by David Peace
Out on the training ground, out in the rain. The players ran round the training pitch at Melwood. And Bill ran round the training pitch at Melwood. Bill laughing, Bill joking. In the rain, the players heard the whistle. And in the rain, the players split into their groups. And the players lifted weights. The players skipped. The players jumped. The players did squats. The players did abdominal exercises. The players sprinted. And in the rain, Bill lifted weights. Bill skipped. Bill jumped. Bill did squats. Bill did abdominal exercises. Bill sprinted. Bill laughing, Bill joking. Then in the rain, the players heard the whistle again. And in the rain, the players passed the ball. The players dribbled with the ball. The players headed the ball. The players chipped the ball. The players controlled the ball. The players tackled. And in the rain, Bill passed the ball. Bill dribbled with the ball. Bill headed the ball. Bill chipped the ball. Bill controlled the ball. Bill tackled. Bill laughing, Bill joking. In the rain, the players heard the whistle again. In the rain, the players went between the training boards. The players moving, the ball moving. Playing the ball against one board. Then taking the ball, controlling the ball. Turning with the ball, dribbling with the ball. Up to the other board. In just ten touches. Playing the ball against the other board. Then pulling the ball down, turning again and dribbling again. Back down to the first board. In just ten touches. And in the rain, Bill went between the training boards. Bill moving, the ball moving. Bill playing the ball against one board. Then taking the ball, controlling the ball. Bill turning with the ball, dribbling with the ball. Up to the other board. In just ten touches. Bill playing the ball against the other board. Then pulling the ball down, turning again and dribbling again. Back down to the first board. In just ten touches. Bill laughing, Bill joking. And in the rain, the players heard the whistle yet again. And in the rain, the players went inside the sweat box. Ball after ball, into the box. Every second, another ball. For one minute, then for two minutes, then for three minutes. Ball after ball, into the box. And in the rain, Bill went into the sweat box. Ball after ball, into the box. Every second, another ball. For one minute, then for two minutes, then for three minutes. Bill laughing, Bill joking. In the rain, the players heard the whistle. In the rain, they played three-a-sides. Three-a-sides then five-a-sides. Five-a-sides then seven-a-sides. Seven-a-sides then eleven-a-sides. And in the rain, Bill played in the three-a-sides. Three-a-sides then five-a-sides. Five-a-sides then seven-a-sides. Seven-a-sides then eleven-a-sides. Bill laughing, Bill joking. And then in the rain, the players ran one last time around the training pitch. And in the rain, Bill ran one last time around the training pitch. Bill laughing, Bill joking. And in the rain, the players got back on the bus. In the rain, Bob, Joe, Reuben and Albert got back on the bus. And in the rain, Bill got back on the bus. Bill laughing, Bill joking. In the rain, they all travelled back to Anfield. Everybody laughing, everybody joking. In the rain, they all got off the bus. Laughing and joking. In the rain, the players went into Anfield. In the rain, Bill went into Anfield. Bill laughing, Bill joking. In the dressing rooms, the players took off their boots, the players took off their tracksuits. In the dressing rooms, Bill took off his boots, Bill took off his sweater and his tracksuit bottoms. Bill laughing, Bill joking. The players went into the baths. And Bill went into the baths. Bill laughing, Bill joking. The players washed and changed. And Bill washed and changed. Bill laughing, Bill joking. The players said goodbye. And Bill said goodbye. Bill still laughing, Bill still joking. And the players went out to their cars. The players went back to their houses. Laughing and joking. But Bill did not go out to his car. Bill did not go back to his house. Bill not laughing now, Bill not joking now. Bill still looking, Bill still listening. Always looking, always listening. And learning, Bill was always learning. Learning and working –
Bill was always working.
