David Peace - Red or Dead

Tom Williams smiled. And Tom Williams said, Thank you, Mr Shankly. I look forward to your call. Now was there anything else? Anything else we can do for you today, Mr Shankly?

Yes, said Bill Shankly. Yes, there is. I want to sign Peter Thompson from Preston North End. And so I want thirty-seven thousand pounds, please, Mr Williams.

Tom Williams looked down the long table at Bill Shankly. Tom Williams picked up the document from the table. Tom Williams passed the document down the long table to Bill Shankly. And Tom Williams said, Well, we will certainly consider it, Mr Shankly. We will consider it very carefully. And I will have an answer for you, Mr Shankly. When you have an answer for me, Mr Shankly, I will have an answer for you.

…

Before his deadline, his deadline looming. In the office of Bill Shankly, before the desk of Bill Shankly. Horace Yates was writing, writing as fast as he could. As fast as Bill Shankly was saying –

Well, I suppose it is the modern trend to have agreements such as this, Horace. So I suppose I have simply fallen into line. With the modern trend, Horace. With the modern times. Because you can’t ignore the trends, Horace. You can’t ignore the times …

Horace Yates stopped writing. Horace Yates looked up from his notes at Bill Shankly. Bill Shankly was on his feet again, Bill Shankly was in full flight again –

And anyway, Horace. I don’t mind anybody knowing I intend to stay at Liverpool Football Club. Because Liverpool Football Club has become my second home. My second home, Horace. And I don’t mind anybody knowing that. In fact, I want everybody to know that. So write that down. Write that down, Horace! Because deep down in my heart. Deep down in my heart, Horace. I never wanted to leave Liverpool Football Club. Because I have been completely captivated by Liverpool Football Club. My heart completely captivated by the atmosphere here at Anfield. Because it is without an equal, Horace. Without an equal anywhere in the country. Because we have the finest supporters in the country. The very finest supporters, Horace. And deep down in my heart. Deep down in my heart, Horace. I regard myself as just one of them. Just another one of them, Horace. Because I share their feelings. I share their feelings and their hopes, Horace. Their hopes and their dreams. I share their dreams, Horace …

Horace Yates stopped writing again. Horace Yates looked up from his notes again. Bill Shankly was back behind his desk again, Bill Shankly back in his chair. Again. Bill Shankly saying –

And the atmosphere could not have been more cordial, Horace. The atmosphere could not have been happier. When Mr Williams and I shook hands on the deal, Horace. When we shook hands on the deal.

Horace Yates said, Yes. But things have not always been so cordial. Things have not always been so happy, Bill. You have told me so yourself. Told me many times before, Bill …

You are correct, said Bill Shankly. You are right, Horace. And it would be idle to pretend there have not been some uneasy moments. It would be wrong to pretend otherwise …

Horace Yates stopped writing. Horace Yates looked up from his notes. And Horace Yates waited. Waited for Bill Shankly to spring back up again, waited for Bill Shankly to start back up –

But all those moments are a thing of the past now. A thing of the past, Horace. Now we can go forward. Forward into a new era, Horace. Together. Together, Horace. Because Liverpool Football Club are making giant strides in the right direction. Giant strides, Horace. And a lot of the spadework has already been done. A lot of the spadework, Horace. And so we have built a very substantial foundation on which to build. A very substantial foundation, Horace. Yes, much more work remains to be done. Hard work, Horace. But I believe we will be one of the truly great clubs of our time. I am convinced Liverpool Football Club will be one of the truly great clubs of our time and of all our time. And so I will never be truly content until we are the undisputed Champions of the land. I will never truly rest until Liverpool Football Club are the undisputed Champions of the land. And so I will strive to make us the Champions of the land, Horace. With every muscle in my body. With every single muscle, Horace. I will work until the day Liverpool Football Club are Champions. Undisputed Champions, Horace! And I’ll tell you this. I’ll tell you this, Horace. That day is not so very far away.

…

In the summer, before the new season. Peter Thompson turned into the car park at Anfield Road, Liverpool. And Peter Thompson saw hundreds of people gathered around the main door to Anfield, Liverpool. Peter Thompson parked his car in the car park. And Peter Thompson saw television cameras, radio and newspaper reporters gathered at the door to Anfield. Peter Thompson walked across the car park and through the crowd to the door. And Peter Thompson saw Bill Shankly waiting at the door. And Peter Thompson said, Hello, Mr Shankly. Are you expecting someone famous?

Yes, said Bill Shankly.

Peter Thompson looked around him. At the television cameras. At the radio and newspaper reporters. And Peter Thompson said, Who? Who are you expecting, Mr Shankly?

You, said Bill Shankly.

Peter Thompson said, Me? I’m not famous, Mr Shankly.

You soon will be, said Bill Shankly. Because when you sign for Liverpool Football Club, I’m going to make you the greatest player of all time, son. Greater than Stanley Matthews. Greater even than Tom Finney. Because you are already faster than either of them. And I’m going to make you even faster, son. I’m going to make you so fast you can catch pigeons. You’ll be the fastest player in England, son.

Peter Thompson said, No, Mr Shankly. Not me …

Yes you, son, said Bill Shankly. You, son.

…

After the training, before the training. Under the stands, among the boots. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett and Albert Shelley talked about the players. About this player and about that player. This first-team player and that reserve-team player, this older player and that younger player. Who should step down and who could step up. Who was ready and who was not. About Alf Arrowsmith, Phil Ferns, Alan Jones, Chris Lawler, Tommy Smith, Bobby Thomson and Gordon Wallace. About who should stay and about who should go. Liverpool Football Club had sold Tommy Leishman to Hibernian Football Club for ten thousand pounds. Liverpool Football Club had sold Kevin Lewis to Huddersfield Town for eighteen thousand pounds. Under the stands, among the boots. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett and Albert Shelley talked about every player. Every first-team player and every reserve-team player. About who should play and who should not. In the first game of the season, the first game of the new season –

On Saturday 24 August, 1963, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Ewood Park, Blackburn. That afternoon, Lawrence, Byrne, Moran, Milne, Yeats, Stevenson, Callaghan, Hunt, St John, Melia and Thompson played for Liverpool Football Club. And in the sixty-fifth minute of the first game of the new season, Ronnie Moran scored. And ten minutes later, Ian Callaghan scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Blackburn Rovers two — one in the first game of the new season. Four days after that, Nottingham Forest came to Anfield, Liverpool. That evening, forty-nine thousand, eight hundred and twenty-nine folk came, too. And in the fifty-fourth minute, McKinlay scored an own goal. But that evening, Liverpool Football Club still lost two — one to Nottingham Forest. At home, at Anfield.

On Saturday 31 August, 1963, Blackpool Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, forty-two thousand, seven hundred and sixty-seven folk came, too. In the sixty-third minute, Liverpool Football Club were awarded a penalty. Ronnie Moran took the penalty. But Tony Waiters saved the penalty. In the eighty-third minute, Jimmy Melia scored. But that afternoon, Liverpool Football Club still lost two — one to Blackpool Football Club. Again at home, again at Anfield. And that evening, in the first published League table of the 1963–64 season, Liverpool Football Club were fifteenth in the First Division. And Leicester City were first in the First Division.