For the first time. In history,
in their history.
His coat stuck to his jacket. His jacket stuck to his shirt. His shirt stuck to his vest. His vest stuck to his skin. Bill got up from the bench. The Liverpool bench. Bill walked down the touchline. The Wembley touchline. And Bill shook the hand of Don Revie. The Leeds United manager. And then Bill walked across the pitch. The Wembley pitch. Bill went from player to player. From Sprake to Reaney, Reaney to Bell, Bell to Bremner, Bremner to Charlton, Charlton to Hunter, Hunter to Giles, Giles to Storrie, Storrie to Peacock, Peacock to Collins, Collins to Johanneson. Bill patted their backs, Bill shook their hands. And then Bill turned. Bill turned and Bill walked across the turf. The Wembley turf. Towards the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. Towards their scarves and their flags, towards their banners and their songs. Ee-aye-addio, we’ve won the Cup. And Bill stopped on the pitch, the Wembley pitch. Bill stood on the turf, the Wembley turf. Before this sea of red, before this world of red. We’ve won the Cup. His coat stuck to his jacket. His jacket stuck to his shirt. His shirt stuck to his vest. His vest stuck to his skin. Bill clenched his fists, Bill raised his arms. In triumph and in gratitude. Before the crowd and in the crowd, before her sea and in her world. In victory and in thanks. Ee-aye-addio, we won the Cup! For her sea of red,
in her world of red.
…
On the train from London to Liverpool, from Euston to Lime Street. In their carriage, in his seat. Bill looked across the table at Ness. Ness had been at Wembley Stadium. Ness had been at the Cup Final. It had been the first time Ness had ever seen Liverpool Football Club play. And Ness had seen Liverpool Football Club win the Cup. The first time Liverpool Football Club had ever won the FA Cup. The Cup under their table now, at his feet now. Bill smiled at Ness. Ness smiled back at Bill. And in their carriage, in his seat. Bill closed his eyes. And Bill felt the wheels of the train beneath him again. Turning, turning. Their movement and their rhythm. Round and round. Movement and rhythm. Forward, always forward. And in his mind, in his eyes. Bill saw the players of Liverpool Football Club walking up the steps at Wembley. In red. In his mind, in his eyes. Bill saw Ronnie collecting the Cup from the Queen. The Queen in red. In his mind, in his eyes. Bill saw Ronnie lifting the Cup aloft, showing the Cup to the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. In red. In his mind, in his ears. Bill heard the roar of the crowd. In red. That roar that had shook the earth, that had raised the dead. In red, all in red. Resurrected in red, all in red. In their carriage, in his seat. Bill opened his eyes. Again. Bill tapped the Cup with the toe of his shoe. The Cup still there. Under their table, at his feet. In the carriage, on the train, The train back to Lime Street, the train back to Liverpool. The FA Cup coming to Liverpool Football Club. For the very first time. In history, in their history. To LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL …
At Lime Street Station, Liverpool. Bill and Ness and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club got off the train. And Bill could not believe his eyes. Everywhere Bill looked, Bill saw faces. The faces of people. Everywhere Bill turned, Bill saw people. People cheering, people clapping. And Bill could not believe his ears. People shouting, people singing. Fifty thousand people cheering and clapping, fifty thousand people shouting and singing. All singing, singing –
LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL …
At the station, Bill and Ness and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club boarded the bus. The bus to take them to the Town Hall. And still Bill could not believe his eyes. Everywhere Bill looked, Bill saw more faces. More faces of people. People lining the streets, people thronging the roads. Everywhere Bill turned, Bill saw more people. People hanging off hoardings, people dangling off lamp posts. And still Bill could not believe his eyes. On Castle Street, on Dale Street. People in dangerous places, people risking their lives. For a glimpse of the Cup. One hundred thousand people cheering and clapping, one hundred thousand people shouting and singing –
LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL …
At the Town Hall, Bill and Ness and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club got off the bus. Bill and Ness and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club walked up the Town Hall steps. Bill and Ness and the players and the staff of Liverpool Football Club walked out onto the Town Hall balcony. And Bill blinked. And blinked. And blinked again. Bill just could not believe his eyes. Across the square, across the city. Everywhere Bill looked, there were people. Bill just could not believe his ears. Everywhere Bill turned, there were people. Two hundred and fifty thousand people. Two hundred and fifty thousand people cheering. Two hundred and fifty thousand people clapping. Two hundred and fifty thousand people shouting. Two hundred and fifty thousand people singing. All singing –
LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL. LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL. LI–VER-POOL,
LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL …
Bill fought back tears, Bill struggled to breathe. Ness gripped his arm, Ness squeezed his hand –
I never knew until now, whispered Ness, until today, how much football meant to the people of Liverpool. But you knew, love. You always knew what it meant to the people of Liverpool …
LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL …
Bill shook his head. And Bill said, No, love. I didn’t know. I only dreamt, I only imagined. But now I know, love …
LI–VER-POOL …
Now I know. But I know we have not finished, love. I know we have just begun. I know this is just the start, love.
…
At Anfield, in the dressing room. Three days after, just three days after Liverpool Football Club had won the FA Cup. Two hours before the match, still two hours before Liverpool Football Club would play Internazionale of Milan in the first leg of the semi-final of the European Cup. Bill could already hear the fifty-two thousand and eighty-two folk inside Anfield, Liverpool. Bill could already hear them singing, Bill could already hear them chanting. We want to see the Cup! We want to see the Cup! Ee-aye-addio, we want to see the Cup …
And in the dressing room, before the kick-off. Bill had an idea. Bill and Bob went to find Gordon Milne and Gerry Byrne. Gordon Milne with his knee still damaged, Gerry Byrne with his arm in a sling. Gordon would not be playing tonight and Gerry would not be playing tonight. But Gordon and Gerry had played their parts. And Gordon and Gerry still had a part to play. Bill and Bob brought Gordon and Gerry back to the dressing room. Bill told Gordon and Gerry to wait in the dressing room, Bill told Gordon and Gerry to hide behind the dressing-room door. And then Bill looked at his watch. Bill smiled. And Bill went out of the Liverpool dressing room. Bill went out into the corridor. Bill knocked on the door of the other dressing room. The Internazionale of Milan dressing-room door. Mister Herrera, the manager of Internazionale of Milan, opened the door. Bill smiled. Bill pointed at his watch. And Bill said, It’s time to go, Mister Herrera. It’s time your team went out there. Out there onto the pitch, sir.
Thank you, said Mister Herrera.
Bill went back into the Liverpool dressing room. Bill closed the dressing-room door. Bill looked around the dressing room. From Lawrence to Lawler, Lawler to Moran, Moran to Strong, Strong to Yeats, Yeats to Stevenson, Stevenson to Callaghan, Callaghan to Hunt, Hunt to St John, St John to Smith, Smith to Thompson. And Bill raised his finger in the air. Bill put his finger to his ear. And Bill said, Listen, boys. Just listen to this …