Red Or Dead
Page 15
…
In the summer, before the new season. Peter Thompson turned into the car park at Anfield Road, Liverpool. And Peter Thompson saw hundreds of people gathered around the main door to Anfield, Liverpool. Peter Thompson parked his car in the car park. And Peter Thompson saw television cameras, radio and newspaper reporters gathered at the door to Anfield. Peter Thompson walked across the car park and through the crowd to the door. And Peter Thompson saw Bill Shankly waiting at the door. And Peter Thompson said, Hello, Mr Shankly. Are you expecting someone famous?
Yes, said Bill Shankly.
Peter Thompson looked around him. At the television cameras. At the radio and newspaper reporters. And Peter Thompson said, Who? Who are you expecting, Mr Shankly?
You, said Bill Shankly.
Peter Thompson said, Me? I’m not famous, Mr Shankly.
You soon will be, said Bill Shankly. Because when you sign for Liverpool Football Club, I’m going to make you the greatest player of all time, son. Greater than Stanley Matthews. Greater even than Tom Finney. Because you are already faster than either of them. And I’m going to make you even faster, son. I’m going to make you so fast you can catch pigeons. You’ll be the fastest player in England, son.
Peter Thompson said, No, Mr Shankly. Not me …
Yes you, son, said Bill Shankly. You, son.
…
After the training, before the training. Under the stands, among the boots. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett and Albert Shelley talked about the players. About this player and about that player. This first-team player and that reserve-team player, this older player and that younger player. Who should step down and who could step up. Who was ready and who was not. About Alf Arrowsmith, Phil Ferns, Alan Jones, Chris Lawler, Tommy Smith, Bobby Thomson and Gordon Wallace. About who should stay and about who should go. Liverpool Football Club had sold Tommy Leishman to Hibernian Football Club for ten thousand pounds. Liverpool Football Club had sold Kevin Lewis to Huddersfield Town for eighteen thousand pounds. Under the stands, among the boots. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett and Albert Shelley talked about every player. Every first-team player and every reserve-team player. About who should play and who should not. In the first game of the season, the first game of the new season –
On Saturday 24 August, 1963, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Ewood Park, Blackburn. That afternoon, Lawrence, Byrne, Moran, Milne, Yeats, Stevenson, Callaghan, Hunt, St John, Melia and Thompson played for Liverpool Football Club. And in the sixty-fifth minute of the first game of the new season, Ronnie Moran scored. And ten minutes later, Ian Callaghan scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Blackburn Rovers two–one in the first game of the new season. Four days after that, Nottingham Forest came to Anfield, Liverpool. That evening, forty-nine thousand, eight hundred and twenty-nine folk came, too. And in the fifty-fourth minute, McKinlay scored an own goal. But that evening, Liverpool Football Club still lost two–one to Nottingham Forest. At home, at Anfield.
On Saturday 31 August, 1963, Blackpool Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, forty-two thousand, seven hundred and sixty-seven folk came, too. In the sixty-third minute, Liverpool Football Club were awarded a penalty. Ronnie Moran took the penalty. But Tony Waiters saved the penalty. In the eighty-third minute, Jimmy Melia scored. But that afternoon, Liverpool Football Club still lost two–one to Blackpool Football Club. Again at home, again at Anfield. And that evening, in the first published League table of the 1963–64 season, Liverpool Football Club were fifteenth in the First Division. And Leicester City were first in the First Division.
