Thanks for last year. Thank you very much, boys. Your medals and your plaques are in that box over there in the corner. But now forget them. Because now we start again. And we start again at the bottom. The very bottom. So come on now, boys –
Come on. Let’s get it going, boys …
…
In the summer of 1973, at the end of the second week of July. In the corridor, the Anfield corridor. Emlyn Hughes knocked on the door to the office of Bill Shankly. And Emlyn Hughes opened the door.
Bill Shankly looked up from his desk. Up from his typewriter –
Hello, Emlyn. How are you today, son? Sit yourself down …
Thank you, Boss. And how are you, Boss? Are you well, Boss? And how are your family, Boss? Are they all well, Boss?
They are all very well, Emlyn. Thank you, son. And how about you and your family, Emlyn? Are they are all well, son? And your father, Emlyn? How is your father, son?
He’s very well, Boss. Thank you, Boss. But it was actually something my dad said that made me want to have a word, Boss.
Oh? And what was that, son? What did he say?
Well, we were talking, Boss. Me and my dad, Boss. About my new contract. And so we were talking about my future, Boss. Me and my dad. Because you know I always talk to him about everything, Boss. You and him. You are the two people I always talk to, Boss. And he knows, and you know, how much I love playing for this club. And playing for you, Boss. And how I’d never want to play for anyone else. Not for Manchester United or Arsenal or any of them clubs that have been sniffing around, Boss. Like they always do. I wouldn’t want to, Boss. Especially not now, not after the season we’ve just had. But the thing is, Boss. The thing is, I’m playing for England now. And I love playing for England, Boss. And I want to be the captain of England, Boss. It’s my dream. It’s been my dream for as long as I can remember, Boss. And so me and my dad were talking about it. About me being captain of England, Boss. But my dad said he doesn’t think I’ll ever be captain of England. Not if I’m not even captain of Liverpool, Boss. My dad thinks it’ll never happen. If I’m not even captain of my own club, Boss. He thinks I’ll never be captain of England. But he thinks it might happen if I was at Manchester United. Or at Arsenal. Or Leeds. Or even Everton, Boss. He thinks if I was playing for any of them. Then I’d be captain, Boss –
And then the captain of England …
Bill Shankly leapt to his feet –
So you’re saying to me, son. You’re telling me, unless I make you captain of Liverpool Football Club, then you’re off, son. Off to play for Manchester United. Arsenal or Leeds. Or even bloody Everton. Is that what you’re saying, son? Is that what you’re telling me?
No, Boss, no. Not at all, Boss. No, Boss. I’d never do that, Boss. But I’m confused, Boss. Confused about what to do, Boss. About whether to give up on my dream or not, Boss. I mean, you told me, Boss. You told me when I first came here I was a future captain of Liverpool, Boss. And a future captain of England, Boss. And I believed you, Boss. I believed you and so did my dad, Boss …
So now you’re calling me a liar, are you?
No, Boss, no. Not at all, Boss. No, Boss. I’d never do that, Boss. After my own father, Boss. You are the man I respect most, Boss …
So what are you saying, son? What are you asking me?
I’m just asking you if I should forget my dream, Boss? My dream of captaining England, Boss. That’s all, Boss. I just want to know if I should give up even thinking about it, Boss. Because I know you know how much it means, Boss. You told me the thing you wanted most was to play for Scotland, Boss. And how proud you were the day you captained Scotland. At Hampden, against England …
Bill Shankly sat back down behind his desk –
Aye, the day you beat us three — one.
I’m sorry about that, Boss. But at least you can always say you captained your country, Boss. You had that honour, sir –
It was not just a dream for you …
…
In the summer of 1973, at the start of the third week of July. In the car park, the Anfield Road car park. Tommy Smith had changed into his training gear. Tommy Smith was standing in the car park with the other players of Liverpool Football Club. Tommy Smith was about to get on the bus. The bus to take him and the other players of Liverpool Football Club out to Melwood. Out to training. Tommy Smith laughing, Tommy Smith joking. In the car park, the Anfield Road car park. In his tracksuit and in his sweater. Bill Shankly walked towards the players of Liverpool Football Club. Bill Shankly greeted the players. Bill Shankly shook their hands, Bill Shankly patted their backs. Bill Shankly asked after their weekends, Bill Shankly asked after their families. Bill Shankly laughing and Bill Shankly joking. Bill Shankly turned to Tommy Smith. Still smiling, still smiling –
Morning, Tommy. Morning, son. How are you today, Tommy? And can I have a word, son? A quick word, Tommy?
Tommy Smith nodded. And Tommy Smith followed Bill Shankly back into the stadium. Down the corridor, into the office. And Bill Shankly closed the door. Bill Shankly sat down at his desk –
Sit down, Tommy. Have a seat, son.
Tommy Smith sat down.
I have decided to make Emlyn captain, Tommy. You’ll still be the club captain, son. But Emlyn will be the captain of the team, Tommy. On the pitch, during the game. Is that OK with you, son?
Tommy Smith stared across the desk at Bill Shankly. And Tommy Smith nodded. And Bill Shankly leapt back up onto his feet –
OK then, Tommy. Thanks for coming in, son. I’ll see you up at Melwood, Tommy. See you up at training, son …
Tommy Smith stood up. Tommy Smith walked out of the office. Down the corridor, out of the stadium. Into the car park and onto the bus. The bus waiting for Tommy Smith. But Tommy Smith was not laughing, Tommy Smith not joking –
Not any more.
…
In the summer of 1973, in the fourth week of July. All the players of Liverpool Football Club had to go and see Bill Shankly –
At the end of the last season, during the parade through the streets of Liverpool, John Smith, the new chairman of Liverpool Football Club, had climbed on board the open-top bus. John Smith had stood on the top deck of the bus. Between the two cups, between the two trophies. And John Smith had told the players of Liverpool Football Club they would all be getting new contracts for the following season. The new season. Now all the players of Liverpool Football Club had come to see Bill Shankly to discuss their new contracts for the following season. The new season. All the players of Liverpool Football Club standing in a line in the corridor outside the door to the office of Bill Shankly. Each player rehearsing the words he would say to Bill Shankly. Each player getting his words straight in his mind. And now Brian Hall was the player standing at the front of the line to the door to the office of Bill Shankly. Brian Hall rehearsing his words, Brian Hall getting those words straight in his mind. Brian Hall had decided he wanted a forty-pound-a-week rise as part of his new contract for the following season. The new season. But Brian Hall knew what Bill Shankly was like. Brian Hall knew Bill Shankly always got the better of him. Brian Hall knew if he asked Bill Shankly for a forty-pound-a-week rise, then Bill Shankly would blame the government and give him a twenty-pound-a-week rise. And that would be that. The end of that. And so Brian Hall had decided he would ask Bill Shankly for an eighty-pound-a-week rise. And then Brian Hall would let Bill Shankly beat him down to a forty-pound-a-week rise. Brian Hall smiled to himself. It was possible he might even get a fifty-pound-a-week rise. Brian Hall chuckled to himself …