…
In the kitchen, at their table. Bill tried to swallow his Sunday dinner, Bill tried to join in the family conversation. But Bill could not swallow his dinner, Bill could not join in the conversation. In the kitchen, at the table. The girls finished their dinner. And Ness finished her dinner. The girls stood up. And Ness stood up. The girls began to clear away the plates. Ness began to run the water in the sink. In the kitchen, at the table. Bill stood up. Bill walked over to the sink. Bill put his hand on Ness’s arm. And Bill said, Leave it, love. I’ll do it …
Ness dried her hands. The girls put down the plates. Ness smiled. The girls smiled, too. Ness went into the front room and her crossword. And the girls went up to their room and their records.
Bill walked back over to the table. Bill picked up the plates. Bill walked back to the sink. Bill put the plates in the sink. Bill walked back over to the kitchen table. Bill picked up the salt and pepper pots. Bill put them in the cupboard. Bill walked back over to the table. Bill took the cloth off the table. Bill walked over to the back door. Bill opened the back door. Bill stepped outside. Bill stood on the step. Bill shook the cloth. Bill stepped back into the kitchen. Bill closed the door. Bill folded up the tablecloth. Bill put the cloth in the drawer. Bill walked back over to the sink. Bill turned on the taps. Bill squeezed washing-up liquid into the sink. Bill turned off the taps. Bill picked up the scrubbing brush. Bill washed up the plates. Bill washed up the pans. Bill washed up the knives and forks. Bill put them on the draining board. Bill pulled out the plug. Bill dried his hands. Bill picked up the tea towel. Bill dried up the pans. Bill dried up the plates. Bill dried up the knives and forks. Bill put the pans in one cupboard. Bill put the plates in another. Bill put the knives and forks in the drawer. Bill walked back over to the sink. Bill picked up the dishcloth. Bill wiped down the draining board. Bill turned on the taps again. Bill rinsed the dishcloth under the taps. Bill turned off the taps. Bill squeezed the water out of the dishcloth. Bill put the dishcloth down next to the bottle of washing-up liquid. Bill turned around. Bill looked round the kitchen. Bill turned back to the sink. Bill bent down. Bill opened the cupboard under the sink. Bill took out a bucket from under the sink. Bill bent back down. Bill opened a box under the sink. Bill took out a Brillo pad from the box. Bill closed the cupboard door. Bill picked up the bucket. Bill put the bucket in the sink. Bill turned on the taps again. Bill filled the bucket half full. Bill turned off the taps. Bill took the bucket and the Brillo pad over to the cooker. Bill put down the bucket in front of the cooker. Bill opened the oven door. Bill looked inside the oven. Bill could see the dirt. Bill could smell the fat. Bill knelt down on the kitchen floor. Bill unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt. Bill rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Bill picked up the Brillo pad. Bill sank the Brillo pad into the bucket of water. Bill pulled the Brillo pad back up, out of the water. Bill squeezed the water from the Brillo pad. The wet, steel wool. Bill squeezed it tighter. Bill put his hand inside the oven. Into the dirt, amongst the fat. In the kitchen, on the floor. On his knees, Bill began to scrub. Liverpool Football Club had lost to Blackburn Rovers. On his knees, Bill began to scour. Liverpool Football Club had lost to West Ham United. On his knees, Bill began to clean. Liverpool Football Club had lost to Everton. On his knees, to clean and clean again. Liverpool Football Club were no longer top of the First Division. Liverpool Football Club were now fourth in the First Division. On his knees, until there was no more dirt, there was no more fat. And Liverpool Football Club were top again, and still top again, and in the Cup again, in the Sixth Round of the FA Cup again.
