Red or Dead (35 page)

…

In the house, in their bed. Bill heard Ness cough. Again. In her sleep, in their bed. And Bill opened his eyes. Again. Bill saw the darkness. Again. Bill got out of the bed. Again. Bill went down the stairs. Again. Bill went into the front room. Again. Bill switched on
the light. Again. Bill sat down in his armchair. Again. Bill picked up his book. His book of names, his book of notes. And again. Bill turned the pages. The pages of names, the pages of notes. To the last page of names, to the last page of notes. Again. Bill picked up his pen. His red pen. Again Bill drew a line through one name on the page. The last page.
Hateley
. Again. Bill put down his pen. His red pen. And in the front room, in his chair. Bill closed his eyes. Again. In his armchair, in his mind. Bill saw the goals. Again. The twenty-seven goals Hateley had scored last season. The goal he had scored this season. And again. In the front room, in the chair. Bill opened his eyes. Again. Bill picked up his pen. Again. His red pen. And again. Bill wrote a name on the page. Again. The name on the page.
Hateley
. Bill put down his pen. Again. His red pen. Again. Bill closed his eyes. Again. In the armchair, in his mind. Bill saw the long passes. The high balls. The passes never met. Again. The balls never controlled. And again. Bill opened his eyes. Again. Bill picked up his pen. Again. His red pen. And again. Bill drew a line through that name on that page again. Again. That last name on that last page.
Hateley
. Again and again. Bill drew line after line. Red line after red line. Through that name on that page. That last name and that last page. Again and again. Until the name was gone, until the page was gone. And then Bill put down his pen. His red pen. And Bill closed his book. His book of names, his book of notes. And in the front room, in his armchair. Again. Bill heard Ness cough upstairs. Again. In their bed, in her sleep. And again. In the darkness. Bill waited for the dawn. Again. Bill waited for the light.

…

On the bench, the Anfield bench. In the second minute, Bill watched Ron Yeats score. In the fourth minute, Bill watched Tommy Smith score a penalty. And then in the tenth minute, Bill watched Alun Evans score his first goal for Liverpool Football Club. On his debut, his Anfield debut. Liverpool Football Club had sold Tony Hateley to Coventry City for eighty thousand pounds. And Liverpool Football Club had bought Alun Evans from Wolverhampton Wanderers for one hundred thousand pounds. Alun Evans was nineteen years old. No football club had ever paid one hundred thousand pounds for a teenager. It was a British transfer record for a teenager. Liverpool Football Club had never paid one hundred thousand pounds for anyone.
It was a club record. And on the bench, the Anfield bench. Two minutes later, Bill watched Ian Callaghan score. And Liverpool Football Club beat Leicester City four–nil. At home, at Anfield. And on the touchline, the Anfield touchline. Bill shook the hand of Matt Gillies, the manager of Leicester City –

After those first fifteen minutes, said Matt Gillies, I thought you were going to put us to the sword, Bill. I was sure you would score six or seven. Even ten or eleven. I thought you were going to humiliate us, Bill. Humiliate me …

Bill shook his head. And Bill said, Don’t say that, Matt. Please don’t say that. I would never try to humiliate any man, Matt. Especially not you …

On the bench, the bench at Molineux, Wolverhampton. In the early autumn sunshine, Bill watched the red of Liverpool Football Club and the gold of Wolverhampton Wanderers burn and glow on the green, green grass. And in the fifteenth minute, Bill watched the long, gentle parabola of Roger Hunt’s shot ricochet off the foot of Parkin. And Hunt score. And in the twenty-fifth minute, Bill watched Peter Thompson sidestep his man. And Thompson shoot. And the ball flash in off the post. And in the thirtieth minute, Bill watched a pass from Hunt send Alun Evans clear. And Evans shoot. And Evans score against his old club. And in the sixty-third minute, Bill watched a flick from Hunt find the head of Evans. And Evans dive. And Evans score again. And in the seventy-fourth minute, Bill watched Ian Callaghan cross to Hunt. And Hunt score again. And in the eightieth minute, Bill watched Evans pass to Thompson. And Thompson shoot. And Thompson score again. And in the early autumn sunshine, the red of Liverpool Football Club beat the gold of Wolverhampton Wanderers six–nil. Away from home, away from Anfield. And on the touchline, the touchline at Molineux. Bill shook the hand of Ronnie Allen, the manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers –

I knew we should never have sold Alun Evans, said Ronnie Allen. Especially not to you, Bill. Especially not to Liverpool Football Club. That was the most crushing performance I have ever seen by an away team at Molineux, Bill. That anyone has ever seen. We were annihilated, Bill. We were humiliated …

Bill shook his head. And Bill said, Thank you, Ronnie. Thank
you very much. But please don’t say you were humiliated, Ronnie. Please never say that. Yes, we were the better team today, Ronnie. But we never lost respect for you. We never tried to humiliate you, Ronnie. We simply wanted to win.

