Well, yes, said Bill Shankly again. Yes. It was very disappointing to lose at Goodison. And so I hope we can put that right on Saturday. Because it’s always the worst thing in the world. If you lose a derby. It’s a horrible feeling, a terrible thing. Because the city is split in half and you get so much banter. So many arguments and so many bets. And so this week before the derby, it always seems such a long time. Such a very, very long time. The longest week of the season. Because there are no games like derby games. No thrills like derby thrills. Because these games, they mean so much to so many. People have so many memories of so many derbies. And thankfully, I have a lot of happy memories. Because if you look at the results. The results since Liverpool Football Club returned to the First Division. Then you’ll understand. Then you’ll see why I have so many happy memories. So many very happy memories. Because we have beaten Everton more times than they have beaten us. That’s a fact. A fact! And I can still see every goal that was scored in every game. In every derby game. And every time they got one. Every time they scored a goal. Well, that was like a knife in my back. But every one we got. Every one we scored. Then I was soaring, soaring with the astronauts. And so I have always wanted to win them all. Even when it was Liverpool reserves versus Everton reserves. I still wanted to win. To win every game, every derby. More than anything. And I remember the worst one. The worst one was when they came to Anfield and they beat us four — nil. At home, at Anfield. On the nineteenth of September, nineteen hundred and sixty-four. Oh yes, that’s a day I’ll never forget. A day I’ll always remember. But I remember, too, the following season. The twenty-fifth of September, nineteen sixty-five. When we beat them five — nil. Because that was our revenge. Our revenge with interest. With bloody interest! But you ask me which was the best? Well, that’s a difficult thing to say. Because I mean, there were so many great ones. So many great derbies, so many great victories. And I mean, I’ll never forget the rubbing we gave them in the Charity Shield. That was after the World Cup, in nineteen sixty-six. And the records might show we won one — nil, only one — nil. But we gave them a pasting, a real pasting. And in fact, it turned out to be the best thing we ever did for Everton Football Club. Because after that match, after that rubbing. Off they went, breaking transfer records, signing Alan Ball. And that transformed them, Alan Ball transformed them. And that got them back on the rails. Alan put them back on the rails. But that was really down to us, thanks to us, and to the pasting we gave them in the Charity Shield. But I think the hardest and the most thrilling was the one in the November of nineteen seventy. When we were two — nil down. And they were in their blue heaven, in their seventh heaven. But we came back. And we beat them three — two. And that was like a bad dream for the Everton fans. A bloody nightmare. A red nightmare for them! Because they were two — nil up, you see. And they thought they were in Easy Street. But there is no Easy Street at Anfield Road. Oh no. No Easy Street at Anfield Road. Because you see, we never give up. And I knew with the players we had. The players we had that day. That was Ray Clemence and Chris Lawler. Young Alec Lindsay. Tommy Smith, of course. And Larry Lloyd. Emlyn and Brian Hall. Phil Boersma, who I brought on for John McLaughlin. Steve Heighway, of course. Big John Toshack and Ian Ross. I knew we had the players who could come back. The players who could hit Everton like a whirlwind. And that is what they did. That is exactly what they did. They hit Everton like a whirlwind. A bloody whirlwind. A red whirlwind! And so we came back. And we beat them three — two. Three — bloody — two after being two — bloody — nil down. And so that was fantastic. A fantastic derby. The hardest but the most thrilling. And the best one for me, the best victory. And it tasted like champagne. Like red champagne. Because defeat is a bitter pill. A very bitter pill. But thankfully, we did not have too many of them. Not in my time.
And in the front room of Bill Shankly’s home. On their feet now. These people who had come to his home, these people who had sat in his home. They thanked Bill Shankly for his time. They thanked Bill Shankly and Nessie Shankly for their hospitality. And Bill Shankly smiled. Bill Shankly shook his head. And Bill Shankly thanked them all for coming. Bill Shankly shook their hands, Bill Shankly patted their backs. Bill Shankly asked them all to take care, Bill Shankly wished them all a safe journey home. And then Bill Shankly said goodbye. At his door, on the doorstep. Bill Shankly waved goodbye to them all. And then Bill Shankly closed the door. The door to their home on Bellefield Avenue. And in their home, in their kitchen. Nessie Shankly washed up the cups and the saucers. And the plates. Bill Shankly dried up the cups and the saucers. And the plates. And then Nessie Shankly went back to what she had been doing. Doing the housework, making their lunch. And Bill Shankly went back to what he had been doing. Doing the gardening, answering letters. Until the next time there was a knock on the door. Another ring on the bell. Or the next time the telephone rang.
80. LOT 79: THE RELICS OF THE SAINTS
Joe Mercer was the president of the Eastham Lodge Golf Club on the Wirral. Joe Mercer asked Bill if he would like to come to speak after one of their dinners at the Eastham Lodge Golf Club. Joe Mercer said the members of the Eastham Lodge Golf Club would like to hear Bill speak. They would be happy to hear Bill speak. Bill didn’t like golf and Bill didn’t like golf clubs. But Bill liked Joe. And so Bill said, Yes then, Joe. I’ll come to speak after one of your dinners. If that’s what your people want, if that’s what will make your people happy.
George Higham was the secretary of the Eastham Lodge Golf Club. George Higham was also a director of Tranmere Rovers Football Club. Bill knew George Higham and Bill liked George. George Higham wrote to Bill on behalf of the Eastham Lodge Golf Club to formally invite Bill to the club and to confirm the date that Bill would come to speak after one of their dinners. Bill checked his diary. Bill wrote the date in his diary. And Bill wrote back to George to accept the invitation to the Eastham Lodge Golf Club and to confirm the date he would come to speak after one of their dinners.
But Bill had never spoken at a golf club before, after one of their dinners. And so Bill did not know what he should say, what he should speak about. And every day. In the house, in their front room. Bill sat at his writing desk. Writing things down. Things he could say. Crossing things out. Things he couldn’t say. Every day. Writing things down, crossing things out. Every night. Typing up his notes. His pages and pages of notes. Every day. Tearing up his notes. His pages and pages of notes. Every day. Starting again, stopping again. Writing things down, crossing things out. Every day until the morning of the day. The morning of the day Bill was due to speak at the Eastham Lodge Golf Club. His sweater stuck to his shirt. His shirt stuck to his vest. His vest stuck to his skin. Bill walked into the hall. Bill picked up the telephone. Bill called George Higham. And Bill said, George, George? I’m sorry, George, I’m very sorry, George. But I cannot come. I cannot speak. I’m not feeling too good. I’m not feeling myself.
Oh no, said George Higham. Oh no, Bill. Don’t say that, please don’t say that. Our members are very much looking forward to you coming, very excited about hearing you speak, Bill. They will be so disappointed, so very, very disappointed. Is there no way you can come, Bill? Are you feeling that bad, Bill?
Bill felt bad now. Very bad now. And Bill said, But I don’t like golf, George. It’s not my game. Football is my game. And so I wouldn’t know what to say …