalty saved. But in the second half, Bill watched John Toshack score. And in the last minute, the very last minute, Bill watched Kevin Keegan score. And Liverpool Football Club drew two-all with West Ham United. Away from home, away from Anfield. In the corridor, the corridor at Upton Park. Bill still had his chin stuck out. And Bill said, If the season had started at Christmas, we would have won the Championship by a street. And don’t forget, we still have the most important game of the season yet to come. The FA Cup Final,