by David Peace
and in the silence. Bill cursed his hands,
his empty, empty hands.
…
On the bench again, the Anfield bench again. On a Monday night, the last Monday night in April. In a madhouse of electric noise that hammered the senses. Bill watched Bremner win the toss. And Bremner choose to make Liverpool Football Club play towards the Spion Kop in the first half. It was a gamble, it was a risk. And in a madhouse of electric noise that hammered the senses. From the first minute, Liverpool Football Club attacked and attacked. In a madhouse of electric noise that hammered the senses. From the very back to the front, from Tommy Lawrence to Chris Lawler, Lawler to Geoff Strong, Strong to Tommy Smith, Smith to Ronnie Yeats, Yeats to Emlyn Hughes, Hughes to Ian Callaghan, Callaghan to Bobby Graham, Graham to Alun Evans, Evans to Ian St John and from St John to Peter Thompson. In a madhouse of electric noise that hammered the senses. The players of Leeds United were rattled, the players of Leeds United were shaken. The challenges rash and the tackles fierce. Tommy Smith needed treatment. Tommy Lawrence needed treatment. Terry Cooper needed treatment. Gary Sprake needed treatment. And Mick Jones needed treatment. But in the madhouse of electric noise that hammered the senses. The players of Leeds United began to find their feet, the players of Leeds United began to find their rhythm. And to defend and to defend. From the very front to the back, from Gray to Giles, Giles to Jones, Jones to Madeley, Madeley to O’Grady, O’Grady to Hunter, Hunter to Charlton, Charlton to Bremner, Bremner to Cooper, Cooper to Reaney and from Reaney to Sprake. In a madhouse of electric noise that hammered the senses. The white cliffs repelled the red waves. The shot from Ian Callaghan and the header from Alun Evans. The white cliffs stood and the red waves broke. In a madhouse of electric noise that hammered the senses. For minute after minute, long minute after long minute. In the seventy-second minute, Ian St John lobbed the ball into the penalty area. The ball found Alun Evans in the penalty area. Evans unmarked. The goal unguarded. The goal at his mercy. Evans shot and Evans missed. And in the madhouse of electric noise that hammered the senses. Hammered and hammered, hammered and hammered. The long minutes became short minutes, the short minutes became dying minutes. In the madhouse of electric noise that hammered the senses. Hammered and hammered. The dying minutes, the last minute. Hammered. The last minute, the last seconds. And hammered. The last seconds, the last second. Hammered. And in that last second, Bill watched the referee put his whistle to his lips. And the referee blew his whistle. And in the madhouse of electric noise that had hammered the senses. Liverpool Football Club had drawn nil–nil with Leeds United. And Leeds United had got their point. Their last point. And Leeds United were the Champions of England for the first time in the history of Leeds United Association Football Club. But the players of Leeds United Association Football Club did not leap into the air. The Anfield air. The players of Leeds United Association Football Club did not jump for joy into the night. The Anfield night. The players of Leeds United Association Football Club stood upon the pitch. The Anfield pitch. Their backs bent in half, their hands upon their thighs. Gasping for air, panting for breath. Until slowly, one by one, man by man, the players of Leeds United Association Football Club realised what they had done, knew what they had achieved. And the players of Leeds United Association Football Club raised their heads. And the players of Leeds United Association Football Club raised their arms. In salute and in victory. And they walked with heads held high, they strode with arms raised high, towards their own supporters, the supporters of Leeds United Association Football Club. In salute and in victory. In victory.
On the touchline, the Anfield touchline. Bill shook the hand of Don Revie. And Bill said, Congratulations, Don. Congratulations. You are a great team, Don. A great team. And you are worthy and deserving champions, Don. Champions of England.
Thank you, said Don Revie. Thank you, Bill. You cannot know what your words mean. What your praise means to me. Thank you for your words, Bill. Thank you for your praise …
Bill nodded. And Bill said, Now lead your team, Don. Lead your team to the Kop. So the Spion Kop can applaud you, Don. So the Spion Kop can salute you, too.