The day after Bill Shankly turned fifty, Liverpool Football Club travelled to the City Ground, Nottingham. And Liverpool Football Club drew nil–nil with Nottingham Forest. Four days after that, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Stamford Bridge, London. In the ninth minute, Ian St John scored. In the seventy-second minute, Roger Hunt scored. And in the last minute, the very last minute, St John scored again. And Liverpool Football Club beat Chelsea Football Club three–one. Two days later, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Molineux, Wolverhampton. In the first minute, the very first minute, Roger Hunt scored. In the fifty-fifth minute, Jimmy Melia scored. And in the sixty-ninth minute, Hunt scored again. And Liverpool Football Club beat Wolverhampton Wanderers three–one. Five days later, West Ham United came to Anfield. That afternoon, forty-five thousand, four hundred and ninety-seven folk came, too. And in the sixty-fifth minute, Roger Hunt scored. But that afternoon, Liverpool Football Club still lost two–one to West Ham United. At home, at Anfield. Liverpool Football Club had played three games. And Liverpool Football Club had lost all three games. At home,
at Anfield. Two days later. In the dressing room, the home dressing room. There was no Tommy Lawrence. Tommy Lawrence was injured. There was no Ian St John. Ian St John was injured. In the dressing room, the home dressing room. Bill Shankly closed the door. And Bill Shankly went from player to player. From Furnell to Byrne, Byrne to Moran, Moran to Milne, Milne to Yeats, Yeats to Ferns, Ferns to Stevenson, Stevenson to Callaghan, Callaghan to Hunt, Hunt to Arrowsmith, Arrowsmith to Melia and from Melia to Thompson. And Bill Shankly sat down beside each player, Bill Shankly put an arm around each player. And Bill Shankly spoke to each player –
I know you want to do well, said Bill Shankly. I know you want to play well, son. For Liverpool Football Club, for this crowd tonight. But I also know the pressure that brings. That desire to do well. That desire to play well. The pressure of that desire. The desire to please this crowd. The desire to please these people. And I know the weight that brings. The weight of that expectation. It is heavy. I know. That pressure. I know. That weight. But remember this. If I did not feel you could play well. If I did not feel you could carry that weight. Then I would not have bought you, son. And I would not have picked you. I bought you, son. And I picked you. Because I know you can carry that weight, son. Because I know you are the best …
In the first minute, the very first minute, Alf Arrowsmith scored his first goal, his very first goal for Liverpool Football Club. In the thirty-third minute, Peter Thompson scored his first goal, his very first goal for Liverpool Football Club. In the fifty-seventh minute, Ian Callaghan scored. In the sixty-seventh minute, Roger Hunt scored. In the seventy-ninth minute, Gordon Milne scored. And in the eighty-seventh minute, Hunt scored again. And Liverpool Football Club beat Wolverhampton Wanderers six–nil. Six–nil. At home, at Anfield.
Five days later, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Bramall Lane, Sheffield. And no one scored for Liverpool Football Club. And Liverpool Football Club lost three–nil to Sheffield United.
On Saturday 28 September, 1963, Everton Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, fifty-one thousand, nine hundred and seventy-three folk came, too. The game had been sold out for weeks, the gates had been locked for hours. Before the kick-off. Bill Shankly walked down the corridor. Bill Shankly opened the dressing-room door. Bill Shankly stepped inside the dressing room. The home dressing room. Bill Shankly closed the dressing-room door. Bill Shankly took off his hat. Bill Shankly hung his hat on the back of the door. And Bill Shankly looked around the dressing room. From player to player. From Lawrence to Byrne, Byrne to Ferns, Ferns to Milne, Milne to Yeats, Yeats to Stevenson, Stevenson to Callaghan, Callaghan to Hunt, Hunt to St John, St John to Melia and from Melia to Thompson. And Bill Shankly smiled. Bill Shankly took a piece of paper from his jacket pocket. Bill Shankly pinned the piece of paper to the wall of the dressing room. The home dressing-room wall –
I’ve just seen Harry, said Bill Shankly. Old Harry Catterick, lads. In the corridor. By, he’s a miserable man is Harry. He’s always miserable is Harry. But he’s not only miserable today. Today he’s tired, too. Exhausted. Knackered. And shattered. And he’s not the only one. They are all tired. All exhausted, all knackered. The whole team shattered. And do you know why, lads? Do you know why they are all so tired? So exhausted, knackered an
d shattered?
In the dressing room, on the benches. In their kits and in their boots. The players of Liverpool Football Club looked at Bill Shankly. And the players of Liverpool Football Club shook their heads.
Bill Shankly smiled again. And Bill Shankly tapped the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall of the dressing room –
Because of this, said Bill Shankly. This, lads …
In the dressing room, on the benches. In their kits and in their boots. The players of Liverpool Football Club stared up at the piece of paper pinned to the dressing-room wall. The piece of paper, a map of Europe. A map of Europe with one big thick red line drawn across it. One big thick red line drawn from Liverpool to Milan.
Bill Shankly put his finger on the piece of paper. On the map of Europe. Bill Shankly moved his finger along the red line from Liverpool to Milan. And then Bill Shankly moved his finger back along the red line from Milan back to Liverpool –
Do you know how far it is, asked Bill Shankly. How far it is from Liverpool to Milan, lads?