…
Under the stands, in the office. Not at his desk, not in his chair. Bill was pacing and Bill was pacing. Back and forth, across the room. Three strides back and three strides forth. Swansea Town were in the Second Division. In the doldrums of the Second Division. Liverpool Football Club were in the First Division. Near the very summit of the First Division. Folk were saying Liverpool Football Club were certain to knock Swansea Town out of the FA Cup. Folk were saying Liverpool Football Club were certain to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup. Again. Folk were saying Liverpool Football Club could reach the final
of the FA Cup. Folk were saying Liverpool Football Club could win the FA Cup. Folk were saying Liverpool Football Club could win the League, too. Folk were saying Liverpool Football Club could win the League and the Cup. Folk were saying Liverpool Football Club could do the Double. The Double! Under the stands, in the office. Not at his desk, not in his chair. Still pacing and still pacing. Back and forth across the room. Bill had his fingers in his ears –
In the dressing room, the home dressing room. Bill looked from player to player. And then Bill raised his finger in the air. His finger to his ear. And Bill said, Do you hear that noise, boys? Do you hear that sound? What a noise it is. What a sound it is. That is the noise of Anfield. That is the sound of Liverpool Football Club. And you are used to that noise. You are used to that sound. Because that is our noise. That is our sound. But across that corridor. In that dressing room. The players of Swansea Town have never heard a noise like that before. They have never heard a sound like that before. And they will be frightened, boys. And they will be intimidated. They will be pale and they will be shaking. And when you walk out into that corridor. When you walk out onto that pitch. You will see how frightened they are. How intimidated they are. But you can have no compassion for them, boys. No sympathy for them. Because not a ball has been kicked yet. The match is not won yet. And so nothing is certain, boys. Nothing is certain. Not until you have won the match. Not until you have beaten Swansea Town. Only then can you have any compassion for them. Any sympathy for them. When you have won the match. When you have beaten Swansea Town …
…
In the drive, in the car. Bill turned off the engine. In the night. Bill stared out through the car window at the house, at their home. In their home, in the night. Ness and the girls would be asleep. Their house warm, their house silent. In the drive, in the car. Bill gripped the steering wheel. Tight. And Bill glanced up into the rear-view mirror. Liverpool Football Club’s assault had never ceased, Liverpool Football Club’s barrage had never lifted. Bill knew what pressure was. Swansea Town had reeled, Swansea Town had tottered. Pressure was trying to find a job. But Swansea Town had refused to collapse, Swansea Town had refused to crumple. Pressure was trying to keep a job. And in the thirty-seventh minute, Swansea Town had scored. And two minutes later, Swansea Town had scored again. Pressure was trying to live on fifty shillings a week. Liverpool Football Club’s assault had only became more ferocious. Their barrage only more intense. Pressure was trying to feed your family on fifty shillings a week. Time and time again, Liverpool Football Club had attacked and attacked. But time and time again, Dwyer had saved and saved. Pressure was not trying to win the League. But just after the hour, Peter Thompson had scored. Now the assault unceasing, now the barrage unending. Pressure was not trying to win the Cup. In the eightieth minute, the referee had blown his whistle. The referee had pointed to the penalty spot. Ronnie Moran had placed the ball on the penalty spot. That was not pressure. Moran had stepped back. Moran had run up. And Moran had shot. The ball high, the ball wide. Moran had missed. That was work. Your work. But still Liverpool Football Club had attacked and attacked. They never flagged, they never tired. That was your reward. In the final five minutes, the last five minutes, Dwyer had saved and saved and saved and saved again. Your work was your reward. Until there were no more minutes, until there was no more time. Until Swansea Town had beaten Liverpool Football Club. Until Swansea Town had knocked Liverpool Football Club out of the FA Cup. Until there could be no more talk of the semi-final. No more talk of the final, no more talk of the Double. Until there was no more talk. No more talk. In the drive, in the car. Until there was only silence. Only silence. In the drive, in the car. In the night and in the silence. Bill put his hand inside his coat. Bill put his hand inside his jacket. And Bill took out his diary. His diary of dates, his diary of fixtures. The dates to come, the fixtures to come. In the drive, in his car. Bill turned the pages of the diary. The pages of dates, the pages of fixtures. Backwards and forwards. Counting the dates, counting the fixtures. The dates to come, the fixtures to come. There were two more months to the season, thirteen more matches to come. In the drive, in the car. Bill stopped turning the pages. The pages of dates, the pages of fixtures. Bill stared down at one page. One page of dates, one page of fixtures. The Easter dates, the Easter fixtures. In the drive, in the car. In the night and in the silence. Bill gripped the steering wheel. Tighter. Bill closed his eyes. Again. Bill prayed for resurrection. Again.
