David Peace - Red or Dead

Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett stared down at the three clean spoons, the three clean forks and the five clean knives. And Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett nodded again.

Bill Shankly pointed to the five clean knives –

Callaghan, Hunt, St John, Arrowsmith and Thompson. Those are our knives. Five knives …

Now Bill Shankly picked up one of the five clean knives. And Bill Shankly waved the knife at Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett. And pointed it –

This looks like a knife, said Bill Shankly. But it’s not a knife! It’s a fork. A fork called Ian St John. St John will wear the number-nine shirt. He will be listed as a forward. As a knife. But St John will be a fork. A secret fork. Because he will drop back. And so then St John will be a fork and a key. He will be the key for us! Ian St John will be the key that unlocks Leicester City Football Club!

Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett stared at the knife in Bill Shankly’s hand. The knife pointing at them. And Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett nodded. They nodded and they smiled, they smiled and they laughed.

…

On Easter Saturday, 1964, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Filbert Street, Leicester. In the rain and in the mud. On Easter Saturday, 1964, St John had the speed, St John had the stamina. In the mud and in the rain. St John had the strength and St John had the skill. In the rain and in the mud. St John juggled the ball from chest to thigh, St John juggled the ball from thigh to instep. In the mud and in the rain. Like it was cotton wool, the ball was cotton wool. In the rain and in the mud. One minute St John was Doctor Jekyll, the next St John was Mister Hyde. In the mud and in the rain. St John linked defence to attack. From the middle of the pitch, from the heart of the game. St John turned defence into attack. In the rain and in the mud. In the seventeenth minute, St John passed the ball out to Thompson. Down the left, past four men. Thompson crossed the ball to Hunt. On the edge of the penalty area, from the edge of the penalty area. Hunt shot. A shot that nicked Norman, that grazed the outstretched fingers of Banks, that squeezed inside the post and into the goal. In the mud and in the rain. In the eighty-fifth minute, St John passed to Arrowsmith. A perfect pass, through a pinhead. And Arrowsmith scored. In the rain and in the mud. Ian St John had unlocked Leicester City. In the mud and in the rain. Liverpool Football Club had beaten Leicester City two — nil. In the rain and in the mud –

At last, at last.

…

On Easter Sunday, 1964, in his office. The camp bed sitting in the corner. The bags of mail standing on the floor. The bags and bags of mail. The stacks of letters on his desk. The stacks and stacks of letters. In his office, at his desk. Jimmy McInnes heard the footsteps in the corridor outside. The fast steps, the heavy steps. And Jimmy McInnes looked up from the stacks of letters on his desk. The stacks and stacks of letters. And Jimmy McInnes saw Bill Shankly standing in the doorway. Bill Shankly smiling, Bill Shankly grinning –

Happy Easter, said Bill Shankly. Happy Easter to you, Jimmy!

Jimmy McInnes blinked, Jimmy McInnes smiled. And Jimmy McInnes said, Thank you, Bill. Thank you. And two great results, Bill. Well done. Congratulations, Bill …

Oh, I wish you could have been there, said Bill Shankly. I really wish you could have been there, Jimmy. At Tottenham and at Leicester. The boys were magnificent, Jimmy. Every single one of them. I could not have asked for more, Jimmy. Not from any one of them. They were all superb, Jimmy. Absolutely superb!

Jimmy McInnes smiled again. And Jimmy McInnes said, That’s what I heard, Bill. That’s what people tell me. And it bodes well for tomorrow, Bill. Very well for tomorrow …

Aye, said Bill Shankly. Tomorrow will be another good day. I can feel it, Jimmy. I can feel it. I am not worried, Jimmy. Not worried at all. I am excited, Jimmy. I’m excited for tomorrow. There’ll be a full house, Jimmy. And on Saturday for United. Two full houses …

Jimmy McInnes looked down at the letters on his desk. The stacks and stacks of letters. The bags of mail standing on the floor. The bags and bags of mail. And Jimmy McInnes said, You’re right there, Bill. You’re right. We’ll have to turn away thousands, I reckon. I’ve already been onto the police. Asking for more police. For tomorrow and for Saturday. The demand is simply enormous, Bill. The demand for tickets. It’s unbelievable, Bill. To be honest with you, it’s hard for me to keep up. To keep up with the demand for tickets, Bill …

But that’s the way it should be, said Bill Shankly. That’s the way I’ve always wanted it to be, Jimmy. The way I’ve always dreamt it would be. The way it deserves to be, Jimmy. For this club, for Liverpool Football Club. The way it has to be, Jimmy. So this is the way it should be. And the way it should always be, Jimmy. Always …

Jimmy McInnes pointed to one of the bags of mail. One of the bags of mail standing by the door. And Jimmy McInnes said, Well, that bag over there is for you, Bill. That bag is all fan mail for you …

That’s unbelievable, said Bill Shankly. That’s fantastic, Jimmy. And I’ll answer them all. I promise you that, Jimmy. I promise you that. I’ll answer them all, Jimmy. Every single one of them …

Jimmy McInnes nodded. Jimmy McInnes smiled. And Jimmy McInnes said, I know you will, Bill. I know you will.

But what about all the other bags, asked Bill Shankly. Who are all the other bags for, Jimmy? Are they for the players then?

Jimmy McInnes said, No. They are all for me, Bill. All for me.

You see, laughed Bill Shankly. You’re still the most popular man at Anfield, Jimmy. You are still the most popular man at Liverpool Football Club. Without a doubt, Jimmy. Without a doubt!

Jimmy McInnes shook his head. And Jimmy McInnes said, No, Bill. I’m not. I wish I was, Bill. I really do. But I’m not, Bill. I’m the most unpopular man at Liverpool Football Club …

Nonsense, said Bill Shankly. Nonsense, Jimmy. I know you try to make as many people happy as you can. I know you do, Jimmy.

Jimmy McInnes nodded again. Jimmy McInnes smiled again. And Jimmy McInnes said, Well, I try, Bill. I really do try.

And that’s all I ask, said Bill Shankly. All I ever ask from anyone, Jimmy. That we try, try to make the people happy …

Jimmy McInnes nodded, Jimmy McInnes smiled. And Jimmy McInnes looked back down at the letters on his desk. The stacks and stacks of letters on his desk. And in his office, at his desk. Jimmy McInnes heard the footsteps in the corridor outside again. The fast steps and the heavy steps, walking away.

…

After his lunch, his Easter lunch. In his house, in his lounge. Ron Yeats heard the telephone ringing. Ringing and ringing. Ron Yeats stood up. Ron Yeats walked over to the telephone. Ron Yeats picked up the phone. And Ron Yeats said, Hello? Hello …

It’s me, Ron. It’s me. The Easter Bunny, son. Now how are you? How are you feeling today, Ron? Are you feeling better now?

Yes, Boss. Thank you. I’m feeling fine –

That’s great news, Ron. The very best news! But I hope you’re not stuffing yourself full of Easter eggs now, son?

No, Boss. No. I would never –

That’s great news, Ron. Great news! So you’re fit enough to play tomorrow then, son? You’re ready to play tomorrow, are you?

Yes, Boss. Of course I am. I’m desperate to play …

Oh, that’s music to my ears, Ron. To hear you say that. Because I was worried, son. I was worried that if you weren’t fit enough to play tomorrow, then you might never get back in the side, Ron. The way they are playing. I was very worried you might not get back in the team, son. If you were still not fit enough …