David Peace - Red or Dead

But I mean, before the game. Before the match itself. I always tried to have a joke up my sleeve, you know? To boost our lads and to knock down the opposition. I mean, don’t misunderstand me. Don’t get me wrong. We took our football seriously. But we always tried to get a laugh out of our team talks. And so I would always keep a few bombs for Saturday afternoon. Oh yes. I might say to the old boy on the Anfield door. I might say, Here’s a box of toilet rolls. You hand them to the opposition when they come through that door. Because they’re going to bloody need them. All the toilet rolls they can get. And often, I’d say it just as they were coming through the door. And I’d make sure my lads heard me, too. Oh yes! But I mean, don’t misunderstand me. Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t arrogance. Or overconfidence. Oh no. Because being overconfident, being cocky. That is a form of ignorance. It means you are talking too much. And if you are guilty of that, then an opponent will bring you down to earth. Oh yes. If you are cocky, then you’ll get knocked down a peg or two. And I mean, we never lost a game. We never lost a match because we were arrogant. Or we were cocky. Oh no. And we didn’t lose many. Not many at all. Not in my day, not in my time. But if we did lose, when we did lose. We were always ready to learn. Always.

I mean, we learnt a lot in Europe. Oh yes. We learnt a lot through playing the Latins in Europe. We realised a football match is like a relay race. Not a sprint. Oh no. And so we realised you can score a goal by playing from the back. I mean, it may be cat and mouse for a while. Waiting for the opening to appear. But as I say, if you are patient. If you keep things simple. Then you’ll get your chance, your opening. If you are patient, if you keep things simple. And you can improvise. Oh yes! Improvisation. If your players can improvise, if your players can adjust to what is happening. You’ve got a chance. But as I say, it’s not a sprint. It’s a relay race. And the season itself, that is a marathon. A bloody marathon. And so in every game, all through the season. It’s vital you conserve your energy. You make sure the opposition are doing all the chasing. They are doing all the running. I mean, when you are playing over sixty games a season, you can’t afford to be running flat out all the time. Oh no. And so you have to make the opposition do the running. And you make sure the ball is doing all the work. So the system we devised, it was very economical. And so you want everyone to be doing their share …

I mean, the important thing is that everyone can control the ball and do the basic things. It’s control and pass. Control and pass. Control and pass. So it’s important to try and give everyone a touch of the ball as quickly as possible as soon as the match starts. If it comes to you, you chest it down simple and you roll it to your mate. And then he does the same, so everyone gets a touch. It doesn’t look much, it might not look much. But it’s important. It’s something. Nothing fancy, nothing clever. If you try to do something clever, something fancy, and then it breaks down, then it can take the confidence out of you. That’s not my way. Oh no. Because that’s when the fear sets in. And then you are done for. You are lost. And you will lose …

And I mean, if you delay. Then the opposition are suddenly all behind the ball. Then you’ve all eleven of them to beat. And no space. And so you are looking for somebody who can control the ball instantly. And then give a forward pass. And then that gives you more space. And then you are all moving. All wanting the ball …

Because I mean, you see some teams playing and it seems as if nobody wants the ball. Nobody wants the bloody thing. They all turn their back on each other. But that’s not my way. Oh no. At Liverpool, there is always somebody there to help you out. There is always somebody in space, somebody asking for the ball. Somebody there to help you. There’s always somebody there to help you out. Oh yes …

So I mean, this is the secret. Get it. Give an early pass. Switch the ball around. You might not seem to be getting very far. But the opposition pattern is changing, the opposition are getting confused. And so then the space opens up for the next pass. And so all the players must understand that when they have delivered a pass, you’ve only just begun. You have only just started. You have to back up. And you have to look to help someone. You have to make yourself available. Available for the next pass. And then you get it again. And then you give it again. Early, always early. And then you move again. Into space again. Looking to help someone again, looking for the ball. That final ball, that final pass. And then the goal. Oh yes. The goal.

In all seasons, in all weathers. In the shelter or in his deckchair. Bill sucked a lozenge, a Fisherman’s Friend. Bill stared out at the sea, the Irish Sea. And Bill thought about the seasons that had been, Bill thought about the seasons to come. The things he had done and the things he would do. If only he could start all over again.

Robinsons Barley Water had asked Bill Shankly if he would like to take on an ambassadorial role for them. Robinsons Barley Water had asked Bill Shankly if he would go and watch non-league games in the north-west for them. Robinsons Barley Water had asked Bill Shankly if he would then nominate his Man of the Match for them. And if he would then present his Man of the Match with a complimentary bottle of Robinsons Barley Water for them. Bill Shankly liked Robinsons Barley Water. Particularly their Lemon Barley Water. And Bill Shankly loved watching football. Any football –

Yes then, said Bill Shankly. I will take on this ambassadorial role for you. I will go and watch the non-league games in the north-west for you. And then I will nominate my Man of the Match for you.

Tony Sanders had spent most his working life in non-league football. Tony Sanders had been the manager of New Brighton. Tony Sanders had been the assistant manager of Skelmersdale United. Tony Sanders had been the assistant manager of Bangor City in Wales. Tony Sanders had even been the manager of Knattspyrnufélagið Víkingur in Iceland. Now Tony Sanders was the manager of Altrincham Football Club. Last season, Altrincham Football Club had won the Alliance Premier League championship. At the end of last season, Altrincham Football Club had applied for election to the Football League. The Big Leagues. But Altrincham Football Club had failed in their bid for election to the Football League. By two votes, just two votes. And so Altrincham Football Club were still in the Alliance Premier League. Still in the non-league, still in the little league.

But Tony Sanders was never far from the Big Leagues. Tony Sanders even lived close to Anfield Road. And Tony Sanders knew many men from the Big Leagues. The Giants of the Game. And Tony Sanders knew Bill Shankly. Tony Sanders had known Bill Shankly for a long time. Tony Sanders called Bill Shankly the Un-selfish Giant. Because Tony Sanders often met or telephoned Bill Shankly to ask for his advice or help. And Bill Shankly was always happy to advise or to help Tony Sanders. If he could, whenever he could. Bill Shankly would go to watch Altrincham Football Club play in the Alliance Premier League. And if he could, whenever he could. Bill Shankly would go with Tony Sanders to watch other non-league teams play. To help Tony Sanders assess the opposition, to help Tony Sanders assess potential new players for Altrincham Football Club. And before these games. And after these games. Tony Sanders and Bill Shankly would talk about football and talk about management. And Bill Shankly would stress the importance of training schedules and match preparation. Bill Shankly would always stress the importance of routine. Of a good routine. And Bill Shankly would always stress the importance of belief. Of self-belief –