David Peace - Red or Dead

Do you know who this man is, lads? Do you know this man? This man is Dave Dunmore. He used to play for Tottenham Hotspur, he used to play for West Ham United. But now he plays for Leyton Orient. He is the best player they have. The only good player they have. Whenever he plays, they win. But I’ve just seen their team sheet, lads. And guess what I’ve just seen? Today there is no Dave Dunmore for Leyton Orient. Today Dave Dunmore is injured. And this team cannot win without Dave Dunmore. And they have not won at home since the thirteenth of January this year. And so I know they cannot win at home today either. Not at home. Not today. Not without Dave Dunmore. They cannot win. I know they cannot win …

First Leyton Orient scored. In the mud and in the wind. Then in the eightieth minute, Alan A’Court equalised. In the mud and in the wind. Then Leyton Orient scored again. But in the mud and in the wind. In the eighty-ninth minute, A’Court scored again. And in the London mud, in the southern wind. Liverpool Football Club now had forty-eight points and Leyton Orient now had forty-three points. But Liverpool Football Club had two games in hand over Leyton Orient. And Liverpool Football Club were still first in the Second Division. Still at the very top of the table.

…

On Saturday 24 March, 1962, Preston North End came to Anfield. That afternoon, thirty-nine thousand, seven hundred and one folk came, too. Jimmy Melia scored one. Ian St John scored one. And Roger Hunt scored two. And Liverpool Football Club beat Preston North End four — one. Four days after that, Rotherham United came to Anfield. That night, thirty-two thousand, eight hundred and twenty-seven folk came, too. Roger Hunt scored one and Ian St John scored a hat-trick. And Liverpool Football Club beat Rotherham United four — one. Three days later, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Kenilworth Road, Luton. And Liverpool Football Club lost one — nil. One week after that, Huddersfield Town came to Anfield. That afternoon, thirty-eight thousand and twenty-two folk came, too. And Liverpool Football Club drew one-all. At home, at Anfield. That night, Liverpool Football Club had fifty-three points. Liverpool Football Club still first in the Second Division. But that day, Leyton Orient had won. Leyton Orient now had forty-eight points. And there were still six more games to go, still six more games to play. More games to win,

more games to lose –

On Saturday 14 April, 1962, Liverpool Football Club should have travelled to Vetch Field, Swansea. And Liverpool Football Club should have played Swansea Town. But there had been an outbreak of smallpox in South Wales. And Liverpool Football Club’s game against Swansea Town was postponed. Leyton Orient’s game was not postponed. But Leyton Orient lost. If Liverpool Football Club won their next match, then Liverpool Football Club would be promoted. Promoted to the First Division. If Liverpool Football Club won their next match. Their next match at home to Southampton Football Club. If Liverpool Football Club beat Southampton Football Club, then Liverpool Football Club would be promoted. If Liverpool Football Club won. If they won, if they won. If, if –

Always if, if –

Always –

If, if –

This was the day, this was the hour. In the rain and in the wind. Arthur Riley and Jimmy McInnes stood on the Anfield pitch with Bill Shankly. In the rain and in the wind. They watched Mr Holland walk out of the Anfield tunnel and onto the Anfield pitch. Mr Holland was the referee. In the rain and in the wind. Mr Holland looked down at the Anfield pitch. Mr Holland pressed his shoe down into the Anfield pitch. Mud and water came up from out of the Anfield pitch. Mud and water came up over the top of his shoe. Mud and water onto his sock, mud and water into his shoe. In the rain and in the wind. Mr Holland looked up at the sky. The sky and the clouds, the dark clouds in the dark sky. Mr Holland looked back down at Arthur Riley, Jimmy McInnes and Bill Shankly. And Mr Holland shook his head.

Come on now, said Bill Shankly. A wee bit of rain never hurt anyone, Mr Holland. Never hurt anyone …

In the rain and in the wind. Mr Holland looked back down at his shoe. In the mud and in the water. Mr Holland looked back up at the sky. The dark sky and the dark clouds. And Mr Holland looked back down at his watch. His watch ticking. Ticking. Ticking.

