David Peace - Red or Dead

Prime Minister, for the last time, thank you.

Thank you.

And Bill Shankly stood up. Bill Shankly got to his feet. And Bill Shankly walked over to the television. Bill Shankly switched off the television. And Bill Shankly walked over to the window. Bill Shankly looked out at the street. The empty street, the dark street. And Bill Shankly drew the curtains.

Bill waited and Bill waited. Bill still went to the games, Bill still watched the matches. But Bill waited and Bill waited. Bill had stood on the Kop, Bill had sat in the stands. Waiting and waiting. Not with the directors, the directors and their friends. Not in their box. Bill waited and Bill waited. On the Kop, in the stands. Bill waited and Bill waited. For the letter on the mat. The invitation and the ticket. Bill waited and Bill waited. For the knock on the door or the voice on the phone. Asking Bill, inviting Bill. To an away game, an away match. At Ayresome Park or White Hart Lane. But Bill waited and Bill waited. For just a letter or just a call. Until Bill gave up waiting. For the letter that never came. The invitation and the ticket. Bill stopped waiting. For the knock on the door and the voice on the phone. Until Bill said he gave up waiting. Still first to the post. Until Bill said he stopped waiting. Still first to the phone. Still waiting, still hoping. Hoping for a letter. An invitation and a ticket. First to the post. Not saying, just hoping. Hoping for a call. And first to the phone –

Hello, hello? This is Bill Shankly speaking …

Mr Shankly, said the voice on the line, this is Liverpool Football Club. We have a request for you to attend the second leg of the UEFA Cup Final. In Bruges next week. From –

Oh well. Yes. Thank you. Yes. Of course, I’d be delighted to be there. Thank you. But I think it’s a bit late in the day. I mean, for the travel and for the hotel. A little bit late now …

No, no, said the voice on the line. Liverpool Football Club will make all the necessary travel arrangements.

Oh well, then. Then thank you. I would be delighted to come.

Great, said the voice on the line. Then we’ll send you all the tickets you need. Everything you need. To your house.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Bill put down the telephone. Bill walked back into the kitchen.

And Ness looked at Bill. The look on his face. In his eyes –

Who was that, asked Ness. What was that about, love?

It was the club, love. Someone from the club. I don’t know who, love. I didn’t recognise the voice …

What did they want, love?

To invite me to Bruges, love. To the second leg of the final next week. As part of the club, love. The official party.

Really, asked Ness. I wonder why, love? It’s taken them long enough, has it not? I wonder why now, love?

I don’t know, love.

Well, what did you say, love? You’re not going to go? After all this time, love. After waiting so long …

I know, love. I know. But I don’t want anybody to think I’m being petty, love. I mean, I don’t want anybody to say Bill Shankly is a petty man. A man who bears a grudge, love …

And so you said yes?

Yes, love.

But do you want to go, love? Is that what you want?

Well, I can’t say it’s something I’ve dwelt on, love. Something I’ve lost any sleep over. But now they’ve invited me, love. As part of the club. Then I’m happy to go, love.

Then if you’re happy to go, you should go. I just wish they had done this before, love. They had thought of this before. But yes, then, you should go, love …

And Bill drove out to the airport. Speke airport. Bill parked in the car park at the airport. Speke airport. Bill looked for the bus. The Liverpool team bus. But Bill could not see the bus. The Liverpool team bus. Bill went inside the airport. Speke airport. Bill looked for the players of Liverpool Football Club. But Bill could not see the players of Liverpool Football Club. Bill checked in for the flight. The flight to Belgium. Bill stood in the line. The line for check-in. Next to people he did not know. Next to people he did not recognise. Bill boarded the flight. The flight to Belgium. Bill sat on the plane. The plane to Belgium. Next to people he did not know. Next to people he did not recognise. Bill got off the plane. The plane in Belgium. And Bill looked for the players of Liverpool Football Club. But Bill could not see the players of Liverpool Football Club. Bill looked for anybody. Anybody from Liverpool Football Club. Anybody he knew, anybody he recognised. But Bill could not see anybody he knew, anybody he recognised. And Bill took out the envelope from his pocket. The envelope filled with tickets. Tickets for flights, a reservation for a hotel. A hotel he did not know, a hotel he did not recognise. And Bill found a taxi. Bill showed the taxi driver the address of the hotel. The hotel he did not know, the hotel he did not recognise. And Bill sat in the back of the taxi to the hotel. The hotel he did not know, the hotel he did not recognise. And Bill got out of the taxi. Bill walked into the hotel. And Bill looked around the lobby of the hotel. Bill looking for the players of Liverpool Football Club. But Bill could not see the players of Liverpool Football Club. Bill looking for anybody. Anybody he knew, anybody he recognised. But Bill could not see anybody he knew, anybody he recognised. But Bill checked into the hotel. Bill signed the register. The hotel register. And Bill went up to the room. His hotel room. Bill sat down on the bed. His hotel bed. And Bill waited for dinnertime. Sitting on the bed. His hotel bed. Pacing the room. The hotel room. Up and down. The hotel room. Until it was time. Dinnertime. And Bill walked into the hotel dining room. Bill looked around the hotel dining room. Bill looking for the players of Liverpool Football Club. But Bill did not see the players of Liverpool Football Club. Bill looking for anybody he knew, anybody he recognised. And at last Bill did see people he knew, people he recognised. Bill saw the wives of the players of Liverpool Football Club. The wives and the journalists who wrote about Liverpool Football Club. And the wives and the journalists smiled at Bill. And they waved to Bill. And Bill smiled at them. And Bill waved back. And Bill sat down at a table. A table set for one. And Bill wished he had not come. He had not come. Bill wished he had stayed at home. He had stayed at home.

On the beach, on the sands. The Blackpool sands. The two little lads were building sandcastles. They filled their bucket with sand. They tipped up their bucket. They lifted up their bucket. But their castle collapsed. In grains, on the sands. The Blackpool sands. Every time. They filled their bucket. They tipped up their bucket. They lifted up their bucket. Every time. Their castles collapsed. In grains again, on the sands. The Blackpool sands. Bill Shankly knelt down beside the boys. And Bill Shankly said, That looks like Goodison Park, lads. Looks like you need a hand from a master. A master builder, lads …

And Bill Shankly picked up the spade. The plastic yellow spade. Bill Shankly drew a square in the sands. The Blackpool sands. And Bill Shankly said, You’ll need a castle on every corner, lads …

Bill Shankly filled the bucket with sand. Bill Shankly packed it tight. Bill Shankly patted it down with the back of the spade. Bill Shankly put the bucket on the first corner. Gently. Bill Shankly tipped up the bucket. Slowly. Bill Shankly lifted up the bucket. And Bill Shankly said, There you go, lads. As solid as a rock. That’s how you build a castle, lads. How you build a fortress. Now you try, lads …

And the two little lads took turns to fill their bucket with sand. They packed it tight. They patted it down with the back of the spade. They put the bucket on the second corner. Then the third. And then the fourth. Gently. They tipped up their bucket. Slowly. They lifted up their bucket. And their castles stood. Solid. On every corner.