That was bad luck, Mr Shankly. Very bad luck. But I said all we needed to get going, to get our season going, was a little bit of luck. And that’s what we got today. A little bit of luck …
On the bench, the bench at Brunton Park. Bill watched Liverpool Football Club play Carlisle United in the Second Round of the Football League Cup. But again, Ray Clemence did not travel. Ray Clemence still injured. And so again, Frankie Lane played for Liverpool Football Club. In the forty-second minute, Bill watched Kevin Keegan score. But in the seventy-second minute, Bill watched O’Neill score, too. And Liverpool Football Club drew one-all with Carlisle United in the Second Round of the Football League Cup. Away from home, away from Anfield –
On the bench, the Anfield bench. In the twenty-eighth minute, Bill and forty-three thousand, three hundred and eighty-six folk watched Emlyn Hughes shoot. And his shot hit the post. The shot rebounded off the post onto the body of Parkes and the ball rebounded off the body of Parkes. Into the net and into a goal. In the seventy-sixth minute, Bill and the forty-three thousand, three hundred and eighty-six folk watched Kevin Keegan pass to Steve Heighway. And Heighway passed to Peter Cormack. And Cormack shot. And Cormack scored. His first goal for Liverpool Football Club. On his home debut, his Anfield debut. Four minutes later, they watched Tommy Smith take a penalty. Twice. And Smith scored for Liverpool Football Club. And in the eighty-fourth minute, they watched Heighway take a free kick. And Keegan met the free kick. And Keegan headed the free kick. Into the net and into another goal. And Liverpool Football Club beat Wolverhampton Wanderers four — two. At home, at Anfield. That evening, Everton Football Club had thirteen points. And Everton Football Club were first in the First Division. Everton Football Club unbeaten. Tottenham Hotspur had twelve points. Tottenham Hotspur second in the First Division. Arsenal Football Club, Liverpool Football Club, Ipswich Town and Leeds United all had eleven points. Liverpool Football Club still fourth in the First Division. On goal average –
Still fourth, fourth, fourth, fourth –
On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill and thirty-three thousand, three hundred and eighty folk were watching Liverpool Football Club play Eintracht Frankfurt of West Germany in the first leg of the First Round of the UEFA Cup. In the twelfth minute, they watched Kevin Keegan score. And in the seventy-fifth minute, they watched Emlyn Hughes score. And Liverpool Football Club beat Eintracht Frankfurt of West Germany two — nil in the first leg of the First Round of the UEFA Cup. At home, at Anfield –
On the bench, the bench at Highbury. In the fifteenth minute, Bill watched the linesman collapse with torn knee ligaments. And the game stopped, the match was suspended. Twenty minutes later, Jimmy Hill, the head of LWT Sport, appeared on the touchline. Dressed in black and holding a flag. The game restarted, the match continued. And Ray Clemence saved from Radford. And saved from Graham. And saved from Ball. And John Toshack hit the post. But no one scored. And Liverpool Football Club drew nil — nil with Arsenal Football Club. Away from home, away from Anfield –
On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill and twenty-two thousand, one hundred and twenty-eight folk were watching Liverpool Football Club play Carlisle United in the replay of the Second Round of the Football League Cup. Early on, John Toshack was injured. And Bill took off Toshack. Bill sent on Phil Boersma. And in the thirty-seventh minute, Kevin Keegan scored. Two minutes later, Boersma scored. In the seventieth minute, Tommy Smith missed a penalty. But three minutes later, Chris Lawler scored. And ten minutes later, Boersma scored again. And in the eighty-sixth minute, Steve Heighway scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Carlisle United five — one in the replay of the Second Round of the Football League Cup. At home,
at Anfield. On the bench, the Anfield bench. In the twenty-eighth minute, Bill and forty-two thousand, nine hundred and forty folk watched Phil Boersma score again. In the thirty-first minute, they watched Alec Lindsay score. In the thirty-third minute, they watched Steve Heighway score. In the fifty-first minute, they watched Peter Cormack score. In the fifty-third minute, they watched Tommy Smith miss another penalty. But in the fifty-fourth minute, they watched Kevin Keegan score a penalty. And Liverpool Football Club beat Sheffield United five — nil. At home, at Anfield. That afternoon, there was fighting on the terraces at White Hart Lane, London. There was fighting on the streets outside the City Ground, Nottingham. But that evening, Liverpool Football Club had fourteen points. And Tottenham Hotspur had fourteen points, too. But Liverpool Football Club had scored twenty-two goals and Liverpool Football Club had conceded ten goals. And so that evening, Liverpool Football Club were first in the First Division. On goal average –
First. First. First –
Top.
