Red or Dead (76 page)

Bill was invited onto the bus. The open-top bus. And Bill went onto the bus. The open-top bus. For the parade through the streets of Liverpool. With the players of Liverpool Football Club and with the European Cup. On the open-top bus. With the players and their cup, with the players and their bottles. On the open-top bus. Many of the players were still drunk from the night before. The triumph of the night before. Kevin Keegan had a black eye from the night before. The celebrations of the night before. And on the open-top bus. Bill tried to get some of the players of Liverpool Football Club to calm down. On the open-top bus. Bill tried to get some of the players to put down their bottles. On the open-top bus. Bill wanted the players of Liverpool Football Club to see the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. The thousands of supporters of Liverpool Football Club. The hundreds of thousands of supporters of Liverpool Football Club. And not only the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. The supporters of Everton Football Club. All the people of the city of Liverpool were lining the streets of the city of Liverpool. Applauding the players of Liverpool Football Club, cheering the players of Liverpool Football Club. On the open-top bus. Bill wanted the players of Liverpool Football Club to drink in these scenes on the streets of the city of Liverpool. On the open-top bus. Bill wanted the players of Liverpool Football Club to never forget these scenes on the streets of the city of Liverpool. On the open-top bus. Bill wanted the players of Liverpool Football Club to always remember these scenes on the streets of the city of Liverpool. On the open-top bus. Bill wanted the players of Liverpool Football Club to always remember the supporters of Liverpool Football Club.

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 platform in 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 remembered the first time he had stood here. Before the Corinthian columns of the Picton Library. The many times he had stood here. Before the Corinthian columns of the Picton Library. The last time he had stood here. But before the Corinthian columns of the Picton Library. Bill could not believe his eyes. Bill saw some of the players of Liverpool Football Club swaying from side to side. Some of the players of Liverpool Football Club struggling to stay on their feet. Some of the players of Liverpool Football Club too drunk to stand. And before the Corinthian columns of the Picton Library. Bill turned away, Bill looked away. Before the Corinthian columns of the Picton Library. Bill looked down, down at his shoes. Before the Corinthian columns of the Picton Library. Bill heard Bob Paisley say, In the thirty-eight years I have been here, this exceeds everything. It is the biggest day in the life of Liverpool Football Club. And before the Corinthian columns of the Picton Library. Bill could not believe his ears. Bill heard Emlyn Hughes grab the microphone from Bob Paisley. And Bill heard Emlyn Hughes singing,
Na na, na-na-na, Liverpool are magic, Everton are tragic. Na na, na-na-na, Everton are tragic
…

And before the Corinthian columns of the Picton Library. Bill could not breathe. Bill could not fight back the tears.

Bob Paisley had won the European Cup. Jock Stein and Matt Busby had also won the European Cup. But Bob Paisley was the first Englishman to win the European Cup. Bob Paisley was the Manager of the Year. Bell’s Whisky sponsored the Manager of the Year awards. Bell’s Whisky asked Bill Shankly if he would like to present Bob Paisley with his Manager of the Year award –

Yes, said Bill Shankly. I will.

In the hotel dining room. In front of all the managers of all the football clubs in England. Bill Shankly stood up. Bill Shankly walked to the front of the room. And Bill Shankly stood before the room –

You probably all think I’m jealous at having to give this wonderful honour to Bob Paisley, the Manager of the Year, said Bill Shankly. Well, you’d all be damn right!

And in the hotel dining room. All the managers of all the football clubs in England laughed. And Bob Paisley stood up. Bob Paisley walked to the front of the room. Bob Paisley shook hands with Bill Shankly. Bob Paisley thanked Bill Shankly. And Bob Paisley said, When I took over from Bill, I said that I would settle for a drop of Bell’s once a month, a big bottle at the end of the season and a ride around the city centre in an open-top bus! So thank you very much. Mind you, I’ve been here during the bad times, too. In my first year, we finished second …

And in the hotel dining room. All the managers of all the football clubs in England laughed again. And all the managers of all the football clubs applauded Bob Paisley. And Bill Shankly smiled.

The producers of
This Is Your Life
planned to surprise Bob Paisley in London after Liverpool Football Club had played Queens Park Rangers. The producers of
This Is Your Life
asked Bill Shankly if he would like to appear on this tribute to the life of Bob Paisley –

Yes, said Bill Shankly. I will.

In the television studio. In front of the audience. Bill Shankly stepped from behind the scenes. Bill Shankly walked towards Bob Paisley. Bill Shankly shook hands with Bob Paisley –

Bob and I never had any rows, said Bill Shankly. We didn’t have any time for that. We had to plan where we were going to keep all the cups we won.