Don Revie walked onto the pitch. The Anfield pitch. Don Revie went up to his players. The players of Leeds United. And Don Revie led the players of Leeds United down the pitch. The Anfield pitch. Towards the Kop. The Spion Kop. And there was silence. Sudden silence, momentary silence. And then there was applause. From the Kop. There were cheers. From the Spion Kop. And the Spion Kop hailed the new Champions of England, the Spion Kop saluted Leeds United Association Football Club. In their victory.
In the tunnel, the Anfield tunnel. Bill picked up a crate. A crate of champagne. Bill went into the dressing room. The away dressing room. And Bill put down the crate of champagne on a bench in the away dressing room. The Champions’ dressing room. And then Bill walked out of the away dressing room. The Champions’ dressing room. And Bill walked into the home dressing room. The silent dressing room. And Bill heard the studs of the Leeds United players coming down the tunnel. The Anfield tunnel. Bill heard the songs of the Leeds United players. The songs of celebration. The champagne corks and the champagne toasts. The toasts to victory. And Bill looked around the dressing room. The losers’ dressing room. From player to player. These players who had given everything, these players who had won nothing. And Bill looked at Bob Paisley, Reuben Bennett, Joe Fagan and Ronnie Moran. These men who had given everything, these men who had won nothing. And Bill had no words.
But Emlyn Hughes had words. And Hughes jumped up –
Come on, lads. Come on! Why the long faces? Why the sad frowns? We still finished above Everton. Ha! We still finished second, lads. Ha! We’re still the runners-up. Ha! I don’t think runners-up is to be sneezed at, lads. Ha! I don’t think second place is so bad …
Bill stared at Emlyn Hughes. Bill held out his hands towards Hughes. And Bill said, Look at my hands, son. Look at these hands. What do you see in these hands, son? What do you see?
Nothing, said Emlyn Hughes. Nothing, Boss.
Bill nodded. And Bill said, You get nothing for coming second, son. Because if you are second, you are nothing. You are nowhere –
First is first. Second is nowhere.
…
In the drive, in the car. Bill switched off the headlights. In the night, the last night. Bill switched on the headlights. In the drive, in the car. On and then off, off and then on. In the night, the last night. Bill remembered every run. Every kick. Every pass. Every tackle. Every shot. In the drive, in the car. In the night, the last night. Every run, every kick, every pass, every tackle and every shot of every game. Every single game of the season. The headlights off, the headlights on. Liverpool Football Club had played forty-two League games this season. Liverpool Football Club had lost six, drawn eleven and won twenty-five of those forty-two games. Liverpool Football Club had conceded twenty-four goals and scored sixty-three goals in those forty-two games. And Liverpool Football Club had finished the season with sixty-one points. Sixty-one points, sixty-three goals and forty-two games. In the drive, in the car. In the night, the last night. The headlights on, the headlights off. Every run, every kick, every pass, every tackle and every shot of every game. Every single game of those forty-two games. And in the drive, in the car. In the night, that last night. Bill fought back tears. Forty-two games, sixty-three goals. Bill struggled to breathe. And sixty-one points –
For nothing, for nowhere.
31. SMALL STEPS
In the summer of 1969, Bill Shankly did not take a holiday. Bob Paisley did not take a holiday. Joe Fagan did not take a holiday. Reuben Bennett did not take a holiday. And Ronnie Moran did not take a holiday. In the summer of 1969, Bill Shankly worked. Bob Paisley worked. Joe Fagan worked. Reuben Bennett worked. And Ronnie Moran worked. In the boardroom and in the offices, in the darkness and in the shadows. Through the books of names, through the books of notes. The sheets of names, the sheets of dates. The names of players and the dates o
f games. The reports on every player, the reports on every game. Every first-team player and every first-team game, every reserve-team player and every reserve-team game. They debated every player, they discussed every game. They analysed and they evaluated. In the boardroom and in the offices, in the darkness and in the shadows. In the summer of 1969, there were no days off –
And no complacency. Complacency was born of self-congratulation, complacency was born of self-satisfaction. Arrogance and contempt. There was no complacency. No days off,
no nights off. Every evening. Bill Shankly got in his car. Or in Reuben’s car. Or in Geoff’s car. Every evening. They drove. Every evening. North, south, east or west. Every evening. They drove and they discussed. The game they would see, the players they would see. Laughing and joking. Every evening. They watched a football game. Every evening. A friendly game or a testimonial game. A reserve-team match or an amateur-team match. And then, every evening. Bill Shankly got back into his car. Or into Reuben’s car. Or into Geoff’s car. Every evening. They drove back home. Every evening. North, south, east or west. Every evening. They drove and they discussed. The game they had seen, the players they had seen. Laughing and joking. Every evening. Every evening of every day of every week of every month of every year. Every year,
every evening.
