Red or Dead (79 page)

And in triumph.

On his feet in the stands. Bill Shankly looked at his watch. But Bill Shankly did not sit back down in his seat in the stands at Wembley Stadium. Bill Shankly turned. And Bill Shankly began to make his way out of the stadium. And one supporter spotted Bill Shankly. And the supporter said, Is that really you, Bill? Is it really you, Bill?

Aye, said Bill Shankly. It’s me, son. It’s me.

But where are you going then, Bill? Where are you off? The game is not finished, Bill. The match is not over. You’re surely not going, Bill? You’re surely not leaving us …

Aye, said Bill Shankly. I have my train to catch, son. My train back to Liverpool. My train back home. But I know we have won, son. I know we have won. And so I’ll still be here in spirit, son. In spirit.

And Bill Shankly thanked the supporter of Liverpool Football Club. Bill Shankly wished him a good night. But he asked him to take care. And to have a safe journey home. A safe journey back to Liverpool. And Bill Shankly shook his hand. And Bill Shankly patted his back. And then Bill Shankly said goodbye to this supporter of Liverpool Football Club. And Bill Shankly walked out of Wembley Stadium. Bill Shankly searched for a taxicab. Bill Shankly spotted a taxicab. And Bill Shankly took the cab back to Euston Station.

In his seat on the train. The train back to Liverpool. The empty train back to Liverpool. Bill Shankly thought about the things he was
missing. The victory and the celebrations. The party and the speeches. All the things he was missing. His home and his wife. His home he was missing, his wife he was missing. And Bill Shankly smiled.

In the house, in their hallway. Bill picked up the paper from the table in the hall. Bill looked at the photographs of the celebrations. Bill looked at the pictures of the parade. The faces of the players of Liverpool Football Club. Smiling, smiling. The faces of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. And Bill smiled. In the front room, in his chair. Bill turned to the inside pages of the paper. Bill read the interview with the manager of Football Club Bruges. Ernst Happel had said, It was a weak final. It is no excuse but we were handicapped by lots of injuries. I would have liked to have been more offensive. But our injuries were against us. And I was disappointed with Liverpool Football Club. Because we played them two years ago. And tonight they were just a shadow of that team. They were just a shadow. And Bill shook his head. Bill closed the paper. Bill put down the paper. Bill got up from his chair. Bill walked over to the writing desk. Bill sat down at the writing desk. Bill opened the top drawer of the writing desk. Bill took out a card and an envelope from the top drawer of the desk. Bill opened the card. Bill picked up a pen. A red pen. And Bill wrote inside the card,
Well done, Bob. I’m very pleased for you. Liverpool have proved once and for all we are the real champions. The best team in Britain and the best team in Europe. Congratulations
,
Bill
. Bill put down the pen. The red pen. Bill picked up the card. Bill put the card inside the envelope. Bill held the envelope up to his mouth. Bill licked the two edges of the envelope. Bill sealed the envelope. Bill put down the envelope on the writing desk. Bill picked up the pen again. The red pen. And Bill wrote on the front of the envelope,
To Bob
. Bill picked up the envelope again. Bill got up from the chair at the writing desk. Bill walked out of the front room. Bill walked up the stairs. In the house, in their bedroom. Bill changed into his shirt. His tangerine shirt. Bill walked over to the dressing table. Bill opened the top drawer. Bill took out his cufflinks. His gold
cufflinks. Bill closed the drawer. Bill did up the cuffs of his shirt. His tangerine shirt. Bill walked over to the wardrobe. Bill opened the doors. Bill took out his suit. His freshly cleaned grey herringbone suit. Bill left the wardrobe doors open. Bill walked over to the bed. Bill laid out the suit on top of the bed covers. Bill took the trousers from the coat hanger. Bill put on the trousers of his suit. His freshly cleaned grey herringbone suit. Bill went back to the dressing table. Bill opened the second drawer of the dressing table. Bill took out a tie. His red Liverpool Football Club tie. Bill closed the drawer. Bill walked back to the wardrobe. The doors still open. Bill stood before the mirror on the back of one of the doors. Bill put on the tie. His red Liverpool Football Club tie. Bill went back over to the bed. Bill picked up the jacket from the bed. Bill took the jacket from the coat hanger. Bill put on the jacket of his suit. His freshly cleaned grey herringbone suit. Bill walked back over to the dressing table. Bill opened the top drawer of the dressing table again. Bill took out one white handkerchief and one red pocket square. Bill closed the drawer. Bill put the white handkerchief in his left trouser pocket. Bill laid the red pocket square on the top of the dressing table. It looked like a red diamond. Bill brought the bottom point of the red pocket square up to the top point. It looked like a red triangle. Bill brought the left corner of the triangle to the right corner and then the right corner to the left corner. It looked like a long red rectangle with a point at the top. Bill folded the bottom almost towards the top. Bill walked over to the mirror on the back of the wardrobe door. Bill stood before the mirror. Bill placed the red pocket square in the breast pocket of his grey jacket. Bill looked in the mirror. Bill adjusted the pocket square until just enough of the point was coming out of the pocket. The red point out of the grey pocket. Bill stepped back. In the house, in their bedroom. Bill looked at himself in the mirror. And Bill smiled. Bill closed the wardrobe doors. Bill walked back over to the dressing table. Bill opened the top drawer of the dressing table again. Bill took out a badge. His Liverpool Football Club badge. Bill closed the drawer. Bill attached the Liverpool Football Club badge to the lapel of his suit. His freshly cleaned grey herringbone suit. Bill picked up the envelope from the top of the dressing table. And Bill walked out of the bedroom. Bill walked back down the stairs. Bill walked into the kitchen. And Bill
saw Ness at the sink. The kitchen sink. Ness peeling the potatoes. The potatoes for their lunch. And Bill said, I’m just going to nip down to the ground for a bit, love. To drop this card in for Bob.