…

On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill and forty-nine thousand, five hundred and sixty-seven folk watched Liverpool Football Club play Athletic Club Bilbao in the second leg of the First Round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Athletic Club Bilbao had won the first leg two–one. Everyone thought Athletic Club Bilbao would come to defend their two–one lead. But everyone thought wrong. Athletic Club Bilbao came to attack. And in the thirty-second minute, Uriarte made an opening for Argoitia. Argoitia dribbled. Argoitia sidestepped Tommy Smith’s sliding tackle. And Argoitia scored. And the Kop was silent. The Spion Kop stunned. But not for long. Not for long. The Kop found its voice. And the Spion Kop roared again. And in the seventy-eighth minute, Ian St John took a free kick. And Ronnie Yeats met the free kick. Yeats nodded the ball back into the middle of the penalty area. And Chris Lawler met the nod. And Lawler scored. And the Kop roared. The Spion Kop roared. And roared again. And in the
eighty-seventh
minute, Emlyn Hughes shot. And Hughes scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Athletic Club Bilbao two–one in the second leg of the First Round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Both teams had won two–one at home. Both teams had scored an away goal. The tie tied at three–three. But there was no extra time. There were no replays. There were no third matches. There was only the toss of a coin. And the referee called the two captains to the centre of the field, the centre circle. The referee took a coin from his pocket. One side heads, one side tails. The referee turned to Ron Yeats. The referee asked the home captain to call it. And Yeats called it. In the centre of the field, the centre circle. The referee flicked the coin up into the air. Up into the night. And the lights of the cameras flashed. And the eyes of the crowd, the Anfield crowd, the forty-nine thousand, five hundred and sixty-seven pairs of eyes, Anfield eyes, followed the coin. Up into the night, up into the dark. Up and then down again. Down onto the ground, the Anfield ground. And the referee and the two captains stared down at the ground, the Anfield ground. And the captain of
Athletic Club Bilbao leapt up into the night,

the Anfield night –

In the dressing room, the Anfield dressing room. Bill walked up to Ron Yeats. And Bill said, What did you call, son?

Heads, said Ron Yeats.

Jesus Christ! You fool, you idiot. You never call heads. Everybody knows that. You never call heads!

But you told me never to call tails, said Ron Yeats. You said I should always call heads, Boss.

Bill shook his head. And Bill said, What day of the week is it today, son? What day is today?

It’s Wednesday.

Exactly. And whose day of the week is Wednesday, son?

I don’t know whose day it is, Boss.

Jesus Christ! Don’t you know anything, son? Wednesday is the Devil’s day. The Devil’s day, son. Hence the phrase, Wednesday’s child is full of woe. I presume you have heard that phrase before, son?

Yes, Boss. I have.

Well, that phrase comes from the fact that Wednesday is the Devil’s day. And what does the Devil have? Sticking out of his arse?

A tail.

Exactly. A tail. So you always call tails on the Devil’s day. Everybody knows that, son. You always call tails on a Wednesday.

…

In the house, in their hallway. Bill closed the front door. In the dark. Bill walked down the hallway to the kitchen. In the dark. Bill switched on the light. Bill sat down at the table. And Bill put his hand in his pocket. In the kitchen, at the table. Bill took out a coin. Bill stared down at the coin. And Bill turned the coin in his fingers. The two sides of the coin. In the kitchen, at the table. Bill flicked the coin up. Up into the air, down onto the floor. And Bill stared down at the coin on the floor. The kitchen floor. Tails. In the kitchen, at the table. Bill bent down. And Bill picked up the coin from the floor. In the kitchen, at the table. Again. Bill flicked the coin up. Up into the air, down onto the floor. Again. Bill stared down at the coin on the floor. Tails. Again. In the kitchen, at the table. Bill bent down. Again. Bill picked up the coin from the floor. In the kitchen, at the table. Again.
Bill flicked the coin up. Up into the air, down onto the floor. Again. Bill stared down at the coin on the floor. Tails. Again. Bill bent down. Bill picked up the coin. Again. In the kitchen, at the table. Bill stared at the coin in his fingers. Again. Bill turned the coin in his fingers. Again and again. The two sides of the coin. Again and again,

the two sides. In the kitchen, at the table. Bill knew people did not need chance. Bill knew people did not need luck. Yes, people wanted success. Yes, people wanted victory. But not by chance,

not through luck. The name of your father or the name of your school. People wanted success through their effort, people wanted victory through their work. Not the toss of a coin,

the roll of a dice. Through their effort and through their work. Their communal effort, their collective work.

