Liverpool Football Club had not got their hat-trick. Liverpool Football Club had not retained the League Championship for a third season in a row. Liverpool Football Club had finished second in the First Division. Nottingham Forest had finished first in the First Division. Nottingham Forest were the Champions of England. Brian Clough was the Manager of the Year. Nottingham Forest had also won the League Cup. Nottingham Forest had beaten Liverpool Football Club in the final of the League Cup. Liverpool Football Club had not even reached the final of the FA Cup. Liverpool Football Club had been knocked out of the FA Cup by Chelsea in the Third Round. Ipswich Town had won the FA Cup. In the 1977–78 season, Liverpool Football Club had won nothing –
Yet.
Away from home, away from Anfield. In the first leg of the semi-final of the European Cup, Liverpool Football Club had lost two–one to Borussia Mönchengladbach. But back at home, back at Anfield. In the second leg of the semi-final of the European Cup, Liverpool Football Club had beaten Borussia Mönchengladbach three–nil. Now Liverpool Football Club were in the final of the European Cup. Liverpool Football Club had the chance to retain the European Cup. Real Madrid had retained the European Cup. Benfica had retained the European Cup. Internazionale had retained the European Cup. Ajax had retained the European Cup. And Bayern Munich had retained the European Cup. But no British football club had ever retained the European Cup. Now Liverpool Football Club had the chance to retain the European Cup. Now Liverpool Football Club had the chance to do something no other British football club had ever done before. If Liverpool Football Club could beat Football Club Bruges. At Wembley Stadium on Wednesday 10 May, 1978 –
Bill Shankly had been sent a ticket for the final. But Bill Shankly didn’t really want to go to London. Bill Shankly didn’t really want to stay in London. Bill Shankly didn’t really like to spend a night away from home. Not these days, not any more. But Bill Shankly didn’t want anyone to think he was a petty man. Bill Shankly didn’t want anyone to think he’d turned his back on Liverpool Football Club.
Bill Shankly didn’t want anyone to think he didn’t care about Liverpool Football Club. Not anyone, not ever. And so Bill Shankly bought a train ticket to London. A day return –
And Bill Shankly sat on the first train to London. The first train to London full of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. And some of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club spotted Bill Shankly. Bill Shankly in his seat on the train to London. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club could not believe their eyes. They could not believe their luck. The supporters of Liverpool Football Club crowded around Bill Shankly. In his seat, on the train. And they said, Is that really you, Bill? Is it really you?
Aye, said Bill Shankly. It’s me, lads. It’s me. But sit yourselves down, lads. Sit yourselves down with me here. You don’t want to be blocking the aisles now, lads. You don’t want to be getting yourselves in trouble with the guard. And getting yourselves kicked off …
The supporters of Liverpool Football Club nodded. And some of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club took it in turns to sit with Bill Shankly at his table on the train to London. And they asked Bill Shankly for his autograph. And Bill Shankly smiled. And Bill Shankly signed his autograph for them. And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club asked Bill Shankly questions –
That same question –
Well, I
hope
we win, boys. Of course, I hope we win. But to be honest with you, boys. To be very honest with you. I do have my worries, boys. I mean, we’ve not had much luck at Wembley of late. It’s not been a good ground for us, boys. Not since we won the Cup in seventy-four. That was the last time we won at Wembley, boys. And I mean, with no Tommy Smith. You know we’ve never won a cup without Tommy Smith, boys? And with Tommy being injured. With Tommy being out, boys. It’ll be hard. It’ll be tough, boys. Because Tommy is tremendous. A tremendous player, boys. And Tommy always makes a difference. Makes a very big difference, boys. And he’s always been like that. Always been like that, boys. I tell you, from the start. From the very start, boys. Always ambitious. And with that arrogance, boys. That ambition and that arrogance. That arrogance you need, boys. If you’re going to make something of yourself. If you’re going to succeed in life, boys. I remember, Tommy was only sixteen.
