Red or Dead (19 page)

Jimmy McInnes nodded, Jimmy McInnes smiled. And Jimmy McInnes looked back down at the letters on his desk. The stacks and stacks of letters on his desk. And in his office, at his desk. Jimmy McInnes heard the footsteps in the corridor outside again. The fast steps and the heavy steps, walking away.

…

After his lunch, his Easter lunch. In his house, in his lounge. Ron Yeats heard the telephone ringing. Ringing and ringing. Ron
Yeats stood up. Ron Yeats walked over to the telephone. Ron Yeats picked up the phone. And Ron Yeats said, Hello? Hello …

It’s me, Ron. It’s me. The Easter Bunny, son. Now how are you? How are you feeling today, Ron? Are you feeling better now?

Yes, Boss. Thank you. I’m feeling fine –

That’s great news, Ron. The very best news! But I hope you’re not stuffing yourself full of Easter eggs now, son?

No, Boss. No. I would never –

That’s great news, Ron. Great news! So you’re fit enough to play tomorrow then, son? You’re ready to play tomorrow, are you?

Yes, Boss. Of course I am. I’m desperate to play …

Oh, that’s music to my ears, Ron. To hear you say that. Because I was worried, son. I was worried that if you weren’t fit enough to play tomorrow, then you might never get back in the side, Ron. The way they are playing. I was very worried you might not get back in the team, son. If you were still not fit enough …

But I am fit enough, Boss! I know I am. I’m ready, Boss. And I’m desperate, Boss. I’m desperate to play …

Well, you know me, Ron. You know me. I make no promises, son. No promises I cannot keep. But if you get yourself down here tomorrow, Ron. Bright and early. Then we’ll have a see, shall we, son? We’ll have a see if you’re fit enough to play. If you can play …

Thank you, Boss. Thank you very much.

But mind you stay off that chocolate now, Ron. Mind you stay away from those Easter eggs. Because they are a poison, son. To a man like you. Nothing but a poison to a man like you, Ron.

…

On Easter Monday, 1964, Tottenham Hotspur came to Anfield, Liverpool, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. That afternoon, fifty-two thousand, nine hundred and four folk came, too. Fifty-two thousand, nine hundred and four folk locked inside Anfield, Liverpool, LI-VERPOOL, LI-VER-POOL. Ten thousand folk more locked outside Anfield, Liverpool, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. Surging and shoving, shoving and surging. Outside Anfield, inside Anfield, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. In the thirty-sixth minute, Ian St John took a pass from Ronnie Moran. And St John scored for LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. Two
minutes later, Gerry Byrne passed to Alf Arrowsmith. Arrowsmith flicked on to St John, St John coming from deep. And St John shot low and St John scored again for LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. But then Brown lobbed in a ball. Yeats headed out the ball. But Mullery volleyed the ball back. And Mullery scored. But in the fifty-third minute, Ian Callaghan left Henry spinning. Callaghan found Peter Thompson in the centre. Thompson shot. Arrowsmith stuck out a foot, Arrowsmith diverted the shot. Into the goal for LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. And LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, Liverpool Football Club had beaten Tottenham Hotspur three–one. At home, at Anfield, Liverpool, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. And that evening, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, Liverpool Football Club had fifty points. Everton Football Club had forty-nine points. And Manchester United had forty-seven points. That evening, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, Liverpool Football Club were first in the First Division. For now. There were still six more games to go, still six more games to play –

