David Peace - Red or Dead

before it pours.

…

In the house, in their front room. Bill did not watch the World Cup on the television. And Bill did not go to television studios. Bill did not sit on panels and talk about the World Cup in television studios. Bill went to work. And Bob Paisley, Reuben Bennett, Joe Fagan and Ronnie Moran went to work, too. Every day. They worked. Every day. They talked. Every day. They analysed. Every day. They discussed. The games Liverpool Football Club had played last season. The players who had played for Liverpool Football Club last season. The first-team players and the reserve-team players. The first team had played forty-two games; they had won twenty, drawn eleven and lost eleven of those forty-two games. They had scored sixty-five goals and they had conceded forty-two goals. They had gained fifty-one points and they had finished fifth in the First Division. The reserve team had played forty-two games, too; they had won twenty-eight, drawn twelve and lost two of those forty-two games. They had scored eighty-nine goals and they had conceded twenty goals. They had gained sixty-eight points and they had finished first in the Central League. Bill, Bob Reuben, Joe and Ronnie analysed every one of those games the first team had played, every one of those games the reserve team had played. Every day. Bill, Bob, Reuben, Joe and Ronnie discussed every player who had played for the first team in those games, every player who had played for the reserve team in those games. Every day. They analysed and they discussed. Who would be stepping down and who would be stepping up. Every day. Analysing and discussing. Every day. Who would be leaving and who would be staying. Every day. Who would be going and who would be coming. Every day. The old players and the new players. Liverpool Football Club had bought Jack Whitham from Sheffield Wednesday for fifty-seven thousand pounds; Liverpool Football Club had bought Steve Heighway from Skelmersdale United. Every day. Who would not be playing and who would be playing. Every day. In the season to come, in the games to come. Every day. Analysing and discussing. Every day. The season to come and the games to come. Every day. Bill, Bob, Reuben, Joe and Ronnie worked. Every day. Until they were prepared,

until they were ready.

…

At the stadium, in the office. At his desk, in his chair. Bill stared down at his book. His book of names, his book of notes. The last page of names, the last page of notes. And Bill read aloud the names on the page: Clemence, Lawler, Ross, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Callaghan, Evans, Graham, McLaughlin and Thompson. Bill put the book to one side. The book of names, the book of notes. Bill stood up. Bill walked over to the shelves. The shelves of books. The shelves of names and the shelves of notes. Bill took a book from the shelf. Another book of names, another book of notes. The names from last season, the notes from last season. Old names and old notes. Bill turned to the first page of the last season. The first page of names from the first game of last season. And Bill read aloud the names on the page: Lawrence, Lawler, Strong, Smith, Yeats, Hughes, Callaghan, Hunt, Graham, St John and Thompson. Bill closed the book. The book from last season. The book of old names, the book of old notes. Bill put it back on the shelf. The shelf of names, the shelf of notes. Old names and old notes. Bill walked back to his desk. Bill sat back down. At his desk, in his chair. Bill stared back down at the book on his desk. Again. The book of names, the book of notes. New names and new notes. The names for the new season, the notes for this season. The last page of names, the last page of notes. And again. Bill read aloud the names on the page: Clemence, Lawler, Ross, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Callaghan, Evans, Graham, McLaughlin and Thompson. Bill swallowed. Bill knew five of the names on the first page of the new season were not the same as five of the names on the first page of last season. Five new names for five old names. At his desk, in his chair. Bill swallowed again. Bill knew Liverpool Football Club had finished fifth in the First Division. Last season, in the old season. Bill knew Liverpool Football Club had finished nowhere. Last season, in the old season. Bill closed the book. The book of names, the book of notes. The book of new names, the book of new notes. At his desk, in his chair. Bill closed his eyes. His old eyes. Bill was sick of finishing nowhere. In the last seasons, in the old seasons. Sick of finishing nowhere, sick of winning nothing –

Sick and bloody tired.