15. ALL POWER TO THE KOP!
On Wednesday 4 March, 1964, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Hillsborough, Sheffield. At half-time, Sheffield Wednesday were beating Liverpool Football Club two–nil. With twenty-two minutes to go, Sheffield Wednesday were still beating Liverpool Football Club two–nil. If Sheffield Wednesday beat Liverpool Football Club, Sheffield Wednesday would be second in the First Division. If Liverpool Football Club lost to Sheffield Wednesday, Liverpool Football Club would be sixth in the First Division –
Sixth in the First Division,
and out of the cup. But in the seventieth minute, Ian St John scored. And a cry went up, a roar. LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. And then from out of that cry, from out of that roar, a different sound. Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart. The sound, a song. And you’ll never walk alone. A song from the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. You’ll never walk alone. Echoing, rising. Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart. Around the ground. And you’ll never walk alone. And onto the pitch. You’ll never walk alone. And in the last minute, in the very last minute, with Liverpool Football Club still losing two–one, with Liverpool Football Club still sixth in the First Division, still sixth in the First Division and out of the Cup, Willie Stevenson rose from out of a crowd of players. To meet the ball, to head the ball. Into the goal, from out of a crowd. LI-VER-POOL, LIVER- POOL, LI-VER-POOL. And that night, Liverpool Football Club were no longer sixth in the First Division. That night, Liverpool Football Club were second in the First Division. Liverpool Football Club with forty points. But that night, Tottenham Hotspur were still first in the First Division. Tottenham Hotspur with forty-four points. But Tottenham Hotspur had played two games more than Liverpool Football Club. And Tottenham Hotspur still had to play Liverpool Football Club. Twice. Home and then away.
On Saturday 7 March, 1964, Ipswich Town Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, thirty-five thousand, five hundred and seventy-five folk came, too. In the forty-first minute, Ian St John scored. In the forty-eighth minute, Roger Hunt scored. In the fifty-fifth minute, Alf Arrowsmith scored. In the seventieth minute, Peter Thompson scored. Two minutes later, Hunt scored again. And in the eighty-third minute, Arrowsmith scored again. And Liverpool Football Club beat Ipswich Town six–nil. At home, at Anfield. It was the fourth time this season that Liverpool Football Club had scored six goals. At home, at Anfield. That afternoon, Tottenham Hotspur lost four–two to Everton Football Club. That evening, Tottenham Hotspur were still first in the First Division. Tottenham Hotspur still had forty-four points. But Liverpool Football Club now had forty-two points. Blackburn Rovers also had forty-two points. And Everton Football Club now had forty-two points, too. But Liverpool Football Club had still played fewer games than Tottenham Hotspur, Blackburn Rovers and Everton Football Club. Liverpool Football Club still had games in hand. More games to come –
On Saturday 14 March, 1964, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Craven Cottage, London. And in the rain and in the mud, Liverpool Football Club lost one–nil to Fulham Football Club. In the rain and in the mud. It was a blow, a serious blow. That afternoon, Everton Football Club beat Nottingham Forest six–one. That evening, Everton Football Club and Tottenham Hotspur both had forty-four points. That evening, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton were first and second in the First Division. That evening, Liverpool Football Club were fourth in the First Division. In the rain and in the mud. It was a blow, a very serious
blow.
Six days later, on the evening before Grand Nati
onal Day, Bolton Wanderers came to Anfield, Liverpool. That evening, thirty-eight thousand, five hundred and eighty-three folk came, too. In the twenty-eighth minute, Alf Arrowsmith scored. And in the forty-third minute, Ian St John scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Bolton Wanderers two–nil. At home, at Anfield. That evening, Liverpool Football Club had forty-four points. That evening, Liverpool Football Club were first in the First Division. Again. On goal average. First again, for now. The next day, Everton Football Club beat Blackburn Rovers two–one. That evening, Everton Football Club had forty-six points. And Everton Football Club were first in the First Division.