On the bench, the bench at Goodison Park. In the forty-seventh minute, Bill watched Ian Callaghan pull the ball back from the byline. Easy. Callaghan passed for Emlyn Hughes. Easy. Hughes beat six defenders and the goalkeeper to the ball. Easy. Hughes bundled the ball across the line and into the Everton goal. Easy. In the fifty-fourth minute, Bill watched Peter Thompson round his man. Easy. Thompson crossed. Easy. Brown rose to defend the cross, Brown met the cross. But Brown headed the cross into his own goal. Easy. And on the bench, the bench at Goodison Park, Bill heard the supporters of Liverpool Football Club inside Goodison Park cheer. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club inside Goodison Park chant, Easy! Easy! Easy! And in the seventy-fourth minute, Bill watched Bobby Graham beat Hurst to the ball. Easy. Graham ran from the halfway line towards West. Easy. Graham rounded West. Easy. Graham tapped the ball into the back of the empty net. And again on the bench, the bench at Goodison Park, Bill heard the supporters of Liverpool Football Club inside Goodison Park cheer. And again the supporters of Liverpool Football Club inside Goodison Park chanted, Easy! Easy! Easy! And Liverpool Football Club beat Everton Football Club three — nil. Easy! Easy! Easy! Away from home, away from Anfield. Easy! Easy! Easy!
Easy! Easy! Easy! …
On the bench, the Anfield bench. Bill and forty-seven thousand, six hundred and eighty-two folk were watching Liverpool Football Club play Manchester United. Manchester United were still struggling, Wilf McGuinness still struggling. One month ago, Manchester United had been beaten four — nil by Manchester City. Easy. One week ago, Manchester United had been beaten two — nil by Chelsea Football Club. Easy. Early in the first half, Bill watched Manchester United win a corner. Charlton took the corner. Ronnie Yeats met the corner. And Yeats sliced the corner into his own net. Easy. In the twenty-fifth minute, Bill watched Ian Callaghan shoot. Stepney could not hold the shot. Stepney dropped the shot. And Emlyn Hughes equalised. Easy. But early in the second half, Bill watched Hughes give away a needless corner with a reckless back pass. Easy. Charlton took the corner. Ure met the corner. And Ure scored. Easy. And later in the second half, Bill watched Charlton shoot again. And the shot hit the crossbar. The shot fell to Morgan. Morgan unmarked, Morgan free. Free to shoot and free to score. Easy. And seven minutes from the end of the second half, Bill watched Charlton shoot again. And Charlton score. Easy. And Liverpool Football Club had lost four — one to Manchester United. At Anfield, at home. On Saturday 13 December, 1969. Tomorrow would be the tenth anniversary of the appointment of Bill Shankly as manager of Liverpool Football Club. Ten years, two League Championships and one FA Cup. Ten years and beaten four — one by Manchester United. At home, at Anfield. Ten years and third in the First Division. Ten years and nowhere,
nowhere and nothing. Nothing but the sound of chains rattling, knives sharpening and spades digging. At your back, in your shadow. Rattling, sharpening, digging. And ticking. The clock ticking. No matter what you knew. No matter what you believed. No matter what you did. The clock ticking, always ticking. Binding you, stabbing you and burying you. In the wasteland, in the wilderness. No matter what you knew. No matter what you believed. No matter what you did. There was always, already the wasteland. There was always, already
the wilderness. The wasteland and the wilderness of the clock. The clock ticking, always ticking. But the directors of Liverpool Football Club wanted to hold a dinner for Bill. The directors of Liverpool Football Club wanted to throw a party for Bill. On his anniversary. To make speeches, to give toasts. To pop corks and to fill glasses. For his anniversary. But Bill did not want a dinner. Bill did not want a party. To listen to speeches, to listen to toasts. To corks pop and to glasses clink. Bill only wanted cups –
FA Cups, League Championship cups and European Cups. That was all Bill wanted. Cups. In the wasteland. Another cup, one more cup. In the wilderness. A cup,
a grail. The grail.
33. INTO THE DUSTBIN OF HISTORY
On Tuesday 16 December, 1969, Liverpool Football Club sold Roger Hunt to Bolton Wanderers. After four hundred and ninety-two games. After two hundred and eighty-six goals. And ten years. Four days later, Liverpool Football Club should have travelled to Highfield Road, Coventry. But Liverpool Football Club did not travel to Highfield Road, Coventry. The game was postponed. That day, Derby County did travel to Goodison Park, Liverpool. And that day, Everton Football Club beat Derby County one — nil. That evening, Everton Football Club had thirty-nine points. Leeds United had thirty-eight points. And Liverpool Football Club had thirty points. On Christmas Day, 1969, Everton Football Club were first in the First Division.
On Boxing Day, 1969, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Turf Moor, Burnley. In the twenty-sixth minute, Ian Ross scored. In the thirty-ninth minute, Bobby Graham scored. In the forty-fourth minute, Chris Lawler scored. In the fifty-second minute, Peter Thompson scored. And in the sixtieth minute, Ian Callaghan scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Burnley Football Club five — one. Away from home, away from Anfield. But that day, Everton Football Club also won. And that day, Everton Football Club still had nine more points than Liverpool Football Club.
The next day, Sheffield Wednesday should have come to Anfield, Liverpool. But Sheffield Wednesday did not come to Anfield, Liverpool. The game was postponed. That day, Everton Football Club did travel to Elland Road, Leeds. And that day, Everton Football Club lost two — one to Leeds United. But that evening, Everton Football Club were still first in the First Division. And that evening, Liverpool Football Club were fourth in the First Division. Still only fourth.
On Saturday 3 January, 1970, Liverpool Football Club should have travelled to Highfield Road, Coventry, to play Coventry City in the Third Round of the FA Cup. But Liverpool Football Club did not travel to Highfield Road, Coventry. The game was postponed. But four days later, Liverpool Football Club did travel to Highfield Road, Coventry, to play Coventry City in the Third Round of the FA Cup. In the twenty-seventh minute, Martin scored for Coventry City Football Club. But three minutes later, Bobby Graham scored for Liverpool Football Club. And then Lawrence saved from Martin. And then Lawrence saved from Mortimer. And Lawrence was outstanding. Lawrence was unbeatable. And Liverpool Football Club drew one-all with Coventry City in the Third Round of the FA Cup –