David Peace - Red or Dead

You sound as if it is more of an entertainment, said Shelley.

Bill shook his head. And Bill said, Well, entertainment comes second for me. It’s too serious for an entertainment. Entertainment is something you can laugh at. I don’t laugh at football.

It’s a religion, said Sir Harold again.

And Bill said, I think so, yes.

A way of life, said Sir Harold.

Bill nodded. And Bill said, Yes. It’s a way of life. That’s a good expression, Sir Harold. It is a way of life. And it’s so serious, it is unbelievable. And I wonder what all the rest of the world does …

They become prime minister, laughed Shelley.

… I mean, they don’t see the same things as me. And so I see the whole world differently, possibly.

Liverpool Football Club had had a very mixed season. They had been knocked out of the FA Cup in the Fourth Round by Everton Football Club. But Liverpool Football Club had beaten West Ham United in the final of the Football League Cup. In the replay of the final of the Football League Cup. Liverpool Football Club had won the Football League Cup for the first time in the history of Liverpool Football Club. But Liverpool Football Club had had their worst season in the Football League since the 1970–71 season. Liverpool Football Club had finished fifth in the First Division. But the 1980–81 season was not over yet. Liverpool Football Club were in the final of the European Cup. Liverpool Football Club would play Real Madrid of Spain in the Parc des Princes, in Paris, in France, on Wednesday 27 May, 1981.

Liverpool Football Club had asked Bill Shankly if he would like to attend the final of the European Cup in Paris as an official guest of Liverpool Football Club. To travel on the plane to Paris with Liverpool Football Club and to stay in the hotel in Paris with Liverpool Football Club. And Bill Shankly had smiled –

Yes, said Bill Shankly. I would love to attend the final of the European Cup. To travel on the same plane and to stay in the same hotel. Thank you. Thank you very much indeed.

At Speke airport, some of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club saw Bill Shankly. Bill Shankly standing with the players of Liverpool Football Club, Bill Shankly talking with the staff of Liverpool Football Club. And some of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club patted his back and shook his hand. And they asked him about the European Cup. And Bill Shankly smiled –

Oh yes. It’s been quite a journey. But a wonderful journey. I mean, the First Round was quite a cruise. In the end. But the Second Round, that was quite different. A very different tie, a much tougher tie. But that was a beautiful chip by McDermott up at Pittodrie. One of the goals of the season. And on his weaker foot, you know. But then we were very disciplined. And you need to be. In the Granite City. Very efficient. And then the return leg, the Anfield leg. Well, that was an excellent performance. Possibly the best performance of the season. I mean, Aberdeen held out fairly comfortably for the first twenty, twenty-five minutes. And I admit, I was beginning to worry. Because you see, we seemed a bit tensed up. Very tense. And we were perhaps a bit fortunate, possibly a wee bit lucky. I mean, the own goal from Willie Miller. But after that, after that own goal. We relaxed and we played some superb football. And as I say, for me, possibly the best football of the season. And Aberdeen had no answer. Simply no answer to the football we played. But having said that, I was still concerned about the Bulgars. Because I mean, in all our years in Europe. We had never played a Bulgarian team. And so it was a journey into the unknown. And I think, I do think, we were very fortunate to play the first leg at Anfield, at home. Now I would usually say, I would always say, it’s better to play the first leg away. But not in these circumstances, not when they were something of an unknown quantity. Though a team we did know had beaten Forest, had knocked out Forest. And I know Brian did call Bob. And Brian did tell Bob a few things about Sofia. But still, to beat them, to beat the Bulgars five — one. That set us up, set us up very well. For the away leg, the leg in Sofia. And by all accounts, that was a hard game. And we paid a price, a price in injuries. And then I did worry, worry when I saw we would be playing Bayern Munich in the semi-final. And when I saw we would be playing the first leg at home, I was very worried. And of course, it was not a great game. We were not at our best. Without Souness, without Johnson. And then with Ray Kennedy not fully fit and Terry McDermott going off at half-time. I mean, I think we were lucky to draw. And that they did not score. But you see, Bayern made a mistake. They just thought about closing us down. And yes, they closed us down. But they missed their chance. If they had gone for a goal at Anfield, if they had scored at Anfield. Then we would have had problems, big problems. But I know Bob was still depressed by the result, very disappointed with the result. And I was worried, too. Very worried. And I did not go, I did not go to Munich. But I saw the game, of course. On the television. And I mean, we were without Phil Thompson. Without Alan Kennedy. And having to use Colin Irwin and Richard Money. Good players, yes. Don’t misunderstand me, don’t get me wrong. But not our first choice, not our first team. And that has been the story of this season, the story of our season. And then to go and lose Dalglish so early in the game. I mean, that was a shocking tackle. Bloody shocking. And so I did think maybe we were out of luck, I did worry maybe this was not to be our season. But I have to say, the players responded. The team responded magnificently. And I don’t like to single out individual players. That is never my way. Not my way. But I do think three players made the difference for us that night. I mean, for Gayle to come on so early in the game. In a game like that. Well, I think he did a magnificent job. And he gave their fullback a game and a half. He ran him bloody ragged. And then Ray Kennedy, of course. He kept his cool, he showed his class. I mean, with only minutes to go. And Johnson breaking on the right. And that was some break, too. And Johnson with a torn muscle, too. But Ray saw his chance, Ray went forward. And when that ball came, that centre came. He kept his cool and he took his time. You saw the way he turned, the way he tucked the ball into the net. Now that was cool, now that was class. Because many a striker, many top-class strikers. They would have possibly whacked that ball first time and they would have probably wasted the opportunity. But not Ray, not Ray Kennedy. I mean, I was out of my chair. On my feet, in sheer delight. And so that goal, that goal was the away goal that took us through, that got us here. But I mean, another player stood out for me, too. Another player, in a different way. In a different way, Sammy Lee. The way he marked Breitner, the way he stuck to him like bloody glue. I mean, the man hardly had a kick, hardly had a touch. And it served Breitner right, it served the man bloody right. The things he had said after the first leg, the way he had gone on in the press about Liverpool being unimaginative. And unintelligent. Now you see, that was him being unintelligent. Breitner being stupid. Because that kind of thing, those kinds of words. They are like a red rag to a bull. They will always get a reaction, a reaction from Liverpool Football Club. And so that is what we got, that is what we saw. And I know Bob thinks that was possibly our best-ever European performance, the way we contained them, the way we were so considered and so thoughtful in everything we did. And with everything stacked up against us. The injuries and so forth. And so Bob is possibly right. I am sure he is right. And so as I say, it’s been quite a journey. Oh yes. And a wonderful journey. But it’s not over yet. Oh no. This journey is not finished. Not finished yet …