David Peace - Red or Dead

Don Revie looked up at the sky. The Yorkshire sky. And then Don Revie looked down at the ground. The Yorkshire ground –

Thank you, Bill. Thank you very much. That’s very kind of you, Bill. That’s very generous of you. Thank you, Bill …

Bill shrugged. And Bill said, But I’ll tell you this, Don. If you’re hoping to win this cup, then you’ll have to try and attack –

On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill and thirty-eight thousand, four hundred and twenty-seven folk were watching Liverpool Football Club play Southampton Football Club in the last League game of the 1970–71 season. Among the building work, among the scaffolding. In the thirtieth minute, Emlyn Hughes scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Southampton Football Club one — nil in the last League game of the season. At home, at Anfield. Among the building work and among the scaffolding. The supporters of Liverpool Football Club applauded the players of Liverpool Football Club. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club saluted the manager of Liverpool Football Club. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club sang, We’re going to win the Cup! We’re going to win the Cup! Ee-aye-addio, we’re going to win the Cup! They sang and they roared, EE-AYE-ADDIO, 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 temporary office. Because of the alterations to Anfield, because of the improvements to Anfield. Bill picked up the telephone. Again. And Bill said, Bill Shankly speaking. What can I do for you?

Hello, Bill. It’s me, Bob. I’m at Scunthorpe with Reuben. We’re watching this lad Keegan. And we should sign him. Immediately, Bill. Now. Tonight. This very minute …

And Bill said, Thanks, Bob. That’s all I wanted to hear. All I wanted to know, Bob. Thank you very much.

Bill put down the telephone. Bill picked up the telephone again. And Bill dialled a number. Bill listened to the telephone on the other end of the line ring. Bill listened to the voice on the other end of the line. And then Bill said, Good evening, Mr Roberts. And I’m very sorry to call you at home, at this hour. But I want us to buy this boy Keegan from Scunthorpe United. I want us to sign him now. Tonight. This very night. This very minute …

In the temporary office, the very next day. Bill put down the telephone on his desk. Again. And Bill got up from his desk. The telephone ringing again. Bill walked around the bags and bags of mail. The telephone ringing. The mountain of bags and bags of mail. The telephone ringing. Bill went out of his temporary office. The telephone still ringing. Bill walked down the corridor. The telephones ringing, all the telephones ringing. Bill opened the door. The telephones still ringing. And Bill saw this boy Keegan. This boy Keegan sat on a dustbin outside Anfield. Among the building work, among the scaffolding. Bill shook hands with this boy Keegan. And Bill said, Welcome to Anfield, son. Now for your medical …

Kevin Keegan got off the dustbin. Kevin Keegan followed Bill across the car park. Through the building work, through the scaffolding. Kevin Keegan got into Bill’s car. And Bill drove this boy Keegan to the surgery of the doctor of Liverpool Football Club. Bill not looking at the road, Bill looking at this boy Keegan. Bill saying, You’ll like it here, son. You’ll love it here. The best club in the country, the best supporters in the land, son. The players we have, the Kop we have. The best in the world, son …

At the doctor’s, in the surgery. Bill watched this boy Keegan have his medical. Bill watched this boy Keegan pass his medical. And then Bill said, Right, back to Anfield. Back to my office, son. So you can sign your contract. So you can join Liverpool Football Club.

In the temporary office. Bill looked across his desk at this boy Keegan. And Bill said, We can offer you forty-five pounds a week, son.

Kevin Keegan looked down at the contract on the desk. Kevin Keegan looked down at the pen on the contract on the desk. And Kevin Keegan looked away. Kevin Keegan shifted in his seat.

Is something wrong, son? Something on your mind?

Well, to be honest with you, said Kevin Keegan, I’m on thirty-five pounds a week now at Scunthorpe, sir. And so I was hoping for a little bit more. But I hope you don’t think I’m being cheeky or greedy, sir. I hope you don’t think I’m being ungrateful. But my father always tells me I should try to better myself, sir. If I can, whenever I can.

And what does your father do, son? What’s his job?

He was a miner, said Kevin Keegan. But he cannot work now. Because of his bronchitis. Because of the dust.

Bill looked at this boy Keegan. And Bill nodded. And Bill said, Well, you do right to listen to him, son. Because that man knows graft. That man knows work, son. And so I can offer you fifty pounds.

Kevin Keegan smiled. Kevin Keegan picked up the pen –

Thank you, sir. Thank you very, very much.

Bill leant across the desk. Bill put his hand on the contract. And Bill said, But remember this, son. If you do it for Liverpool Football Club, if you do it for the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. Then you will never have to ask me for another rise again.

Kevin Keegan nodded. Kevin Keegan signed the contract. Kevin Keegan shook hands with Bill. And Bill gave Kevin Keegan a list of landladies and digs. Bill told Kevin Keegan to report for training tomorrow. And Bill told Kevin Keegan he’d be travelling with Liverpool Football Club to Wembley. To watch the Cup Final. And then Bill gave Kevin Keegan two tickets for the Cup Final. For his family. His father. And Bill said, But don’t lose them, son. These tickets are like gold. And so don’t be selling them either!

Bill watched Kevin Keegan bounce out of his office, his temporary office. And Bill walked over to the filing cabinet. Bill switched on the radio. Bill walked back over to his desk. Bill sat back down at his desk. And Bill began to answer letters from the bags and bags of mail. The mountain of bags and bags of mail. And Bill listened to the match on the radio as he typed. The match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal Football Club. And Bill listened to Arsenal Football Club beat Tottenham Hotspur one — nil. Bill listened to Arsenal Football Club become Champions of England. For a record eighth time. And Bill stopped typing. Bill picked up the telephone on his desk. The telephone which had been lying on his desk, off the hook. And Bill dialled White Hart Lane, London. And Bill asked to be put through to the dressing room. The away dressing room, the Arsenal dressing room. And Bill said, Hello, Bertram. It’s only me. It’s only Bill. Just to say congratulations, Bertram. Just to say well done. Very well done indeed. I could not be more happy for you, Bertram. More pleased …

Thank you, said Bertie Mee. Thank you very much, Bill. It’s the greatest moment of my life. And to win it with a goal, Bill. And not a draw. It’s just the best feeling in the world, Bill. And I know the North did not think we could do it. But we showed you, Bill. We showed the North. And this is just what we needed, Bill. Before Saturday. The very thing we needed. Before the final, Bill …

Bill smiled. And Bill said, Well, enjoy it, Bertie. Enjoy it while it lasts. Because you’ll get a much tougher game on Saturday, Bertie. I can promise you that. I promise you that.

…

On their bus, their Liverpool bus. On their way, up Wembley Way. With a bus behind them, an empty bus behind them. Just in case. Just like before. Nothing left to chance. No shocks and no surprises. Everything planned, everything prepared. On their bus, their Liverpool bus. On their way, up Wembley Way. At the front of their bus, in his seat. Bill looked out through the window. Into a sea of red, into a world of red. Just like before. Red scarves and red flags, red banners and red songs. Everywhere Bill looked, everywhere Bill turned. Just like before. A Red Sea, a Red World. Just like before.