…
In the summer, before the new season. Peter Thompson turned into the car park at Anfield Road, Liverpool. And Peter Thompson saw hundreds of people gathered around the main door to Anfield, Liverpool. Peter Thompson parked his car in the car park. And Peter Thompson saw television cameras, radio and newspaper reporters gathered at the door to Anfield. Peter Thompson walked across the car park and through the crowd to the door. And Peter Thompson saw Bill Shankly waiting at the door. And Peter Thompson said, Hello, Mr Shankly. Are you expecting someone famous?
Yes, said Bill Shankly.
Peter Thompson looked around him. At the television cameras. At the radio and newspaper reporters. And Peter Thompson said, Who? Who are you expecting, Mr Shankly?
You, said Bill Shankly.
Peter Thompson said, Me? I’m not famous, Mr Shankly.
You soon will be, said Bill Shankly. Because when you sign for Liverpool Football Club, I’m going to make you the greatest player of all time, son. Greater than Stanley Matthews. Greater even than Tom Finney. Because you are already faster than either of them. And I’m going to make you even faster, son. I’m going to make you so fast you can catch pigeons. You’ll be the fastest player in England, son.
Peter Thompson said, No, Mr Shankly. Not me …
Yes you, son, said Bill Shankly. You, son.
…
After the training, before the training. Under the stands, among the boots. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett and Albert Shelley talked about the players. About this player and about that player. This first-team player and that reserve-team player, this older player and that younger player. Who should step down and who could step up. Who was ready and who was not. About Alf Arrowsmith, Phil Ferns, Alan Jones, Chris Lawler, Tommy Smith, Bobby Thomson and Gordon Wallace. About who should stay and about who should go. Liverpool Football Club had sold Tommy Leishman to Hibernian Football Club for ten thousand pounds. Liverpool Football Club had sold Kevin Lewis to Huddersfield Town for eighteen thousand pounds. Under the stands, among the boots. Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Reuben Bennett and Albert Shelley talked about every player. Every first-team player and every reserve-team player. About who should play and who should not. In the first game of the season, the first game of the new season –
On Saturday 24 August, 1963, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Ewood Park, Blackburn. That afternoon, Lawrence, Byrne, Moran, Milne, Yeats, Stevenson, Callaghan, Hunt, St John, Melia and Thompson played for Liverpool Football Club. And in the sixty-fifth minute of the first game of the new season, Ronnie Moran scored. And ten minutes later, Ian Callaghan scored. And Liverpool Football Club beat Blackburn Rovers two — one in the first game of the new season. Four days after that, Nottingham Forest came to Anfield, Liverpool. That evening, forty-nine thousand, eight hundred and twenty-nine folk came, too. And in the fifty-fourth minute, McKinlay scored an own goal. But that evening, Liverpool Football Club still lost two — one to Nottingham Forest. At home, at Anfield.
On Saturday 31 August, 1963, Blackpool Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, forty-two thousand, seven hundred and sixty-seven folk came, too. In the sixty-third minute, Liverpool Football Club were awarded a penalty. Ronnie Moran took the penalty. But Tony Waiters saved the penalty. In the eighty-third minute, Jimmy Melia scored. But that afternoon, Liverpool Football Club still lost two — one to Blackpool Football Club. Again at home, again at Anfield. And that evening, in the first published League table of the 1963–64 season, Liverpool Football Club were fifteenth in the First Division. And Leicester City were first in the First Division.
The day after Bill Shankly turned fifty, Liverpool Football Club travelled to the City Ground, Nottingham. And Liverpool Football Club drew nil — nil with Nottingham Forest. Four days after that, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Stamford Bridge, London. In the ninth minute, Ian St John scored. In the seventy-second minute, Roger Hunt scored. And in the last minute, the very last minute, St John scored again. And Liverpool Football Club beat Chelsea Football Club three — one. Two days later, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Molineux, Wolverhampton. In the first minute, the very first minute, Roger Hunt scored. In the fifty-fifth minute, Jimmy Melia scored. And in the sixty-ninth minute, Hunt scored again. And Liverpool Football Club beat Wolverhampton Wanderers three — one. Five days later, West Ham United came to Anfield. That afternoon, forty-five thousand, four hundred and ninety-seven folk came, too. And in the sixty-fifth minute, Roger Hunt scored. But that afternoon, Liverpool Football Club still lost two — one to West Ham United. At home, at Anfield. Liverpool Football Club had played three games. And Liverpool Football Club had lost all three games. At home,
at Anfield. Two days later. In the dressing room, the home dressing room. There was no Tommy Lawrence. Tommy Lawrence was injured. There was no Ian St John. Ian St John was injured. In the dressing room, the home dressing room. Bill Shankly closed the door. And Bill Shankly went from player to player. From Furnell to Byrne, Byrne to Moran, Moran to Milne, Milne to Yeats, Yeats to Ferns, Ferns to Stevenson, Stevenson to Callaghan, Callaghan to Hunt, Hunt to Arrowsmith, Arrowsmith to Melia and from Melia to Thompson. And Bill Shankly sat down beside each player, Bill Shankly put an arm around each player. And Bill Shankly spoke to each player –
I know you want to do well, said Bill Shankly. I know you want to play well, son. For Liverpool Football Club, for this crowd tonight. But I also know the pressure that brings. That desire to do well. That desire to play well. The pressure of that desire. The desire to please this crowd. The desire to please these people. And I know the weight that brings. The weight of that expectation. It is heavy. I know. That pressure. I know. That weight. But remember this. If I did not feel you could play well. If I did not feel you could carry that weight. Then I would not have bought you, son. And I would not have picked you. I bought you, son. And I picked you. Because I know you can carry that weight, son. Because I know you are the best …
In the first minute, the very first minute, Alf Arrowsmith scored his first goal, his very first goal for Liverpool Football Club. In the thirty-third minute, Peter Thompson scored his first goal, his very first goal for Liverpool Football Club. In the fifty-seventh minute, Ian Callaghan scored. In the sixty-seventh minute, Roger Hunt scored. In the seventy-ninth minute, Gordon Milne scored. And in the eighty-seventh minute, Hunt scored again. And Liverpool Football Club beat Wolverhampton Wanderers six — nil. Six — nil. At home, at Anfield.
Five days later, Liverpool Football Club travelled to Bramall Lane, Sheffield. And no one scored for Liverpool Football Club. And Liverpool Football Club lost three — nil to Sheffield United.
On Saturday 28 September, 1963, Everton Football Club came to Anfield, Liverpool. That afternoon, fifty-one thousand, nine hundred and seventy-three folk came, too. The game had been sold out for weeks, the gates had been locked for hours. Before the kick-off. Bill Shankly walked down the corridor. Bill Shankly opened the dressing-room door. Bill Shankly stepped inside the dressing room. The home dressing room. Bill Shankly closed the dressing-room door. Bill Shankly took off his hat. Bill Shankly hung his hat on the back of the door. And Bill Shankly looked around the dressing room. From player to player. From Lawrence to Byrne, Byrne to Ferns, Ferns to Milne, Milne to Yeats, Yeats to Stevenson, Stevenson to Callaghan, Callaghan to Hunt, Hunt to St John, St John to Melia and from Melia to Thompson. And Bill Shankly smiled. Bill Shankly took a piece of paper from his jacket pocket. Bill Shankly pinned the piece of paper to the wall of the dressing room. The home dressing-room wall –