Only sixteen, boys. The same age as some of you, no doubt. The same age as some of you boys. And I remember one game when he played for the reserves. Against City, boys. Manchester City. And Tommy was playing for us at right-half, boys. And Johnny Morrissey was at outside-left for us. And Johnny was a cunning player, boys. Very cunning, very crafty. And so I knew Johnny would be lying deep for us, boys. And so I said to Tommy. I said, When they are all down at your end, Tommy. They’ll all be encroaching on this side. And they’ll be leaving Johnny clear. You understand, boys? I knew what they would do. I knew they would leave Johnny Morrissey clear. And so I said to Tommy. I said, You make sure you hit the balls across for Johnny. And then Johnny will do the rest. And Tommy went out. And Tommy slashed the ball across the face of the pitch. Time and time again. Tommy was such a good kicker of the ball. Even then, boys. Even when he was only sixteen year old. Time and time again, Tommy slashed that ball across the face of the pitch. And Johnny cut City to pieces. He annihilated them, boys. And we won six–nil. Six–bloody–nil. And that was when Tommy was just sixteen year old. Unbelievable. Bloody unbelievable.
And the supporters of Liverpool Football Club sat on the edges of their seats. The supporters of Liverpool Football Club hanging on Bill Shankly’s every word. And Bill Shankly smiled –
But come on then, boys. Come on. Who are your favourite players then, boys? Come on, who do you all like the best then?
And one of the supporters of Liverpool Football Club said, Emlyn Hughes, Bill. I just love Crazy Horse …
Oh yes, said Bill Shankly. Yes! What a player he is, what a great player he is. I remember, I saw Emlyn play his first game for Blackpool. His very first game for Blackpool. It was at Blackburn. It was at Ewood Park, I think. And I remember, Matt Busby was there and all. And I think Matt might have been there to see Mike England. To watch Mike England. But I remember within the first minute. The very first minute. I was watching Emlyn. Only watching Emlyn. And I mean, they were playing Emlyn at left-back. They’d played him all over. But by Christ, he didn’t half play. He did everything. Bloody everything. And I remember, straight after the game, straight after the match. I went straight up to their chairman and their directors. And
they were all puffing away on their fat cigars. Their big fat cigars. And I said, I’ll give you twenty-five thousand now for Emlyn Hughes. You can have it now. No bother, no danger. But they were not in a generous mood. Not that night. They were getting offers for Alan Ball. Lots of offers, lots of big offers. And so they knew they’d be getting big money for Alan. And so they were in no hurry. They were not in a generous mood. Not that night. But I knew Emlyn Hughes was something special. And so I had my eye on him. And I kept my eye on him. And I followed him. And I watched him. And in the end I got him when he was still only nineteen. And I paid sixty-five thousand pound for him. But that was stealing. Sixty-five grand. For a player like that. It was still bloody stealing. One of the major signings of all time!
And the supporter of Liverpool Football Club nodded. The supporter of Liverpool Football Club smiled. And the supporter of Liverpool Football Club said, Thank you, Bill. Thank you …
But Bill Shankly shook his head. Bill Shankly took a piece of paper from out of the pocket of his jacket. Bill Shankly picked up his pen from the table. And Bill Shankly wrote on one side of the piece of paper,
This man is a true supporter of Liverpool Football Club. Please give this man a tour of Anfield on any day he wants. Signed, Bill Shankly.
And then Bill Shankly turned over the piece of paper. And Bill Shankly wrote his home address and telephone number on the other side of the piece of paper. And Bill Shankly handed the piece of paper to the supporter of Liverpool Football Club –
Don’t thank me, son. Please don’t thank me. It is me who should be thanking you, son. For supporting Liverpool Football Club. And so any day you want, son. You go to the players’ entrance at Anfield. And you show them this piece of paper, son. And then you can go inside. And you can see the dressing room and the tunnel, son. And the trophy room. And make sure they let you see the pitch, son. Make sure they let you touch that grass. And then any time you want, son. Any time you are free. You just give me a call, son. And then you can pop in and have a cup of tea with me and Ness. And let us know how you are getting on, son. Because you’ll always be welcome. You’ll always be very welcome at our house, son …
And the supporter of Liverpool Football Club looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. And the supporter of Liverpool Football
Club struggled to breathe. He struggled to speak. And he whispered, Thank you, Bill. Thank you.
