Red or Dead (28 page)

Bill turned again. Bill spied the manager. The hotel manager walking backwards out of the dining room. Bill caught the manager. And Bill said, And where do you think you are going? You are a cheat and you are a liar. Telling my boys, telling me, there was no Coca-Cola. When we had ordered Coca-Cola and we had paid for Coca-Cola. You should be ashamed of yourself. You are a disgrace to International Socialism. You are a disgrace to your party. An absolute disgrace. And I am going to report you. Report you to the Kremlin, sir!

Bill turned back to the players. And Bill said, This is abroad, boys. This is Europe. Never forget that, always remember that. So it is always a conspiracy, boys. Always a war of nerves …

In the car park of the Ploieşti Municipal Stadium in Ploieşti, in Prahova County, in Romania. Bill and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club got off their bus. Bill and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club went inside the Ploieşti Municipal Stadium. Bill and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club walked into the dressing room at the Ploieşti Municipal Stadium, the away dressing room. Bill and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club looked around the dressing room at the Ploieşti Municipal Stadium, the away dressing room. Bill and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club saw the mud and the puddles on the floor of the dressing room. Bill and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club saw the bloody bandages and the soiled towels on the benches of the dressing room. The old strips of Elastoplast, the cold cups of tea. Bill and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club opened the door to the toilets in the dressing room at the Ploieşti Municipal Stadium. Bill and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club smelt the piss and the shit. Bill and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club saw the piss on the floor and the shit in the toilets. And Bill told the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club to go back out to their bus in the car park of the Ploieşti Municipal Stadium. And then Bill found the officials of Fotbal Club Petrolul Ploieşti. And Bill said, The toilets have not been cleaned. The dressing room has not been cleaned. It is a disgrace. And it is degrading. And if the dressing room is not cleaned, if the toilets are not disinfected, then we will go back to Liverpool. We will go back home. And we will report you, report Fotbal Club Petrolul
Ploieşti, report you to UEFA and to FIFA and to the world …

Fifteen minutes later, Bill and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club got back off their bus again. Bill and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club went back into the dressing room, the away dressing room again. The clean dressing room, the disinfected toilets. And now the players of Liverpool Football Club changed into their kits and into their boots. And then the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club sat down on the benches in the dressing room, the away dressing room.

Ten minutes before kick-off, the lights went out in the dressing room, the away dressing room. For ten minutes, Bill and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club sat in the dark and waited for the kick-off. And waited –

After thirty-six minutes, in a vicious game, Moldoveanu scored. After fifty minutes, in a vicious game, Roger Hunt equalised. After fifty-nine minutes, in a vicious game, Boc scored. And then Dridea scored. And after eighty-nine minutes, in a vicious game, Dridea was through again, certain to score again. But in the eighty-ninth minute, in this vicious game, Yeats tackled Dridea. And Dridea did not score again. But on Wednesday 12 October, 1966, at the Ploieşti Municipal Stadium, in a vicious game, Fotbal Club Petrolul Ploieşti beat Liverpool Football Club three–one. In the First Round of the European Cup, Fotbal Club Petrolul Ploieşti and Liverpool Football Club had drawn the tie three-all. In the European Cup, away goals did not count double. In the First Round of the European Cup, Fotbal Club Petrolul Ploieşti and Liverpool Football Club would have to play another match, another game. At a neutral ground,

on foreign soil. On the bench, their bench at the Heysel Stadium, in Brussels, in Belgium. Bill watched and Bill waited. And after thirteen minutes, Roger Hunt put Ian St John through. And St John scored. And after forty-three minutes, Peter Thompson beat three men. Thompson passed to St John. St John passed to Geoff Strong. Strong shot. And the ball rebounded off a defender. But Thompson got to the ball first. Thompson shot. And Thompson scored. And at a neutral ground, on foreign soil, Liverpool Football Club beat Fotbal Club Petrolul Ploieşti two–nil in the First Round play-off of the European Cup. And Liverpool Football Club were through to the
Second Round of the European Cup.

…

Before the house, on their doorstep. In the night and in the silence. Bill unlocked the front door. In the night and in the silence. Bill opened the door. In the night and in the silence. Bill stepped into the house. In the dark and in the silence. Bill closed the door. In the dark and in the silence. Bill put down his suitcase in the hallway. In the dark and in the silence. Bill walked down the hallway to the kitchen. In the dark and in the silence. Bill switched on the light. In the kitchen, at their table. Bill sat down. In the kitchen, at their table. Bill looked around the room. In the kitchen, at their table. Bill saw the cooker and the fridge. In the kitchen, at their table. Bill saw the kettle and the pans. In the kitchen, at their table. Bill saw the cups and the plates. In the kitchen, at their table. Bill smelt the air, Bill felt the warmth. The air of their house, the warmth of their home. And Bill smiled. Bill smiled.

