David Peace - Red or Dead

Bill? Bill? Is that really you, Bill?

Bill turned away from the bricks. Bill turned away from the stones. And Bill saw a little lad at his side. Maybe nine, maybe ten. The little lad in a pair of shoes that looked that bit too tight. The little lad in a pair of long trousers that had seen better days. The little lad wearing a red shirt. Not a football shirt, an official shirt. But a T-shirt, a red T-shirt. And on the left breast of the shirt someone had drawn a Liver Bird. And under the Liver Bird someone had written, L.F.C. And Bill smiled. And Bill said, Aye, son. It’s me. How are you, son?

I can’t believe it’s you, said the little lad. I can’t believe it, Bill. No one will believe me. My dad will never believe me …

Bill smiled again. And Bill said, Well, it is me, son. It is me. In the flesh. But how are you, son? How are you?

Great, said the little lad. I’m great. Ta, Bill. Ta. But I still can’t believe we won again. I’m just made up. I’m still dead made up.

Bill nodded. And Bill said, Oh well, yes. That was great, son. That was great. A fantastic thing. It was brilliant …

Did you go, Bill? Were you there?

Bill nodded again. And Bill said, Oh yes. I was there, son. Yes. I was lucky enough to be there, son …

And you think we can do it again next year and all? You think we can win it again? My dad thinks we can. My dad thinks we will.

Well, I hope we can. I hope we will, son. But I think next season. In the European Cup next season, son. I think it might be Forest who will be our biggest challenge. Nottingham Forest …

Here, said the little lad. Where did you get your badge, Bill? I wanted to get one for my dad. For his birthday. Because he’s mad, is my dad. He’s mad on Liverpool Football Club. And he’s always talking about you, Bill. Always telling me about you. About Liverpool Football Club, about all the things you did for Liverpool Football Club. He loves you, does my dad. Because he loves Liverpool Football Club. And so I wanted to get him a badge for his birthday. And so I went to the shop. But they never had one. They never did.

Bill smiled. Bill put the envelope back in his jacket pocket. And then Bill reached up to the lapel of his jacket. Bill took off the badge. The Liverpool Football Club badge. Bill held it out towards the little lad. And Bill said, Then you give this to your dad from me, son. And from you. And you tell him I said thank you, son. Thank you to him. Will you do that for me now, son?

I can’t, Bill. I can’t. He’d kill me. My dad. He would. If he knew I took your badge, Bill. He’d kill me. He would. He’d kill me.

Bill took the hand of the little lad. Bill pressed the Liverpool Football Club badge into the palm of the little lad. Bill closed the palm of the little lad. And Bill said, He won’t, son. No, he won’t. Not if you tell him I gave it to you. I gave it to you to give to him. To thank him. To thank him for all the things that he has given me. And so you tell him that, son. You tell him that from me. From Bill …

Liverpool Football Club had won their first five games of the 1978–79 season. Away from home, away from Anfield. Liverpool Football Club had beaten Ipswich Town, Manchester City and Birmingham City. At home, at Anfield. Liverpool Football Club had beaten Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool Football Club had beaten Tottenham Hotspur seven — nil. This Tottenham side included Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa. Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa had won the World Cup with Argentina that summer. But after this game, people said Liverpool Football Club would have won the World Cup. After this game, people said this Liverpool team was the greatest Liverpool team they had ever seen. This Liverpool team, one of the greatest teams they had ever seen. The greatest team they had ever seen. People said this game was one of the greatest games they had ever seen at Anfield. One of the greatest games they had ever seen. The greatest game they had ever seen. The last goal of the game, the seventh goal of the game, the greatest goal ever seen at Anfield. In the seventy-sixth minute, Ray Clemence passed the ball to Ray Kennedy. Kennedy passed the ball to Kenny Dalglish. Dalglish passed the ball to David Johnson. Johnson passed the ball to Steve Heighway. Heighway crossed the ball for Terry McDermott. And McDermott headed the ball into the goal. Five beautiful balls, five glorious passes. Into the net. One of the greatest goals ever seen. The greatest goal ever seen.

And after the game, Bob Paisley said, What can you say? That performance was frightening. That goal probably the finest ever seen on this ground. But we’ve got to keep our feet on the floor. Because this result won’t help us next week. In fact, I’d rather have brickbats than praise. We seem to thrive on the brickbats, not the praise.

And then the gentlemen of the press had asked Bob Paisley about the European Cup. About the draw for the European Cup. The draw that had brought Liverpool Football Club and Nottingham Forest together in the First Round of the European Cup. The European Champions against the English Champions. Bob Paisley had shaken his head. And Bob Paisley had said, Even before we left Wembley. Even before our celebrations in London. I warned the players that the biggest stumbling block to our ambitions of retaining the trophy could be Brian Clough and his team. Now whether UEFA and the rest of Europe wanted two English teams in the European Cup, I wouldn’t know. But the odds against us drawing Forest in the First Round were long, even though we were seeded and they were not. But that’s how the draw went. And so that’s who we must play …

In the First Round of the European Cup. At the City Ground, Nottingham. Bill Shankly had a pair of headphones on his ears. A microphone to his lips. Bill Shankly was commentating on the match for the radio. For Radio City, Liverpool. Analysing the game, dissecting the match. In the press box. On the edge of his seat. His body bent in his seat, his eyes fixed on the pitch. Bill Shankly watched the match, Bill Shankly transfixed by the game. The game Liverpool Football Club were losing. Away from home, away from Anfield. The match Liverpool Football Club lost. Two — nil.

His eyes strained, his voice hoarse. Bill Shankly put down his microphone. Bill Shankly took off his headphones. His ears sore, his body taut. Bill Shankly got up from his seat in the press box.

In the corridors of the City Ground. The gentlemen of the press saw Bill Shankly. Bill Shankly standing in the corridor, Bill Shankly standing in the shadows. And the gentlemen of the press asked Bill Shankly for his thoughts. They asked Bill Shankly if he could understand why Liverpool Football Club had lost two — nil to Nottingham Forest in the first leg of the First Round of the European Cup. If Bill Shankly knew the reason why Liverpool Football Club had lost two — nil to Nottingham Forest in the first leg of the First Round of the European Cup. And Bill Shankly shook his head –

Well, it’s difficult to say, said Bill Shankly. It’s a very difficult thing to say. But I mean, to be honest with you. To be very honest with you, I was concerned before the game. Very worried before the game. I was concerned and worried that our players might be tempted to treat it as a League game. As just another League match. And I mean, I think that’s what happened. I think that is what we saw. I don’t mean to say the players were complacent. Oh no. Not that. Not that at all. What I mean to say is, when we were a goal down, we were still chasing the game. Still looking for an equaliser. An equaliser and then perhaps another. Instead of accepting a one — nil defeat as a reasonable result in the first leg of the European Cup. In the away leg. And so we were still chasing the game, when we were one — nil down. In the second half, we were still looking for that equaliser. And then possibly more. And then that allowed Forest to catch us. To nip in by the back door, you understand? Because we left ourselves exposed. And so Forest could then nip in and get that second goal. Because we allowed Forest to disturb us, we allowed Forest to harass us. Their midfield were set up simply to mark us tightly. When we were in possession. And then when they had possession, they simply bypassed their own midfield. They were just hitting long balls up the middle to their front men, over their own midfield. And their front men had the measure of us, their front men mastered us. And so then they got their second goal. And that second goal, you see? That now gives us a mountain to climb. When we get back home. Back home to Anfield.