Red Or Dead

by David Peace

  In the Eastham Lodge Golf Club. In the dining room. At their tables, after their dinner. With their cigars and with their drinks. The members of the Eastham Lodge Golf Club laughed. And the members of the Eastham Lodge Golf Club clapped. And in his dinner jacket. His black dinner jacket. His bow tie. His black bow tie. Bill smiled. And Bill said, But I have to confess. In one case. With one footballer. One footballer who took to the golf. I have only myself to blame. It was my own bloody fault. Because before one game, an away game. We were staying at this hotel. And we’d got there a wee bit too early. Even for me. Because I always like to be early. But we were too early. And the players were moping about, moaning. Moping about because they had nothing to do, moaning they were bored. And I tell you, there is nothing worse than a bunch of moping, moaning footballers. And this hotel, this hotel we were staying in. This hotel had a little course, a wee golf course. Nothing dramatic, you understand? Nothing spectacular. But to stop all their moping about, to stop all their moaning. I said they could go out for a game. A quick game, just this once. But I said, I’m coming, too. Not to play, just to watch. To make sure you don’t do anything daft. Make sure you don’t go and do anything silly and go and injure yourselves. Before the game, the match tomorrow. And so there I was, watching them, keeping my eye on them. And Tommy Smith, he was there. And he must have still been only a boy. Only just in the team. And Tommy had never played golf before, he’d never even seen a bloody golf course before. And so all the older lads. Your Ian St Johns and your Roger Hunts. They were teasing the boy, taking the mick out of Tommy. But Tommy being Tommy. Even then, even when he still just a young boy. He picked up a golf club. The very first time he’d ever picked up a club. And he took his first swing, his first shot. His very first shot with a golf club. And he got a hole-in-one. A bloody hole-in-one! With his first-ever shot. Unbelievable. Bloody unbelievable! And that shut up all them older lads. Your Ian St Johns and your Roger Hunts. And I said, Jesus Christ, Tommy. You’re a natural. A bloody natural! And Tommy was so made up. He was so pleased with himself that he decided this was the game for him. That golf was the game for him. And so you see, that was my fault. My own bloody fault. Because I encouraged him. I couldn’t help myself. But in fairness, it didn’t last long. I don’t think golf is the game for Tommy, either. In fact, I think football is the only game for Tommy. I mean, I tried to get him interested in the boxing. Because as you all know, Tommy is a hard man. A very hard man. And so I used to try to get him interested in the boxing. In fact, I tried so hard, I even bought him a pair of gloves. A pair of boxing gloves. But actually, I bought a pair for every player. A pair of boxing gloves for every player. Because I used to tell my players. Every Friday night, the night before the match. I used to tell them all to wear their boxing gloves. To wear their boxing gloves in bed!

  In the Eastham Lodge Golf Club. In the dining room. At their tables, after their dinner. With their cigars and with their drinks. The members of the Eastham Lodge Golf Club laughed. The members of the Eastham Lodge Golf Club clapped. And now they got to their feet for Bill. And they applauded Bill. And they thanked Bill. And in his dinner jacket. His black dinner jacket. His bow tie. His black bow tie. Bill nodded. And Bill smiled.

  Now George Higham stepped forward. George Higham thanked Bill. And George Higham handed Bill a red leather binder –

  Bill looked down at the red leather binder. And Bill said, What’s this, George? It’s not This Is Your Life again, is it?

  Yes, said George Higham. It is, Bill.

  And Bill opened the red leather binder. And Bill could not believe his eyes. Inside the red leather binder was the programme for the 1938 FA Cup Final. The programme for the 1938 FA Cup Final between Huddersfield Town and Preston North End. The 1938 FA Cup Final in which Bill had played for Preston North End. The 1938 FA Cup Final which Preston North End had won. And Bill stared down at the programme. And Bill could not speak –

  Well, you know how I collect memorabilia, Bill. Football memorabilia, said George Higham. Well, we just wanted to get you something nice, Bill. And we knew you would never accept any money. So I hit upon this idea for you, Bill. And I managed to find one, through my contacts. My contacts with other collectors. Because I believe you do not have one, you do not still have yours, Bill?

