Bill walked out of the dressing room. The home dressing room. Bill walked down the corridor. The Anfield corridor. Bill walked down the steps. The Anfield steps. Bill walked down the touchline. The Anfield touchline. Bill sat down in the dug-out. The home dug-out. And Bill watched Liverpool Football Club play Wolverhampton Wanderers. At home, at Anfield. Bill watched Tommy Lawrence try and try. Bill watched Chris Lawler try and try. Bill watched Geoff Strong try and try. Bill watched Tommy Smith try and try. Bill watched Ron Yeats try and try. Bill watched Emlyn Hughes try and try. Bill watched Ian Callaghan try and try. Bill watched Roger Hunt try and try. Bill watched Bobby Graham try and try. Bill watched Ian St John try and try. Bill watched Peter Thompson try and try. For ninety minutes. Bill watched them try and try.
In the dressing room, the home dressing room. Bill looked around the dressing room. The Liverpool dressing room. From player to player. From Lawrence to Lawler, Lawler to Strong, Strong to Smith, Smith to Yeats, Yeats to Hughes, Hughes to Callaghan, Callaghan to Hunt, Hunt to Graham, Graham to St John and from St John to Thompson. And Bill said, Well played, boys. Well played. I know how hard you all tried, boys. I could see how hard you all tried. And we didn’t deserve to draw, boys. We deserved to win today. And if they gave goals for effort. If they gave points for graft. Then we would have won. And we would always win. So well played, boys. Well played. And thank you, boys.
Thank you.
…
In his seat, in the stands at the Estádio do Bonfim, in Setúbal, in Portugal, Bill watched Vitória Futebol Clube of Setúbal play Futebol Clube do Porto. And Bill did not like what he saw. Vitória Futebol Clube of Setúbal beat Futebol Clube do Porto five — nil. Three days later, on the bench at the Estádio do Bonfim, Bill watched Liverpool Football Club play Vitória Futebol Clube of Setúbal in the first leg of the Second Round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. And again, Bill did not like what he saw. In the fortieth minute, on a greasy surface, Cardoso shot. The ball hit the crossbar. The ball rebounded to Tomé. And Tomé scored. And in the seventy-ninth minute, on a greasy surface, Liverpool Football Club won their first corner of the game. But that was all they won. On Wednesday 12 November, 1969, on a greasy surface, Liverpool Football Club lost one — nil to Vitória Futebol Clube of Setúbal in the first leg of the Second Round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Away from home,
away from Anfield. On the bench, the bench at Elland Road. In the mud. In the twentieth minute, Bill watched Strong trip up Bremner in the penalty area. And the referee blew his whistle. The referee awarded a penalty to Leeds United. And Giles scored the penalty. In the mud. In the thirty-first minute, Bill watched Yeats head the ball into the Leeds goalmouth. And the ball stuck in the Leeds goalmouth. In the mud. Sprake bent down to pick up the ball. The ball at his feet. In the mud. The ball between his fingers, the ball through his fingers. In the mud. The ball through his legs and the ball in net. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club inside Elland Road cheered. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club inside Elland Road laughed. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club inside Elland Road sang Careless Hands. In the second half, Bill watched the referee blow his whistle again. And the referee awarded a penalty to Leeds United again. In the mud. Giles took the penalty again. But Lawrence saved the penalty. And Liverpool Football Club drew one-all with Leeds United. In the mud. Don Revie marched down the touchline. The Elland Road touchline. Shaking his head, wringing his hands –
By, you were lucky today, said Don Revie. We should have won. And we should have won easily, Bill.
Bill shook his head, too. Bill smiled. And Bill said, And well played to you, too, Don. Well played indeed. But we’ll see you again in March, Don. Back at our place –
On a decent pitch,
on some grass. Back at Anfield. Four days later. On the bench. Bill and forty-one thousand, six hundred and thirty-three folk were watching Liverpool Football Club play Vitória Futebol Clube of Setúbal in the second leg of the Second Round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Everyone thought Vitória Futebol Clube of Setúbal would come to protect what they had. Everyone thought Vitória Futebol Clube of Setúbal would come to defend their one — nil advantage. Everyone thought wrong. Vitória Futebol Clube of Setúbal had not come to defend. Vitória Futebol Clube of Setúbal had come to attack. Attack and attack. And in the twenty-third minute, Lawler looked at the ball and waited for Yeats to go to the ball. But Yeats did not go to the ball. Yeats looked at the ball and waited for Lawler to go to the ball. But Lawler did not go to the ball. Guerreiro went for the ball. And Lawrence went for Guerreiro. And Lawrence brought down Guerreiro in the Liverpool penalty area. And the referee blew his whistle. The referee awarded a penalty to Vitória Futebol Clube of Setúbal. Wagner took the penalty. And Wagner scored the penalty. But now, finally, finally, Liverpool Football Club attacked. Attacked and attacked. And Vital saved from Thompson. And Vital saved from Graham. And Vital saved from Peplow. And in the second half, Bill took off Peplow and brought on Hunt. And Bill took off Graham and brought on Evans. And again, Liverpool Football Club attacked and attacked. But Vitória Futebol Clube of Setúbal broke quickly. Tomé sprinted down the left flank. Tomé crossed. Strong rose to defend the cross. And Strong met the cross. But Strong headed the cross into his own goal. And Liverpool Football Club were losing two — nil on the night and three — nil on aggregate. But still Liverpool Football Club attacked and attacked. And in the sixtieth minute, Hunt shot. And Carriço punched the ball off the line. And the referee blew his whistle. The referee awarded a penalty. And Smith took the penalty. And Smith scored the penalty. And still Liverpool Football Club attacked and attacked. And Vital saved from Callaghan. And Vital saved from Evans. And Vital saved from Hunt. And Vital saved from Strong. And Vital saved from Lawler. But in the eighty-eighth minute, Evans shot and Vital did not save. Evans scored. And still Liverpool Football Club attacked and attacked. And in the ninetieth minute, Hunt turned. And Hunt shot and Hunt scored. His two hundred and eighty-sixth goal for Liverpool Football Club. And Liverpool Football Club beat Vitória Futebol Clube of Setúbal three — two. But Liverpool Football Club would not be in the Third Round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Liverpool Football Club had drawn the tie three — three on aggregate. And Liverpool Football Club lost the tie on away goals scored. And Liverpool Football Club were out of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Out,
out. Again. On the bench, the Anfield bench. In silence. In the thirtieth minute, Bill watched Robertson score for Arsenal Football Club. And Liverpool Football Club lose one — nil to Arsenal Football Club. At home, at Anfield. In silence. For the first time that season, Liverpool Football Club had been beaten at home,
at Anfield. In silence. In the office, at his desk. Bill stared down at his book. His book of names, his book of notes. At all his books. His many books of names, his many books of notes. And Bill heard the wind. Blowing around the ground. And Bill heard the winter. Howling around the ground. And at the desk, in his chair. Bill opened his diary. His diary of dates, his diary of fixtures. And Bill stared down at the next date. The next fixture. Next week, next Saturday. Liverpool Football Club would travel across the park. And Liverpool Football Club would play Everton Football Club. Everton Football Club had not lost at home, at Goodison, all season. Liverpool Football Club had not won away, away from Anfield, since August. Everton Football Club were first in the First Division. And Liverpool Football Club were third in the First Division. Third in the First Division and out of the Fairs Cup. People said Liverpool Football Club had no chance of beating Everton Football Club. People said Everton Football Club would easily beat Liverpool Football Club. The wind blowing around the ground. Easy. The winter howling around the ground. Easy. Bill closed his eyes. Easy! Easy! Easy …