David Peace - Red or Dead

LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL …

Bill fought back tears, Bill struggled to breathe. Ness gripped his arm, Ness squeezed his hand –

I never knew until now, whispered Ness, until today, how much football meant to the people of Liverpool. But you knew, love. You always knew what it meant to the people of Liverpool …

LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL …

Bill shook his head. And Bill said, No, love. I didn’t know. I only dreamt, I only imagined. But now I know, love …

LI–VER-POOL …

Now I know. But I know we have not finished, love. I know we have just begun. I know this is just the start, love.

…

At Anfield, in the dressing room. Three days after, just three days after Liverpool Football Club had won the FA Cup. Two hours before the match, still two hours before Liverpool Football Club would play Internazionale of Milan in the first leg of the semi-final of the European Cup. Bill could already hear the fifty-two thousand and eighty-two folk inside Anfield, Liverpool. Bill could already hear them singing, Bill could already hear them chanting. We want to see the Cup! We want to see the Cup! Ee-aye-addio, we want to see the Cup …

And in the dressing room, before the kick-off. Bill had an idea. Bill and Bob went to find Gordon Milne and Gerry Byrne. Gordon Milne with his knee still damaged, Gerry Byrne with his arm in a sling. Gordon would not be playing tonight and Gerry would not be playing tonight. But Gordon and Gerry had played their parts. And Gordon and Gerry still had a part to play. Bill and Bob brought Gordon and Gerry back to the dressing room. Bill told Gordon and Gerry to wait in the dressing room, Bill told Gordon and Gerry to hide behind the dressing-room door. And then Bill looked at his watch. Bill smiled. And Bill went out of the Liverpool dressing room. Bill went out into the corridor. Bill knocked on the door of the other dressing room. The Internazionale of Milan dressing-room door. Mister Herrera, the manager of Internazionale of Milan, opened the door. Bill smiled. Bill pointed at his watch. And Bill said, It’s time to go, Mister Herrera. It’s time your team went out there. Out there onto the pitch, sir.

Thank you, said Mister Herrera.

Bill went back into the Liverpool dressing room. Bill closed the dressing-room door. Bill looked around the dressing room. From Lawrence to Lawler, Lawler to Moran, Moran to Strong, Strong to Yeats, Yeats to Stevenson, Stevenson to Callaghan, Callaghan to Hunt, Hunt to St John, St John to Smith, Smith to Thompson. And Bill raised his finger in the air. Bill put his finger to his ear. And Bill said, Listen, boys. Just listen to this …

And on the benches, the Liverpool benches. The players of Liverpool Football Club listened to the sound of studs. The studs of boots. The boots of the players of Internazionale of Milan walking out of their dressing room, down the corridor and down the steps, out onto the pitch, the Anfield pitch, and into a wall of whistles, into a chorus of Go back to I-ta-lee, Go back to I-ta-lee, GO BACK TO I-TA-LEE!

In the dressing room, the Liverpool dressing room. Bill turned to Gordon Milne and Gerry Byrne. Gordon with his damaged knee, Gerry with his broken collarbone. And Bill picked up the FA Cup. Bill handed the FA Cup to Gordon and Gerry. And Bill said, The people want to see the FA Cup, boys. The people are desperate to see the Cup. So you two boys show them the Cup. Parade the Cup, boys. And you make sure everybody in this ground sees this Cup. Everybody on every side of this ground. Make sure you go to the Anfield Road end first. And then down to the Kop. To the boys on the Kop …

Ron Yeats stood up. Ron Yeats led the players of Liverpool Football Club out of their dressing room, down the corridor and down the steps, out onto the pitch, the Anfield pitch, into a wall of applause, into a chorus of LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL …

And then behind Ron Yeats, behind the players of Liverpool Football Club, out of the dressing room, down the corridor and down the steps, out onto the pitch, the Anfield pitch, came Gordon Milne and Gerry Byrne, one hobbling and one limping, carrying the FA Cup, parading the FA Cup, around the ground, around the stadium, from one end to the other, from the Anfield Road end to the Spion Kop end, to applause so intense, to cheers so piercing, that the very earth shook, the very world shook. WE’VE WON THE CUP! WE’VE WON THE CUP! EE-AYE-ADDIO, WE’VE WON THE CUP …

And on the pitch, the Anfield pitch, the players of Internazionale of Milan stood and stared, their legs shaking with fear, their eyes blinking in terror. Red fear,

red terror. In the centre of this sea of noise, in the middle of this world of red. The referee blew his whistle. St John kicked off. Smith passed to Strong. Strong passed to Callaghan. Callaghan crossed to Hunt. And Hunt turned. Hunt hit the ball on the volley. In the fourth minute, the volley from the edge of the penalty area. The volley into the top of the net. LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL . But now Internazionale of Milan began to find their feet. And now they began to find the ball. Corso found space down the left. Corso found Peiró. Peiró found Mazzola. And Mazzola found the net. Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart . In the thirty-fourth minute, a free kick on the edge of the Internazionale of Milan penalty area. And you’ll never walk alone . Callaghan feinted to shoot, Callaghan hopped over the ball. You’ll never walk alone . Stevenson passed to St John. Alone . Callaghan slid the ball past Sarti. You’ll never walk alone . Into the net, into the goal. LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL. In the fortieth minute, Lawler passed to Callaghan. Callaghan passed back to Lawler. Lawler beat one man, Lawler beat a second, Lawler beat a third. And Lawler hit the ball. With his left foot. Hit the ball and shot. Into the net, into the goal. LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL . Into the goal that was not a goal. The goal disallowed. Bedlam, cacophony. LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL. In the seventy-fifth minute, Thompson passed to Callaghan. Callaghan headed on to Smith. Smith inside to Hunt. Hunt shot. Sarti parried the ball. The ball loose, loose to St John. And St John shot. Into the net, into the goal. And LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL Football Club had beaten Internazionale of Milan three — one. Internazionale of Milan. The European Champions. The Intercontinental Cup Champions. Internazionale of Milan dazed, Internazionale of Milan shell-shocked. In a sea of noise, in a world of red. Mister Herrera got up from the bench. Slowly. Mister Herrera walked down the touchline. The Anfield touchline. And Mister Herrera shook Bill’s hand –

We’ve been beaten before, said Mister Herrera. But tonight we were defeated. Defeated. So congratulations, Mr Shankly.

Bill smiled. And Bill said, Thank you, sir.

Mister Herrera looked around the ground, the Anfield ground. Mister Herrera stared up at the Kop, the Spion Kop –

But I’ll see you again, said Mister Herrera. I’ll see you soon, Mr Shankly. In Italy. In Milan. At the San Siro.

…

In the house, in their hall. The telephone was ringing. And ringing. Always ringing. In the front room, in his chair. Bill put down his paper again. The accolades and the praise. The accolades for the night before, the praise for the night before. Bill looked across at Ness. Ness looked up from her paper. From her crossword. And Ness smiled at Bill. And Bill said, Aye, no doubt it’ll be for me, love …

Well, I’ll put the kettle on, said Ness. I’ll make us a cup of tea.

Bill smiled, Bill nodded. Bill went out into the hall, Bill picked up the telephone. Bill listened to the voice on the line –