Three days after losing to Athletic Club Bilbao on the toss of a coin, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Turf Moor, Burnley. In the twentieth minute, Roger Hunt scored. And in the thirty-fifth minute, Hunt scored again. In the sixty-second minute, Peter Thompson scored. And in the eighty-seventh minute, Geoff Strong scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Burnley Football Club four–nil. Away from home, away from Anfield. In their last five League matches, Liverpool Football Club had scored eighteen goals and they had conceded none. That evening, Leeds United had eighteen points, Arsenal Football Club had eighteen points and Liverpool Football Club had eighteen points, too. But that evening, Liverpool Football Club were first in the First Division. On goal average.

On Tuesday 8 October, 1968, Everton Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That evening, fifty-four thousand, four hundred and ninety-six folk came, too. Fifty-four thousand, four hundred and ninety-six folk to watch the one hundredth League meeting of Liverpool Football Club and Everton Football Club. The one hundredth League derby. But for the first half-hour of the one hundredth League derby, Liverpool Football Club were completely eclipsed, completely outplayed by Everton Football Club. By Kendall.
By Harvey. And by Ball. By move after move, by pass after pass, by shot after shot. One shot crossed the line, into the goal. But the goal was disallowed for offside. Another shot hit the bar. Another shot rebounded off Lawrence but stuck on the line. The ball refusing to cross the line. But in the sixty-sixth minute, Morrissey swung in a high ball. And Royle nodded the high ball back into the jaws of the goal. And Ball met the high ball in the jaws of the goal. And Ball nodded the high ball down the throat of the goal. But the supporters of Liverpool Football Club refused to accept defeat. And so the players of Liverpool Football Club refused to accept failure. And in the
seventy-fifth
minute, Ian St John was fouled on the edge of the Everton penalty area. And Tommy Smith stepped up to take the free kick. Smith struck the free kick. And West did not move in his goal. And the ball flew past West into the goal. And the one hundredth League derby was drawn –

One-all.

Four days afterwards, Manchester United came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, fifty-three thousand, three hundred and ninety-two folk came, too. Fifty-three thousand, three hundred and ninety-two folk to watch Liverpool Football Club play the European Champions. Two weeks before, the European Champions had travelled to the Estadio Alberto J. Armando, in Buenos Aires, in Argentina, to play Estudiantes de La Plata in the first leg of the 1968 Intercontinental Cup. Nobby Stiles had been sent off. And Marcos Conigliaro had scored. And Estudiantes de La Plata had beaten the European Champions one–nil. In four days, Estudiantes de La Plata would come to Old Trafford, Manchester, to play the European Champions in the second leg of the 1968 Intercontinental Cup. But the European Champions were struggling. Struggling to find any form in the League, struggling to cope with injuries to the team. Burns was out injured. Dunne was out injured. Sadler was out injured. Kidd was out injured. Best was out injured. And Law was out injured. The European Champions were struggling to name a team to play Liverpool Football Club. The European Champions had asked the Football League to postpone the game against Liverpool Football Club. The Football League had refused to postpone the game. And in the fourteenth minute, Ian St John scored. And in the eighty-second minute, Alun
Evans scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat the European Champions two–nil. At home, at Anfield. Bill Shankly walked down the touchline. The Anfield touchline. Bill Shankly shook Sir Matt Busby’s hand. Bill Shankly looked into Sir Matt Busby’s face. And Bill Shankly saw a drained man. Bill Shankly saw an old man. A man whose dreams of winning the European Cup had sustained him. Day in, day out. A man whose hopes of winning the European Cup had propelled him. Day in, day out. A man whose dreams had rescued him from grief, a man whose hopes had saved him from tragedy. Day in, day out. A man whose dreams had been realised, a man whose hopes had been attained. That night, last May. A man whose dreams had now deserted him, a man whose hopes had now left him. Drained and old –

I’m very sorry, said Bill Shankly. I am very sorry that this game had to be played today, Matt. Liverpool Football Club supported your request for a postponement. Because I know you would have done the same for us, Matt. So we were very disappointed that the Football League refused your request. We were very sorry that the game had to be played today, Matt …

Sir Matt Busby nodded. And Sir Matt Busby said, I know, Bill. I know. And thank you, Bill. Thank you for your support. And for the support of Liverpool Football Club. Thank you very much, Bill.