…
In the summer of 1969, Liverpool Football Club did not go on a pre-season tour. In the summer of 1969, Liverpool Football Club stayed at home, at Anfield. In the summer of 1969, Liverpool Football Club began their pre-season training ten days earlier than usual. Because the 1969–70 season would start ten days earlier than usual. Because of the World Cup, in Mexico, in 1970. Liverpool Football Club would have to start training earlier, Liverpool Football Club would have to start training harder. In the summer of 1969, outside Anfield, in the car park, in his tracksuit and in his sweater. Bill Shankly waited for the players. Bill Shankly greeted the players. Bill Shankly shook their hands. Bill Shankly patted their backs. He asked after their summer holidays, he asked after their families. Bill Shankly laughing, Bill Shankly joking. In the summer of 1969, the players got on the bus. Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett and Ronnie Moran got on the bus. And Bill Shankly got on the bus. Bill Shankly laughing, Bill Shankly joking. In the summer of 1969, they all travelled to Melwood. Some people smiling, some people not. In the summer of 1969, they all got off the bus. Some smiling and some not. In the summer of 1969, the players ran round the training pitch at Melwood. And Bill Shankly ran round the training pitch at Melwood. Bill Shankly laughing, Bill Shankly joking. In the summer of 1969, the players heard the whistle. And the players split into their groups. The players lifted weights. The players skipped. The players jumped. The players did squats. The players did abdominal exercises. The players sprinted. And Bill Shankly heard the whistle. Bill Shankly lifted weights. Bill Shankly skipped. Bill Shankly jumped. Bill Shankly did squats. Bill Shankly did abdominal exercises. Bill Shankly sprinted. Bill Shankly laughing, Bill Shankly joking. In the summer of 1969, the players heard the whistle again. And 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 Bill Shankly heard the whistle, too. Bill Shankly passed the ball. Bill Shankly dribbled with the ball. Bill Shankly headed the ball. Bill Shankly chipped the ball. Bill Shankly controlled the ball. Bill Shankly tackled. Bill Shankly laughing, Bill Shankly joking. In the summer of 1969, the players heard the whistle again. And 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 Bill Shankly heard the whistle again, too. Bill Shankly went between the training boards. Bill Shankly moving, the ball moving. Bill Shankly playing the ball against one board. Then taking the ball, controlling the ball. Bill Shankly turning with the ball, dribbling with the ball. Up to the other board. In just ten touches. Bill Shankly 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 Shankly laughing, Bill Shankly joking. In the summer of 1969, the players heard the whistle yet again. And 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 Bill Shankly heard the whistle yet again, too. Bill Shankly 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 Shankly laughing, Bill Shankly joking. In the summer of 1969, the players heard the whistle. And 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 Bill Shankly heard the whistle, too. And Bill Shankly 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. Bill Shankly laughing, Bill Shankly joking. In the summer of 1969, the players ran one last time around the training pitch. And Bill Shankly ran one last time around the training pitch. Bill Shankly laughing, Bill Shankly joking. And then, in the summer of 1969, the players got back on the bus. Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett and Ronnie Moran got back on the bus. And Bill Shankly got back on the bus. Bill Shankly laughing, Bill Shankly joking. In the summer of 1969, they all travelled back to Anfield. More people smiling now, still some people not. In the summer of 1969, they all got off the bus. More smiling now and still some not. In the summer of 1969, the players went into Anfield. And Bill Shankly went into Anfield. Bill Shankly laughing, Bill Shankly joking. In the dressing rooms, the players took off their boots, the players took off their tracksuits. And in the dressing rooms, Bill Shankly took off his boots, Bill Shankly took off his sweater and his tracksuit. Bill Shankly laughing, Bill Shankly joking. The players went into the baths. And Bill Shankly went into the baths. Bill Shankly laughing, Bill Shankly joking. The players washed and changed. And Bill Shankly washed and changed. Bill Shankly laughing, Bill Shankly joking. The players said goodbye. And Bill Shankly said goodbye. Bill Shankly still laughing, Bill Shankly still joking. The players went out to their bigger cars. The players went back to their bigger houses. Some smiling and some not. But Bill Shankly did not go out to his car. His same car. Bill Shankly did not go back to his house. His same house. Bill Shankly not laughing now, Bill Shankly not joking now. Bill Shankly looking, Bill Shankly listening. Always looking, always listening. Looking for complacency, listening for satisfaction. Complacency with the way things were, satisfaction with the way things were. Always learning. Learning who had become complacent with the way things were, learning who had become satisfied with the way things were. Because Bill Shankly was working. Always working. Day after day. Day in and day out. Always
working, always
working.
…
On Saturday 9 August, 1969, the first Saturday of the new season, Chelsea Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, forty-eight thousand, three hundred and eighty-three folk came, too. Forty-eight thousand, three hundred and eighty-three folk to watch the first game of the new season. In the twenty-sixth minute of the first game of the new season, Chris Lawler scored. In the forty-ninth minute of the first game of the new season, Ian St John scored. In the sixtieth minute of the first game of the new season, Geoff Strong scored. And in the eighty-third minute of the first game of the new season, St John scored again. And in the first game of the new season, Liverpool Football Club beat Chelsea Football Club four–one. At home, at Anfield. Three days afterwards, Manchester City Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That evening, fifty-one thousand, nine hundred and fifty-nine folk came, too. Fifty-one thousand, nine hundred and fifty-nine folk to watch the s
econd game of the new season. In the second minute of the second game of the new season, St John scored. But in the second game of the new season, Tommy Smith scored an own goal. And in the second game of the new season, Bowyer scored for Manchester City. And in the second game of the new season, Liverpool Football Club were losing. At home, at Anfield. But in the eighty-third minute of the second game of the new season, Roger Hunt scored. And in the second game of the new season, Liverpool Football Club were drawing. At home, at Anfield. But in the eighty-eighth minute of the second game of the new season, St John scored again. And in the second game of the new season, Liverpool Football Club beat Manchester City three–two. At home, at Anfield.
On Saturday 16 August, 1969, Liverpool Football Club travelled to White Hart Lane, London, for the third game of the new season. In the sunshine, the shirt-sleeved summer sunshine, the players of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club were tanned, but flabby. In the sunshine, the shirt-sleeved summer sunshine, the players of Liverpool Football Club were pale, but toned. And in the second minute of the third game of the new season, Emlyn Hughes sent Roger Hunt on his way. But Hughes did not stand and watch Hunt on his way. Hughes followed Hunt, giant stride after giant stride. And Hunt shot. But Hunt did not score. The ball rebounded off Jennings. But there was Hughes. And Hughes did score. In the sunshine, the shirt-sleeved summer sunshine. In the thirty-seventh minute of the third game of the new season. Chris Lawler passed to Ian Callaghan. But Lawler did not stand and watch Callaghan. Lawler followed Callaghan. And Callaghan shot. But Callaghan did not score. The ball deflected off Jennings. And there was Lawler. And Lawler scored. And in the sunshine, the shirt-sleeved summer sunshine. In the third game of the new season, Liverpool Football Club beat Tottenham Hotspur two–nil. Away from home, away from Anfield.