WE’RE GOING TO WIN THE CUP!
…
Before the house, on their doorstep. Bill unlocked the front door. In the night and in the silence. Bill opened the door. In the night and in the silence. Bill stepped into the house. In the dark and in the silence. Bill put down his suitcase in the hallway. In the dark and in the silence. Bill walked down the hallway to the kitchen. In the dark and in the silence. Bill switched on the kitchen light. And Bill went to the drawer. Bill opened the drawer. Bill took out the tablecloth. Bill closed the drawer. Bill walked over to the table. Bill spread the cloth over the table. Bill walked over to another drawer. Bill opened the drawer. Bill took out the cutlery. The spoons. The forks. And the knives. Bill closed the drawer. Bill walked back over to the table. Bill laid two places at the table. Bill went to the cupboard. Bill opened the cupboard door. Bill took out the crockery. The bowls and the plates. Bill walked back over to the table. Bill put a bowl and a plate in each of the two places. Bill walked back to the cupboard. Bill took out two glasses. Bill closed the cupboard door. Bill walked back to the table. Bill put a glass in each of the places. Bill walked to another cupboard. Bill opened the door. Bill took out the salt and pepper pots. Bill closed the cupboard door. Bill walked back to the table. Bill put the salt and pepper pots on the table. Bill went to the pantry. Bill opened the pantry door. Bill took out a jar of honey and a jar of marmalade. Bill walked back to the table. Bill put the jar of honey and the jar of marmalade on the table. Bill walked over to the refrigerator. Bill opened the refrigerator door. Bill took out the butter dish. Bill walked back over to the table. Bill put the butter dish down in the centre of the table. Bill walked back over to the refrigerator. Bill took out a bottle of fresh orange juice. Bill closed the refrigerator door. Bill walked back over to the table. Bill poured orange juice into both of the glasses. Bill put the bottle down on the table. And in the kitchen, at the table. Bill sat down. In the night and in the silence. Bill wanted to close his eyes, Bill wanted to sleep. But in the kitchen, at the table. Bill could not close his eyes, Bill could not sleep. In the night and in the silence. In his eyes, in his mind. Bill saw the saves Clemence had made. In his eyes, in his mind. Bill saw the tackles Lawler had made. The tackles Lindsay, Smith, Lloyd and Hughes had made. The tackles they had made and the passes they had made. In his eyes, in his mind. Bill saw the runsand the passes Thompson had made. The runs and the passes Heighway had made. The runs and the passes for Evans, Toshack and Hall. The moves Evans, Toshack and Hall had made, the balls Evans, Toshack and Hall had played. The tackles and the passes they had all made. The runs they had all made and the balls they had all played. The football they had played. They had all played. And in the kitchen, at the table. Bill could not close his eyes, Bill could not sleep. In the night and in the silence. Bill could only think of the games to come. The victories to come. Not to dream, not to hope. And not to pray. To anticipate and to expect. And to believe. To believe in redemption,
to believe in salvation. At last, at last –
Bill believed again. At last,
at last. Bill believed
again.
…
On the bench, the bench at the Sechzger Stadion, Munich. Three days before the semi-final of the FA Cup. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club play Fußball-Club Bayern München e.V. of West Germany in the second leg of the quarter-final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. But Brian Hall did not start the game. Steve Heighway did not start the game. And Peter Thompson did not start the game. Bill had rested Hall, Heighway and Thompson. Ian Callaghan, John McLaughlin and Ian Ross started the game. And in the seventy-fifth minute, Ian Ross scored. Minutes later, Schneider equalised for Fußball-Club Bayern München e.V. of West Germany. But it didn’t count, it didn’t matter. Liverpool Football Club of England beat Fußball-Club Bayern München e.V. of West Germany four — one on aggregate in the quarter-final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. And Liverpool Football Club were through to the semi-final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Through to another semi-final,
for a place in another final,
a European final.
…
On the bench, the bench at Old Trafford. Bill and sixty-two thousand, one hundred and forty-four Merseyside folk were watching Liverpool Football Club play Everton Football Club in the semi-final of the FA Cup. The last time Liverpool Football Club had played Everton Football Club in the semi-final of the FA Cup, Bob Paisley had scored for Liverpool Football Club. And Liverpool Football Club had beaten Everton Football Club. And Liverpool Football Club had reached the final of the FA Cup. But that afternoon, history was not the only thing against Everton Football Club. Four days before, Everton Football Club had played Panathinaikos of Greece in the European Cup. Panathinaikos of Greece had spat in the faces of the players of Everton Football Club. Panathinaikos of Greece had tried to gouge out the eyes of the players of Everton Football Club. Panathinaikos of Greece had stuck their fingers in the eyes of the players of Everton Football Club. And Panathinaikos of Greece had knocked Everton Football Club out of the European Cup. Everton Football Club had returned from Greece beaten. Beaten and dejected. Dejected and ill. That afternoon, Harry Catterick, the manager of Everton Football Club, did not come to Old Trafford, Manchester. That afternoon, Harry Catterick was ill. Harry Catterick had caught bronchitis in Greece. People said history was against Everton Football Club. And people said the omens were against Everton Football Club. But Bill did not believe the past dictated the present. And Bill did not believe in omens. Good omens or bad omens. And in the eleventh minute, Royle passed to Morrissey. Morrissey crossed from the left. Ray Clemence came for the cross. Clemence misjudged the cross. The cross fell to Whittle. Whittle flicked on the cross. Ball met the flick. And Ball shot and Ball scored. But the supporters of Liverpool Football Club did not fall silent. They did not surrender. The Stretford End awash with banners, a sea of red. Liverpool red. The Stretford End a crescendo of noise, a chorus of song. Red songs, Liverpool songs. And the players of Liverpool Football Club did not surrender. The players of Liverpool Football Club kept coming and coming, attacking and attacking. But at half-time in the semi-final of the FA Cup, Everton Football Club were beating Liverpool Football Club –