In the dressing room, on the benches. In their kits and in their boots. The players of Liverpool Football Club stared at the piece of paper pinned to the dressing-room wall. Again. The players of Liverpool Football Club shook their heads.
Well, I’ll tell you, said Bill Shankly. I’ll tell you, lads. It’s eight hundred miles. As the crow flies. From Liverpool to Milan. And it’s eight hundred miles back again. As the crow flies. That’s one thousand, six hundred miles, lads. So that’s how far Everton Football Club have travelled this past week. One thousand, six hundred miles! And I’ll tell you this, lads. I’ll tell you this. When you’ve been beaten. When you’ve been knocked out of the European Cup. That will feel more than one thousand, six hundred miles, lads. That will feel more like ten thousand miles, lads. One million miles! And you know what, lads? You know what old Harry had them doing? The minute they got back from Milan. After they had been beaten. After they had been knocked out the European Cup. After they had travelled one thousand, six hundred miles. You know what old Harry had them all doing? The very next day? The day after they got back from Milan in Italy?
In the dressing room, on the benches. In their kits and in their boots. The players of Liverpool Football Club stared up at Bill Shankly. And the players of Liverpool Football Club shook their heads.
Well, I’ll tell you, said Bill Shankly again. I’ll tell you, lads. Because I know. Because I could see them. From my house, from my window. I could see what Harry had them doing. And you won’t believe it, boys. You just won’t believe it. The day after they got back. The day after they were beaten by Internazionale of Milan. The day after they were knocked out of the European Cup. The day after they had travelled one thousand, six hundred miles. Harry had them doing a commando course. A commando course, boys! Up at Bellefield. Running the legs off them. But I know why, lads. I know why Harry did it. Because he knows how fit you all are. How hard you all train. And so he was worried was Harry. And so he’s trying to keep up with our training. But he can’t, boys. They can’t. And Harry’s delusional if he thinks they can. The man is simply delusional. Even on a good day. And this was not a good day. This was the day after they got back from Milan. The day after they had been beaten by Internazionale of Milan. They day after they had been knocked out of the European Cup. The day after they had travelled one thousand, six hundred miles. A very bad day. But I could see them, boys. From my house, from my window. I could see them. And I tell you, boys. I tell you. They were exhausted. They were knackered. And they were shattered. They couldn’t keep up. They were dropping like flies. Left, right and centre. Dropping like flies they were, boys. The lot of them. So they are already finished, boys. They are already beaten. Before the whistle’s even been blown, before they’ve even kicked a ball. So all you have to do today, boys. All you have to do today is finish the job. Finish the job, boys. And put them out of their misery. For Chrissakes, lads. You’ll be doing them a favour. So for the love of God, boys. Please put them out of their misery, lads. Out of their bloody misery …
Two minutes before half-time, Ian Callaghan scored. Three minutes after half-time, Callaghan scored again. Roy Vernon scored for Everton Football Club. But it didn’t count, it didn’t matter. Liverpool Football Club had beaten Everton Football Club two–one. At home, at Anfield. Bill Shankly burst into the dressing room. The home dressing room. And Bill Shankly danced from player to player. Bill Shankly patted their backs, Bill Shankly shook their hands. All of their backs, all of their hands. And then Bill Shankly stood in the centre of the dressing room. And Bill Shankly grinned –
Do you know what you have achieved today, boys? What you have done today? You have not only beaten Everton Football Club. You have beaten the Champions. You have beaten the Champions of England, boys. And so now you can have nothing to fear. Nothing to fear for the rest of the season, boys. Because you have beaten the Champions of England. The best team in this land. And so if you can beat them, boys. If you can beat the Champions of England. Then you can beat any team. Any team in the land, boys. And every team! You can beat every team in the land. I know you can. Because today you have shown me you can. And so today I know you can be the Champions. I know we can be the Champions of England, boys!