Ness looked up from the potatoes. Ness turned from the sink. Ness looked at Bill. In his suit and in his tie. His Liverpool Football Club tie. Ness nodded. And Ness smiled –

All right then, love.

Bill kissed Ness on her cheek. Bill walked out of the kitchen. Bill walked down the hall. Bill put the envelope in his pocket. Bill opened the front door. Bill stepped out of the house. Bill closed the door. Bill went down the drive. Bill got into the car.

In the sunshine. In his car. Bill drove down the West Derby Road. And Bill saw the people walking in the street. The people busy, the people occupied. In the sunshine. In his car. Bill turned onto the Belmont Road. And Bill saw the people getting off the buses, the people getting on the buses. The people busy, the people occupied. In the sunshine. In his car. Bill turned into the car park at Anfield Road. Bill parked in the car park at Anfield Road. In the sunshine. Bill got out of the car. The only car in the car park at Anfield Road. In the sunshine. The car park was empty, the place deserted. In the sunshine. Bill closed the car door. Bill took the envelope out of his pocket. In the sunshine. Bill walked across the car park. Bill walked up to reception. In the shadow of the Main Stand. Bill tried the door to reception. But the door was locked. In the shadow of the Main Stand. Bill knocked on the door. But no one answered. In the shadow of the Main Stand. Bill turned away from the door. And Bill walked round to the back of the Anfield Road Stand. And then round to the back of the Kemlyn Road Stand. The stands empty, the stands deserted. But in the sunshine and in the shadows. The stands were whispering, whispering to Bill. And Bill kept walking, walking round the ground. The empty ground, the deserted ground. Until Bill came to the back of the Kop. The Spion Kop. And in the sunshine and in the shadows. Bill stopped. Behind the Kop, the Spion Kop. Bill touched the bricks of the Kop. Bill touched the stones of the Spion Kop. Bill felt the bricks, Bill felt the stones. In the sunshine and in the shadows. The bricks were warm and the stones were hot. Red hot. The bricks alive, the stones living. Living and breathing. Bill listened to the bricks, Bill listened to the stones.
The bricks speaking now, the stones singing now. Revolutionary songs, revolutionary words. Words of anticipation, songs of transformation. Singing to Bill, speaking to Bill –

Bill? Bill? Is that really you, Bill?