And in the television studio. Bob Paisley laughed. Eamonn Andrews laughed. And the audience laughed. And in their homes. The viewers laughed. Everybody laughed.

And Bill Shankly smiled.

In the house, in their kitchen. Bill helped Ness clear away the breakfast things. Bill dried up the breakfast things. In the house, in their hallway. Bill picked up the paper from the table in the hall. In the house, in their front room. In his chair. Bill read the paper. Bill finished the paper. Bill put down the paper. In the house, in their front room. Bill stared out of the window. Through the condensation on the inside of the glass, through the raindrops on the outside of the glass. Bill watched the people going to work. Bill watched the children going to school. In the house, in their front room. Bill heard Ness dusting in the hall. Bill heard Ness vacuuming in the hall. In the house, in their bedroom. Bill put on his suit. Bill put on his tie. In the house, in their hallway. Bill put on his coat. Bill picked up his umbrella. And Bill said, I’m just going to pop out for a bit, love. Have a walk to the shops for a paper.

It’s raining cats and dogs out there, said Ness. You’ll get soaked to your skin, love. You’ll get soaked through.

Bill smiled. And Bill said, No, love. No. I’ve got my coat and I’ve got my brolly. And a bit of rain never hurt anyone, love. And the exercise will do me good. And get me out from under your feet, love.

Well, if you’ve made up your mind, said Ness, then you go, love. You go. But you take care, love. And I’ll see you when you get back.

Bill kissed Ness on her cheek. And Bill said, Thanks, love.

In the cafe on the Eaton Road in West Derby, Liverpool. In his suit and in his tie. Bill sat in the window. The condensation on the inside of the glass, the raindrops on the outside of the glass. In his suit and in his tie. Bill stared out of the window of the cafe on the Eaton Road in West Derby, Liverpool. Through the condensation, through the raindrops. Bill watched the people in the street. In the rain. Bill watched the people going to work. In the rain. The people doing their shopping. In the rain. The people busy, the people occupied. In the rain. In the cafe on the Eaton Road in West Derby, Liverpool. In his suit and in his tie. Bill looked back down at his newspaper on the table. The newspaper he had already read. Twice. Bill picked up his cup of tea. Bill took another sip. The tea cold, the tea old. Bill heard the door of the cafe open. Bill looked up. And Bill saw a man he knew. A man who sometimes came into the cafe for his breakfast. A man who
always had a good chat with Bill. And Bill said, Hello, son. How are you, son? You look soaked through, son. Sit yourself down, son. And get some hot food inside you, son. A nice cup of tea down you, son …

The man smiled. The man pulled up a chair. The man sat down at the table with Bill. And the man smiled again –

It’s good to see you, Bill. Great to see you again. But how are you, Bill? Are you well?

Oh, I’m very well. Thank you, son. Thank you. Mind you, I picked up a wee knock in the five-a-side on Monday. But I’ll be right for Friday. I’ll be fit to play on Friday, no danger. But what about you? How are you, son? I’ve not seen you in here for ages. You must be busy, son. Are they keeping you busy at work?

Yeah, yeah. We’re busy, Bill. We’re busy. But I mean, I can’t complain, Bill. I mustn’t grumble. At least we’re busy, Bill. At least I’ve got a job. I mean, I’m one of the lucky ones these days, Bill.

Oh yes. You’re right, son. You’re right. These are hard times for so many folk, son. I mean, these are desperate times for so many folk. It appals me, son. I mean, it appals me the way the country is going. It’s going backwards, son. Backwards. So you do right to count your blessings, son. You do right. You have your job, you have your work. You have your family and you have your health. These are the things that matter, son. These are the important things.

And the football, said the man. Don’t forget the football, Bill. At least we’ve always got the football …

Oh well, yes. Yes. You’re right, son. You’re right. We’ve always got the football, son. Always got the football. No matter what a mess the politicians make of things, son. No matter what a mess they make of the world. We’ve always got the football, son. We’ve always got that to be thankful for …

The waitress brought over a breakfast for the man. The man picked up the knife and the fork from the table. And Bill said, Go on, son. Go on. Get stuck in, son. Get stuck in. Get that inside you, son. A man needs to keep his strength up …

The man nodded –

And at least we’re having a good season, Bill. Thank God we’re having a good season, eh?

