David Peace - Red or Dead

And at Speke airport. The supporters of Liverpool Football Club thanked Bill Shankly for his time. They thanked him for his kindness. They shook his hand and they wished him well. And Bill Shankly smiled. And Bill Shankly shook their hands. And Bill Shankly thanked them all. And Bill Shankly wished them all a safe journey. A safe trip to Paris. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club watched Bill Shankly board the plane to Paris with the players of Liverpool Football Club and with the staff of Liverpool Football Club.

But on the plane to Paris. In the skies to Paris. There was thunder and there was lightning. Lightning which struck the plane, thunder which shook the plane. In the skies to Paris. On the plane to Paris. There was silence. And there were memories. Memories of other planes. Other weather. And there was perspective. And there were prayers. Answered prayers this time, thank God.

On the ground, at Orly airport. Some of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club saw Bill Shankly. Bill Shankly with the players of Liverpool Football Club, Bill Shankly with the staff of Liverpool Football Club. And some of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club patted his back and shook his hand. And said, We are so glad to see you, Bill. So pleased you are here. So very glad you could make it, Bill. So very happy you are …

And so am I, said Bill Shankly. So am I. But thank you, lads.

Outside Paris, at Versailles. Near the palace, the Grand Canal. The fountains and the gardens. The hotel was quiet, the hotel was tranquil. Away from the city, away from the pressure. Bill Shankly stayed with the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club. But Bill Shankly did not bother the players of Liverpool Football Club, Bill Shankly did not trouble the staff of Liverpool Football Club. Bill Shankly walked around the hotel, Bill Shankly walked among its gardens. And a few of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club who had come out to Versailles saw Bill Shankly. In the hotel or in the garden. They stopped Bill Shankly. They patted his back and they shook his hand. And they asked him for his autograph. And they said, You know everyone is saying Real Madrid will win, Bill? Helenio Herrera and Paul Breitner. They are all saying Real Madrid will beat us, Bill. And the coach of Real Madrid, he sounds very confident …

Oh well, yes, said Bill Shankly. They have a clever coach. A very shrewd coach in Boskov. And I know he has said he thinks this Liverpool team are too old. He has called us veterans, yes. And so I know he thinks his team can outrun us. But I can tell you this, boys. When a coach starts making claims like that, starts saying things like that. Then it shows he is tense, it shows he is worried. And I know for a fact, the more they say things like that, the more they talk like that. Then the better Bob likes it, the happier Bob will be. Because I was always like that, I was always the same. Let them talk and then we’ll play. Because that is where you win a game of football. On a pitch, not in a newspaper. And yes, they might have some good players. Some very good players in Camacho, of course. And Santillana and Stielike. And Cunningham, of course. If the boy plays, if the lad is fit. Because I know they have their worries, they have had their injuries. And I mean, this season Anfield has been more like a bloody hospital than a football ground! But I think from what Bob has said, I think Kenny and Sammy Lee will both be fit. And so I think we can name our strongest side. And so let them talk, but then we will play …

And some of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club said, And so it should be a classic match then, Bill. Liverpool versus Real Madrid. A real classic, don’t you think, Bill?

Well now, said Bill Shankly. I don’t know about that, boys. I mean, to be very honest with you. I cannot be sure of that. I mean, I doubt it will be a flowing game, a free-flowing match. But if we can win one — nil, then that will do for me. And I am sure that will do for Bob. Because then Liverpool Football Club will deserve to be ranked alongside the all-time greatest clubs in European football. I mean, Real Madrid are already there. Real Madrid have already won the Cup six times. But I mean, it’s a very different competition now. A very different tournament. And for Liverpool Football Club to win this competition three times, this cup three times, then that would be one of the greatest achievements of all time, boys. Of all bloody time …

On the afternoon of the final, in the hours before the match. In the city, outside the stadium. Things had already started, things had already kicked off. Thousands of supporters of Liverpool Football Club had no tickets for the final. But thousands of supporters of Liverpool Football Club had still come to the Parc des Princes. To be near the final, to be near their team. But thousands of French policemen stood between them and the final, them and their team. Thousands of French policemen with batons and with guns. In their way, with tear gas. And some of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club threw empty beer bottles at the thousands of French policemen. Bottles in the air, bottles raining down. And some of the French policemen fired tear gas at the thousands of supporters of Liverpool Football Club. Tears in their eyes, gas in the air. Blowing into the Parc des Princes. Into the stadium, into the stands. The Kop of Boulogne. This stand named in honour of the Kop of Anfield. The Spion Kop.

In his seat, in the stands. Bill Shankly rubbed his eyes. Bill Shankly blinked. On the edge of his seat in the stands. Bill Shankly looked down at the pitch. Bill Shankly stared down at the players. The players of Liverpool Football Club. Ray Clemence. Phil Neal. Alan Kennedy. Phil Thompson. Ray Kennedy. Alan Hansen. Kenny Dalglish. Sammy Lee. David Johnson. Terry McDermott. Graeme Souness. Jimmy Case. Steve Ogrizovic. Colin Irwin. Richard Money and Howard Gayle. The players of Liverpool Football Club coming out into the stadium, out onto the pitch. And on another night, at another final. Bill Shankly heard that reception again, Bill Shankly heard that roar again. And on the edge of his seat in the stands. Bill Shankly looked around the ground, around the stadium. All the grounds and all the stadiums. At all the banners, at all the flags. All the red banners and all the red flags. And Bill Shankly closed his eyes,

Bill Shankly closed his eyes. And Bill Shankly smiled.

Back at the hotel, back at the reception. Bob Paisley was standing at the bar, standing on his own at the bar. And Bob Paisley saw Bill Shankly. Bill Shankly on his own, Bill Shankly walking towards Bob Paisley. Bill Shankly shook Bob Paisley’s hand –

Congratulations, Bob. Congratulations. I could not be happier for you, Bob. I just could not be more pleased for you …

And Bob Paisley said, Thank you, Bill.

I mean, after John won the European Cup with Celtic. I said to John, I said, You know you are immortal now, John. But I mean, you have won the European Cup three times now, Bob. Three bloody times. And so you are immortal, Bob. More than immortal!

Bob Paisley shook his head. And Bob Paisley said, No, Bill. No. There is only one immortal at Liverpool Football Club, Bill. And that immortal is you. That man is you, Bill. Because none of this, none of these cups. None of it could have happened without you, Bill. It’s all because of you. All because of you, Bill …

That is very kind of you, Bob. Very kind of you to say that. But I know I’m not immortal, Bob. I know I’m mortal. Very mortal.

The game not finished, the match never finished. The pain in his heart and the smoke in his eyes. The city had been in flames, sirens in the air. Bill closed his eyes. On a stretcher, in an ambulance. Bill opened his eyes. And Bill saw Ness. His daughters and his granddaughters. And Bill smiled. In the bed, in the hospital. Bill closed his eyes again. His eyes closed, for the last time. Bill was in the field. For all time. Bill had rolled the stone from the tomb. In the field. Bill saw the tree. Its blossoms gone, its leaves fallen and its branches bowed. In the field. Bill walked towards the tree. In the field. Bill stood before the tree. In the field. Bill looked up at the tree. Its branches that would rise up again, its leaves and blossoms that would come again. In the field. Bill touched the tree. This tree standing tall, this tree standing triumphant. Triumphant and resurrected now. Now and for all time. In the field. Bill knew this tree, Bill loved this tree. Her name was Liberty, her name was Liverpool.