by David Peace
Well defended, Don. Very well defended. I thought we were going to beat you, Don. I really did. I thought we would win …
Not a chance, Bill. Not a chance. You were lucky today, Bill. Very lucky. We should have beaten you, Bill. We should have won.
Well, I don’t know what game you were watching, Don. I really don’t. But my advice to you, Don. My advice if you want to win a game of football. Would be to attack, Don. And not simply to defend.
Three days later, in a land of darkness, in a land of power cuts, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Easter Road, Edinburgh, to play Hibernian Football Club in the first leg of the Third Round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. And in a land of darkness, in a land of power cuts, Liverpool Football Club attacked and attacked. Away from home, away from Anfield. And in a land of darkness, in a land of power cuts. In the seventy-fifth minute, John Toshack scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Hibernian Football Club one–nil in the first leg of the Third Round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Away from home, away from Anfield. In a land of darkness, in a land of power cuts.
On Saturday 12 December, 1970, in a land still in darkness, in a land still of power cuts, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Upton Park, London. And because of the darkness, because of the power cuts, the game between Liverpool Football Club and West Ham United kicked off thirty minutes early, at half past two. Because of the darkness, because of the power cuts. But in the darkness, among the power cuts, in the twenty-seventh minute, Jack Whitham scored for Liverpool Football Club. His first goal for Liverpool Football Club. And in the darkness, among the power cuts, in the forty-third minute, Phil Boersma scored for Liverpool Football Club. And in the darkness, among the power cuts, Liverpool Football Club beat West Ham United two–one. Away from home, away from Anfield. One week later, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Leeds Road, Huddersfield. But Liverpool Football Club did not score. And Huddersfield Town did not score. And Liverpool Football Club drew nil–nil with Huddersfield Town. Away from home, away from Anfield. Bill Shankly walked down the touchline. The Leeds Road touchline. And Bill Shankly shook the hand of Ian Greaves, the manager of Huddersfield Town –
Well played, Ian. Well played. And I wish you all the best, Ian. All the very best for the rest of the season. I know you have a battle on your hands, Ian. But I hope it is a battle you win. I really do, Ian. I really do. Because I’ve always said Huddersfield Town belong in the First Division, Ian. In the First Division. And I admire the job you have done, Ian. The success you have brought to Huddersfield Town.
Ian Greaves smiled. And Ian Greaves said, Thank you, Bill. Thank you very much. It means a lot to us. It really does …
Three days afterwards, Hibernian Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That night, thirty-seven thousand, eight hundred and fifteen folk came, too. Thirty-seven thousand, eight hundred and fifteen folk to watch Liverpool Football Club play Hibernian Football Club in the second leg of the Third Round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. In the twenty-third minute, Emlyn Hughes sent Steve Heighway through the middle. Heighway racing, Heighway accelerating. Leaving Hibernian standing, leaving Hibernian watching. And Heighway shot. And Heighway scored. And in the fiftieth minute, Phil Boersma crossed the ball from the right. Hibernian standing, Hibernian watching. The cross drop over the Hibernian keeper, the cross drop into the Hibernian net. And Liverpool Football Club beat Hibernian Football Club three–nil on aggregate in the Third Round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
Four days later, on Boxing Day, 1970, in blizzards and in ice, Stoke City came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, in the blizzards and in the ice, forty-seven thousand, one hundred and three folk came, too. But in the blizzards and in the ice, Liverpool Football Club did not score. And Stoke City did not score. And in the blizzards and in the ice, Liverpool Football Club drew nil–nil with Stoke City. At home, at Anfield. It was Liverpool Football Club’s tenth draw of the season, their sixth nil–nil draw of the season. And that evening, in the blizzards and in the ice, Liverpool Football Club had twenty-six points. And Liverpool Football Club were seventh in the First Division. In the blizzards and in the ice, Liverpool Football Club were still lost, Liverpool Football Club still missing –
Still nowhere.