Bill turned away from the bricks. Bill turned away from the stones. And Bill saw a little lad at his side. Maybe nine, maybe ten. The little lad in a pair of shoes that looked that bit too tight. The little lad in a pair of long trousers that had seen better days. The little lad wearing a red shirt. Not a football shirt, an official shirt. But a T-shirt, a red T-shirt. And on the left breast of the shirt someone had drawn a Liver Bird. And under the Liver Bird someone had written,
L.F.C.
And Bill smiled. And Bill said, Aye, son. It’s me. How are you, son?

I can’t believe it’s you, said the little lad. I can’t believe it, Bill. No one will believe me. My dad will never believe me …

Bill smiled again. And Bill said, Well, it is me, son. It is me. In the flesh. But how are you, son? How are you?

Great, said the little lad. I’m great. Ta, Bill. Ta. But I still can’t believe we won again. I’m just made up. I’m still dead made up.

Bill nodded. And Bill said, Oh well, yes. That was great, son. That was great. A fantastic thing. It was brilliant …

Did you go, Bill? Were you there?

Bill nodded again. And Bill said, Oh yes. I was there, son. Yes. I was lucky enough to be there, son …

And you think we can do it again next year and all? You think we can win it again? My dad thinks we can. My dad thinks we will.

Well, I hope we can. I hope we will, son. But I think next season. In the European Cup next season, son. I think it might be Forest who will be our biggest challenge. Nottingham Forest …

Here, said the little lad. Where did you get your badge, Bill? I wanted to get one for my dad. For his birthday. Because he’s mad, is my dad. He’s mad on Liverpool Football Club. And he’s always talking about you, Bill. Always telling me about you. About Liverpool Football Club, about all the things you did for Liverpool Football Club. He loves you, does my dad. Because he loves Liverpool Football Club. And so I wanted to get him a badge for his birthday. And so I went to the shop. But they never had one. They never did.

Bill smiled. Bill put the envelope back in his jacket pocket.
And then Bill reached up to the lapel of his jacket. Bill took off the badge. The Liverpool Football Club badge. Bill held it out towards the little lad. And Bill said, Then you give this to your dad from me, son. And from you. And you tell him I said thank you, son. Thank you to him. Will you do that for me now, son?

I can’t, Bill. I can’t. He’d kill me. My dad. He would. If he knew I took your badge, Bill. He’d kill me. He would. He’d kill me.

Bill took the hand of the little lad. Bill pressed the Liverpool Football Club badge into the palm of the little lad. Bill closed the palm of the little lad. And Bill said, He won’t, son. No, he won’t. Not if you tell him I gave it to you. I gave it to you to give to him. To thank him. To thank him for all the things that he has given me. And so you tell him that, son. You tell him that from me. From Bill …

Liverpool Football Club had won their first five games of the 1978–79 season. Away from home, away from Anfield. Liverpool Football Club had beaten Ipswich Town, Manchester City and Birmingham City. At home, at Anfield. Liverpool Football Club had beaten Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool Football Club had beaten Tottenham Hotspur seven–nil. This Tottenham side included Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa. Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa had won the World Cup with Argentina that summer. But after this game, people said Liverpool Football Club would have won the World Cup. After this game, people said this Liverpool team was the greatest Liverpool team they had ever seen. This Liverpool team, one of the greatest teams they had ever seen. The greatest team they had ever seen. People said this game was one of the greatest games they had ever seen at Anfield. One of the greatest games they had ever seen. The greatest game they had ever seen. The last goal of the game, the seventh goal of the game, the greatest goal ever seen at Anfield. In the seventy-sixth minute, Ray Clemence passed the ball to Ray Kennedy. Kennedy passed the ball to Kenny Dalglish. Dalglish passed the ball to David Johnson. Johnson passed the ball to Steve Heighway. Heighway crossed the ball for Terry McDermott. And McDermott headed the ball
into the goal. Five beautiful balls, five glorious passes. Into the net. One of the greatest goals ever seen. The greatest goal ever seen.

And after the game, Bob Paisley said, What can you say? That performance was frightening. That goal probably the finest ever seen on this ground. But we’ve got to keep our feet on the floor. Because this result won’t help us next week. In fact, I’d rather have brickbats than praise. We seem to thrive on the brickbats, not the praise.

