David Peace - Red or Dead

And the supporter of Liverpool Football Club nodded. The supporter of Liverpool Football Club smiled. And the supporter of Liverpool Football Club said, Thank you, Bill. Thank you …

But Bill Shankly shook his head. Bill Shankly took a piece of paper from out of the pocket of his jacket. Bill Shankly picked up his pen from the table. And Bill Shankly wrote on one side of the piece of paper, This man is a true supporter of Liverpool Football Club. Please give this man a tour of Anfield on any day he wants. Signed, Bill Shankly. And then Bill Shankly turned over the piece of paper. And Bill Shankly wrote his home address and telephone number on the other side of the piece of paper. And Bill Shankly handed the piece of paper to the supporter of Liverpool Football Club –

Don’t thank me, son. Please don’t thank me. It is me who should be thanking you, son. For supporting Liverpool Football Club. And so any day you want, son. You go to the players’ entrance at Anfield. And you show them this piece of paper, son. And then you can go inside. And you can see the dressing room and the tunnel, son. And the trophy room. And make sure they let you see the pitch, son. Make sure they let you touch that grass. And then any time you want, son. Any time you are free. You just give me a call, son. And then you can pop in and have a cup of tea with me and Ness. And let us know how you are getting on, son. Because you’ll always be welcome. You’ll always be very welcome at our house, son …

And the supporter of Liverpool Football Club looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. And the supporter of Liverpool Football Club struggled to breathe. He struggled to speak. And he whispered, Thank you, Bill. Thank you.

Now the train from Liverpool pulled into Euston Station. And Bill Shankly got up from his seat. Bill Shankly put on his raincoat. And Bill Shankly thanked all the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. Bill Shankly wished all the supporters of Liverpool Football Club a good day. He hoped they would be celebrating. He was sure they would be celebrating. But he asked them all to take care. And he hoped they would all have a safe journey home. A safe journey back to Liverpool. And he shook their hands. And he patted their backs. And then Bill Shankly said goodbye to the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. And Bill Shankly got off the train at Euston Station. Bill Shankly walked across the station concourse. Bill Shankly walked out of the station. Bill Shankly saw a taxicab. Bill Shankly flagged down the taxicab. And Bill Shankly took the cab out to Wembley Stadium.

In the corridor. The Wembley corridor. The gentlemen of the press saw Bill Shankly. Bill Shankly with his raincoat across one arm. Bill Shankly with his eye on his watch. And the gentlemen of the press asked Bill Shankly for his thoughts. They asked Bill Shankly if he thought Liverpool Football Club could win the European Cup again. If Liverpool Football Club could do what no other British team had done before. If Liverpool Football Club could retain the European Cup. If Bob Paisley could do what no other British manager had ever done before. And win the European Cup again, retain the European Cup.

Well, I hope so, said Bill Shankly. And I think so. But it won’t be easy. Make no mistake. It won’t be easy. Not without Tommy Smith. And possibly with no Steve Heighway. It’ll be no easy matter. And I mean, this Bruges side beat Juventus in the semi-finals. Let’s not forget that. We can’t forget that. This Bruges team knocked out Juventus. Because to be honest with you. To be very honest with you. I think Juventus are the best side in Europe. Juventus are fit, very fit. And they are alive and they are urgent. Good minds, balanced and hard. By Christ, they are hard. Giving nothing away. Nothing. And the discipline of Italian clubs keeps them in phenomenal condition. And so I mean, the best team in Europe are not even in the bloody final. And so I can tell you one thing. If this Bruges side could beat Juventus. If this Bruges team could knock out Juventus. Then by Christ, Bruges must be a good team. They must be a very good team!

And the gentlemen of the press nodded. The gentlemen of the press thanked Bill Shankly for his thoughts. They thanked him for his time. And Bill Shankly looked down at his watch again. In the corridor. The Wembley corridor. Bill Shankly turned. And Bill Shankly walked down the corridor towards the dressing room. The Liverpool dressing room. In the corridor. The Wembley corridor. Bill Shankly stood before the door. The Liverpool dressing-room door. And Bill Shankly looked at the door. Bill Shankly stared at the door. The Liverpool dressing-room door. And Bill Shankly heard the voices on the other side of the door. Bill Shankly listened to the voices on the other side of the door. The Liverpool dressing-room door. And Bill Shankly did not recognise these voices. These different voices. And in the corridor. The Wembley corridor. Bill Shankly turned away from the door. The Liverpool dressing-room door. And Bill Shankly walked away. Down the corridor, the Wembley corridor.

In his seat in the stands at Wembley Stadium. The man sat next to Bill Shankly nodded. And the man said, You’re right, Bill. You’re right. But you still believe we can do it, Bill? We can still win?

And in his seat in the stands. On the edge of his seat in the stands at Wembley Stadium. Bill Shankly looked down at the pitch. The Wembley pitch. And Bill Shankly stared down at the players. The players of Liverpool Football Club. Ray Clemence. Phil Thompson. Emlyn Hughes. Ray Kennedy. Ian Callaghan and Steve Heighway. The old and the new. Phil Neal. Alan Hansen. Jimmy Case. Terry McDermott. Graeme Souness. Kenny Dalglish. David Fairclough. Joey Jones. Steve Ogrizovic and Colin Irwin. The players of Liverpool Football Club coming out of the tunnel. The players of Liverpool Football Club walking out into the stadium. To another deafening roar, to another glorious reception. And on the night of the final. The European Cup Final. On the edge of his seat in the stands at Wembley Stadium. Bill Shankly looked around the ground. At the sea of red, at the walls of red. And Bill Shankly smiled again –

Of course we can, said Bill Shankly. And of course we will. Because no one should ever underestimate the players of Liverpool Football Club. And no one should ever underestimate the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. So I’m certain we will win. I’m sure we will win. In fact, I think there is no way on earth we can lose …

No way on earth.

In his seat in the stands at Wembley Stadium. In the sixty-fourth minute, Bill Shankly watched Steve Heighway replace Jimmy Case. On the edge of his seat in the stands at Wembley Stadium. In the sixty-fifth minute, Bill Shankly watched Heighway pass to Terry McDermott. McDermott pass to Kenny Dalglish. Dalglish back over his head to Graeme Souness. Souness back to Kenny Dalglish on the right of the Bruges penalty area. On his feet in the stands at Wembley Stadium. Bill Shankly watched Birger Jensen come out of his goal towards Dalglish. Dalglish lifting the ball over Jensen. Into the net and into a goal. Dalglish jumping over the advertising boards. Dalglish running to the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. His arms aloft, his fingers outstretched. In celebration –

And in triumph.

On his feet in the stands. Bill Shankly looked at his watch. But Bill Shankly did not sit back down in his seat in the stands at Wembley Stadium. Bill Shankly turned. And Bill Shankly began to make his way out of the stadium. And one supporter spotted Bill Shankly. And the supporter said, Is that really you, Bill? Is it really you, Bill?

Aye, said Bill Shankly. It’s me, son. It’s me.

But where are you going then, Bill? Where are you off? The game is not finished, Bill. The match is not over. You’re surely not going, Bill? You’re surely not leaving us …