On Saturday 2 January, 1971, Aldershot Football Club of the Fourth Division came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, forty-five thousand and five hundred folk came, too. Forty-five thousand and five hundred folk to watch Liverpool Football Club play Aldershot Football Club of the Fourth Division in the Third Round of the FA Cup. At home, at Anfield. Bill Shankly walked into the dressing room. The home dressing room. Bill Shankly looked around the dressing room. The Liverpool dressing room. From Clemence to Lawler, Lawler to Boersma, Boersma to Smith, Smith to Lloyd, Lloyd to Hughes, Hughes to Hall, Hall to McLaughlin, McLaughlin to Heighway, Heighway to Toshack and from Toshack to Callaghan. And Bill Shankly took a piece of paper from his coat pocket. And Bill Shankly read out the names on the piece of paper –
Dixon, Walden, Walker, Joslyn, Dean, Giles, Walton, Brown, Howarth, Melia and Brodie. That is the Aldershot team, boys. That is who you are playing today. Now you’ll all recognise one of those names, boys. The name of Jimmy Melia. And you all know Jimmy played two hundred and eighty-six times for Liverpool Football Club and scored seventy-nine goals for Liverpool Football Club. Two hundred and eighty-six times, boys. And seventy-nine goals. And so Jimmy knows everything there is to know about Liverpool Football Club, boys. But today Jimmy is the captain of Aldershot Football Club. And Jimmy will have told his teammates all there is to know about Liverpool Football Club. He will have told them about you and he will have told them about the crowd. About what they can expect when they play Liverpool Football Club, when they come to Anfield. And he will be settling their nerves, telling them they have nothing to lose. That this is the biggest game of their lives, the greatest day of their careers. Telling them to go out there and enjoy the game, telling them to go out there and savour the day. But we know very little about the other players of Aldershot Football Club. About Dixon, Walden, Walker, Joslyn, Dean, Giles, Walton, Brown, Howarth and Brodie. All we know is that they are in the Fourth Division. But that means nothing today, boys. Because this is not the League. This is the Cup, boys. But the expectation is still on us, boys. The pressure is on us. But I tell you this, boys. I tell you this: if we treat those players with the same respect we would treat the players of Manchester United. The players of Leeds United. And if we play like we would play against Manchester United. Against Leeds United. Then I know we will win. If we struggle and if we try. We will win, boys. We will win. Because we play for Liverpool Football Club. Because we are Liverpool Football Club. And this is Anfield. And we treat every player who comes to Anfield with respect. Every team that comes to Anfield with respect. Because we are not complacent, boys. But we are not afraid either. And that is how we win, boys. With respect. And with graft. And with skill, boys. That is how we win …
On Saturday 2 January, 1971, in the Third Round of the FA Cup, in the twenty-eighth minute, John McLaughlin scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Aldershot Football Club of the Fourth Division one–nil in the Third Round of the FA Cup. At home, at Anfield. And the players of Liverpool Football Club shook hands with the players of Aldershot Football Club. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club applauded the players of Aldershot Football Club. And then the supporters of Liverpool Football Club sang, Ee-aye-addio, we’re going to win the Cup. We’re going to win the Cup. Ee-aye-addio, we’re going to win the Cup …
That same day, that same Saturday. Sixty-six men and boys had woken up. In their beds. Those sixty-six men and boys had eaten their breakfasts and their lunches with their families. In their kitchens. Those sixty-six men and boys had joked and talked with their families. In their homes. Those sixty-six men and boys had said goodbye to their families. See you later. In their halls. Those sixty-six men and boys had walked out of their doors, walked out of their houses and caught a bus, caug
ht a train. In the mist. Those sixty-six men and boys had gone to see a football match between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox Stadium, in Glasgow, in Scotland. In the mist. The sixty-six men and boys had paid at the turnstiles to Ibrox Stadium. In the mist. The sixty-six men and boys had stood and watched the football match between Rangers and Celtic. In the mist. The sixty-six men and boys had seen Celtic score, had seen Rangers equalise, and had heard the final whistle. In the mist. The sixty-six men and boys had made their way to the top of the terracing, made their way to stairway thirteen. In the mist. The sixty-six men and boys felt the crowd getting tighter and tighter at the top of stairway thirteen. In the mist. The sixty-six men and boys felt the weight of the people behind them. In the mist. The sixty-six men and boys felt themselves being carried over the top of the stairs. In the mist. The sixty-six men and boys felt their feet begin to leave the ground. In the mist, on the stairs. The sixty-six men and boys began to fall forward. In the mist, on the stairs. The sixty-six men and boys felt the crowd stop moving but the pressure increase. In the mist, on the stairs. And increase. In the mist, on the stairs. And increase. In the mist, on the stairs. The sixty-six men and boys heard the cries and the screams around them. In the mist, on the stairs. The sixty-six men and boys heard the cries and the screams stop. In the mist, on the stairs. The sixty-six men and boys heard the silence, only the silence. In the mist, on the stairs. The sixty-six men and boys felt the breath begin to leave their bodies. In the mist, on the stairs. The sixty-six men and boys felt the life being squeezed out of them. In the mist, on the stairs. The sixty-six men and boys felt the life leave them. In the mist, on the stairs. The sixty-six dead men, boys and one young woman were lifted from the stairway. In the mist. The sixty-six dead men, boys and one young woman were carried down the terracing. In the mist. The sixty-six dead men, boys and one young woman were laid on the edge of the pitch. In a row. In the mist. The black-and-white mist. The sixty-six dead men, boys and one young woman who had gone to see a game of football on Saturday 2 January, 1971. In the mist. The black-and-white mist. In a row. In the mist. The black-and-white mist. The sixty-six dead men, boys and one young woman who had been crushed and asphyxiated under the weight of thousands of other bodies in stairway thirteen at Ibrox Stadium, in Glasgow, in Scotland. In the mist. The black-and-white mist. In the evening, that Saturday evening. In their house, in their front room. Bill Shankly tried to get to his feet. Bill Shankly tried to stand. To walk to the television, to turn off the television. The pictures. The black-and-white pictures. His jumper stuck to his shirt. His shirt stuck to his vest. His vest stuck to his skin. Bill Shankly could not get to his feet. Bill Shankly could not stand. And Bill Shankly turned to his wife. Bill Shankly tried to speak. To find the words. The words for his wife. The words for Jock. The words for Willie Waddell, the manager of the Rangers Football Club. The words for the people of Glasgow. The people of Scotland. But Bill Shankly could not speak. Bill Shankly could not find the words. That evening, that Saturday evening. In their house, in their front room. There were no words. There were only pictures. Black-and-white pictures. Pictures and silence,
silence and tears.
…
On Saturday 9 January, 1971, Blackpool Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That day, forty-two thousand, nine hundred and thirty-nine folk came, too. In the thirty-eighth minute, Steve Heighway scored. But Blackpool Football Club scored, too. And Blackpool Football Club scored again. And in the eighty-second minute Blackpool scored again. An own goal. And Liverpool Football Club drew two-all with Blackpool Football Club. At home, at Anfield. Another draw. Three days afterwards, Manchester City came to Anfield, Liverpool. That night, forty-five thousand, nine hundred and eighty-five folk came, too. But Liverpool Football Club did not score. And Manchester City did not score. And Liverpool Football Club drew nil–nil with Manchester City. At home, at Anfield. Another draw. Another goalless draw. Four days later, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Selhurst Park, London. And again Liverpool Football Club did not score. But Crystal Palace did score. And Liverpool Football Club lost one–nil to Crystal Palace. Away from home,
away from Anfield.
On Saturday 23 January, 1971, Swansea City came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, forty-seven thousand, two hundred and twenty-nine folk came to Anfield, too. Forty-seven thousand, two hundred and twenty-nine folk to watch Liverpool Football Club play Swansea City of the Third Division in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup. And that afternoon, in the first half of the Fourth Round tie of the FA Cup, Liverpool Football Club did not score. But in the fifty-third minute, John Toshack scored. And in the seventy-sixth minute, Ian St John came on for Ian Callaghan. And in the eighty-fifth minute, Ian St John scored. His one hundred and eighteenth goal for Liverpool Football Club in his four hundred and twenty-fifth appearance for Liverpool Football Club. And in the eighty-seventh minute, Chris Lawler scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Swansea City of the Third Division three–nil in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup. At home, at Anfield. The supporters of Liverpool Football Club applauded the players of Swansea City. And then the supporters of Liverpool Football Club sang, Ee-aye-addio, we’re going to win the Cup –
We’re going to win the Cup. Ee-aye-addio,
we’re going to win the Cup …
…
On the Monday morning. The Monday morning after the game, the Monday morning before the training. Ian St John knocked on the door to the office of Bill Shankly. Ian St John opened the door to the office. And Ian St John said, Bob said you wanted to see me, Boss?
Yes. I had a call from George Eastham last week.
George Eastham? How is George?
George sounds very well, said Bill Shankly. He is out in South Africa now. George is in Cape Town. He’s managing a side out there called Cape Town Hellenic …
That’s nice for George. That’s nice for him. And I hope he’s having a nice time out there. But what’s that got to do with me, Boss?
George wanted to know if I would let him speak to you.
Speak to me? Speak to me about what, Boss?
Speak to you about you going out there.
Out where?
Out to South Africa, said Bill Shankly. Out to Cape Town.
Ian St John looked across the desk at Bill Shankly. Ian St John stared at Bill Shankly. And Ian St John said nothing.
George is offering you a hundred quid a week, said Bill Shankly. The same money as you are on here. But George also wants you to be player–coach. And I know you’ve been to Lilleshall and got your whatever-it-is-they-call-it these days …
My FA coaching certificate.
Yes, said Bill Shankly. That thing. And so I thought you might be interested. I thought you might want to have a chat with George. To listen to what he has to say …
Ian St John stared at Bill Shankly. And Ian St John smiled.
Bill Shankly picked up a scrap of paper off his desk. And Bill Shankly handed the scrap of paper to Ian St John –
That’s his number. Give him a call.
Ian St John took the scrap of paper from Bill Shankly’s hand. Ian St John looked down at the telephone number on the scrap of paper. Then Ian St John looked back up at Bill. And Ian St John said, Do you know when I realised I was finished here? It was not that day at Newcastle when you dropped me. It was not that day. And it was not the Monday after, when I came to see you here in this office. Not that day either. It was when I went to the snooker room to get my Christmas present from the club. The turkey you give us every year as a thank you. And I went to the table I usually go to. And I picked up a turkey. A big one. A good one. Like I usually do. Like I’ve always done. And that bloke Bill Barlow. Your assistant club secretary or whatever-it-is-you-call-him these days. That bastard said, The birds on this table are for first-team players. Your bird is over there. On the table for reserve-team players. And I turned around and I looked at the turkeys over there. The little ones. The shit ones. And that was when I realised I was finished here. After I
had played four hundred and twenty-four times for Liverpool Football Club. After I had scored one hundred and seventeen goals for Liverpool Football Club. That was when I knew. When your little bloody lap dog gave me a tiny fucking budgie for my Christmas turkey. That was when I knew I was finished at this club. But I still played for you on Saturday. And I still scored for you on Saturday. Didn’t I, Boss? For you. For you, Boss …
It comes to us all, said Bill Shankly. It happens to us all, son.
Yes, I know it does. I’m not stupid. But it didn’t have to come like that. It didn’t have to happen like this. Not like this.
…
On Saturday 30 January, 1971, Arsenal Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, forty-three thousand, eight hundred and forty-seven folk came, too. Arsenal Football Club were second in the First Division. And Liverpool Football Club were eighth in the First Division. But that afternoon, Liverpool Football Club did not struggle against Arsenal Football Club. Clemence did not struggle, Lawler did not struggle, Yeats did not struggle, Smith did not struggle, Lloyd did not struggle, Hughes did not struggle, Boersma did not struggle, McLaughlin did not struggle, Heighway did not struggle, Toshack did not struggle and Hall did not struggle. And in the fourth minute, Ron Yeats passed to Steve Heighway. Heighway raced down the wing, Heighway accelerated down the wing. And Heighway crossed. Brian Hall met the cross, Hall headed the cross. Towards the goal, towards the net. And John Toshack helped the ball. Into the net and into a goal. And in the fiftieth minute, Emlyn Hughes rolled a free kick short to Tommy Smith. And Smith shot. And Smith scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Arsenal Football Club two–nil. At home, at Anfield. Bill Shankly walked down the touchline. Bill Shankly shook the hand of Bertie Mee. And Bill Shankly smiled –