…
In the drive, in the car. Bill turned off the engine. In the night and in the silence. Bill got out of the car. Bill walked up the drive. And Bill opened the front door. In the dark and in the silence. Bill took off his hat. Bill hung up his hat. And Bill went down the hall. In the dark and in the silence. Bill went into the kitchen. Bill switched on the light. And Bill went to the drawer. Bill opened the drawer. Bill took out the tablecloth. And Bill closed the drawer. Bill walked over to the table. Bill spread the cloth over the table. And Bill walked over to another drawer. Bill opened the drawer. Bill took out the cutlery. The spoons. The forks. And the knives. And Bill closed the drawer. Bill walked back over to the table. Bill laid two places at the table. And Bill went to the cupboard. Bill opened the cupboard door. Bill took out the crockery. The bowls and the plates. And 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. And Bill took out two glasses. Bill closed the cupboard door. Bill walked back to the table. And Bill put a glass in each of the places. Bill walked to another cupboard. Bill opened the door. And Bill took out the salt and pepper pots. Bill closed the cupboard door. Bill walked back to the table. And Bill put the salt and pepper pots on the table. Bill went to the pantry. Bill opened the pantry door. And 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. And Bill walked over to the refrigerator. Bill opened the refrigerator door. Bill took out the butter dish. And 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. And Bill took out a bottle of fresh orange juice. Bill closed the refrigerator door. Bill walked back over to the table. And Bill put down the bottle of orange juice on the table. In the night and in the silence. Bill sat down at the table. In the kitchen, at the table. Bill closed his eyes. But in his mind, in his eyes. Bill saw the saves Ray Clemence had made. Bill saw the blocks and the tackles Chris Lawler had made. The blocks and tackles Alec Lindsay had made. The blocks and tackles Tommy Smith had made. The blocks and tackles Larry Lloyd had made. The passes they all had made. The passes and the runs Emlyn Hughes had made. The passes and the runs Kevin Keegan had made. The passes and the runs Peter Cormack had made. The passes and the runs Steve Heighway had made. The passes and the runs Phil Boersma had made. The passes and the runs Ian Callaghan had made. The passes and the runs they all had made, the blocks and the tackles they all had made. From the back to the front, from the front to the back. Again and again, over and over. Never stopping, never tiring. With the ball and without the ball, without the ball and with the ball. Never tiring, never stopping. Over and over, again and again. From the front to the back, from the back to the front. And in the kitchen, at the table. In the night and in the silence. In his mind, in his ears. Bill heard the crowd. The Anfield crowd. The Kop. The Spion Kop. Never stopping, never tiring. Always shouting, always singing, Li-ver-pool, Li-ver-pool, Li-ver-pool. Never stopping, never tiring. Always supporting, always believing in Li-ver-pool, Li-ver-pool, Li-ver-pool. And in the kitchen, at the table. Bill opened his eyes. Bill smiled. And Bill stood up. Bill walked over to the kitchen wall. Bill switched off the kitchen light. But in the dark and in the silence. Bill heard Ness cough upstairs. In their bed, in her sleep. Bill heard Ness coughing and coughing. Bill switched on the light again. Bill walked over to the cupboard. And Bill took out a glass. Bill walked over to the sink. Bill filled the glass with water. And Bill walked back over to the kitchen wall. Bill switched off the light. In the dark and in the silence. Bill walked up the stairs. Bill went into their bedroom. And Bill walked around their bed. Bill put down the glass of water on the table beside their bed. Beside his wife. And in the dark and in the silence. Ness said, Thank you, love. Thank you.