Ness looked up from the potatoes. Ness turned from the sink. Ness looked at Bill. In his suit and in his tie. His Liverpool Football Club tie. Ness nodded. And Ness smiled –
All right then, love.
Bill kissed Ness on her cheek. Bill walked out of the kitchen. Bill walked down the hall. Bill put the envelope in his pocket. Bill opened the front door. Bill stepped out of the house. Bill closed the door. Bill went down the drive. Bill got into the car.
In the sunshine. In his car. Bill drove down the West Derby Road. And Bill saw the people walking in the street. The people busy, the people occupied. In the sunshine. In his car. Bill turned onto the Belmont Road. And Bill saw the people getting off the buses, the people getting on the buses. The people busy, the people occupied. In the sunshine. In his car. Bill turned into the car park at Anfield Road. Bill parked in the car park at Anfield Road. In the sunshine. Bill got out of the car. The only car in the car park at Anfield Road. In the sunshine. The car park was empty, the place deserted. In the sunshine. Bill closed the car door. Bill took the envelope out of his pocket. In the sunshine. Bill walked across the car park. Bill walked up to reception. In the shadow of the Main Stand. Bill tried the door to reception. But the door was locked. In the shadow of the Main Stand. Bill knocked on the door. But no one answered. In the shadow of the Main Stand. Bill turned away from the door. And Bill walked round to the back of the Anfield Road Stand. And then round to the back of the Kemlyn Road Stand. The stands empty, the stands deserted. But in the sunshine and in the shadows. The stands were whispering, whispering to Bill. And Bill kept walking, walking round the ground. The empty ground, the deserted ground. Until Bill came to the back of the Kop. The Spion Kop. And in the sunshine and in the shadows. Bill stopped. Behind the Kop, the Spion Kop. Bill touched the bricks of the Kop. Bill touched the stones of the Spion Kop. Bill felt the bricks, Bill felt the stones. In the sunshine and in the shadows. The bricks were warm and the stones were hot. Red hot. The bricks alive, the stones living. Living and breathing. Bill listened to the bricks, Bill listened to the stones. The bricks speaking now, the stones singing now. Revolutionary songs, revolutionary words. Words of anticipation, songs of transformation. Singing to Bill, speaking to Bill –
Bill? Bill? Is that really you, Bill?
Bill turned away from the bricks. Bill turned away from the stones. And Bill saw a little lad at his side. Maybe nine, maybe ten. The little lad in a pair of shoes that looked that bit too tight. The little lad in a pair of long trousers that had seen better days. The little lad wearing a red shirt. Not a football shirt, an official shirt. But a T-shirt, a red T-shirt. And on the left breast of the shirt someone had drawn a Liver Bird. And under the Liver Bird someone had written, L.F.C. And Bill smiled. And Bill said, Aye, son. It’s me. How are you, son?
I can’t believe it’s you, said the little lad. I can’t believe it, Bill. No one will believe me. My dad will never believe me …
Bill smiled again. And Bill said, Well, it is me, son. It is me. In the flesh. But how are you, son? How are you?
Great, said the little lad. I’m great. Ta, Bill. Ta. But I still can’t believe we won again. I’m just made up. I’m still dead made up.
Bill nodded. And Bill said, Oh well, yes. That was great, son. That was great. A fantastic thing. It was brilliant …
Did you go, Bill? Were you there?
Bill nodded again. And Bill said, Oh yes. I was there, son. Yes. I was lucky enough to be there, son …
And you think we can do it again next year and all? You think we can win it again? My dad thinks we can. My dad thinks we will.
Well, I hope we can. I hope we will, son. But I think next season. In the European Cup next season, son. I think it might be Forest who will be our biggest challenge. Nottingham Forest …
Here, said the little lad. Where did you get your badge, Bill? I wanted to get one for my dad. For his birthday. Because he’s mad, is my dad. He’s mad on Liverpool Football Club. And he’s always talking about you, Bill. Always telling me about you. About Liverpool Football Club, about all the things you did for Liverpool Football Club. He loves you, does my dad. Because he loves Liverpool Football Club. And so I wanted to get him a badge for his birthday. And so I went to the shop. But they never had one. They never did.
Bill smiled. Bill put the envelope back in his jacket pocket. And then Bill reached up to the lapel of his jacket. Bill took off the badge. The Liverpool Football Club badge. Bill held it out towards the little lad. And Bill said, Then you give this to your dad from me, son. And from you. And you tell him I said thank you, son. Thank you to him. Will you do that for me now, son?