On Saturday 29 October, 1966, Liverpool Football Club travelled to the Victoria Ground, Stoke. And Liverpool Football Club lost two–nil to Stoke City Football Club. That evening, the Champions of the Football League were ninth in the First Division.

On Saturday 5 November, 1966, Nottingham Forest came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, forty thousand, six hundred and twenty-four folk came, too. In the sixteenth minute, Geoff Strong scored. In the sixty-second minute, Roger Hunt scored. In the
seventy-third
minute, Peter Thompson scored. And two minutes later, Hunt scored again. And Liverpool Football Club beat Nottingham Forest four–nil. At home, at Anfield. Four days afterwards, Burnley Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That evening, fifty thousand, one hundred and twenty-four folk came, too. In the fourth minute, Chris Lawler scored. In the eighty-ninth minute, Peter Thompson scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Burnley Football Club two–nil. At home, at Anfield. Three days later, Liverpool Football Club travelled to St James’ Park, Newcastle. In the twenty-second minute, Ian St
John scored. In the sixty-fifth minute, Roger Hunt scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Newcastle United two–nil. That evening, Chelsea Football Club had twenty-three points. And Chelsea Football Club were first in the First Division. That evening, the Champions of the Football League had twenty-one points. The Champions second in the First Division.

On Saturday 19 November, 1966, Leeds United came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, fifty-one thousand and fourteen folk came, too. In the forty-third minute, Chris Lawler scored. In the fifty-seventh minute, Peter Thompson scored. In the seventy-fifth minute, Geoff Strong scored. In the eighty-third minute, Ian St John scored. And in the eighty-ninth minute, Strong scored again. And Liverpool Football Club beat Leeds United five–nil. At home, at Anfield. Don Revie tried to walk down the touchline. The Anfield touchline. Don Revie tried to shake the hand of Bill Shankly. And Don Revie said, That first goal, just before the interval, that was a lucky goal, Bill. And then after your second goal, we were too brazen, we were too cavalier. Too intent on chasing the game, too intent on winning the match. So your last three goals, Bill. The last three Liverpool goals. They give an unrealistic look to the actual game, an untrue picture of the actual match. Five–nil is no real reflection of the game. Five–nil is no true reflection of either Leeds United or Liverpool. And so I have to say, Bill. I have to say we were unlucky, very unlucky today. And you were lucky, very lucky today …

Lucky, said Bill Shankly. You think we were lucky? Well, I think you need your eyes testing, Don. That was not luck you saw today, that was the finest side in England since the war you saw. The very finest! You were not beaten by bad luck, Don. You were beaten by the best team in England. The best-ever team in England. And in Europe, Don. In Europe.

…

On Wednesday 7 December, 1966, Liverpool Football Club arrived at the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. In the fog, the heavy, wet blanket of fog. From out across the North Sea, in across the city. Clinging to their clothes, sticking to their skin. Bill Shankly and Rinus Michels, the manager of Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax NV, the referee, his linesmen and the UEFA observer walked down one tunnel.
And then down another tunnel. A one-hundred-foot tunnel of unbreakable glass. To stop bottles hitting the players as they walked out onto the pitch. Bill Shankly, Rinus Michels, the referee, the linesmen and the UEFA observer walked out onto the pitch. There were coils of barbed wire around the pitch. To stop Dutch ‘Provos’ from invading the pitch. Bill Shankly, Rinus Michels, the referee, the linesmen and the UEFA observer stood in the centre circle of the pitch. No one could see the coils of barbed wire around the pitch. No one could see anything. The heavy, wet blanket of fog had smothered the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. Now it smothered Bill Shankly, Rinus Michels, the referee, the linesmen and the UEFA observer. It wrapped them in its heavy, wet blanket. Smothering them and blinding them –

I cannot see a thing, said Bill Shankly. Not a single thing! This game cannot be played. The match should be postponed. I am worried we’ll not get home. The airport is already closed. I don’t know how we’ll get home. We have to play Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday. It is a crucial game for us, a vital match for us. I do not want us to be delayed. I do not want us to be unprepared. So this game should be called off. The match postponed. Until next week …

