Bill Shankly picked up one of the piles of papers. Bill Shankly handed Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert each a sheet of paper. A sheet of names, a sheet of dates. And Bill Shankly smiled again –
Gentlemen, said Bill Shankly. These are all our fixtures for the season. The coming season, the new season …
Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert each looked down at the typed sheet of paper. The sheet of names, the sheet of dates. The names of clubs, the dates of fixtures. And then Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert all looked back up at Bill Shankly. Smiling –
Gentlemen, said Bill Shankly again. This season we’re going to take no chances. We’re going to leave nothing to chance. We’re going to leave no stone unturned. We’re going to look under every stone. And find out all there is to know. Everything there is to know. Everything there is to know about every one of these teams on this sheet of paper. Every single thing there is to know about every single one of these teams. Every single thing, every last thing …
Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert each looked down at the typed sheet of paper again. The sheet of names, the sheet of dates. The names of clubs, the dates of fixtures. And Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert all nodded.
Bill Shankly picked up a second pile of papers. A massive pile of papers. The papers bound in five separate sheaves. Bill Shankly handed Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert each a sheaf of paper –
And this is a list of fixtures for every team in our division. Every game every team in our division will play this season. Every single game for every single team. They are all listed here …
Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert each looked down at the sheaf of paper in their hands. And Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert flicked through the pages. The pages of names, the pages of dates. The names of every single club in the division, the dates of every single one of their fixtures. Forty-one names, one thousand, seven hundred and twenty-two dates –
Gentlemen, said Bill Shankly. This season we are going to watch every team in our division. Every single team. Before they come to us, before we go to them. Because we need to know every thing there is to know about every team. Every single thing about every single team. Their strengths and their weaknesses. And so we need to watch them all. Before they come to us, before we go to them. And then we are going to come back here and we are going to talk about them. Discuss them and analyse them. Their strengths and their weaknesses. And so then we will know every single thing there is to know about every single team. And then we will be prepared. Before they come to us, before we go to them. We will be prepared.
Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert all looked up from the sheaves of papers in their hands. And Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert all nodded again.
So we need to study these fixtures, said Bill Shankly. And then we need to decide which one of us will go to which one of these games. If we have no game, I am happy to go. More than happy to go. And any one of you is welcome to join me. Particularly if you don’t mind driving. But if we have a game, then one of you will have to go …
Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert all nodded again.
Bill Shankly picked up the last pile of papers. Another list of names, another list of dates. And Bill Shankly handed Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert these last papers –
But enough about them, said Bill Shankly. Enough about the opposition. These are the names of every player we have on the books at Liverpool Football Club. And these are the dates of every training session we have scheduled at Liverpool Football Club. And so what I want us to do now, what I want us to do today, is to go through every player and every date and plan every training session for every player at Liverpool Football Club. Every single session for every single player. Because this season we’re going to take no chances. We’re going to leave nothing to chance. Because this season Liverpool Football Club will be promoted. This season Liverpool Football Club will be Champions. Together, gentlemen. We will be Champions!
Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert all looked up from the papers in their hands. Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert all nodded again. And Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert all smiled.
…
In the first week of July, 1961. On the first day of their preseason training. The players of Liverpool Football Club gathered in the car park at Anfield. In their new kits, their brand-new training kits. In the sun, the July sun. Bill Shankly came out of the stadium. He greeted every player. He shook their hands, he patted their backs. He asked after their families, he asked after their holidays. And then Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert joined Bill Shankly and the players of Liverpool Football Club in the car park at Anfield. And in the sun, the July sun. They all walked out to Melwood. And the players jogged once around the training pitch. Then the players passed the ball back and forth, in pairs, back and forth to each other for twenty minutes. Then the players jogged once more around the training pitch. And then in the sun, the July sun. The players and the coaching staff of Liverpool Football Club all walked back to Anfield.
On the second day of their pre-season training. The players and the coaching staff of Liverpool Football Club all gathered in the car park at Anfield. Then the players and the coaching staff of Liverpool Football Club all jogged out to Melwood. And the players ran once around the training pitch. Then the players passed the ball back and forth, in threes, back and forth to each other for thirty minutes. Then the players ran once more around the training pitch. Then the players and the coaching staff of Liverpool Football Club all jogged back to Anfield. And on the third day of their pre-season training. The players and the coaching staff of Liverpool Football Club all gathered in the car park at Anfield. Then the players and the coaching staff of Liverpool Football Club all ran out to Melwood. And the players ran twice around the training pitch. Then the players passed the ball back and forth, in fours, back and forth to each other for forty minutes. Then Reuben blew his whistle. And Bill Shankly gathered the players in the middle of the training pitch. Bill, Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert divided the thirty players into six groups of five.
And Bill Shankly smiled –
Right then, lads, said Bill Shankly. Enough bloody running. We’re going to play some football! Some five-a-sides, lads …
In the second week of their pre-season training. The players of Liverpool Football Club gathered in the car park at Anfield. Bill Shankly came out of the stadium. He greeted every player. He shook their hands, he patted their backs. He asked after their families, he asked after their weekends. And then Bob, Joe, Reuben, Arthur and Albert joined Bill Shankly and the players of Liverpool Football Club in the car park at Anfield. And they all climbed on the bus to Melwood. And when the players of Liverpool Football Club arrived at Melwood, when the players of Liverpool Football Club got off the bus at Melwood, the players of Liverpool Football Club saw the box on the training pitch at Melwood. The box ready for them, the box waiting for them. And the players groaned. And the players laughed. And the players of Liverpool Football Club ran twice around the training pitch. Then the players passed the ball back and forth, in pairs, back and forth for twenty minutes. And then the players went into the box. In pairs. And a ball came over the top into the box. And the first player shot against one board. First time. Then the other player hit the same ball on the rebound. First time. Ball after ball. Every second, another ball. Into the box. Every second for one minute. Ball after ball. Into the box. Then for two minutes. Ball after ball, into the box. Then for three minutes. Ball after ball, into the box. Again and again. Ball after ball, into the box. Every second. Shot after shot. Every second. Inside the box. Every player. Inside the box. Player after player. Pair after pair. Into the box. The players working in the box, the box working on the players. Then Reuben blew his whistle. And Bill Shankly gathered the players in the middle of the training pitch. And Bill Shankly smiled –