14. AFTER THE PASSION, BEFORE THE PASSION
In the office, at the desk. On the last Monday in October, 1963. Bill opened up the newspaper again. And Bill looked down at the League table again. The League table as it stood on Monday 28 October, 1963. This month, Liverpool Football Club had played three matches at home, at Anfield. And Liverpool Football Club had beaten Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday and West Bromwich Albion. Liverpool Football Club had played one match away, away from Anfield. And Liverpool Football Club had beaten Ipswich Town. This season, Liverpool Football Club had played fourteen matches. That Monday, Liverpool Football Club had nineteen points. That Monday, Liverpool Football Club were third in the First Division. On goal average, with nineteen points. Arsenal, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United all had nineteen points, too. Sheffield United had twenty-one points. Sheffield United were top of the First Division. Sheffield United were the sixth team to be top of the First Division this season. In the office, at the desk. Bill opened one of the drawers. Bill took out the pair of scissors and the pot of glue. Bill cut out the League table from the newspaper. Bill stuck the League table for Monday 28 October, 1963, into his book. His book of names, his book of notes. And in the office, at the desk. Now Bill took out his diary. His diary of dates, his diary of fixtures. Bill turned the pages of his diary. The pages of dates to come, the pages of fixtures to come. The twenty-eight fixtures to come, the twenty-eight opportunities to come. The twenty-eight opportunities to win, the twenty-eight opportunities to be the Champions –
The Champions of England.
And in the office, at the desk. Now Bill turned back through the pages of his diary. The pages of dates, the pages of fixtures. To the next fixture, to the next Saturday. And Bill stared down at that next fixture, that next Saturday. That next Saturday, Leicester City Football Club would come to Anfield, Liverpool. In the office, at the desk. Bill closed his diary. His diary of dates, his diary of fixtures. And in the office, at the desk. Bill stared down at the pair of scissors. The blades.
…
Upstairs, in their house. In the night and in the silence. Ness and the girls were asleep. Downstairs, in their house. In the night and in the silence. At the kitchen table, in a chair. Bill stared down at the three spoons, the four forks and the four knives. Again. The three spoons, the four forks and the four knives moving. Again. The three spoons, the four forks and the four knives turning. Moving and turning. Again and again and again and again. Spinning and swirling. Again and again and again and again. In the night and in the silence. At the table, in the chair. Bill closed his eyes. The three spoons, the four forks and the four knives always spinning. Again and again and again and again. The three spoons, the four forks and the four knives alwa
ys swirling. Again and again and again and again. In the night and in the silence. At the table, in the chair. Bill opened his eyes. Bill picked up the three spoons, the four forks and the four knives. And Bill threw the three spoons, the four forks and the four knives across the kitchen. The three spoons, the four forks and the four knives clattered on the kitchen floor. In the night and in the silence. At the table, in the chair. Bill stood up. Bill walked out of the kitchen. Bill walked into the other room. In the night and in the silence. Bill picked up his diary from the arm of the chair. His diary of dates, his diary of fixtures. Bill turned through the pages of his diary. The pages of dates to come, the pages of fixtures to come. Looking for one date, looking for one fixture. Until Bill found the date, until Bill found that fixture. And in the night and in the silence. Now Bill stared down at the date. Saturday 28 March, 1964. Easter Saturday. Bill stared down at the fixture. Leicester City. Away, at Filbert Street. And in their house. In the night and in the silence. Bill closed his eyes. And Bill made a promise. Bill made a vow. His promise, his vow. Never again would Leicester City beat Liverpool Football Club. Never,
ever again.
…
In the pavilion at Melwood, the repainted and refurbished pavilion at Melwood. In front of the players of Liverpool Football Club, the entire squad of Liverpool Football Club. Bill held up the newspaper. Bill held up the back page of the newspaper. The League table on the back page of the newspaper. The last League table for November, 1963. And Bill said, We won at Bolton. We beat Fulham. We won at United. And we beat Burnley. And look where we are now, boys. Look where we are. We are top, lads. Top of the First Division. For the first time since 1947, boys. Liverpool Football Club are top of the First Division. So well done, lads. Well done! But I have to tell you something, boys. Something you’re not going to want to hear. It doesn’t count, lads. It doesn’t matter who is top of the First Division in November. Nobody cares, boys. The only thing that counts is who is top of the First Division in April. On the last day of the season, lads. That is all that matters. All anybody cares about, boys. And so we might be top now in November. But now we have to stay there, lads. Through December and into January. January into February, February into March. All the way to April, boys. We have to stay there. We have to stay on the top, lads. And so I have to tell you something else. Something else you’re not going to want to hear, boys. It’s going to be tough and it is going to be hard. Hard work, lads. But let me tell you one last thing. After all that hard work, boys. It’ll be worth it. Well worth it, lads. Because we will be Champions. The Champions of England, boys! If we work hard. If we all work hard together, lads …