David Peace - Red or Dead

We were beaten by a team of frightened men, said Bill Shankly. Frightened men who scored two flukes. It was their plan from the start, simply to keep us in subjection. They had no real attacking plan. No plan of attack. Only of subjection. Only of theft. And so yes, they won. They might have won. But they stole it.

They stole it through luck –

Because if Roger Hunt and Tommy Smith had been fully fit tonight, we would have won easily. We would have murdered them. Because I am quite sincere when I say to you, they are the worst team we have met in this competition this season. The very worst team we have ever met. In any competition, in any season –

So they were just lucky.

At the airport, Speke airport. The morning after the night before, lost morning after lost night before. Bill and the players and the staff and the officials of Liverpool Football Club got off the plane. The Liverpool plane, the losers’ plane. In silence. The Lord Mayor of Liverpool was there to greet them. The Lord Mayor of Liverpool and four supporters. In silence. Bill and the players and the staff and the officials of Liverpool Football Club got on the bus. The Liverpool bus, the losers’ bus. In silence. Bill and the players and the staff and the officials of Liverpool Football Club got off the bus. In the car park, the deserted car park at Anfield Road. In silence. Bill and the players and the staff and the officials of Liverpool Football Club got into their cars. In silence. Bill and the players and the staff and the officials of Liverpool Football Club drove back to their homes. Down empty roads, along silent streets. In their losers’ cars, to their losers’ homes.

In the drive, in the car. Bill turned off the engine. Bill got out of the car. Bill walked up the drive. Bill opened the front door of the house. Bill stepped into the house. Bill closed the door. Bill put down his suitcase in the hall. Bill walked into the kitchen. Bill said hello to Ness. Bill kissed her on her cheek. And Bill said, I’ll just take my case up, love. And sort out my stuff. I’ll be back down in a bit …

OK, love, said Ness. I’ll put the kettle on.

Bill walked back out into the hall. Bill picked up his suitcase. Bill walked up the stairs. Bill went into the bedroom. Bill put down his case on the carpet. Bill walked over to the window. And Bill stared through the glass, through the trees. Into the morning, into Bellefield. Their season not finished, their season not over. Through the glass and through the trees. Bill could see the players of Everton Football Club practising, Bill could hear the players of Everton Football Club preparing. Through the glass and through the trees. Practising for success, preparing for victory. Excited and optimistic. In just over a week, Everton Football Club would travel to Wembley Stadium. And Everton Football Club would play Sheffield Wednesday in the final of the FA Cup. In the bedroom, at the window. Bill believed Everton would be successful. And Bill hoped Everton would be victorious. For the people, the people of Liverpool. But now Bill closed the window. Now Bill drew the curtains. And then Bill walked over to the bed. Bill sat down on the bed. Bill closed his eyes. And Bill put his fingers in his ears. It was going to be a long summer,

a very, very long summer,

this summer of 1966.

…

In the bedroom, on their bed. Bill took his fingers out of his ears. And Bill opened his eyes. Bill had had enough of listening to national anthems. Bill had had enough of watching negative football. Now Bill got up from the bed. Now Bill walked over to the window. And Bill pulled back the curtains. Bill opened the windows. And Bill felt the warm summer breeze. Bill smelt the warm summer air. The Liverpool breeze, the Liverpool air. And Bill looked out through the glass, out through the trees. Into the morning, into the day. Into the summer, into the autumn. The winter and the spring. Into the new season, the Liverpool season. And Bill smiled, Bill smiled.

…

On the bench, their bench at Goodison Park. Bill watched Ron Yeats, the captain of Liverpool Football Club, parade the Football League trophy around the ground, the Goodison ground. Bill watched Brian Labone, the captain of Everton Football Club, parade the FA Cup around the ground, the Goodison ground. Together. And then Bill watched Roger Hunt of Liverpool Football Club and Ray Wilson of Everton Football Club parade the Jules Rimet trophy around the ground, the Merseyside ground. Together. And then nine minutes later, Bill watched Roger Hunt pass to Ian Callaghan. Callaghan pass to Peter Thompson. Thompson pass back to Hunt. And Hunt score for Li-ver-pool, Li-ver-pool, Li-ver-pool . And then for the next eighty-one minutes, Bill watched Liverpool Football Club harry and hound Everton Football Club for every ball. Li-ver-pool, Li-ver-pool, Li-ver-pool . Bill watched Liverpool Football Club run Everton Football Club ragged. Li-ver-pool, Li-ver-pool, Li-ver-pool . And Bill listened to the supporters of Liverpool Football Club shout, How did they win the Cup? How did they win the Cup? Bill listened to the supporters of Liverpool Football Club sing, Show them the way to go home, they are tired and they want to go to bed . And Bill watched Liverpool Football Club beat Everton Football Club one — nil. And Bill watched the players of Liverpool Football Club parade the Charity Shield around the ground, the Goodison ground. And Bill smiled.

In the tunnel, the Goodison tunnel. After the game, after the parade. Joe Mercer shook Bill’s hand. Joe Mercer had played for Everton Football Club. Joe Mercer had played for Arsenal Football Club. Joe Mercer had managed Sheffield United. Joe Mercer had managed Aston Villa. Now Joe Mercer was the manager of Manchester City Football Club –

For the first time in years, said Joe Mercer, I have seen a team, I have seen a side which I wasn’t good enough to play in, Bill …

Bill smiled again. And Bill said, Don’t say that, Joe. Please never say that. But thank you, Joe. Thank you. And you know I’m not a man for fortune-telling, Joe. Not a man for predictions. But I cannot believe there is a side that can come close to this Liverpool side, Joe. I cannot see another team who can touch this Liverpool team. Not in England and not in Europe. Not this season, Joe. Not this season.

…

In his office, at his desk. Bill read the letters. The hundreds of letters, the hundreds of signatures. Bill studied the petitions. The hundreds of petitions, the thousands of signatures. Bill picked up the bags of letters. Bill gathered up the piles of petitions. Bill walked up the stairs, the Anfield stairs. Bill knocked on the door of the boardroom, the Anfield boardroom. And Bill waited.

Come, said the voice.

Bill opened the door. Bill stepped inside the room.

Have a seat, Mr Shankly, said the directors of Liverpool Football Club. Please have a seat.

Bill walked to the end of the long table. With his bags of letters, with his piles of petitions. Bill did not sit down in a chair at the end of the long table. Bill looked up the long table at the directors of Liverpool Football Club. And Bill waited.

Now what can we do for you today, Mr Shankly?

Bill picked up the bags of letters. Bill emptied the bags of letters onto the long table. The hundreds of letters. Bill picked up the petitions. Bill threw the petitions down onto the long table. The thousands of signatures. And Bill said, You can read these letters. You can count these signatures. That’s what you can do for me today.

The directors of Liverpool Football Club stared down at the letters. The hundreds of letters. The directors of Liverpool Football Club stared down at the petitions. The thousands of signatures. And the directors of Liverpool Football Club shook their heads –