Oh well, yes. Yes. At Anfield, at home. We are. Yes. We are.
Not bad, not bad at all. But away from home, away from Anfield. It’s a different story, son. A very different story. And to be honest with you, son. I’m worried. I’m very worried, son. I mean, I know they won away at Leicester on Saturday. But they’ve lost at City, they’ve lost at United. And they lost at Queens Park Rangers. Now you can’t be losing at Queens Park Rangers, son. You can’t be losing there, if you want to win the League. Not if you want to win the League, son. And they lost at home to Villa, too. At Anfield, son. And then there have been all the draws. I mean, five draws already, son …

The man nodded again –

But you think we can still win the League, don’t you, Bill? You think we still can …

Well, it won’t be easy. I can tell you that, son. It won’t be easy. I mean, we’ve still to play Forest, son. Home and away.

But you don’t think Forest can win the League, do you, Bill?

Bill smiled. And Bill said, Well, nothing would surprise me with Brian. Not with Brian Clough, son. I’ve always admired him. I’ve always respected him, son. And we often chat. He often calls me, son. To get my thoughts, to pick my brains. He’s a very clever man, son. And a socialist, too. A man after my own heart, son …

But Dalglish is doing well for us, isn’t he, Bill? I mean, I thought it might take him time to find his feet. Take him a while to settle, Bill. I mean, I’m very surprised how well he’s doing for us …

Oh well, yes. But I am not surprised, son. Not surprised at all. I mean, I had my eye on Kenny since he was fifteen. I mean, when he was only fifteen, I had Kenny down here for a trial. And he was brilliant. He was brilliant, son. Even then, at fifteen. I remember it well. After the trial, me and Reuben. We drove him back to the YMCA. And I would have signed him then and there. No bother at all! But the boy was homesick. He was only fifteen. And he didn’t want to leave home. And so I remember I called Jock Stein. And I said to Jock, I said, John, I cannot believe no one has signed this boy. This boy is brilliant. This boy is unbelievable. And Jock signed him. Then and there. Even though the boy was a Rangers fan! Jock signed him on. And that was good. That was great. I mean, if he wasn’t going to come to Anfield. If he wasn’t going to play for us. Then Celtic was the best place for him. With Jock to look after him, Jock to watch over him. So
I’ve had my eye on him for years, son. For years. So I’m not surprised how well he is going, son. Not surprised at all. And I tell you another thing, son. This is only the beginning. Only the beginning for Kenny at Anfield, son. And he’ll not get carried away. No, Kenny’s not that type, son. I mean, the night he signed for us. Big John Toshack brought him over to my house here in West Derby. Because John knows what it’s like. No matter how old you are. No matter what you have done in the game. You are in a new city. You are stuck in a hotel. Away from your family, away from your home. So John brought him over to my house. For a cup of tea with me and Ness. And so we had a nice cup of tea and I had a wee chat with him. And I said to him, Kenny. I said, I’ve just got two pieces of advice for you, son. Don’t go overeating in that bloody hotel. And don’t lose your accent!

The man laughed. The man put down his knife and his fork –

So you think he’ll score on Saturday then, Bill?

Aye. No danger, son. No danger at all.

And you’ll be there, Bill, yeah?

Oh aye. Rain or shine …

The man glanced up through the window of the cafe. The man glanced down at his watch. The man shook his head –

Well, I suppose I best be getting back, Bill. Back to work …

Bill stood up. Bill picked up his umbrella. Bill handed the man his umbrella. And Bill said, Take this with you then, son.

Oh no, said the man. I can’t do that, Bill. What about you? What will you do, Bill? You’ll get soaked …

Bill shook his head. And Bill said, Take it, son. Take it. You’ve to go back to your work, son. Your need is greater than mine. I mean, I can stay here till it stops. Or I can dry off when I get home. But you’ve to go back to your work. You’ve your work to do …

Well then, thank you. And I’ll drop it back here tomorrow for you, Bill. I’ll bring it back then …

Bill shook his head. And Bill said, There’s no rush, son. There’s no rush at all. So don’t be going out of your way, son. Don’t you be making a special journey now. Not for me, son. Not for me.

Thanks, said the man. Thanks again, Bill. And I’ll see you soon, I hope. So you take care now, Bill. You take care.

Bill nodded. Bill smiled. And Bill said, And don’t you work
too hard now either, son. You look after yourself …

And Bill sat back down at the table in the window of the cafe on the Eaton Road in West Derby, Liverpool. In his suit and in his tie. Bill looked back down at his newspaper on the table. Bill picked up the paper again. Bill turned to the back pages of the paper. Bill heard the door of the cafe open. Bill looked up from his paper. And Bill saw a man he knew. A man who sometimes came into the cafe for his lunch. A man who always had a good chat with Bill. And Bill put down his paper. And Bill said, Hello, son. How are you, son? You look soaked through, son. Sit yourself down, son. And get some hot food inside you, son. A nice cup of tea down you, son …