And then the gentlemen of the press had asked Bob Paisley about the European Cup. About the draw for the European Cup. The draw that had brought Liverpool Football Club and Nottingham Forest together in the First Round of the European Cup. The European Champions against the English Champions. Bob Paisley had shaken his head. And Bob Paisley had said, Even before we left Wembley. Even before our celebrations in London. I warned the players that the biggest stumbling block to our ambitions of retaining the trophy could be Brian Clough and his team. Now whether UEFA and the rest of Europe wanted two English teams in the European Cup, I wouldn’t know. But the odds against us drawing Forest in the First Round were long, even though we were seeded and they were not. But that’s how the draw went. And so that’s who we must play …

In the First Round of the European Cup. At the City Ground, Nottingham. Bill Shankly had a pair of headphones on his ears. A microphone to his lips. Bill Shankly was commentating on the match for the radio. For Radio City, Liverpool. Analysing the game, dissecting the match. In the press box. On the edge of his seat. His body bent in his seat, his eyes fixed on the pitch. Bill Shankly watched the match, Bill Shankly transfixed by the game. The game Liverpool Football Club were losing. Away from home, away from Anfield. The match Liverpool Football Club lost. Two–nil.

His eyes strained, his voice hoarse. Bill Shankly put down his microphone. Bill Shankly took off his headphones. His ears sore, his body taut. Bill Shankly got up from his seat in the press box.

In the corridors of the City Ground. The gentlemen of the press saw Bill Shankly. Bill Shankly standing in the corridor, Bill Shankly standing in the shadows. And the gentlemen of the press asked Bill Shankly for his thoughts. They asked Bill Shankly if he could understand why Liverpool Football Club had lost two–nil to
Nottingham Forest in the first leg of the First Round of the European Cup. If Bill Shankly knew the reason why Liverpool Football Club had lost two–nil to Nottingham Forest in the first leg of the First Round of the European Cup. And Bill Shankly shook his head –

Well, it’s difficult to say, said Bill Shankly. It’s a very difficult thing to say. But I mean, to be honest with you. To be very honest with you, I was concerned before the game. Very worried before the game. I was concerned and worried that our players might be tempted to treat it as a League game. As just another League match. And I mean, I think that’s what happened. I think that is what we saw. I don’t mean to say the players were complacent. Oh no. Not that. Not that at all. What I mean to say is, when we were a goal down, we were still chasing the game. Still looking for an equaliser. An equaliser and then perhaps another. Instead of accepting a one–nil defeat as a reasonable result in the first leg of the European Cup. In the away leg. And so we were still chasing the game, when we were one–nil down. In the second half, we were still looking for that equaliser. And then possibly more. And then that allowed Forest to catch us. To nip in by the back door, you understand? Because we left ourselves exposed. And so Forest could then nip in and get that second goal. Because we allowed Forest to disturb us, we allowed Forest to harass us. Their midfield were set up simply to mark us tightly. When we were in possession. And then when they had possession, they simply bypassed their own midfield. They were just hitting long balls up the middle to their front men, over their own midfield. And their front men had the measure of us, their front men mastered us. And so then they got their second goal. And that second goal, you see? That now gives us a mountain to climb. When we get back home. Back home to Anfield.

And the gentlemen of the press nodded. The gentlemen of the press thanked Bill Shankly for his thoughts. They thanked Bill Shankly for his time. And Bill Shankly glanced down at his watch. And then Bill Shankly looked back up. The gentlemen of the press had gone. The gentlemen of the press had left. Gone to pick up their phones, left to file their reports. In the corridors of the City Ground, under the Main Stand of the City Ground. Bill Shankly now alone, alone in the shadows. Bill Shankly started pacing. In a circle, a small circle. Under the stands, in the shadows. Pacing and pacing, round and
around. In a circle, a very small circle. Under the stands, in the shadows. Bill Shankly stopped pacing. Bill Shankly looked at his watch again. Bill Shankly walked towards another corridor. The corridor to the dressing rooms. The home dressing room and the away dressing room. The Liverpool dressing room. Bill Shankly walked down the corridor towards the dressing room. The Liverpool dressing room. And Bill Shankly stopped before the door. The Liverpool dressing-room door. In the corridor. The corridor of the City Ground. Bill Shankly stood before the door. The Liverpool dressing-room door. And Bill Shankly looked at the door. Again. Bill Shankly stared at the door. The Liverpool dressing-room door. And Bill Shankly heard the voices on the other side of the door. Again. Bill Shankly listened to the voices on the other side of the door. The Liverpool dressing-room door. Again. Bill Shankly did not recognise these voices, these different voices. Again. These different voices, these raised voices. And in the corridor. The corridor of the City Ground. Bill Shankly shook his head. Bill Shankly closed his eyes. What would he say? What could he say? And in the corridor. The corridor of the City Ground. Outside the door. The Liverpool dressing-room door. Bill Shankly opened his eyes. Bill Shankly sighed. And again. Bill Shankly turned away from the door. The Liverpool dressing-room door. Again. Bill Shankly walked away. Down the corridor, the corridor of the City Ground. Towards the door, towards the exit. Bill Shankly opened the door. The exit. And Bill Shankly saw the stairs. In the shadows. The stairs down to the car park. And Bill Shankly walked down the stairs. The steep, concrete stairs. Slowly, carefully. One hand on the rail. The cold, metal handrail. Slowly, carefully. One foot on the steps –