And I want you to know we are all hoping you win on Wednesday night, Matt. We are all hoping you thrash the Argentinians on Wednesday night. Hoping and praying, Matt …

Sir Matt Busby nodded. And Sir Matt Busby said, Thank you, Bill. Thank you very much …

Four days later, Estudiantes de La Plata came to Old Trafford, Manchester. Sixty-three thousand, four hundred and twenty-seven folk came, too. Sixty-three thousand, four hundred and twenty-seven folk and Bill Shankly. In the seventh minute, Juan Ramón Verón scored. In the eighty-eighth minute, George Best punched José Hugo Medina in the face. George Best pushed Néstor Togneri to the ground. And the referee sent off George Best and José Hugo Medina. And George Best spat at José Hugo Medina. And police and officials had to escort George Best and José Hugo Medina from the pitch. And some of the Old Trafford crowd threw coins at José Hugo Medina. And in the eighty-ninth minute, Willie Morgan scored for Manchester United. But
it didn’t count, it didn’t matter. The game was drawn one-all. And Estudiantes de La Plata had won the 1968 Intercontinental Cup two–one on aggregate. And there was fighting on the pitch. After the final whistle. There were punches thrown on the pitch. After the final whistle. The players of Estudiantes de La Plata tried to run a lap of honour around the Old Trafford pitch. But some of the Old Trafford crowd threw coins and bottles at the players of Estudiantes de La Plata. And the players of Estudiantes de La Plata ran for cover, down the tunnel, onto their plane. And after that whistle, that final whistle. In the stand, the Old Trafford stand. Bill Shankly stared down at the pitch, the Old Trafford pitch. At the coins and at the bottles. The anger and the hate. People against people,

man against man.

On Saturday 19 October, 1968, Liverpool Football Club travelled to White Hart Lane, London. In the thirty-seventh minute, Tommy Lawrence saved from Jenkins. And Lawrence cleared. Roger Hunt chased the clearance. Hunt caught the clearance. Hunt sidestepped Mullery. Hunt wrong-footed Beal. And Hunt shot. And Hunt scored. But just before half-time, Greaves found an extra foot of pace, Greaves found an extra yard of space. And Greaves met a cross from Gilzean. And Greaves scored. In the fifty-fifth minute, Lawrence dived at the feet of Pearce on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area. The linesman raised his flag. The linesman said Lawrence had handled the ball outside the Liverpool penalty area. Lawrence argued with the linesman. Lawrence said only his body had crossed the line. The linesman disagreed. Lawrence argued with the referee. Lawrence said the ball and his hands had not crossed the line. The referee disagreed. The referee awarded a free kick to Tottenham Hotspur on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area. The referee marched the Liverpool wall back ten paces into the Liverpool penalty area. Venables stood over the ball with Greaves and Mullery. Venables feinted to take the free kick. The Liverpool wall moved forward to block the free kick. The referee blew his whistle. The referee marched the Liverpool wall back ten paces. The referee spoke to the Liverpool players. The referee warned the Liverpool players not to move forward until he had blown his whistle. Again, Venables feinted to take the free kick. Again, the Liverpool wall moved forward to block the free kick. Again, the
referee blew his whistle. Again, the referee marched the Liverpool wall back ten paces. Again, the referee spoke to the Liverpool players. Again, the referee warned the Liverpool players not to move forward until he had blown his whistle. But as the referee was speaking to the Liverpool players, as the referee was warning the Liverpool players, Greaves took the free kick. Greaves bent the free kick around the Liverpool wall. And Greaves scored. And the referee blew his whistle. And the players of Liverpool Football Club looked at the referee. But the referee pointed to the centre of the pitch, to the centre circle. The referee awarded a goal to Tottenham Hotspur. And the players of Tottenham Hotspur celebrated. And the terraces erupted. In anger and in hate. And the police moved onto the terraces. In anger and in hate. And the police marched away some of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. In anger and in hate. Just before full time, Collins bowled over Alun Evans in the Tottenham penalty area. And the players of Liverpool Football Club looked to the linesman. But the linesman did not raise his flag. The linesman shook his head. And the players of Liverpool Football Club looked at the referee. But the referee shook his head. The referee did not award a penalty to Liverpool Football Club. And Liverpool Football Club lost two–one at White Hart Lane, London. And again, the terraces erupted. In anger and in hate. And again, the police moved onto the terraces. In anger and in hate. And again, the police marched away some of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. In anger and in hate –

People against people, man against man.

