After the season, before the next season. In the boardroom, the Anfield boardroom. Bill Shankly stared up the long table at the directors of Liverpool Football Club. Bill Shankly listened to the clock ticking. And Bill Shankly said nothing.
Tom Williams placed a document on the long table. And Tom Williams said, Now what about this contract, Mr Shankly?
I have never had a contract before, said Bill Shankly. And I have never asked you for one, Mr Williams. I have never wanted one.
Tom Williams nodded. And Tom Williams said, I know that, Mr Shankly. I know that. But we would like to offer you a contract. We would like you to have a contract. And this contract is for three years. And we believe the terms of this contract are very satisfactory. For us and for you, Mr Shankly. For us and for you …
If the directors of Liverpool Football Club do not like me, said Bill Shankly, then they can sack me. And if I do not like the directors of Liverpool Football Club, then I can go. Those are the sort of terms that are satisfactory to me, Mr Williams. For me and for you …
After their summer holidays, before their next holidays. In the boardroom, the Anfield boardroom. The directors of Liverpool Football Club looked down the long table at Bill Shankly. Again. The directors of Liverpool Football Club smiled at Bill Shankly.
Tom Williams placed a document on the long table. Again. And Tom Williams said, We know other football clubs are interested in your services, Mr Shankly. We have listened to the grapevine, we have heard the rumours. And so we know other clubs have made overtures for your services, Mr Shankly. But we want you to know how much we appreciate your services at Liverpool Football Club. The things you have done, the things you have achieved. How much we value those achievements. How much we value you, Mr Shankly. And so we do not want to lose you, Mr Shankly …
Thank you, said Bill Shankly.
Tom Williams looked down at the document on the table again. And Tom Williams said, But to speak frankly, Mr Shankly. We are worried about these rumours, very worried about these overtures from other clubs. We are very worried we will lose you, Mr Shankly. Because we want to keep you here at Liverpool Football Club. We want you to stay here at Liverpool Football Club, Mr Shankly. Because we want you to stay and build upon the things you have already done. The things you have already achieved, Mr Shankly. Because we know you want to keep building. We know you want to achieve much more, Mr Shankly. And we want you to know, we share your desire. We share your hunger, Mr Shankly. Your desire to keep building, your hunger to achieve more. As you know, the old Kemlyn Road Stand is being demolished. A new stand, a cantilevered stand is being built. We are spending three-hundred and fifty thousand pounds to build that stand. Three hundred and fifty thousand pounds because we believe in your desire, Mr Shankly. We share your hunger. Your belief in Liverpool Football Club, Mr Shankly. Your vision for Liverpool Football Club. So, of course, we do not want to lose you, Mr Shankly. To lose your desire, to lose your hunger. To lose your belief, to lose your vision. And so we want you to have a contract. A contract that demonstrates our faith in your belief. A contract that shows our commitment to your vision. So we want you to sign a contract, Mr Shankly. To sign this contract, this contract for five more years …
Thank you, said Bill Shankly again. Thank you very much, Mr Williams. I appreciate your candour, I appreciate your concern. And I also appreciate your commitment, Mr Williams. And so I will take this contract home with me today. And I will certainly consider it. I’ll consider it carefully, Mr Williams. And then I will call you.
Tom Williams smiled. And Tom Williams said, Thank you, Mr Shankly. I look forward to your call. Now was there anything else? Anything else we can do for you today, Mr Shankly?
Yes, said Bill Shankly. Yes, there is. I want to sign Peter Thompson from Preston North End. And so I want thirty-seven thousand pounds, please, Mr Williams.
Tom Williams looked down the long table at Bill Shankly. Tom Williams picked up the document from the table. Tom Williams passed the document down the long table to Bill Shankly. And Tom Williams said, Well, we will certainly consider it, Mr Shankly. We will consider it very carefully. And I will have an answer for you, Mr Shankly. When you have an answer for me, Mr Shankly, I will have an answer for you.
…
Before his deadline, his deadline looming. In the office of Bill Shankly, before the desk of Bill Shankly. Horace Yates was writing, writing as fast as he could. As fast as Bill Shankly was saying –
Well, I suppose it is the modern trend to have agreements such as this, Horace. So I suppose I have simply fallen into line. With the modern trend, Horace. With the modern times. Because you can’t ignore the trends, Horace. You can’t ignore the times …
Horace Yates stopped writing. Horace Yates looked up from his notes at Bill Shankly. Bill Shankly was on his feet again, Bill Shankly was in full flight again –
And anyway, Horace. I don’t mind anybody knowing I intend to stay at Liverpool Football Club. Because Liverpool Football Club has become my second home. My second home, Horace. And I don’t mind anybody knowing that. In fact, I want everybody to know that. So write that down. Write that down, Horace! Because deep down in my heart. Deep down in my heart, Horace. I never wanted to leave Liverpool Football Club. Because I have been completely captivated by Liverpool Football Club. My heart completely captivated by the atmosphere here at Anfield. Because it is without an equal, Horace. Without an equal anywhere in the country. Because we have the finest supporters in the country. The very finest supporters, Horace. And deep down in my heart. Deep down in my heart, Horace. I regard myself as just one of them. Just another one of them, Horace. Because I share their feelings. I share their feelings and their hopes, Horace. Their hopes and their dreams. I share their dreams, Horace …
Horace Yates stopped writing again. Horace Yates looked up from his notes again. Bill Shankly was back behind his desk again, Bill Shankly back in his chair. Again. Bill Shankly saying –
And the atmosphere could not have been more cordial, Horace. The atmosphere could not have been happier. When Mr Williams and I shook hands on the deal, Horace. When we shook hands on the deal.
Horace Yates said, Yes. But things have not always been so cordial. Things have not always been so happy, Bill. You have told me so yourself. Told me many times before, Bill …
You are correct, said Bill Shankly. You are right, Horace. And it would be idle to pretend there have not been some uneasy moments. It would be wrong to pretend otherwise …
Horace Yates stopped writing. Horace Yates looked up from his notes. And Horace Yates waited. Waited for Bill Shankly to spring back up again, waited for Bill Shankly to start back up –
But all those moments are a thing of the past now. A thing of the past, Horace. Now we can go forward. Forward into a new era, Horace. Together. Together, Horace. Because Liverpool Football Club are making giant strides in the right direction. Giant strides, Horace. And a lot of the spadework has already been done. A lot of the spadework, Horace. And so we have built a very substantial foundation on which to build. A very substantial foundation, Horace. Yes, much more work remains to be done. Hard work, Horace. But I believe we will be one of the truly great clubs of our time. I am convinced Liverpool Football Club will be one of the truly great clubs of our time and of all our time. And so I will never be truly content until we are the undisputed Champions of the land. I will never truly rest until Liverpool Football Club are the undisputed Champions of the land. And so I will strive to make us the Champions of the land, Horace. With every muscle in my body. With every single muscle, Horace. I will work until the day Liverpool Football Club are Champions. Undisputed Champions, Horace! And I’ll tell you this. I’ll tell you this, Horace. That day is not so very far away.