The steep, concrete steps. One foot, then the other. Careful of the steps, careful of his step, careful not to slip,

careful not to trip, not to trip,

and not to fall …

Bill? Bill? Is that you, called out a group of supporters at the bottom of the stairs. Supporters of Liverpool Football Club and supporters of Nottingham Forest. And the supporters came towards Bill Shankly. With their autograph books and with their football programmes. At the bottom of the stairs, in the car park. Bill Shankly touched his tie. Bill Shankly straightened his tie. And Bill Shankly
smiled. He smiled at the supporters of Liverpool Football Club and he smiled at the supporters of Nottingham Forest. And Bill Shankly signed their autograph books, Bill Shankly signed their football programmes. And Bill Shankly answered their questions. The questions of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club, the questions of the supporters of Nottingham Forest –

That same question.

Of course, said Bill Shankly. Of course we can win. But it won’t be easy. Make no mistake. Not with Peter Shilton and with Kenny Burns. And with Larry Lloyd, of course. Larry knows us well, of course. He knows Anfield very well. And Larry is very big, Larry is very strong. In fact, it was Freddie Ford who recommended Larry Lloyd to me. Freddie was one of my trainers when I was at Carlisle. And I remember, Freddie called me. Freddie was at Bristol City then. And Freddie said, You have to see this boy, Bill. This boy Larry Lloyd. And so I went down to see him play. Against Everton, in the League Cup, I think. And Bristol City lost five–nil. Five–bloody–nil! But even then, in that defeat. I could tell the boy had what it takes. Because I mean, his head never dropped. His head never went down. And that’s the thing. Because I mean, you are always going to lose sometimes. You are never going to win every game. Every match. But it’s how you lose. That’s the thing. How you react when you are losing. Does your head drop? Does your head go down? Is that the kind of player, the kind of man you are? Or do you keep your head up? Do you keep competing? Keep fighting? Trying? That is what you are looking for. Fighters, triers. And without Larry Lloyd, they might have lost ten–bloody–nil! But his head never dropped, his head never went down. And so you see, I had my eye on him. And I kept my eye on him. And so when Big Ron was coming to the end of his time. When I knew Ron Yeats was not going to go on for very much longer. Then I bought Larry. And I paid fifty thousand for the boy. Just fifty thousand. And then, of course – after I left, after I packed in – Larry was sold to Coventry City. And I think they paid two hundred and forty thousand pounds for him. Two hundred and forty thousand pound! Unbelievable, bloody unbelievable! And I think that nearly bankrupted them. I mean, they overpaid. Because you always have to live within your means. You always have to cut your cloth. And then, of course,
Brian heard he could get him for sixty grand. Just sixty grand. And so Brian came in for him and Brian got him. For just sixty grand. And that is stealing. Bloody stealing! But a clever signing by Brian. A clever signing and a major signing. Because he’s made a difference to this side. This Forest team. A big difference. And so we’ll have to be on our guard when you come to Anfield. Because as I say, Larry knows us well. Very well. And Larry will have a point to make. A point to prove. But it’ll be a different game, a very different game. More intense. Much more intense. And then, of course, there’s the Kop. The Kop, you see. They’ll make the difference –

They always make the difference.