The referee stared into the fog, the heavy, wet blanket of fog. The referee nodded. And the referee said, If we can see from goal to goal, then the game can go ahead. But I cannot see from goal to goal, so the game cannot go ahead. The match must be postponed. But the forecast is for the fog to clear, the fog to lift. And so we can play the match tomorrow. Back here, tomorrow night …

You what, said Bill Shankly. I told you, we cannot hang around. We cannot wait another day in Amsterdam. We have to play United, Manchester United, on Saturday. It is a crucial game, it is a vital match. We have to get back home tonight, back home to Liverpool tonight …

But the UEFA observer shook his head. And the UEFA observer said, There is a different rule in Holland. In Holland, if you can see from the halfway line to the goal, then the game can still be played. That is the rule in Holland. And I can see from here in the centre circle to each goal. So the match need not be postponed. The game can still be played. And played tonight –

Before the whistle, the first whistle. In the dressing room, the away dressing room at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam. Bill
Shankly looked around the room. The Liverpool dressing room. From player to player. From Lawrence to Lawler, Lawler to Graham, Graham to Smith, Smith to Yeats, Yeats to Stevenson, Stevenson to Callaghan, Callaghan to Hunt, Hunt to St John, St John to Strong and from Strong to Thompson –

The game is not being postponed, said Bill Shankly. The match is being played. Well, more fool them, boys. More fool them, I say. This lot could not hold a candle to us if they could see us. So they are going to need a thousand candles out there tonight. Because who has ever heard of Ajax Football Club, boys? No one I know. Two seasons ago, this lot were almost relegated. Into the Dutch toilet. And that’s what I thought Ajax was, boys. A detergent for cleaning your toilet. My only worry tonight, my only fear tonight, is how on earth we are going to get out of here, boys. How we are going to get back home. We’ve got United on Saturday, boys. So I don’t want you stuck in airports. I want you rested, boys. I want you ready. So once the game is done, boys. Once this match is won. Make sure you get back here sharpish, boys. And let’s be getting back. Getting back and getting home, boys …

After the whistle, the first whistle. On the bench, their bench in the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett stared out into the fog, the heavy, wet blanket of fog. They could hear the crowd. The sixty-five thousand people inside the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. But they could not see the crowd. The sixty-five thousand people inside the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. In the fog, the heavy, wet fog. They could barely see the halfway line on the pitch before them. But in the third minute, white-shirted Dutchmen appeared like ghosts before them. From out of the fog, the heavy, wet fog. Swart saw Groot, Swart passed to Groot. Groot saw De Wolf, Groot crossed to De Wolf. De Wolf saw the ball, De Wolf saw the net. And De Wolf saw the goal. De Wolf headed the ball. Into the net, into a goal. In the fog, the heavy, wet fog. On the bench, their bench in the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett heard the clapping. But still they could see nothing, still nothing but ghosts. And in the sixteenth minute, the ghosts appeared again. Out of the fog, the heavy, wet fog. Swart saw Nuninga, Swart passed to
Nuninga. Nuninga saw the ball, Nuninga saw the net. And Nuninga shot. Lawrence saw the ball, Lawrence blocked the shot. Cruyff saw the ball, Cruyff saw the net. And Cruyff shot into the net, into a goal. In the fog, the heavy, wet fog. Again on the bench, their bench in the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. Again Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett heard the clapping. And now they heard the cheering. But in the fog, the heavy, wet fog. They still had not seen a thing. But Bill Shankly had heard enough. In the fog, the heavy, wet fog. Bill Shankly got off the bench. In the fog, the heavy, wet fog. Bill Shankly stepped over the line. In the fog, the heavy, wet fog. Bill Shankly crossed the line onto the pitch. In the fog, the heavy, wet fog. Bill Shankly walked up to Tommy Smith. And Tommy Smith jumped out of his skin. In the fog. Tommy Smith could not believe his eyes –

Go find Geoff, said Bill Shankly. And go find Willie. Get them back here, Tommy. Get them back here now. It’s time for a meeting, Tommy. Time for a little team meeting …

In the fog, the heavy, wet fog. Tommy Smith ran off to find Geoff Strong and Willie Stevenson. And in the fog, the heavy, wet fog. Tommy Smith came back with Geoff Strong and Willie Stevenson –

Jesus Christ, said Bill Shankly. You’re playing like lunatics. Like madmen, boys. There’s another game to come. Another match at Anfield. Jesus Christ, boys. It’s not even half-time. And we’re losing two–nil. So let’s just take two–nil, boys. Let’s take that back home. So batten down them hatches. And don’t go giving away any more goals!