One week afterwards, Newcastle United came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, forty-five thousand, three hundred and twenty-three folk came, too. In the twenty-third minute, Alun Evans scored. And in the eighty-fifth minute, Peter Thompson scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Newcastle United two–one. At home, at Anfield. That evening, Leeds United had twenty-three points, Everton Football Club had twenty-three points and Liverpool Football Club had twenty-three points, too. But that evening, Liverpool Football Club were still first in the First Division –

On goal average.

On Saturday 2 November, 1968, Liverpool Football Club travelled to the Hawthorns, Birmingham. That day, Liverpool Football
Club did not score. That day, Liverpool Football Club drew nil–nil with West Bromwich Albion. Away from home, away from Anfield. That day, Everton Football Club beat Sunderland Football Club two–nil. That evening, Leeds United had twenty-four points and Liverpool Football Club had twenty-four points, too. But that evening, Everton Football Club had twenty-five points. That evening, Everton Football Club were first in the First Division.

One week afterwards, Chelsea Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, forty-seven thousand, two hundred and forty-eight folk came, too. In the fifth minute, Birchenall scored for Chelsea Football Club. In the twenty-fifth minute, Bonetti failed to hold a shot from Tommy Smith. And Ian Callaghan pounced. And Callaghan scored. Three minutes later, Houseman toppled over Chris Lawler in the Chelsea penalty area. The referee awarded a penalty to Liverpool Football Club. Smith put the ball on the penalty spot. Smith struck the ball. And Smith scored. That day, Liverpool Football Club beat Chelsea Football Club two–one. At home, at Anfield. That day, Leeds United drew at Tottenham Hotspur and Everton Football Club drew at Ipswich Town. That evening, Liverpool Football Club were first in the First Division. Again –

On goal average.

On Saturday 16 November, 1968, Liverpool Football Club beat Sheffield Wednesday two–one. Away from home, away from Anfield. That day, Everton Football Club beat Queens Park Rangers and Leeds United beat Coventry City. One week later, Coventry City came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, forty-four thousand, eight hundred and twenty folk came, too. In the thirty-sixth minute, Geoff Strong scored. And in the eighty-third minute, Ian Callaghan scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Coventry City two–nil. That day, Everton Football Club lost two–one at Elland Road, Leeds. That evening, Leeds United had twenty-nine points and Liverpool Football Club had thirty points. That evening, Liverpool Football Club were still first in the First Division. But not by goal average. By points, a point –

A single point.

One week later, Liverpool Football Club travelled to the City Ground, Nottingham. And in the twenty-fourth minute, Roger Hunt scored. His two hundred and thirty-third League goal for Liverpool
Football Club. Roger Hunt had equalled the club record set by Gordon Hodgson. And Liverpool Football Club beat Nottingham Forest one–nil. Away from home, away from Anfield. That day, Leeds United drew with Chelsea Football Club and Everton Football Club beat Leicester City seven–one. That evening, Leeds United had thirty points and Everton Football Club had thirty points, too. That evening, Liverpool Football Club had thirty-two points. That evening, Liverpool Football Club were still first in the First Division. But not by a single point. By two points.

That evening, Leicester City Football Club announced the resignation of Matt Gillies. Matt Gillies had played for Leicester City Football Club one hundred and three times. Matt Gillies had been the captain of Leicester City. Matt Gillies had captained Leicester City to the Second Division Championship in the 1953–54 season. And then Matt Gillies had been appointed as the manager of Leicester City Football Club. Matt Gillies had been the manager of Leicester City Football Club for ten years. Matt Gillies had managed Leicester City to two FA Cup finals. Matt Gillies had managed Leicester City to two League Cup finals. And in 1964, Leicester City had won the League Cup. But that evening, Matt Gillies said, Too many people think the Big Hammer is the Magic Wand for success in football. I am afraid that a lot of what goes on during play makes me cringe. I am often appalled at what I see and I want no part in thuggery and gamesmanship that reaches the point of cheating. I have no new job waiting for me but I may stay in the game. I have laid down my burden and I want time to consider the future.