And on the benches, the Liverpool benches. The players of Liverpool Football Club listened to the sound of studs. The studs of boots. The boots of the players of Internazionale of Milan walking out of their dressing room, down the corridor and down the steps, out onto the pitch, the Anfield pitch, and into a wall of whistles, into a chorus of Go back to I-ta-lee, Go back to I-ta-lee, GO BACK TO I-TA-LEE!
In the dressing room, the Liverpool dressing room. Bill turned to Gordon Milne and Gerry Byrne. Gordon with his damaged knee, Gerry with his broken collarbone. And Bill picked up the FA Cup. Bill handed the FA Cup to Gordon and Gerry. And Bill said, The people want to see the FA Cup, boys. The people are desperate to see the Cup. So you two boys show them the Cup. Parade the Cup, boys. And you make sure everybody in this ground sees this Cup. Everybody on every side of this ground. Make sure you go to the Anfield Road end first. And then down to the Kop. To the boys on the Kop …
Ron Yeats stood up. Ron Yeats led the players of Liverpool Football Club out of their dressing room, down the corridor and down the steps, out onto the pitch, the Anfield pitch, into a wall of applause, into a chorus of LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL …
And then behind Ron Yeats, behind the players of Liverpool Football Club, out of the dressing room, down the corridor and down the steps, out onto the pitch, the Anfield pitch, came Gordon Milne and Gerry Byrne, one hobbling and one limping, carrying the FA Cup, parading the FA Cup, around the ground, around the stadium, from one end to the other, from the Anfield Road end to the Spion Kop end, to applause so intense, to cheers so piercing, that the very earth shook, the very world shook. WE’VE WON THE CUP! WE’VE WON THE CUP! EE-AYE-ADDIO, WE’VE WON THE CUP …
And on the pitch, the Anfield pitch, the players of Internazionale of Milan stood and stared, their legs shaking with fear, their eyes blinking in terror. Red fear,
red terror. In the centre of this sea of noise, in the middle of this world of red. The referee blew his whistle. St John kicked off. Smith passed to Strong. Strong passed to Callaghan. Callaghan crossed to Hunt. And Hunt turned. Hunt hit the ball on the volley. In the fourth minute, the volley from the edge of the penalty area. The volley into the top of the net. LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL. But now Internazionale of Milan began to find their feet. And now they began to find the ball. Corso found space down the left. Corso found Peiró. Peiró found Mazzola. And Mazzola found the net. Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart. In the thirty-fourth minute, a free kick on the edge of the Internazionale of Milan penalty area. And you’ll never walk alone. Callaghan feinted to shoot, Callaghan hopped over the ball. You’ll never walk alone. Stevenson passed to St John. Alone. Callaghan slid the ball past Sarti. You’ll never walk alone. Into the net, into the goal. LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL. In the fortieth minute, Lawler passed to Callaghan. Callaghan passed back to Lawler. Lawler beat one man, Lawler beat a second, Lawler beat a third. And Lawler hit the ball. With his left foot. Hit the ball and shot. Into the net, into the goal. LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL. Into the goal that was not a goal. The goal disallowed. Bedlam, cacophony. LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL. In the seventy-fifth minute, Thompson passed to Callaghan. Callaghan headed on to Smith. Smith inside to Hunt. Hunt shot. Sarti parried the ball. The ball loose, loose to St John. And St John shot. Into the net, into the goal. And LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL, LI–VER-POOL Football Club had beaten Internazionale of Milan three — one. Internazionale of Milan. The European Champions. The Intercontinental Cup Champions. Internazionale of Milan dazed, Internazionale of Milan shell-shocked. In a sea of noise, in a world of red. Mister Herrera got up from the bench. Slowly. Mister Herrera walked down the touchline. The Anfield touchline. And Mister Herrera shook Bill’s hand –
We’ve been beaten before, said Mister Herrera. But tonight we were defeated. Defeated. So congratulations, Mr Shankly.
Bill smiled. And Bill said, Thank you, sir.