  Bill stared down at the programme. Bill shook his head. And Bill said, No, George. I don’t. I don’t have one any more …

  Well, you do now, said George Higham. You do now, Bill.

  And Bill stared down at the programme again. And Bill nodded. Bill fought back tears. Bill struggled to breathe. And then Bill whispered, Thank you, George. Thank you. I do all these events. All these events for people. And I’m happy to do them. I am happy to do them for people. But this is the first time anyone has ever thought what I would like. So thank you, George. Thank you very much.

  81. AT SEA, ALL AT SEA; A SEA CHANGE

  On Thursday 3 May, 1979, thirteen million, six hundred and ninety-seven thousand, nine hundred and twenty-three folk voted for the Conservative Party. That day, eleven million, five hundred and thirty-two thousand, two hundred and eighteen folk voted for the Labour Party. That evening, the Conservative Party won three hundred and thirty-three seats in the House of Commons. That evening, the Labour Party won two hundred and sixty-nine seats in the House of Commons. That night, the Conservative Party won the 1979 General Election. That night, Margaret Thatcher, the Member of Parliament for Finchley in London, who had been born in Grantham and who supported no one, became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. That night, James Callaghan, the Member of Parliament for Cardiff South East, who had been born in Portsmouth and who preferred rugby to soccer, was no longer the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In the house, in their front room, Bill Shankly got up from his armchair. Bill Shankly got to his feet. Bill Shankly walked over to the television. Bill Shankly switched off the television. Bill Shankly walked over to the window. Bill Shankly drew back the curtains. Bill Shankly stared out through the window. Bill Shankly stared down the street. The empty street, the silent houses. Their curtains drawn, their doors locked. Forever drawn and double locked.

  82. WE MUST GET BACK TO SANITY

  Despite the times, despite the world. The summer had still come again, another season come again. But Bill had not taken the train again. The train to Euston Station, London. Bill had not taken a cab again. The cab to Wembley Stadium. And so Bill had not gone down the corridors again. The Wembley corridors again. Bill had not stood before the dressing-room door again. The Liverpool dressing-room door again. And Bill had not taken his seat in the stands at Wembley Stadium. Bill had stayed at home, in his Liverpool home. In his front room, in his armchair. Bill listened to the 1979 FA Charity Shield match between Liverpool Football Club and Arsenal Football Club on the radio. In his armchair, in his front room. In his home, his Liverpool home. On his own, all on his own. Bill listened to Terry McDermott score for Liverpool Football Club. Bill listened to Kenny Dalglish score for Liverpool Football Club. And Bill listened to Terry McDermott score again for Liverpool Football Club. And then Bill heard Alan Sunderland score for Arsenal Football Club. And Bill got up from his armchair. In his front room. Bill got to his feet. Bill walked over to the radio. Bill switched off the radio. And Bill heard the telephone ringing. In the hall. Bill picked up the telephone. And Bill listened as a journalist introduced himself to Bill. And apologised for bothering him. Bothering and disturbing Bill. And then the journalist asked Bill for his thoughts. His thoughts on the match he had just listened to, his thoughts on the season to come. And in the hall, on the telephone. Bill breathed out. And Bill said, Well, we must get a wee bit of sanity back. That is the first thing, the most important thing of all. Because there is madness. Madness in the world, madness in the game. Madness in some of these fees that are being paid. It seems that suddenly everything has got out of hand, money-wise, transfer-wise. And the players themselves, they haven’t helped. I mean, I was all in favour of freedom of contract. Do
n’t misunderstand me, don’t get me wrong. The clubs had things too much their own way. But now that freedom is being abused. They want freedom for themselves alone. I mean, everyone is out for themselves, every man out for himself. I mean, I bought players like Kevin Keegan, Ray Clemence and Larry Lloyd for the kind of money that today players are getting for their slice of the fee, their signing-on fee. Their own bloody fee! Now that to me is madness. That can’t be right, it must be wrong. And some managers, they don’t seem to mind what they pay. But the working man, he should be sick about it. He pays his money, too, more and more. And it is his money. His money they are throwing about. But in the end, I think the whole business will find its own level. It has to come to its senses. And maybe it will happen this season. That is what I would like to see. The first thing, the most important thing of all. A wee bit of sanity coming back into the game, into the world …

  Talking of this season, Bill. This season to come, asked the journalist. Who do you think will win the League, Bill?

  In the hallway, on the telephone. Bill smiled. And Bill said, Don’t look further than Liverpool. Back the class horse. I mean, you’ll only lose your money backing the triers. Your Aston Villa, your West Bromwich. I mean, it’s a one-horse race. Not like in my day, not these days. I mean, in my day, in those days. You’d look at the Manchester teams. You’d look at Everton, you’d look at Derby. And you’d say, We’ve got something on our hands here. And above all, you’d look at Leeds. About this time of year, just before the season started. And you’d think about the likes of Hunter, Bremner, Giles and Lorimer. And you’d think about the manager, that fellow who’s in the desert now. And you’d think, What’s he up to? What is he planning for us? And you’d think about the confrontations, the confrontations to come. How they would go, what would happen. But not any more, not these days. There’s no point. Not any more, not now. Now there’s only Forest. They are a very talented side, a very well-managed side. And perhaps Ipswich, Ipswich Town. Again, they are a good side, a well-managed side. And I think they possibly should have won more things than they have. More than just the Cup. They should have won the League by now. The most important thing. But that’s all there is now, these days. Just Forest and Ipswich. And I mean, that’s the reason I did not go down for the match today. For the Charity Shield today. Because I could have gone. Oh yes, I could have gone. But there’s no point going all that way to find out something you already know now, is there? No bloody point. Not if you already know. No point at all …

  But you still listened to the match on the radio, said the journalist. So who would you say was Liverpool’s best player today, Bill?

  Bill breathed in. Bill tightened his grip on the telephone. And Bill said, Liverpool! Liverpool was the best player. And Liverpool Football Club is always the best player. Because Liverpool does not have individual players like other teams. I mean, look at the Arsenal. Take the Arsenal today, for example. They are a good side, a capable side. But they depend on Liam Brady. They depend on one single man. One individual player. Liverpool Football Club depend on no single man. No individual player. Liverpool Football Club depend on every man! Liverpool Football Club depend on each other. And when you’ve people doing that properly, when they are the right men. Well trained, well prepared. Then they cannot be beaten. And so Arsenal couldn’t beat them. Not if they played them for the next ten bloody years. Because Liverpool depend on each other. It’s collective. Everyone working for each other. It is a kind of socialism. Pure socialism. Everyone doing what they can for the rest –

  And Bill put down the telephone. In the hall. Bill heard a clock ticking. In the house. Ticking. And Bill felt old, two thousand years old. The clock ticking. So very old, so tired. Ticking. So very tired and so strained. The clock ticking. So very strained, his heart strained. Ticking and whispering. It was a different time, a different world. A world with no place for some men, some men left behind. In a different time, a different world. Men like him, men like Bill. His heart strained, his heart breaking. Left behind, with no place. In a different world, a different time. The clock always, already ticking. In the house, in the hall. Ticking and now a ball bouncing. On the ground, in the drive. Feet walking up the drive, hands knocking on the door. Little feet and little hands. And Bill opened the door. And Bill said, Hello, boys. How are you, lads? Did you listen to the match then?

  Yeah, Bill. Yeah, said the boys. The boys with their red cheeks, their red shirts. Their red ball in their little hands. It was great, Bill. It was magic. And now we’re going to play it, Bill. So will you come out to play? Will you come out and be the referee for us, Bill?

  Bill looked at the boys. On his doorstep, in his driveway. With their red cheeks, their red shirts and their red ball. And Bill frowned. And Bill said, Aye, go on then. I’ll come out to play. But I’ll not be the referee. No way. If I’m coming out to play, then I want to play!

  But then who will you be, said the boys. If you come out to play, then who will you be, Bill? Which player will you be?