On Saturday 4 April, 1964, Manchester United came to Anfield, Liverpool, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. Fifty-two thousand, five hundred and fifty-nine folk came, too. Fifty-two thousand, five hundred and fifty-nine folk locked inside Anfield, Liverpool, LI-VERPOOL, LI-VER-POOL. In the sunshine. In the bright and brilliant sunshine. Again, ten thousand folk more were locked outside Anfield, Liverpool, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. Surging and shoving, shoving and surging. Again. Outside Anfield, inside Anfield, LI-VERPOOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. And in the sunshine. In the bright and brilliant sunshine. From the first whistle of the game, from the first second of the match, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LIVER- POOL attacked. LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL sought an early paralysing blow. In the sunshine. In the bright and brilliant sunshine. In the fifth minute, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL won a corner. Peter Thompson took it. Ron Yeats rose for it. Gregg let the ball slip. Roger Hunt back-heeled it. And Ian Callaghan cracked it into the back of the net for LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. And again in the sunshine. In the bright and brilliant sunshine, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL attacked. Again LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL,
LI-VER-POOL came. And Gregg saved. From Ian St John. From Hunt. From Alf Arrowsmith. Again and again and again LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER- POOL, LI-VER-POOL never let up, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL never relented. In the sunshine. In the bright and brilliant sunshine. In the thirty-ninth minute, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER- POOL, LI-VER-POOL made United bow down again. With Gregg stranded, Callaghan shot. Law blocked the shot on his own goal line. The ball flew back to Callaghan. But Callaghan did not shoot, Callaghan crossed to Arrowsmith. And Arrowsmith headed the ball into the goal for LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. But in the sunshine. In the bright and brilliant sunshine. Still LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL attacked and attacked and attacked. In the sunshine. In the bright and brilliant sunshine. In the second half, St John hit the post for LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. Gregg saved point-blank from Hunt of LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. And then in the sunshine. In the bright and brilliant sunshine. In the fifty-second minute, Gordon Milne passed to St John. LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. St John passed to Hunt. LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LIVER-POOL. Hunt to Arrowsmith. LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. And Arrowsmith put the ball in the net again. In the net again, in the sunshine. In the bright and brilliant sunshine, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL beat Manchester United three–nil. At home, at Anfield, LI-VER-POOL,

LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL –

After the whistle, the final whistle. Matt Busby walked down the touchline. The Anfield touchline. And Matt Busby shook Bill Shankly’s hand. Matt Busby squeezed Bill Shankly’s hand. And Matt Busby looked up at the Kop. The Spion Kop. Still swaying and still surging, still surging and still singing LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. And Matt Busby said, You are worse than that lot, Bill. With all your enthusiasm and with all your excitement, Bill …

Don’t say that, said Bill Shankly. Please don’t say that, Matt. I’m not worse than them. I’m the same as them, Matt. The same …

Matt Busby smiled, Matt Busby touched his ear. And Matt Busby said, You’re right, Bill, You are right. But do you hear that, Bill? Do you hear that? They have recognised a kindred spirit, Bill. They
have recognised you as one of their own. You as one of them, Bill …

Shankly! Shankly! Shankly! Shankly! Shankly! Shankly …

Bill Shankly smiled at Matt Busby. And then Bill Shankly turned to face the Kop. The Spion Kop. Bill Shankly raised his hands above his head. And Bill Shankly saluted the Kop. The Spion Kop –

Shankly! Shankly! Shankly! Shankly! Shankly …

Matt Busby smiled again. And Matt Busby said, They have taken you to their hearts, Bill. To their very hearts.

Shankly! Shankly! Shankly! Shankly …

Aye, said Bill Shankly. They have, Matt. And I have taken them to mine. To my own heart, too …

Shankly! Shankly! Shankly …

But now they’ll never let you go, Bill. You know that? Now they’ll never let you leave, Bill. I hope you know that?

Shankly! Shankly …

Aye, Matt. I do know that. But I would never leave them, Matt. I would never go. Not now, Matt. Not now. Because I could never leave
them
, Matt. I could never let
them
go …

SHANK-LEE!

…

On Tuesday 14 April, 1964, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Turf Moor, Burnley. And that evening, the Spion Kop travelled to Turf Moor, too. Thousands and thousands of them, twenty thousand of them. A Red Convoy. On buses, on trains. A Red Line. In cars, on foot. A Red Army. On the march, the march to victory. In the twentieth minute, Alf Arrowsmith scored. In the fifty-second minute, Ian St John scored. And in the fifty-ninth minute, Arrowsmith scored again. And Liverpool Football Club beat Burnley Football Club three–nil. Away from home, away from Anfield. That night, Liverpool Football Club were still first in the First Division. Liverpool Football Club now had fifty-four points. Liverpool Football Club now needed only one more point. Only one more point from their last four games. Only one more point to be Champions. The Champions of England –