Mister Herrera looked around the ground, the Anfield ground. Mister Herrera stared up at the Kop, the Spion Kop –
But I’ll see you again, said Mister Herrera. I’ll see you soon, Mr Shankly. In Italy. In Milan. At the San Siro.
…
In the house, in their hall. The telephone was ringing. And ringing. Always ringing. In the front room, in his chair. Bill put down his paper again. The accolades and the praise. The accolades for the night before, the praise for the night before. Bill looked across at Ness. Ness looked up from her paper. From her crossword. And Ness smiled at Bill. And Bill said, Aye, no doubt it’ll be for me, love …
Well, I’ll put the kettle on, said Ness. I’ll make us a cup of tea.
Bill smiled, Bill nodded. Bill went out into the hall, Bill picked up the telephone. Bill listened to the voice on the line –
And Bill dropped the phone –
Bill ran to the door, Bill ran to the car. Bill drove to the ground, Bill ran into the stadium. The telephones ringing. Bill ran up the stairs. The telephones ringing. Bill ran down the corridor. The telephones ringing. Bill banged on the office door. The telephones ringing. The office door of the club secretary. The telephones ringing. Bill pushed open the door. The telephones ringing. Bill saw the bags of mail standing on the floor. The telephones ringing. The bags and bags of mail. The telephones ringing. Bill saw the camp bed in the corner. The telephones ringing. Bill saw the stacks of letters on the desk. The telephones ringing. The stacks and stacks of letters. The telephones ringing. Jimmy not at his desk. The telephones ringing. Among the letters. The telephones ringing. The stacks and stacks of letters. The telephones ringing. Jimmy not in his office. Bill turned around, Bill ran again. Back down the corridor, back down the stairs. Out of the building and around the ground. To the back of the Kop, to the Archway turnstile. And Bill stopped. At the back of the Kop, at the Archway turnstile. Bill saw Arthur Riley. Bill saw the policemen. Bill saw the ambulance. Bill saw the stretcher. And Bill saw the blanket. Under the blanket, the shape of a body. On the stretcher, in the ambulance. By the turnstile, under the Kop. The body of Jimmy McInnes. And then Bill saw his wife. Jimmy’s wife.
…
In the drive, in the car. Bill turned off the engine. Bill got out of the car. Bill walked up the drive. Bill opened the front door. Bill went into the house. Bill shut the door. Bill walked down the hall. Bill went into the front room. And Bill saw Ness. Ness on her feet. Ness looking at Bill. Her hands to her mouth. Ness looking at Bill. And Bill said, It’s Jimmy, love. He’s dead, love.
Dead? How? When?
This morning, love. He hanged himself. Under the Kop.
…
In the drive, in the car. In the night. Bill turned off the engine. In the night. Bill got out of the car. In the night. Bill walked up the drive. In the night. Bill unlocked the front door of the house. In the night. Bill opened the door. In the night. Bill stepped into the house. In the dark. Bill closed the door. In the dark. Bill put down his case in the hallway. In the dark. Bill walked down the hallway to the kitchen. In the dark. Bill sat down at the table. In the dark. Bill put his hand in his pocket. In the dark. Bill took out the chip. The red and white chip. In the dark. Bill stared down at the chip. The red and white chip. In the dark. Bill turned the chip in his fingers. The red and white chip. In the dark. The happiest day of his life. That day on the balcony of Liverpool Town Hall. The best night of his life. That night Liverpool Football Club had beaten Internazionale of Milan at Anfield. The worst night of his life. The night Internazionale of Milan beat Liverpool Football Club at the San Siro, the night Internazionale of Milan knocked Liverpool Football Club out of the European Cup. The saddest day of his life. The day he had stood beneath the Spion Kop. The day they had found Jimmy McInnes. By the Archway turnstile. Hanging under the Kop. The saddest days and the happiest days, the worst days and the best. In the dark. Bill turned the chip again. The red and white chip. And again. The red side and the white side. Two sides, two sides. There were always two sides. Two sides