  Bill laughed. His heart beating. Beating and healed again. And Bill said, Liverpool, of course. I’ll be Liverpool, boys …

  What do you mean, asked the boys. With their red cheeks, with their red shirts. Their wide eyes and their open mouths. What do you mean? You can’t be everyone, Bill. You got to pick one player. You got to be someone, Bill. You can’t be every man now, can you?

  Bill shook his head. And Bill smiled again. And Bill said, That’s the thing, boys. That’s just the thing. When you play for Liverpool, you play as every man, boys. Because when you play for Liverpool Football Club, you play for every man. You are not someone, you are everyone, boys. Every man. That’s the thing that is different about Liverpool Football Club, boys. Different from every other football club in the land. In the world, boys. When you play for Liverpool, you play for everyone. You play for every man, boys. So you are every man. And then you are every player, boys. That’s you, every man. And so I’m going to be Liverpool, boys. I’m going to be Liverpool. Now what about you, boys? Who are you all going to be?

  Liverpool, shouted the boys. All the boys with their red cheeks, all the boys with their red shirts. And their red ball, their red ball up in the air now. We’re going to be Liverpool, too, Bill! Liverpool!

  83. I ALWAYS CARRY A PICTURE OF HIM

  For the second successive year, Kevin Keegan had been named as the European Footballer of the Year. The Souvenir Press and the Wilkinson Sword company invited Kevin Keegan to London from Hamburg, West Germany. The Souvenir Press and the Wilkinson Sword company planned to present Kevin Keegan with a Sword of Honour in recognition of his achievement in becoming the European Footballer of the Year for the second successive year. And Ernest Hecht of the Souvenir Press called Bill Shankly. Ernest Hecht asked Bill Shankly if he would like to surprise Kevin Keegan. If Bill Shankly would like to present Kevin Keegan with his Sword of Honour –

  Yes, said Bill Shankly. I would, Ernest.

  In London, at the presentation. Wide-eyed and thrilled to bits, Kevin Keegan watched Bill Shankly step out from behind the curtains. Kevin Keegan watched Bill Shankly walk across the stage. A sword in his hands. Bill Shankly held out the sword towards Kevin Keegan. And Kevin Keegan heard Bill Shankly say, This is for you, son. For all you have achieved in the game. For all you have done with your life, son. This Sword of Honour is yours. This sword is for you, son …

  And Kevin Keegan took the Sword of Honour from Bill Shankly. Kevin Keegan stared down at the Sword of Honour in his hands. But now Kevin Keegan shook his head. And now Kevin Keegan handed back the Sword of Honour to Bill Shankly. And Kevin Keegan said, This is not mine, this is yours, Boss. Because anything I have achieved, anything I have done. It is because of you, Boss. It’s all because of you. Because it was you who bought me from Scunthorpe, you who took a gamble on me when no one else would, Boss. And it was you who believed in me. You who always believed in me, Boss. You always encouraged me, you always supported and taught me. That was yo
u, Boss. All you. So this sword is yours, not mine.

  Bill Shankly shook his head. The sword in his hands, the tears in his eyes. Bill Shankly shook his head again –

  No, no, said Bill Shankly. It’s yours, son. Please take it. I cannot take it, son. I just cannot …

  But Kevin Keegan looked at Bill Shankly. And Kevin Keegan whispered, Please. Please take it, Boss. You have given me so much. So very, very much, Boss. Please take this from me. Please, Boss …

  At the presentation, on the stage. Bill Shankly stared down at the Sword of Honour in his hands. And Bill Shankly swallowed –

  Then when I die, you can have it back …

  On the train. The train from London back to Liverpool. Some of the passengers saw Bill Shankly sitting with a sword on the table before him. And some of the passengers stopped to ask Bill Shankly about the sword on the table before him. And Bill Shankly smiled –

  Well, it was a great gesture by the boy. A very moving gesture by Kevin. Perhaps even the greatest gesture since the world began! And it is certainly the greatest present I have ever had in my life. And when I get home, back to my house. I am going to display this sword in our home. So everyone can see this Sword of Honour …