His jacket stuck to his shirt. His shirt stuck to his vest. His vest stuck to his skin. Bill had tears in his eyes. Tears on his cheeks now. The collar of his shirt, the silk of his tie –
His Liverpool tie. His red,
red Liverpool tie. In the dressing room, the Celtic dressing room. Bill patted Jock Stein’s back, Bill shook Jock Stein’s hand. And Bill said, Congratulations, John. Congratulations. I could not be happier for you, John. I could not be happier. You have won the League. You have won the Scottish Cup. You have won the Scottish League Cup. You have won the Glasgow Cup. And now you have won the European Cup. All in one season, John. All in the same season!
And so now you are immortal, John.
Now you are immortal.
Immortal, John.
25. WE DO NOT LIVE ON MEMORIES
After the season. The season of loss. Before the season. The season of hope. In the summer. The summer of love. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett were not on their holidays. In the boardroom. The boardroom at Anfield. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett were about their work. The books were spread out over the long table. The books of names, the books of notes. The sheets of paper piled up on the long table. The sheets of names, the sheets of dates. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett going through every page of every book, every sheet of every paper. Every player and every game. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett discussing every page, studying every sheet. They analysed every player, they evaluated every game. The games that had been, the season that had been. The season of loss –
In the 1966–67 season, Liverpool Football Club had played forty-two League games. They had won twelve games at home, at Anfield, and they had won seven games away, away from Anfield. They had drawn seven games at home and they had drawn six games away. They had lost two games at home, at Anfield, and they had lost eight games away, away from Anfield. They had scored thirty-six goals at home, at Anfield, and they had scored twenty-eight goals away, away from Anfield. They had conceded seventeen goals at home, at Anfield, and they had conceded thirty goals away from home, away from Anfield. In the 1966–67 season, Liverpool Football Club had finished with fifty-one points. And Liverpool Football Club had finished fifth in the First Division. Leeds United had fifty-five points. Tottenham Hotspur had fifty-six points. And Nottingham Forest had fifty-six points, too. Manchester United Football Club had sixty points. Manchester United had finished first in the First Division. Manchester United were the Champions of England. The new Champions.
The season before, Liverpool Football Club had finished first in the First Division. Liverpool Football Club had been the Champions of England. The season before, Liverpool Football Club had scored seventy-nine goals and they had conceded thirty-four. Home and away. In the 1966–67 season, Liverpool Football Club had scored sixty-four goals and they had conceded forty-seven. Home and away. Manchester United Football Club had scored eighty-four goals and they had conceded forty-six. Home and away.
In the new season, the season to come, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Reuben Bennett knew Liverpool Football Club would need to score more goals. A lot more goals.
Twenty-one more goals.
Bill Shankly had heard Tony Hateley was unhappy. Bill Shankly knew Tony Hateley had played one hundred and thirty-one times for Notts County Football Club. Bill Shankly knew Tony Hateley had scored seventy-seven goals for Notts County Football Club. Bill Shankly knew Tony Hateley had played one hundred and twenty-seven times for Aston Villa Football Club. Bill Shankly knew Tony Hateley had scored sixty-eight goals for Aston Villa Football Club. Bill Shankly knew Tony Hateley had played twenty-seven times for Chelsea Football Club. Bill Shankly knew Tony Hateley had scored six goals for Chelsea Football Club. Only six goals. Bill Shankly knew why Tony Hateley was unhappy. Bill Shankly didn’t like to think of any man being unhappy. Not when he could be happy. Not when he could be playing for Liverpool Football Club. Not when he could be scoring goals for Liverpool Football Club. Twenty-one goals for Liverpool Football Club. Home and away. At least twenty-one goals, for Liverpool Football Club.
…
After his summer holidays, back in the boardroom. Sidney Reakes said, But ninety-six thousand pounds is much more than we have ever paid for any footballer, Mr Shankly. Much, much more.
I know, said Bill Shankly. And I know it is a huge amount of money. And you know how much I dislike spending such huge amounts of money. But these are the amounts of money we have to spend these days. This is the world we have to live in these days. And we can dream of a different world, we can wish for a better world. We can still strive for that world, we can still work towards that world. That different world, that better world. But we still have to live in this world, we cannot only live in history. What has been done has been done. But what has been done is history now. Now we need to turn the page and to write a new page. And I believe this man is the player to help us turn the page, to let us write that new page. A new page of history, a new page of success. Because the supporters of Liverpool Football Club have been weaned on success. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club deserve success. Anything less would be an insult. An insult to the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. And an insult to the people of Liverpool …
Sidney Reakes said, You make a very powerful case, Mr Shankly. As usual. A very persuasive case, Mr Shankly. And I will present your case to the board. And then I will get back to you, Mr Shankly. Now was there anything else? Anything else I can do for you today, Mr Shankly?
Yes, said Bill Shankly. There was one other thing. One small thing. I’d also like eighteen thousand pounds to buy Ray Clemence from Scunthorpe Football Club …
Ray who?
…
Last season, Geoff Twentyman had called Bill Shankly. Geoff Twentyman had told Bill Shankly about a young lad called Ray Clemence. Ray Clemence was the goalkeeper for Scunthorpe United. In the Third Division. Eight times, Bill Shankly had travelled to the Old Showground, Scunthorpe. Eight times on a Friday night at a quarter to seven, Bill Shankly had sat in the stand at the Old Showground, Scunthorpe. Eight times, Bill Shankly had watched Ray Clemence play in goal for Scunthorpe United at the Old Showground, Scunthorpe. In the Third Division, on a Friday night. Eight times, because Bill Shankly had wanted to see Ray Clemence stop a shot with his left hand. Eight times, because Bill Shankly had wanted to see Ray Clemence stop a shot with his right hand. Eight times, because Bill Shankly had wanted to see Ray Clemence cut out a cross from the left. Eight times, because Bill Shankly had wanted to see Ray Clemence cut out a cross from the right. Eight times, because Bill Shankly had wanted to see Ray Clemence save with his left hand. Eight times, because Bill Shankly had wanted to see Ray Clemence save with his right hand. Eight times, because Bill Shankly had wanted to see Ray Clemence kick with his left foot. Eight times, because Bill Shankly had wanted to see Ray Clemence kick with his right foot. Eight times, because Ray Clemence was a goalkeeper. Eight times, because Ray Clemence was left-footed. Eight times, because Bill Shankly wanted to make sure Ray Clemence was not left-handed. Eight times, because Bill Shankly did not like left-handed goalkeepers. Eight times, because Bill Shankly thought left-handed goalkeepers were short of balance. Eight times, until Bill Shankly was certain Ray Clemence was not left-handed. Eight times, until Bill Shankly was convinced. Now Bill Shankly was certain. Now Bill Shankly was convinced. Ray Clemence was the best goalkeeper he had ever seen. Ever –