David Peace - Red or Dead

John Ritchie is not a goalkeeper, said the directors of Liverpool Football Club. John Ritchie is a striker. Mike England is not a goalkeeper, Mike England is a defender. Tony Hateley is not a goalkeeper, Tony Hateley is a striker. And Alan Ball is not a goalkeeper, Alan Ball is a midfielder. But Gordon Banks is a goalkeeper. Just a goalkeeper. And we will not pay sixty thousand pounds for a goalkeeper, Mr Shankly. We simply will not pay.

Bill looked down the long table at the directors of Liverpool Football Club. Bill shook his head. And Bill said, Well, I will tell you this. Without a better goalkeeper, without Gordon Banks, Liverpool Football Club will not win the League again. And so Liverpool Football Club will not play in the European Cup again. And so Liverpool Football Club will not win the European Cup. Not ever. Not without a better keeper. Not without Gordon Banks.

…

On the bench, their bench at Goodison Park. Bill was watching, watching with the sixty-four thousand, eight hundred and fifty-one folk inside Goodison Park, watching with the forty thousand, one hundred and forty-nine folk inside Anfield, the forty thousand, one hundred and forty-nine folk watching on closed-circuit television, on eight giant screens, inside Anfield –

Watching, watching –

On the bench, their bench at Goodison Park. In a gale of paper, in a tunnel of noise. Bill watched Everton Football Club harry Liverpool Football Club, Bill watched Everton Football Cub hound Liverpool Football Club. And in the last minute of the first half, Bill watched Yeats fail to clear. Bill watched Milne pass back to Lawrence, Husband harrying Lawrence. Bill watched Lawrence fail to collect the ball, Husband hounding Lawrence. Bill watched Lawrence fail to gather the ball, Alan Ball collecting the ball on the byline, Alan Ball gathering the ball on the byline. And from the byline, from the most difficult of angles, Bill watched Alan Ball hook the ball over Tommy Lawrence and into the net, into a goal. The only goal, the only difference. In a gale of paper, in a tunnel of noise. Bill knew Alan Ball was the difference between Everton Football Club and Liverpool Football Club. The only difference and the only reason. In a gale of paper, in a tunnel of noise. Bill knew Alan Ball was the reason Everton Football Club beat Liverpool Football Club one — nil in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup. In a gale of paper, in a tunnel of noise. The only reason Liverpool Football Club were out of the FA Cup. Out of another cup. Out, out –

Again.

…

In the boardroom, the Anfield boardroom. Bill looked down the long table at the directors of Liverpool Football Club. And Bill said, You would not give me the money to buy Alan Ball from Blackpool. Everton bought Alan Ball from Blackpool. You would not give me the money to buy Howard Kendall from Preston North End. Everton bought Howard Kendall from Preston. You would not give me the money to buy Gordon Banks from Leicester City. Stoke City bought Gordon Banks from Leicester. But today I hope you will give me the money to buy Emlyn Hughes from Blackpool Football Club.

And how much do the directors of Blackpool Football Club want for Hughes, asked the directors of Liverpool Football Club.

Bill said, Sixty-five thousand pounds. But Emlyn Hughes is not a goalkeeper. Emlyn Hughes is a defender. But Emlyn Hughes could also be a midfielder. He is versatile and he is talented. Very, very versatile and very, very talented. And I tell you this. I believe he will play for England. I believe he will be the captain of England. I believe he can be the captain of Liverpool Football Club. I believe he can be a rock for Liverpool Football Club. A great, great captain and a great, great rock. A rock on which we can build. For a great future and for great success. With this boy in our side, with this boy in our team.

The directors of Liverpool Football Club nodded. And the directors of Liverpool Football Club smiled –

You have sold this boy to us, Mr Shankly. And so we agree to your request. We will pay Blackpool Football Club sixty-five thousand pounds for Hughes, Mr Shankly.

Bill raised his eyebrows. Bill sighed. And Bill said, Thank you.

The directors of Liverpool Football Club smiled again. And the directors of Liverpool Football Club picked up a piece of paper from the long table. And the directors of Liverpool Football Club passed the piece of paper all the way down the long table to Bill –

There was one other thing, Mr Shankly. Just one other thing. We’d like to offer you this, Mr Shankly. This is a new contract. A new five-year contract for you, Mr Shankly.

Bill looked down at the piece of paper. And Bill said, But I have a contract. And I still have one year left on my contract.

The directors of Liverpool Football Club nodded again. The directors of Liverpool Football Club smiled again –

We know, Mr Shankly. We know you do. But we also know how very important you are to Liverpool Football Club. How very, very important you are, Mr Shankly. So we do not want you to feel any doubt, Mr Shankly. We do not want you to feel any uncertainty. Any doubt at all, any uncertainty at all. So we would like to offer you a new contract, a new five-year contract now. For your peace of mind, Mr Shankly. Your own peace of mind …

Bill looked back up from the piece of paper. Bill looked back down the long table at the directors of Liverpool Football Club. And Bill said, Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you very much. I appreciate your concern for my peace of mind. And I appreciate your commitment to me. And so I will take this contract home with me today. And I will consider this contract. I’ll consider it very carefully.

…

At the ground or at their house. In the office or in their kitchen. At his desk or at their table. With the papers and with his books. His books of names, his books of notes. With the glue and with the scissors. Bill kept turning the pages, Bill kept turning the pages. The pages of the papers, the pages of his books. His books of names and his books of notes. Backwards and forwards, forwards and backwards. Liverpool Football Club were third in the First Division, Liverpool Football Club were second in the First Division, Liverpool Football Club were third in the First Division. Backwards and forwards, forwards and backwards. Third and then fourth, fourth and then fifth. Backwards and backwards, backwards and backwards, backwards and backwards.

…

In the house, in their hallway. Bill put down the telephone. Bill stood in the hallway. Bill looked at the front door, Bill looked at the cupboard door. Inside the cupboard was his coat, inside the cupboard was his hat. But Bill walked back into the front room. Bill sat back down in his armchair. Bill looked over at Ness. And Bill smiled.

Who was that, asked Ness. On the phone, love?

Bill said, It was the chairman of Aston Villa.

Oh, said Ness. And what did he want, love?

He wanted me to pop down for a chat.

Where is Aston Villa, asked Ness.

They are in Birmingham.

Oh, said Ness again. I’ve never been to Birmingham. What kind of place is Birmingham? Is it a big place?

Bill said, Yes. It’s a very big city.

Well, are you going, asked Ness. To Birmingham?

No, love. I don’t think I am. Not today.

Ness stood up. And Ness smiled –

That’s good, love. Well, I’ll go and put the kettle on then. I’ll make us both a nice cup of tea. How about that, love?

Bill smiled again. And Bill said, That sounds great, love. Thank you. Thank you very much, love.

Ness got up from her chair. Ness went out into the kitchen. Bill could hear her filling the kettle. Bill could hear her lighting the cooker. And Bill could hear one of their girls upstairs. Playing her records. And Bill could hear the kids outside. Playing their games. And in their home, in his chair. Bill closed his eyes. And in his mind, in his ears. Bill could hear the crowd. The Anfield crowd, the Spion Kop. Now all Bill could hear was LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL.