by David Peace
Well played, said Hennes Weisweiler. Well played to you and to Liverpool Football Club, Mr Shankly. You are easily the best team we have ever played. You are full of power, you are full of strength. But you are also very attractive when you attack. Very skilful. And so I can’t say I fancy our chances now. I think our chances of winning the trophy have disappeared. So congratulations to you, Mr Shankly …
Bill shook his head. And Bill said, Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. It was a fantastic match. A high-class game. An international-class game. Because you played very well, too. And so I cannot say it was a case of what you did wrong. It was more a case of what we did right. And the most important thing for us is that we did not give a goal away. That was the most important thing we did right. But you are a great side, sir. And so I make no predictions for the second leg. Because I know it’s only half-time –
Still only half-time.
…
In the dressing room. The away dressing room at the Bökelbergstadion in Mönchengladbach, in West Germany. Bill looked from player to player. The sixteen players in the Liverpool dressing room. The sixteen players desperate to play for Liverpool Football Club in the second leg of the final of the UEFA Cup. Away from home, away from Anfield. Bill took out a piece of paper from the pocket of his tracksuit. His red tracksuit. And Bill said, There’ll be no change to our team tonight, boys. It’ll be the same team who won three–nil at Anfield. And so our team will be Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan, Cormack, Toshack, Heighway and Callaghan. And the substitutes will be the same. The substitutes will be Lane, Thompson, Storton, Boersma and Hall …
But from the first whistle of the game, from the very first kick of the match, Borussia Mönchengladbach attacked and attacked Liverpool Football Club. Again and again, they came and they came at Liverpool Football Club. And in the twentieth minute, the heavens opened. With a flash of lightning, with a clap of thunder. The German heavens fell down upon Liverpool Football Club. Rain. Cold rain. Cold and heavy rain. Cold and heavy, ceaseless and torrential rain falling down on Liverpool Football Club. And in the thirtieth minute, Rupp cut out a pass from Ian Callaghan to Larry Lloyd. Rupp pounced on the pass. Rupp pulled the ball back for Heynckes to hammer. Into the net and into a goal. And ten minutes later, Netzer played a long ball down the left to Rupp. Rupp beat two Liverpool players. And again Rupp pulled the ball back for Heynckes. And again Heynckes hammered the ball. From the edge of the penalty area. Into the net and into the goal. And in the first half of the second leg of the final of the UEFA Cup, Liverpool Football Club had been completely outplayed. And completely outclassed. And Liverpool Football Club were losing two–nil to Borussia Mönchengladbach. Away from home, away from Anfield. On the bench, the bench in Bökelbergstadion. Bill stood up, Bill got to his feet. And Bill walked down the touchline. Down the tunnel. Into the dressing room. The away dressing room. And Bill looked from player to player to player. From drenched and sodden player to drenched and sodden player. And Bill said, I tell you what, boys. By, they are a good side. And by, they’ve played well. But I’ll tell you something else, boys. As they walked off just now. As they came down this tunnel. I looked into their eyes, boys. Into all of their eyes. And I’ll you this, boys. I’ll tell you this: they’ve gone, boys. They’ve given it their best shot. And they have shot their bolt, boys. They’ve nothing left to give. The tank is empty, boys. They’re done. You mark my words, boys. That lot are done. So come on, boys. Come on now. Because we’re almost there, boys –
We’re almost home …
But from the start of the second half, from the very first kick of the second half, Borussia Mönchengladbach attacked and attacked Liverpool Football Club. Again and again, they came and they came at Liverpool Football Club. And on the bench, the bench in Bökelbergstadion. Bill stood up again, Bill got to his feet again. And Bill began to pace the touchline. To pace and to prowl. Turning to look up at the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. To point up at the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. To stare up into the eyes of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. Knowing they knew this was the greatest test Liverpool Football Club had ever faced. But knowing they believed this was a test Liverpool Football Club would pass. Knowing they believed. Knowing they believed victory would come,
believing victory would come,
victory would come,
victory –
And now the supporters of Liverpool Football Club were scaling the perimeter of the pitch, the supporters of Liverpool Football Club swarming onto the pitch. Dancing for joy, jumping for joy. Patting the players of Liverpool Football Club on their backs, hoisting the players of Liverpool Football Club onto their own backs. And the officials of UEFA carried a large table onto the pitch. The officials of UEFA placed the huge UEFA Cup on the table. And Tommy Smith stepped out of the carnival of supporters of Liverpool Football Club. Tommy Smith picked up the huge UEFA Cup. And Tommy Smith held aloft the huge UEFA Cup. And the players of Liverpool Football Club reached out and touched the UEFA Cup. They held the UEFA Cup. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club reached out and touched the UEFA Cup. And they held the UEFA Cup, too. The players and the supporters of Liverpool Football Club …
In the dressing room. The away dressing room. Drenched in rain, soaked in sweat. Bill sat on the bench. Drenched in rain and soaked in sweat. Bill listened to the joy of the players of Liverpool Football Club. Drenched in rain, soaked in sweat. Bill listened to the joy of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. Drenched in rain and soaked in sweat. Bill heard the studs coming down the tunnel. Drenched in rain, soaked in sweat. Bill watched the dressing-room door open. Drenched in rain and soaked in sweat. Tommy Smith carried the huge UEFA Cup into the dressing room. Drenched in rain, soaked in sweat. Tommy Smith handed the huge UEFA Cup to Bill –
Here you are, Boss. There you go. It’s all yours, Boss.
Drenched in rain, soaked in sweat. Bill shook his head. Bill smiled. And Bill said, No, Tommy. It’s all ours …
…
At the airport, at Speke Airport. In the morning, at half past two in the morning. Bill and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club got off the plane from Germany. And Bill could not believe his eyes. Everywhere he looked, he saw faces. The faces of people. Everywhere. There were hundreds, there were thousands. Hundreds and thousands of people at the airport, at Speke Airport. In the morning, at half past two in the morning. The people waiting to greet the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club, the people waiting to cheer the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club. The people smiling, the people happy. And Bill could not believe his ears. The people all cheering and clapping, the people all shouting and singing, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL …
And the next evening there was a parade. A parade through the streets of Liverpool. On an open-top bus, on the top deck of the bus. With their two cups, with their two trophies. From Anfield to the centre of the city, to the heart of the city from Anfield. On the open-top bus, on the top deck of the bus. Again. Bill could not believe his eyes. Everywhere he looked, he saw faces. The faces of people. Everywhere. There were hundreds. There were thousands. Hundreds of thousands of people. The people smiling, the people happy. From Anfield to the centre of the city, to the heart of the city from Anfield. Again. Bill could not believe his ears. The people all cheering and clapping, the people all shouting and singing, LI-VER-POOL,
LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL …
On William Brown Street. Bill got off the bus with the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club. On William Brown Street. Bill walked up the steps to the front of the Picton Library with the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club. Before the Corinthian columns of the Picton Library. Bill stood with the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club and their families. And before the Corinthian columns of the Picton Library. Bill still could not believe his eyes. Everywhere Bill looked, Bill saw more faces. The faces of more people. Everywhere. More
and more people. Hundreds of thousands more people. More smiling people, more happy people. And before the Corinthian columns of the Picton Library. Bill still could not believe his ears. These hundreds of thousands of smiling people all cheering and all clapping, these hundreds of thousands of happy people all shouting and all singing, LI-VER-POOL,
LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL …
And on William Brown Street. Before the Corinthian columns of the Picton Library. With the players and with the staff of Liverpool Football Club and their families. Between the two cups, between the two trophies. Again. Bill fought back tears. Again. Bill struggled to breathe. And again. Bill stepped forward. Again. Bill opened his arms. And again. The people, the hundreds of thousands of people, all fell silent. Just like that. They all fell silent. All silent, all waiting –
Ladies and gentlemen. This is the greatest day of my career. The happiest day of my life. I have known nothing like it as a player or a manager. Because you are the greatest fans in the world. We have won for you. And that is all we are interested in, winning for you. And the reason we have won is because we believe in you and you believe in us. And it’s your faith and your interest that have won us something. Thank God you are all here. Thank God we are all here. Thank you. You don’t know how much we love you. Thank you …
And the people, the hundreds of thousands of people, all cheered and clapped, they all shouted and sang –
SHANK-LEE, SHANK-LEE –
SHANK-LEE …
On William Brown Street. Before the Corinthian columns of the Picton Library. With the players and with the staff of Liverpool Football Club and their families. Between the two cups, between the two trophies. Bill turned to Ness. Bill took her hand. Bill held her hand. Bill squeezed her hand. And Bill said, Thank you, love. Thank you.
Ness looked up at Bill. And Ness smiled at Bill –
Is this the day, love? Is this the day?
43. AFTER THE TRIUMPHS, BEFORE THE TRIUMPHS
In the summer of 1973, in the second week of July. In the pavilion, the pavilion at Melwood. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett, Ronnie Moran and Tom Saunders stood before the players of Liverpool Football Club. And Bill Shankly looked around the pavilion. The pavilion at Melwood. From player to player. From Phil Boersma to Derek Brownbill, from Derek to Ian Callaghan, from Ian to Ray Clemence, from Ray to Peter Cormack, from Peter to Roy Evans, from Roy to Brian Hall, from Brian to Steve Heighway, from Steve to Emlyn Hughes, from Emlyn to Kevin Keegan, from Kevin to Frankie Lane, from Frankie to Chris Lawler, from Chris to Alec Lindsay, from Alec to Larry Lloyd, from Larry to Hughie McAuley, from Hughie to John McLaughlin, from John to Dave Rylands, from Dave to Tommy Smith, from Tommy to Peter Spiring, from Peter to Trevor Storton, from Trevor to Peter Thompson, from Peter to Phil Thompson, from Phil to John Toshack, from John to Alan Waddle and from Alan to John Webb. Bill Shankly nodded. And Bill Shankly smiled –
Thanks for last year. Thank you very much, boys. Your medals and your plaques are in that box over there in the corner. But now forget them. Because now we start again. And we start again at the bottom. The very bottom. So come on now, boys –
Come on. Let’s get it going, boys …
…
In the summer of 1973, at the end of the second week of July. In the corridor, the Anfield corridor. Emlyn Hughes knocked on the door to the office of Bill Shankly. And Emlyn Hughes opened the door.
Bill Shankly looked up from his desk. Up from his typewriter –
Hello, Emlyn. How are you today, son? Sit yourself down …
Thank you, Boss. And how are you, Boss? Are you well, Boss? And how are your family, Boss? Are they all well, Boss?
They are all very well, Emlyn. Thank you, son. And how about you and your family, Emlyn? Are they are all well, son? And your father, Emlyn? How is your father, son?
He’s very well, Boss. Thank you, Boss. But it was actually something my dad said that made me want to have a word, Boss.
Oh? And what was that, son? What did he say?
Well, we were talking, Boss. Me and my dad, Boss. About my new contract. And so we were talking about my future, Boss. Me and my dad. Because you know I always talk to him about everything, Boss. You and him. You are the two people I always talk to, Boss. And he knows, and you know, how much I love playing for this club. And playing for you, Boss. And how I’d never want to play for anyone else. Not for Manchester United or Arsenal or any of them clubs that have been sniffing around, Boss. Like they always do. I wouldn’t want to, Boss. Especially not now, not after the season we’ve just had. But the thing is, Boss. The thing is, I’m playing for England now. And I love playing for England, Boss. And I want to be the captain of England, Boss. It’s my dream. It’s been my dream for as long as I can remember, Boss. And so me and my dad were talking about it. About me being captain of England, Boss. But my dad said he doesn’t think I’ll ever be captain of England. Not if I’m not even captain of Liverpool, Boss. My dad thinks it’ll never happen. If I’m not even captain of my own club, Boss. He thinks I’ll never be captain of England. But he thinks it might happen if I was at Manchester United. Or at Arsenal. Or Leeds. Or even Everton, Boss. He thinks if I was playing for any of them. Then I’d be captain, Boss –
And then the captain of England …
Bill Shankly leapt to his feet –
So you’re saying to me, son. You’re telling me, unless I make you captain of Liverpool Football Club, then you’re off, son. Off to play for Manchester United. Arsenal or Leeds. Or even bloody Everton. Is that what you’re saying, son? Is that what you’re telling me?
No, Boss, no. Not at all, Boss. No, Boss. I’d never do that, Boss. But I’m confused, Boss. Confused about what to do, Boss. About whether to give up on my dream or not, Boss. I mean, you told me, Boss. You told me when I first came here I was a future captain of Liverpool, Boss. And a future captain of England, Boss. And I believed you, Boss. I believed you and so did my dad, Boss …
So now you’re calling me a liar, are you?
No, Boss, no. Not at all, Boss. No, Boss. I’d never do that, Boss. After my own father, Boss. You are the man I respect most, Boss …
So what are you saying, son? What are you asking me?
I’m just asking you if I should forget my dream, Boss? My dream of captaining England, Boss. That’s all, Boss. I just want to know if I should give up even thinking about it, Boss. Because I know you know how much it means, Boss. You told me the thing you wanted most was to play for Scotland, Boss. And how proud you were the day you captained Scotland. At Hampden, against England …
Bill Shankly sat back down behind his desk –
Aye, the day you beat us three–one.
I’m sorry about that, Boss. But at least you can always say you captained your country, Boss. You had that honour, sir –
It was not just a dream for you …
…
In the summer of 1973, at the start of the third week of July. In the car park, the Anfield Road car park. Tommy Smith had changed into his training gear. Tommy Smith was standing in the car park with the other players of Liverpool Football Club. Tommy Smith was about to get on the bus. The bus to take him and the other players of Liverpool Football Club out to Melwood. Out to training. Tommy Smith laughing, Tommy Smith joking. In the car park, the Anfield Road car park. In his tracksuit and in his sweater. Bill Shankly walked towards the players of Liverpool Football Club. Bill Shankly greeted the players. Bill Shankly shook their hands, Bill Shankly patted their backs. Bill Shankly asked after their weekends, Bill Shankly asked after their families. Bill Shankly laughing and Bill Shankly joking. Bill Shankly turned to Tommy Smith. Still smiling, still smiling –
Morning, Tommy. Morning, son. How are you today, Tommy? And can I have a word, son? A quick word, Tommy?
Tommy Smith nodded. And Tommy Smith followed Bill Shankly back into the stadium. Down the corridor, into the office. And Bill Shankly closed the door. Bill Shankly sat down at his desk –
>
Sit down, Tommy. Have a seat, son.
Tommy Smith sat down.
I have decided to make Emlyn captain, Tommy. You’ll still be the club captain, son. But Emlyn will be the captain of the team, Tommy. On the pitch, during the game. Is that OK with you, son?
Tommy Smith stared across the desk at Bill Shankly. And Tommy Smith nodded. And Bill Shankly leapt back up onto his feet –
OK then, Tommy. Thanks for coming in, son. I’ll see you up at Melwood, Tommy. See you up at training, son …
Tommy Smith stood up. Tommy Smith walked out of the office. Down the corridor, out of the stadium. Into the car park and onto the bus. The bus waiting for Tommy Smith. But Tommy Smith was not laughing, Tommy Smith not joking –
Not any more.
…
In the summer of 1973, in the fourth week of July. All the players of Liverpool Football Club had to go and see Bill Shankly –
At the end of the last season, during the parade through the streets of Liverpool, John Smith, the new chairman of Liverpool Football Club, had climbed on board the open-top bus. John Smith had stood on the top deck of the bus. Between the two cups, between the two trophies. And John Smith had told the players of Liverpool Football Club they would all be getting new contracts for the following season. The new season. Now all the players of Liverpool Football Club had come to see Bill Shankly to discuss their new contracts for the following season. The new season. All the players of Liverpool Football Club standing in a line in the corridor outside the door to the office of Bill Shankly. Each player rehearsing the words he would say to Bill Shankly. Each player getting his words straight in his mind. And now Brian Hall was the player standing at the front of the line to the door to the office of Bill Shankly. Brian Hall rehearsing his words, Brian Hall getting those words straight in his mind. Brian Hall had decided he wanted a forty-pound-a-week rise as part of his new contract for the following season. The new season. But Brian Hall knew what Bill Shankly was like. Brian Hall knew Bill Shankly always got the better of him. Brian Hall knew if he asked Bill Shankly for a forty-pound-a-week rise, then Bill Shankly would blame the government and give him a twenty-pound-a-week rise. And that would be that. The end of that. And so Brian Hall had decided he would ask Bill Shankly for an eighty-pound-a-week rise. And then Brian Hall would let Bill Shankly beat him down to a forty-pound-a-week rise. Brian Hall smiled to himself. It was possible he might even get a fifty-pound-a-week rise. Brian Hall chuckled to himself …