David Peace - Red or Dead

I’m fine, said Jerry Kerr. Well, I was fine. How are you, Bill?

Bill said, I’m fine, too, Jerry. Very fine. Thank you very much.

Good, said Jerry Kerr. That’s fantastic news, that’s great news. We’re both fine. Thanks for calling, Bill. Goodnight now …

Bill laughed. And Bill said, Not so fast, Jerry. Not so fast.

But he’s not for sale, Bill. Like I tell you every time. The man is not for sale. He helped us gain promotion. He’s helped keep us in the First Division. And we couldn’t have done it without him. We know that and he knows that. And so he’s happy here. We’re all happy.

Bill laughed again. And Bill said, Congratulations, Jerry. Congratulations. I am very pleased for you, Jerry. Very pleased. I could not be more pleased for you, Jerry. But I also know what a struggle it is to stay in that division. What a struggle it is, Jerry. So I know you must have your eye on a few new players. A few new players, Jerry. To freshen things up a bit, liven things up, you know?

Well, said Jerry Kerr. A few new players would be nice. Aye. I won’t deny you that, Bill. I can’t deny you that. But there’s the ones you want and then there’s the ones you can afford. You know that, Bill. You know how it is. It’s always a question of money, Bill …

Bill said, Aye, Jerry. Aye. You don’t have to tell me that, Jerry.

I know, said Jerry Kerr. I know I don’t, Bill.

Bill said, Aye. It’s always a question of money, Jerry.

Aye, it’s always the money, said Jerry Kerr. Well, thank you, Bill. Thank you for calling. Now you take care, Bill. And you give my regards to your lovely wife. To Nessie and the girls, Bill …

In the house, in their hallway. Bill put down the telephone. In the night, in the silence. Bill smiled. And Bill picked up the phone again. And Bill dialled another number.

…

At the station, on the platform at Dundee. Bill shook hands with Duncan Hutchinson, one of the directors of Dundee United Football Club. And Bill said, Well, thank you for the lift back here, sir. It’s a great shame the way things have turned out. I mean, things have not gone the way I hoped, the way I wanted. But it was very good of you to still give us a lift back here, sir. And save us a cab fare.

Yes, said Duncan Hutchinson. It’s a great shame, Mr Shankly.

Bill nodded. And Bill said, Aye. It is that. But if a club says a player is not for sale, then there is not much more to say …

At the station, on the platform. Duncan Hutchinson leaned forward. And Duncan Hutchinson whispered in Bill’s ear, No, it’s a great shame because I bet for thirty thousand, Yeats would be yours.

Bill looked at Duncan Hutchinson. And Bill said, Really?

Duncan Hutchinson nodded, Duncan Hutchinson winked.

On the train, in their carriage. At their table, in his seat. Bill looked out of the window as the train pulled out of Dundee station. And Bill smiled. Bill turned to look across at Sidney Reakes and Eric Sawyer. In their seats, at their table. And Bill said, You remember you told me, if I can find the players, you can get me the money?

Yes, said Eric Sawyer. Of course, I remember.

Bill laughed. And Bill said, Good. I’m glad you do. Because we’re getting off at Waverley. At Edinburgh.

Edinburgh, asked Sidney Reakes. Why are we getting off in Edinburgh, Mr Shankly?

Bill laughed again. And Bill said, So you can make some phone calls. So he can get me the money. The money I need.

…

In the lounge of the North British Hotel in Edinburgh. At a table, in a chair. Bill looked up and Bill saw Ron Yeats. Ron Yeats striding into the lounge, Ron Yeats looking around the room. And Bill sprang up from his chair. Bill ran across the room. Bill grabbed Ron Yeats by the hand. And Bill said, Christ! What a player you are, Ron. What a man you are! You are the biggest defender I have ever seen, Ron. You must be seven feet tall, I swear. Seven foot tall, Ron!

Actually, I’m six foot three, said Ron Yeats.

Bill smiled. And Bill said, But you look seven foot, Ron. You look seven foot. But you’re also quick, Ron. You’re the quickest defender I’ve ever seen. The very quickest, Ron.

Thank you very much, said Ron Yeats. By the way, where exactly is Liverpool, Mr Shankly?

Bill said, In the First Division, Ron. The First Division.

I meant whereabouts in England, Mr Shankly. Whereabouts is Liverpool in England. But that’s not true, Mr Shankly. The club are in the Second Division. I know that much, Mr Shankly.

Bill laughed. And Bill said, Not with you in the team, Ron. Not with you in the team. With you in the team, we’ll be in the First Division, Ron. The Big League.

In the last week of June, 1961. Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett, Arthur Riley and Albert Shelley walked up the stairs to the boardroom of Liverpool Football Club. The directors of Liverpool Football Club were still on their holidays. But Bill Shankly was not on his holidays. Bill Shankly was sitting in a chair in the boardroom of Liverpool Football Club with the door open. Bill Shankly was waiting for Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert. Bill Shankly smiling –

Come in, said Bill Shankly. And sit down, sit down …

Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert sat down around the long table in the boardroom. They looked at the books spread out on the long table. The books of names, the books of notes. They looked at the sheets of paper piled up on the table. And they looked at Bill Shankly.

Bill Shankly picked up one of the piles of papers. Bill Shankly handed Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert each a sheet of paper. A sheet of names, a sheet of dates. And Bill Shankly smiled again –

Gentlemen, said Bill Shankly. These are all our fixtures for the season. The coming season, the new season …

Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert each looked down at the typed sheet of paper. The sheet of names, the sheet of dates. The names of clubs, the dates of fixtures. And then Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert all looked back up at Bill Shankly. Smiling –

Gentlemen, said Bill Shankly again. This season we’re going to take no chances. We’re going to leave nothing to chance. We’re going to leave no stone unturned. We’re going to look under every stone. And find out all there is to know. Everything there is to know. Everything there is to know about every one of these teams on this sheet of paper. Every single thing there is to know about every single one of these teams. Every single thing, every last thing …

Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert each looked down at the typed sheet of paper again. The sheet of names, the sheet of dates. The names of clubs, the dates of fixtures. And Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert all nodded.

Bill Shankly picked up a second pile of papers. A massive pile of papers. The papers bound in five separate sheaves. Bill Shankly handed Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert each a sheaf of paper –

And this is a list of fixtures for every team in our division. Every game every team in our division will play this season. Every single game for every single team. They are all listed here …

Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert each looked down at the sheaf of paper in their hands. And Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert flicked through the pages. The pages of names, the pages of dates. The names of every single club in the division, the dates of every single one of their fixtures. Forty-one names, one thousand, seven hundred and twenty-two dates –

Gentlemen, said Bill Shankly. This season we are going to watch every team in our division. Every single team. Before they come to us, before we go to them. Because we need to know every thing there is to know about every team. Every single thing about every single team. Their strengths and their weaknesses. And so we need to watch them all. Before they come to us, before we go to them. And then we are going to come back here and we are going to talk about them. Discuss them and analyse them. Their strengths and their weaknesses. And so then we will know every single thing there is to know about every single team. And then we will be prepared. Before they come to us, before we go to them. We will be prepared.