…

On the bench, the bench at Turf Moor. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club beat Burnley Football Club two — one. On the bench, the bench at Bloomfield Road. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club draw nil — nil with Blackpool Football Club. On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill watched John McLaughlin score his first goal for Liverpool Football Club on his home debut for Liverpool Football Club. John McLaughlin was eighteen years old. And Bill watched Liverpool Football Club beat Huddersfield Town four — nil. On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill watched Ray Clemence jump to catch a header. Clemence misjudge the header. The header drop over Clemence. And into the net. And Bill watched Liverpool Football Club draw one-all with Crystal Palace Football Club. On the bench, the bench at the Hawthorns. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club draw one-all with West Bromwich Albion. On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club draw one-all with Manchester United. On the bench, the bench at Field Mill. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club draw nil — nil with Mansfield Town of the Third Division in the Second Round of the Football League Cup. On the bench, the bench at St James’ Park. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club draw nil — nil with Newcastle United. Another draw,

another bloody draw.

On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club beat Ferencvárosi Torna Club of Budapest, Hungary, one — nil in the first leg of the First Round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club beat Nottingham Forest three — nil. On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club beat Mansfield Town of the Third Division three — two after extra time in the replay of the Second Round of the Football League Cup. And in the dressing room. The Liverpool dressing room. Bill looked from player to player. From Clemence to Lawler, Lawler to Lindsay, Lindsay to Smith, Smith to Lloyd, Lloyd to Hughes, Hughes to Hall, Hall to Evans, Evans to Graham, Graham to McLaughlin and from McLaughlin to Heighway. And Bill smiled. And Bill said, Well played, boys. Well played indeed. And you have learnt a lesson tonight, boys. A few very important lessons. You’ve learnt to never underestimate any team you play, boys. And you’ve learnt never to surrender any game you play. You have learnt to always keep trying, boys. To always keep struggling. To never give in and to never give up. That’s what I saw out there today, boys. I saw you never give in and never give up. And so I am proud of you, boys. Very, very proud of you. Of the way you learnt those lessons and of the way you played tonight …

On the bench, the bench at the Dell. Bill watched Alec Lindsay score. An own goal. And Bill watched Liverpool Football Club lose one — nil to Southampton Football Club. It was Liverpool Football Club’s first defeat of the 1970–71 season. On the bench, the bench in the Nep Stadium in Budapest, Hungary. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club beat Ferencvárosi Torna Club of Budapest, Hungary, two — one on aggregate in the First Round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club beat Chelsea Football Club one — nil. On the bench, the bench at the County Ground. Bill watched Trollope sprint thirty yards down the wing. And Trollope crossed the ball. The ball dropped at the feet of Rogers. Rogers moved across the face of the goal. The Liverpool goal. Rogers took Clemence with him across the goal. And Rogers shot. And Rogers scored. Two minutes later, Bill watched Dangerfield pass to Rogers. And again Rogers moved across the face of the goal. The Liverpool goal. Again Rogers took Clemence with him. And again Rogers shot. And again Rogers scored. And on the bench, the bench at the County Ground. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club of the First Division lose two — nil to Swindon Town of the Second Division in the Third Round of the Football League Cup. And in the dressing room. The away dressing room. Bill looked from player to player. From Ray Clemence to Chris Lawler, from Chris to Alec Lindsay, from Alec to Tommy Smith, from Tommy to Larry Lloyd, from Larry to Emlyn Hughes, from Emlyn to Brian Hall, from Brian to Alun Evans, from Alun to Steve Heighway, from Steve to Doug Livermore and from Doug to Jack Whitham. And Bill saw the sadness. The wounds of sadness. And Bill saw the hurt. The wounds of hurt. Bill saw the wounds. And Bill felt the fear. Their wounds and their fear. And Bill smiled. And Bill said, There will always be times when we get beaten, boys. There will always be times when we lose. But the important thing is what we take away from that beating, what we learn when we lose, boys. Because we’ll always learn more from a defeat than a victory. Remember that, boys. Remember that. And learn it, boys. And I’ll see you all tomorrow. First thing tomorrow, boys –