On Saturday 18 April, 1964, Arsenal Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. Again in the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. Forty-eight thousand, six hundred and twenty-three folk came, too. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. Forty-eight thousand, six
hundred and twenty-three folk locked inside Anfield, Liverpool. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. Ten thousand, twenty thousand, locked out of Anfield, Liverpool. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. Red balloons floated in the sky. Over Anfield, across Liverpool. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. Red balloons bounced on the ground. Outside Anfield, inside Anfield. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. The Anfield crowd sang, the Spion Kop sang. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. With flair and with wit. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. The crowd sang, the Kop sang. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. The crowd swayed, the Kop swayed. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. They sang in rhythm, they swayed in rhythm. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. They sang and they swayed. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. They sang as one, they swayed as one. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. They sang and they swayed, they swayed and they waited. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. They waited and they prayed. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. For LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. For LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, Liverpool Football Club. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. At home, at Anfield, Liverpool, LI-VER-POOL,

LI-VER-POOL –

Before the whistle, the first whistle. In the dressing room, the home dressing room. On the benches. In their kits and in their boots. Tommy Lawrence, Gerry Byrne, Ronnie Moran, Gordon Milne, Ron Yeats, Willie Stevenson, Ian Callaghan, Roger Hunt, Ian St John, Alf Arrowsmith and Peter Thompson looked up at Bill Shankly. Bill Shankly standing in the middle of the dressing room, Bill Shankly pointing his finger into the air –

The top of the mountain is in sight, said Bill Shankly. The very summit of the mountain, boys. And today you
will
reach that summit. You will stand on the very top of the mountain, boys. But you
will
not be standing there alone, no. You will be standing there with the tens of thousands here today. Inside Anfield. And the tens of thousands outside here. Outside Anfield today. You will stand there with them, boys. And you will stand there as one. So go out there now, boys. Go
out there now and reach that summit. Go out there now and stand on the very top of the mountain, boys. And give these people what they deserve, give these people what they want. Go out there now and make these people happy, boys …

In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. After just seven minutes, Ian St John scored for LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. But Arsenal Football Club did not capitulate, Arsenal Football Club did not surrender. And in the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. The players of Liverpool Football Club began to feel anxious. And the players of Arsenal Football Club sensed that anxiety. The players of Liverpool Football Club began to make errors. And the players of Arsenal Football Club exploited those errors. Baxter missed by inches. Again. Baxter missed by inches. Gerry Byrne cleared off the Liverpool goal line. And Arsenal won a penalty. Eastham stepped up. Eastham struck the ball. Lawrence dived. Lawrence reached the ball. Lawrence pushed the ball around the upright. Tommy Lawrence had saved the penalty for LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL. Now there would be no more anxiety, now there would be no more errors. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. Lawrence, Byrne, Moran, Milne, Yeats, Stevenson, Callaghan, Hunt, St John, Arrowsmith and Thompson shone. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. They shone like diamonds. And they cut like diamonds. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. LI-VER-POOL, LI-VERPOOL, LI-VER-POOL cut Arsenal Football Club to pieces. And in the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. In the thirty-eighth minute, Peter Thompson turned Arsenal inside and out, this way and that. And Thompson sent a perfect centre to the post. St John rose to head square for Arrowsmith. For Alf Arrowsmith to nod home. Into the Arsenal goal.
London Bridge is falling down
. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. In the fifty-second minute, Thompson beat Magill. Inside and out. Both ways. In a single, surging movement. Thompson unleashed a shot. From the edge of the penalty area. Into the Arsenal goal.
Falling down.
In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. Five minutes later, Thompson repeated the dose. From an inside-right position.
London Bridge is falling down
. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. In the sixtieth minute, Gordon Milne passed to Thompson. Thompson flicked on to Hunt. Roger Hunt shot.
A thundering shot. Into the back of the net.
POOR, OLD LONDON!
In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, Liverpool Football Club beat Arsenal Football Club five–nil. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL, Liverpool Football Club were the Champions. In the sunshine. The lovely, spring sunshine. LI-VER-POOL, LI-VER-POOL Liverpool Football Club were the Champions of England –