David Peace - Red or Dead

to believe in salvation. At last, at last –

Bill believed again. At last,

at last. Bill believed

again.

…

On the bench, the bench at the Sechzger Stadion, Munich. Three days before the semi-final of the FA Cup. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club play Fußball-Club Bayern München e.V. of West Germany in the second leg of the quarter-final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. But Brian Hall did not start the game. Steve Heighway did not start the game. And Peter Thompson did not start the game. Bill had rested Hall, Heighway and Thompson. Ian Callaghan, John McLaughlin and Ian Ross started the game. And in the seventy-fifth minute, Ian Ross scored. Minutes later, Schneider equalised for Fußball-Club Bayern München e.V. of West Germany. But it didn’t count, it didn’t matter. Liverpool Football Club of England beat Fußball-Club Bayern München e.V. of West Germany four — one on aggregate in the quarter-final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. And Liverpool Football Club were through to the semi-final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Through to another semi-final,

for a place in another final,

a European final.

…

On the bench, the bench at Old Trafford. Bill and sixty-two thousand, one hundred and forty-four Merseyside folk were watching Liverpool Football Club play Everton Football Club in the semi-final of the FA Cup. The last time Liverpool Football Club had played Everton Football Club in the semi-final of the FA Cup, Bob Paisley had scored for Liverpool Football Club. And Liverpool Football Club had beaten Everton Football Club. And Liverpool Football Club had reached the final of the FA Cup. But that afternoon, history was not the only thing against Everton Football Club. Four days before, Everton Football Club had played Panathinaikos of Greece in the European Cup. Panathinaikos of Greece had spat in the faces of the players of Everton Football Club. Panathinaikos of Greece had tried to gouge out the eyes of the players of Everton Football Club. Panathinaikos of Greece had stuck their fingers in the eyes of the players of Everton Football Club. And Panathinaikos of Greece had knocked Everton Football Club out of the European Cup. Everton Football Club had returned from Greece beaten. Beaten and dejected. Dejected and ill. That afternoon, Harry Catterick, the manager of Everton Football Club, did not come to Old Trafford, Manchester. That afternoon, Harry Catterick was ill. Harry Catterick had caught bronchitis in Greece. People said history was against Everton Football Club. And people said the omens were against Everton Football Club. But Bill did not believe the past dictated the present. And Bill did not believe in omens. Good omens or bad omens. And in the eleventh minute, Royle passed to Morrissey. Morrissey crossed from the left. Ray Clemence came for the cross. Clemence misjudged the cross. The cross fell to Whittle. Whittle flicked on the cross. Ball met the flick. And Ball shot and Ball scored. But the supporters of Liverpool Football Club did not fall silent. They did not surrender. The Stretford End awash with banners, a sea of red. Liverpool red. The Stretford End a crescendo of noise, a chorus of song. Red songs, Liverpool songs. And the players of Liverpool Football Club did not surrender. The players of Liverpool Football Club kept coming and coming, attacking and attacking. But at half-time in the semi-final of the FA Cup, Everton Football Club were beating Liverpool Football Club –

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 Callaghan, Callaghan to Evans, Evans to Heighway, Heighway to Toshack and from Toshack to Hall. And Bill said, Come on, boys. Come on. You’re playing too many high balls, boys. Keep the ball on the grass, the ball on the pitch. Where football is meant to be played, boys. Where God wants it played. On the grass and on the pitch, boys. You’d need a ladder to get to some of these balls. So come on, boys. Come on. Play to your strengths, boys. Play to your talents. On the grass and on the pitch, boys. And so keep the ball down. On the grass and on the pitch, boys. Where it belongs. Where God wants it played, boys. And where I want it played!

Back on the bench, the bench at Old Trafford. Five minutes into the second half of the semi-final of the FA Cup, Bill watched Brian Labone pull up. His hamstring tight, his game finished. And five minutes later, Bill watched Tommy Smith pass long down the left to Steve Heighway. On the ground. Heighway raced down the left, Heighway accelerated down the left. On the ground. Faster and faster. Turning past Brown, turning past Wright. On the ground. Heighway passed to Alun Evans. On the ground. Evans shot and Evans scored. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club roared and roared. Louder, still louder. And the players of Liverpool Football Club came and came. Attacked and attacked. Harder, still harder. And fifteen minutes later, Evans crossed from the left. Rankin jumped and John Toshack jumped. Rankin partially touched the ball and Rankin partially cleared the ball. But the ball fell to Brian Hall. On the ground. Hall hooked the ball. Into the net and into a goal. And Liverpool Football Club beat Everton Football Club two — one in the semi-final of the FA Cup. Liverpool Football Club were in the final of the FA Cup. And on the Stretford End, awash with banners, in a sea of red, the supporters of Liverpool Football Club cheered. The supporters of Liverpool Football Club sang. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club roared, We’re going to win the Cup! We’re going to win the Cup! Ee-aye-addio, we’re going to win the Cup! Again and again. They cheered and they cheered. Again and again. They sang and they sang. Again and again. They roared and they roared, WE’RE GOING TO WIN THE CUP! WE’RE GOING TO WIN THE CUP! EE-AYE-ADDIO, WE’RE GOING TO WIN THE CUP!

…

In the house, in their hall. The letters started coming again. The first post and the second post. The letters always coming. The letters asking for tickets. Cup Final tickets. And Bill answered them all. Bill apologised to them all. And in the house, at their door. The callers started knocking again. Early in morning, late in the evening. The callers always knocking. The callers begging for tickets. Cup Final tickets. And Bill answered them all. Bill apologised to them all. And in the house, in their hall. The telephone ringing. Early in the morning, late in the evening. The telephone always ringing. The calls pleading for tickets. Cup Final tickets. And Bill answered them all. Bill apologised to them all. In the house, in their hall. The telephone still ringing. Bill put on his coat. In the house, in their hall. The telephone still ringing. Bill opened the front door. In the house, in their hall. The telephone still ringing. Bill put on his hat. And Bill stepped outside. Bill closed the door. The telephone still ringing. Bill walked down the drive. In the street, children spotted him. The children called out to him. Bill waved at them. And the children asked him for tickets. Cup Final tickets. And Bill apologised to them. And Bill got into his car. Bill drove down the West Derby Road. On the pavements, people spotted him. People waved at him. And Bill waved back. People begged him for tickets. Cup Final tickets. And Bill apologised to them. Bill turned onto Belmont Road. Again. People waved at him. Again. Bill waved back. Again. People pleaded for tickets. Cup Final tickets. Again. Bill apologised to them. Bill turned into the car park at Anfield Road. There were crowds of people in the car park at Anfield Road. Among the builders, among the scaffolding. Bill parked his car. And Bill got out of his car. The crowds of people saw Bill. The crowds of people rushed to Bill. And the crowds of people asked Bill for tickets. Cup Final tickets. They begged and they pleaded. Bill pushed through the crowds of people. And Bill apologised. And he apologised and he apologised. And Bill went inside Anfield. The telephones ringing. Bill went up the stairs. The telephones ringing. Bill went down the corridor. The telephones ringing. Bill opened his office door. The telephones ringing. Bill went into his office. The telephone on his desk ringing. Bill took off his hat. The telephone ringing. Bill hung up his hat. The telephone ringing. Bill took off his coat. The telephone ringing. Bill hung up his coat. The telephone ringing. Bill walked around the bags of mail standing on the floor. The telephone ringing. The bags and bags of mail. The telephone ringing. The mountain of bags and bags of mail. The telephone ringing. Bill sat down at his desk. The telephone ringing. Bill picked up the telephone on his desk. And Bill said, Bill Shankly speaking. What can I do for you?