David Peace - Red or Dead

Two minutes before half-time, Ian Callaghan scored. Three minutes after half-time, Callaghan scored again. Roy Vernon scored for Everton Football Club. But it didn’t count, it didn’t matter. Liverpool Football Club had beaten Everton Football Club two — one. At home, at Anfield. Bill Shankly burst into the dressing room. The home dressing room. And Bill Shankly danced from player to player. Bill Shankly patted their backs, Bill Shankly shook their hands. All of their backs, all of their hands. And then Bill Shankly stood in the centre of the dressing room. And Bill Shankly grinned –

Do you know what you have achieved today, boys? What you have done today? You have not only beaten Everton Football Club. You have beaten the Champions. You have beaten the Champions of England, boys. And so now you can have nothing to fear. Nothing to fear for the rest of the season, boys. Because you have beaten the Champions of England. The best team in this land. And so if you can beat them, boys. If you can beat the Champions of England. Then you can beat any team. Any team in the land, boys. And every team! You can beat every team in the land. I know you can. Because today you have shown me you can. And so today I know you can be the Champions. I know we can be the Champions of England, boys!

In the office, at the desk. On the last Monday in October, 1963. Bill opened up the newspaper again. And Bill looked down at the League table again. The League table as it stood on Monday 28 October, 1963. This month, Liverpool Football Club had played three matches at home, at Anfield. And Liverpool Football Club had beaten Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday and West Bromwich Albion. Liverpool Football Club had played one match away, away from Anfield. And Liverpool Football Club had beaten Ipswich Town. This season, Liverpool Football Club had played fourteen matches. That Monday, Liverpool Football Club had nineteen points. That Monday, Liverpool Football Club were third in the First Division. On goal average, with nineteen points. Arsenal, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United all had nineteen points, too. Sheffield United had twenty-one points. Sheffield United were top of the First Division. Sheffield United were the sixth team to be top of the First Division this season. In the office, at the desk. Bill opened one of the drawers. Bill took out the pair of scissors and the pot of glue. Bill cut out the League table from the newspaper. Bill stuck the League table for Monday 28 October, 1963, into his book. His book of names, his book of notes. And in the office, at the desk. Now Bill took out his diary. His diary of dates, his diary of fixtures. Bill turned the pages of his diary. The pages of dates to come, the pages of fixtures to come. The twenty-eight fixtures to come, the twenty-eight opportunities to come. The twenty-eight opportunities to win, the twenty-eight opportunities to be the Champions –

The Champions of England.

And in the office, at the desk. Now Bill turned back through the pages of his diary. The pages of dates, the pages of fixtures. To the next fixture, to the next Saturday. And Bill stared down at that next fixture, that next Saturday. That next Saturday, Leicester City Football Club would come to Anfield, Liverpool. In the office, at the desk. Bill closed his diary. His diary of dates, his diary of fixtures. And in the office, at the desk. Bill stared down at the pair of scissors. The blades.

…

Upstairs, in their house. In the night and in the silence. Ness and the girls were asleep. Downstairs, in their house. In the night and in the silence. At the kitchen table, in a chair. Bill stared down at the three spoons, the four forks and the four knives. Again. The three spoons, the four forks and the four knives moving. Again. The three spoons, the four forks and the four knives turning. Moving and turning. Again and again and again and again. Spinning and swirling. Again and again and again and again. In the night and in the silence. At the table, in the chair. Bill closed his eyes. The three spoons, the four forks and the four knives always spinning. Again and again and again and again. The three spoons, the four forks and the four knives always swirling. Again and again and again and again. In the night and in the silence. At the table, in the chair. Bill opened his eyes. Bill picked up the three spoons, the four forks and the four knives. And Bill threw the three spoons, the four forks and the four knives across the kitchen. The three spoons, the four forks and the four knives clattered on the kitchen floor. In the night and in the silence. At the table, in the chair. Bill stood up. Bill walked out of the kitchen. Bill walked into the other room. In the night and in the silence. Bill picked up his diary from the arm of the chair. His diary of dates, his diary of fixtures. Bill turned through the pages of his diary. The pages of dates to come, the pages of fixtures to come. Looking for one date, looking for one fixture. Until Bill found the date, until Bill found that fixture. And in the night and in the silence. Now Bill stared down at the date. Saturday 28 March, 1964. Easter Saturday. Bill stared down at the fixture. Leicester City. Away, at Filbert Street. And in their house. In the night and in the silence. Bill closed his eyes. And Bill made a promise. Bill made a vow. His promise, his vow. Never again would Leicester City beat Liverpool Football Club. Never,

ever again.

