David Peace - Red or Dead

No one but Bill.

In the drive, in the car. Bill switched off the headlights. In the night, in the mist. Bill switched on the headlights. In the drive, in the car. On and then off, off and then on. In the night and in the mist. Bill could not forget Amsterdam. In the drive, in the car. Bill could not forget Ajax. The headlights off, the headlights on. Bill knew Ajax of Amsterdam were one of the best sides he had ever seen play. In the night and in the mist. Bill knew Ajax of Amsterdam were going to be one of the best teams in Europe. The headlights off, the headlights on. Bill knew Ajax of Amsterdam had played a type of football he had never seen before. In the drive, in the car. Bill knew it was not defensive football, Bill knew it was not negative football. And Bill knew it was not lucky football. In the night and in the mist. Bill knew it was simple football, Bill knew it was team football. On and off, off and on. Simple team football, total team football. In the drive, in the car. The type of football Bill had seen in his dreams. In the night and in the mist. Bill switched off the headlights. In the drive, in the car. Bill closed his eyes. In the night and in the mist.

In his dreams, only in his dreams.

…

In the house, in their front room. Bill had shaved. Bill had washed. And Bill had dressed. Bill had eaten his breakfast. Bill had drunk his tea. And Bill had read the newspaper. In the front room, in his chair. Bill looked at his watch. It was seven o’clock. Bill took out his address book. Bill went out into the hall. Bill opened his address book. Bill picked up the telephone. Bill dialled the number. The number of a guest house in Blackpool. Bill listened to the phone ring. And ring and ring. Bill heard the landlady answer. Bill asked to speak to Emlyn. Bill waited for the landlady to fetch Emlyn. Bill heard Emlyn stammer. Bill heard Emlyn stutter. Bill heard Emlyn say –

Hello, Mr Shankly? Hello, sir? Good morning, Mr Shankly. Good morning, sir. How are you, Mr Shankly? How are you, sir?

And Bill said, I’m very well. Thank you, son. But I’m always very well, son. So how are you, son? How are you today? I know you are having a tough season, son. I know it must not be easy for you. Your first season, son. The season Blackpool are having. With Ron Suart resigning and Stan Mortensen coming in. But I want you to know I am watching you, son. I haven’t forgotten you. So you bide your time, son. And soon you’ll be with us. With Liverpool Football Club, son. The greatest football club there is. So I want you to look after yourself, son. I want you to take good care of yourself …

Thank you, Mr Shankly, said Emlyn Hughes. Thank you, sir. And I am looking after myself, Mr Shankly. I am taking good care of myself, sir. Thank you, Mr Shankly …

That’s what I want to hear, son. That’s what I want to hear. And so what are you doing, son? What are you doing now?

Well, I’m having my breakfast, sir, said Emlyn Hughes.

That’s good, son. That’s very good. It’s the most important meal of the day, son. Your breakfast. You don’t want to be missing your breakfast. Good boy. Good lad.

I never do, sir, said Emlyn Hughes. I never miss my breakfast.

And so what do you eat, son? What are you eating for your breakfast today then?

Well, laughed Emlyn Hughes. I’m eating the Mrs Williams Special. The special Mrs Williams always makes us. Fried egg, bacon and some black pudding. Her full English special, sir …

Bill stammered, Bill stuttered. And Bill said, You what? Are you mental, son? Are you insane? That stuff will make you fat, that stuff will make you lazy. Make you stupid, son! A glass of orange juice and a slice of toast. That’s all you need for your breakfast, son. A glass of orange and a slice of toast. To keep you lean, to keep you hungry. When you play for Liverpool Football Club, when you play for the greatest football club there is, you need to be lean, you need to be hungry, son. Now pass this phone to that woman, son. Let me speak to her now. I want you lean, son. I want you hungry. Lean and hungry for Liverpool Football Club, son.

…

In the front room, in his chair. Bill dropped the newspaper. As soon as he had read the headline. Bill put on his coat, Bill put on his hat. As quickly as he could. Bill drove to Filbert Street, Leicester. As fast as he could. Bill met the directors of Leicester City Football Club. As soon as they could. Bill talked with the directors of Leicester City Football Club. Bill shook hands with the directors of Leicester City Football Club. Bill met Gordon Banks. As soon as he could. Bill talked with Gordon Banks. Bill shook hands with Gordon Banks. Bill travelled back to Anfield, Liverpool. As fast as he could. Bill met the directors of Liverpool Football Club. As soon as they could. And Bill said, I have met the directors of Leicester City Football Club. I have talked with the directors of Leicester City Football Club. I have shaken hands with the directors of Leicester City Football Club. I have met Gordon Banks. I have talked with Gordon Banks. I have shaken hands with Gordon Banks. And so the deal is done. The feat accomplished.

In the boardroom, the Anfield boardroom. The directors of Liverpool Football Club looked down the long table at Bill –

But how much do Leicester City want for Banks, Mr Shankly? How much must we pay for Gordon Banks?

Just sixty thousand pounds.

Sixty thousand pounds, repeated the directors of Liverpool Football Club. Just sixty thousand pounds? For a goalkeeper?

Bill nodded. And Bill said, Yes. Just sixty thousand pounds. But not just sixty thousand pounds for just any old goalkeeper. No. For the best goalkeeper in the country. The best goalkeeper in the world …

But you are always saying we already have the best goalkeeper in the country, Mr Shankly. You are always saying Tommy Lawrence is the best goalkeeper in the world …

Bill nodded again. And Bill said, Yes. Tommy Lawrence was the best goalkeeper in the country. But Tommy Lawrence is not the best goalkeeper in the country any more. Gordon Banks is the best goalkeeper in the country now. And not only in the country. In the world. You all know Gordon Banks has a World Cup winner’s medal. A World Cup winner’s medal!

Yes, we all know Gordon Banks has a World Cup winner’s medal, Mr Shankly. But sixty thousand pounds is still a lot of money for a goalkeeper. No football club has ever paid sixty thousand pounds for a goalkeeper …

Bill shook his head. And Bill said, But this is not just any goalkeeper. This is the best goalkeeper in the country we are talking about. This is the best goalkeeper in the world. With Gordon Banks in our side, with Gordon Banks in this Liverpool team, we will save twenty goals a season, at least twenty goals a season. And if we can save twenty goals a season, if Gordon Banks saves us twenty goals a season, then there will no stopping us, no stopping Liverpool Football Club. Sixty grand is a bargain. An absolute bargain!

Sixty thousand pounds is not a bargain, said the directors of Liverpool Football Club. Not for a goalkeeper. We think sixty thousand pounds is robbery, Mr Shankly. For a goalkeeper. It’s absolute robbery, Mr Shankly …

Bill stammered, Bill stuttered. And Bill said, You what? Are you all mental? Are you all insane? Sheffield Wednesday paid Stoke City seventy-five thousand pounds for John Ritchie. Tottenham Hotspur paid Blackburn Rovers ninety-five thousand pounds for Mike England. Chelsea paid Aston Villa one hundred thousand pounds for Tony Hateley. And need I remind you, that mob across the park, they paid one hundred and twelve thousand pounds for Alan Ball. One hundred and twelve thousand pounds! And so how on earth, how in God’s name, is sixty thousand pounds robbery for Gordon Banks? For the best goalkeeper in the world? How is that robbery?