In the fog, in the heavy, wet fog. Bill Shankly walked back off the pitch. Bill Shankly crossed back over the line. Bill Shankly went back to the bench. Bill Shankly sat back down on the bench. But in the fog, the heavy, wet fog. Bill Shankly still could barely see the
halfway
line on the pitch before him. But in the thirty-eighth minute, Bill Shankly saw the ghosts again. Out of the fog, the heavy, wet fog. Cruyff saw the ball, Cruyff took the ball. Yeats saw Cruyff, Yeats took Cruyff. Swart took the free kick. The ball rebounded off the Liverpool defenders. Cruyff saw the ball, Cruyff shot. The ball rebounded off the Liverpool defenders. Nuninga saw the ball, Nuninga saw the net. And Nuninga shot. Into the net, into a goal. And on the bench, their bench in the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett heard the clapping. They heard the
cheering. And now they heard the chanting.
Ha-ha, Liverpool! Ha-ha, Liverpool! Ha-ha, Liverpool!
But in the forty-second minute, the ghosts were not finished. In the fog, the heavy, wet fog. Nuninga saw the ball again, Nuninga saw the goal again. And Nuninga shot. Into the net again, into a goal again. And in the fog, the heavy, wet fog. On the bench, their bench in the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett heard the clapping. They heard the cheering and they heard the chanting. The chanting and the laughing.
Ha-ha, Liverpool! Ha-ha, Liverpool! Ha-ha, Liverpool
! And in the seventy-sixth minute, still the ghosts would not rest. In the fog, the heavy, wet fog. Groot won a free kick. Another free kick. Groot saw the net. Groot hit the free kick into the net. And on the bench, their bench in the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett heard only laughter.
Ha-ha! Ha-ha! Ha-ha!
Only laughter in the fog, the heavy wet, fog. The heavy, wet laughter.
Ha-ha! Ha-ha! Ha-ha!
In the last minute, the very last minute. Lawler scored for Liverpool Football Club. But in the fog, the heavy, wet fog. In the fog and in the laughter.
Ha-ha! Ha-ha! Ha-ha!
Liverpool Football Club had lost five–one to Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax NV.
Ha-ha! Ha-ha! Ha-ha!
One, two, three, four, five–one.

After the whistle, the final whistle. Back down the tunnel, behind the wire. Back in the dressing room, their away dressing room. Out of the fog, the heavy, wet fog. The fog and the laughter. Bill Shankly shook his head again. And Bill Shankly cursed –

Haphazard play, boys. Very haphazard. That’s what that was, boys. And that has cost us dear. Very, very dear, boys. But that’s not to say they are not much better than I’d heard. Much, much better than I’d heard. They are a good side, boys. A very good team. And that wee lad, Cruyff. He is some player, boys. He is a real class act. So let’s be under no illusions, boys. Let’s make no mistake. We have a job on our hands next week, boys. A very tough task. But we can turn it around, boys. And we will turn it around. When they come to Anfield, boys. Where there will be no fog. And where there’ll be no hiding place, boys. No hiding place. For them or for us, boys.

…

Three days afterwards, on Saturday 10 December, 1966, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Old Trafford, Manchester. That
afternoon, sixty-five thousand, two hundred folk came, too. Manchester folk and Liverpool folk. For the first time, there were closed-circuit television cameras with zoom lenses trained on the terraces behind both goals of Old Trafford, Manchester. On Manchester folk and on Liverpool folk. For the first time, police worked from screens at a central control point and kept in contact by radio with constables on the ground. But that afternoon, there were no causes for alarm. There were no outbreaks of disturbance at Old Trafford, Manchester. When the reigning League Champions played the present League leaders, there was only virtuosity playing method. The virtuosity of Best versus the method of Milne. In the fifteenth minute, Milne saw St John drifting to the left. Milne passed to St John drifting to the left. St John shot. And St John scored. In the twentieth minute, Best had the ball. Under severe pressure, Best floated free. All balance and all control. Best shot. And Best scored. In the thirtieth minute, Yeats hooked up Ryan in the penalty area. Best put the ball on the penalty spot. Best shot. And Best scored again. In the forty-fifth minute, Milne saw Lawler. Milne passed to Lawler. Lawler passed to Strong. Strong passed to St John. St John passed to Hunt. The ball went out for a corner. Callaghan took the corner. St John took down the ball. His back to the goal. St John swivelled, St John turned. St John shot. And St John scored again. And that afternoon, the reigning League Champions and the present League leaders drew two-all at Old Trafford, Manchester. Method drew with virtuosity. Virtuosity first in the First Division, method third in the First Division.