And the forecast is for blue skies, said Bill Shankly. Blue skies, Mr Holland. Blue skies and sunshine. Beautiful April sunshine!

Mr Holland looked at Bill Shankly. Mr Holland shook his head again. And Mr Holland said, What forecast is that, Mr Shankly?

Mine, said Bill Shankly. But I’m rarely wrong.

Arthur Riley and Jimmy McInnes both nodded. And they both said, Mr Shankly’s right, Mr Holland. He’s rarely wrong. You’ll find he’s usually right about most things.

In the rain and in the wind. Mr Holland smiled. And Mr Holland said, Well, let’s hope so then. Let’s hope he’s right today.

On Saturday 21 April, 1962, forty thousand, four hundred and ten folk came to Anfield, Liverpool. In the rain and in the wind. Forty thousand, four hundred and ten folk hoping to see Liverpool Football Club promoted to the First Division. In the rain and in the wind. Forty thousand, four hundred and ten folk praying to see Liverpool Football Club promoted to the First Division. In the rain and in the wind. If Liverpool Football Club won. In the rain and in the wind. If, if.

Before the match, in the dressing room. The home dressing room. Kevin Lewis sat on the bench. On the dressing-room bench. Kevin Lewis stared down at his boots. And then Kevin Lewis felt an arm around his shoulder. And Kevin Lewis looked up –

Today’s your day, said Bill Shankly. Today is your day, son. Your day to prove me wrong. To prove what a fool I’ve been. Not to let you play more games, not to let you have more chances. But today you have your chance. Today’s your chance, today’s your day. So are you ready, son? Are you ready? To prove me wrong, to take your chance. And to make your point today, son?

Kevin Lewis nodded.

Good lad, said Bill Shankly. And Bill Shankly stood up. Bill Shankly walked into the centre of the dressing room. The home dressing room. And Bill Shankly looked around the dressing room. The Liverpool dressing room. From player to player. From Furnell to Byrne, Byrne to Moran, Moran to Milne, Milne to Yeats, Yeats to Leishman, Leishman to Callaghan, Callaghan to Hunt, Hunt to Lewis, Lewis to Melia, Melia to A’Court. And Bill Shankly smiled. In the centre of the dressing room. Bill Shankly rubbed his hands together –

I know after today there are still five more games to go, lads. Five more games to play. But I don’t know about you, lads. I don’t know about you. But I don’t like waiting, lads. I hate waiting. I don’t want to wait, lads. We’ve all waited long enough. And Liverpool Football Club have waited long enough. Too long, lads. We’ve all waited too long. So I want to win today. Today! Because I want us to be promoted today. Today! Not tomorrow, not next week. Today! Because this is the day. This is the hour. We can win today and we can be promoted today. No more tomorrows. No more ifs. No more maybes. We can win today and we can be promoted today. Because this is the day, lads. This is the hour. We will win and we will be promoted. Today! Liverpool Football Club will be promoted. Today!

In the nineteenth minute, Kevin Lewis made his point. Ten minutes later, Kevin Lewis made his point again. And Liverpool Football Club beat Southampton Football Club two — nil. They had won. Liverpool Football Club had won the match and Liverpool Football Club had won promotion to the First Division –

After the whistle, the final whistle, the players of Southampton Football Club formed a guard of honour. In the rain and in the wind. The players of Southampton Football Club applauded the players of Liverpool Football Club off the pitch. But in the rain and in the wind, no one could hear their applause. No one could hear the rain or the wind. The forty thousand, four hundred and ten folk inside Anfield, Liverpool, would not go home. In the rain and in the wind. The forty thousand, four hundred and ten folk inside Anfield, Liverpool, refused to leave. They clapped and they cheered. They shouted and they sang. And they called and they chanted. In the rain and in the wind. They called for the players of Liverpool Football Club, they chanted for the players of Liverpool Football Club. WE WANT THE REDS! WE WANT THE REDS! WE WANT THE REDS! Over and over, again and again. In the rain and in the wind. They called and they chanted. WE WANT THE REDS! WE WANT THE REDS! WE WANT THE REDS! Again and again, over and over. In the rain and in the wind. WE WANT THE REDS! WE WANT THE REDS –