…

In the pavilion at Melwood, the repainted and refurbished pavilion at Melwood. In front of the players of Liverpool Football Club, the entire squad of Liverpool Football Club. Bill held up the newspaper. Bill held up the back page of the newspaper. The League table on the back page of the newspaper. The last League table for November, 1963. And Bill said, We won at Bolton. We beat Fulham. We won at United. And we beat Burnley. And look where we are now, boys. Look where we are. We are top, lads. Top of the First Division. For the first time since 1947, boys. Liverpool Football Club are top of the First Division. So well done, lads. Well done! But I have to tell you something, boys. Something you’re not going to want to hear. It doesn’t count, lads. It doesn’t matter who is top of the First Division in November. Nobody cares, boys. The only thing that counts is who is top of the First Division in April. On the last day of the season, lads. That is all that matters. All anybody cares about, boys. And so we might be top now in November. But now we have to stay there, lads. Through December and into January. January into February, February into March. All the way to April, boys. We have to stay there. We have to stay on the top, lads. And so I have to tell you something else. Something else you’re not going to want to hear, boys. It’s going to be tough and it is going to be hard. Hard work, lads. But let me tell you one last thing. After all that hard work, boys. It’ll be worth it. Well worth it, lads. Because we will be Champions. The Champions of England, boys! If we work hard. If we all work hard together, lads …

Out on the training ground, out in the rain. The players ran round the training pitch at Melwood. And Bill ran round the training pitch at Melwood. Bill laughing, Bill joking. In the rain, the players heard the whistle. And in the rain, the players split into their groups. And the players lifted weights. The players skipped. The players jumped. The players did squats. The players did abdominal exercises. The players sprinted. And in the rain, Bill lifted weights. Bill skipped. Bill jumped. Bill did squats. Bill did abdominal exercises. Bill sprinted. Bill laughing, Bill joking. Then in the rain, the players heard the whistle again. And in the rain, the players passed the ball. The players dribbled with the ball. The players headed the ball. The players chipped the ball. The players controlled the ball. The players tackled. And in the rain, Bill passed the ball. Bill dribbled with the ball. Bill headed the ball. Bill chipped the ball. Bill controlled the ball. Bill tackled. Bill laughing, Bill joking. In the rain, the players heard the whistle again. In the rain, the players went between the training boards. The players moving, the ball moving. Playing the ball against one board. Then taking the ball, controlling the ball. Turning with the ball, dribbling with the ball. Up to the other board. In just ten touches. Playing the ball against the other board. Then pulling the ball down, turning again and dribbling again. Back down to the first board. In just ten touches. And in the rain, Bill went between the training boards. Bill moving, the ball moving. Bill playing the ball against one board. Then taking the ball, controlling the ball. Bill turning with the ball, dribbling with the ball. Up to the other board. In just ten touches. Bill playing the ball against the other board. Then pulling the ball down, turning again and dribbling again. Back down to the first board. In just ten touches. Bill laughing, Bill joking. And in the rain, the players heard the whistle yet again. And in the rain, the players went inside the sweat box. Ball after ball, into the box. Every second, another ball. For one minute, then for two minutes, then for three minutes. Ball after ball, into the box. And in the rain, Bill went into the sweat box. Ball after ball, into the box. Every second, another ball. For one minute, then for two minutes, then for three minutes. Bill laughing, Bill joking. In the rain, the players heard the whistle. In the rain, they played three-a-sides. Three-a-sides then five-a-sides. Five-a-sides then seven-a-sides. Seven-a-sides then eleven-a-sides. And in the rain, Bill played in the three-a-sides. Three-a-sides then five-a-sides. Five-a-sides then seven-a-sides. Seven-a-sides then eleven-a-sides. Bill laughing, Bill joking. And then in the rain, the players ran one last time around the training pitch. And in the rain, Bill ran one last time around the training pitch. Bill laughing, Bill joking. And in the rain, the players got back on the bus. In the rain, Bob, Joe, Reuben and Albert got back on the bus. And in the rain, Bill got back on the bus. Bill laughing, Bill joking. In the rain, they all travelled back to Anfield. Everybody laughing, everybody joking. In the rain, they all got off the bus. Laughing and joking. In the rain, the players went into Anfield. In the rain, Bill went into Anfield. Bill laughing, Bill joking. In the dressing rooms, the players took off their boots, the players took off their tracksuits. In the dressing rooms, Bill took off his boots, Bill took off his sweater and his tracksuit bottoms. Bill laughing, Bill joking. The players went into the baths. And Bill went into the baths. Bill laughing, Bill joking. The players washed and changed. And Bill washed and changed. Bill laughing, Bill joking. The players said goodbye. And Bill said goodbye. Bill still laughing, Bill still joking. And the players went out to their cars. The players went back to their houses. Laughing and joking. But Bill did not go out to his car. Bill did not go back to his house. Bill not laughing now, Bill not joking now. Bill still looking, Bill still listening. Always looking, always listening. And learning, Bill was always learning. Learning and working –