Now the train from Liverpool pulled into Euston Station. And Bill Shankly got up from his seat. Bill Shankly put on his raincoat. And Bill Shankly thanked all the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. Bill Shankly wished all the supporters of Liverpool Football Club a good day. He hoped they would be celebrating. He was sure they would be celebrating. But he asked them all to take care. And he hoped they would all have a safe journey home. A safe journey back to Liverpool. And he shook their hands. And he patted their backs. And then Bill Shankly said goodbye to the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. And Bill Shankly got off the train at Euston Station. Bill Shankly walked across the station concourse. Bill Shankly walked out of the station. Bill Shankly saw a taxicab. Bill Shankly flagged down the taxicab. And Bill Shankly took the cab out to Wembley Stadium.
In the corridor. The Wembley corridor. The gentlemen of the press saw Bill Shankly. Bill Shankly with his raincoat across one arm. Bill Shankly with his eye on his watch. And the gentlemen of the press asked Bill Shankly for his thoughts. They asked Bill Shankly if he thought Liverpool Football Club could win the European Cup again. If Liverpool Football Club could do what no other British team had done before. If Liverpool Football Club could retain the European Cup. If Bob Paisley could do what no other British manager had ever done before. And win the European Cup again, retain the European Cup.
Well, I hope so, said Bill Shankly. And I think so. But it won’t be easy. Make no mistake. It won’t be easy. Not without Tommy Smith. And possibly with no Steve Heighway. It’ll be no easy matter. And I mean, this Bruges side beat Juventus in the semi-finals. Let’s not forget that. We can’t forget that. This Bruges team knocked out Juventus. Because to be honest with you. To be very honest with you. I think Juventus are the best side in Europe. Juventus are fit, very fit. And they are alive and they are urgent. Good minds, balanced and hard. By Christ, they are hard. Giving nothing away. Nothing. And the discipline of Italian clubs keeps them in phenomenal condition. And so I mean, the best team in Europe are not even in the bloody final. And so I can tell you one thing. If this Bruges side could beat Juventus. If this Bruges team could knock out Juventus. Then by Christ, Bruges
must be a good team. They must be a very good team!
And the gentlemen of the press nodded. The gentlemen of the press thanked Bill Shankly for his thoughts. They thanked him for his time. And Bill Shankly looked down at his watch again. In the corridor. The Wembley corridor. Bill Shankly turned. And Bill Shankly walked down the corridor towards the dressing room. The Liverpool dressing room. In the corridor. The Wembley corridor. Bill Shankly stood before the door. The Liverpool dressing-room door. And Bill Shankly looked at the door. Bill Shankly stared at the door. The Liverpool dressing-room door. And Bill Shankly heard the voices on the other side of the door. Bill Shankly listened to the voices on the other side of the door. The Liverpool dressing-room door. And Bill Shankly did not recognise these voices. These different voices. And in the corridor. The Wembley corridor. Bill Shankly turned away from the door. The Liverpool dressing-room door. And Bill Shankly walked away. Down the corridor, the Wembley corridor.
In his seat in the stands at Wembley Stadium. The man sat next to Bill Shankly nodded. And the man said, You’re right, Bill. You’re right. But you still believe we can do it, Bill? We can still win?
And in his seat in the stands. On the edge of his seat in the stands at Wembley Stadium. Bill Shankly looked down at the pitch. The Wembley pitch. And Bill Shankly stared down at the players. The players of Liverpool Football Club. Ray Clemence. Phil Thompson. Emlyn Hughes. Ray Kennedy. Ian Callaghan and Steve Heighway. The old and the new. Phil Neal. Alan Hansen. Jimmy Case. Terry McDermott. Graeme Souness. Kenny Dalglish. David Fairclough. Joey Jones. Steve Ogrizovic and Colin Irwin. The players of Liverpool Football Club coming out of the tunnel. The players of Liverpool Football Club walking out into the stadium. To another deafening roar, to another glorious reception. And on the night of the final. The European Cup Final. On the edge of his seat in the stands at Wembley Stadium. Bill Shankly looked around the ground. At the sea of red, at the walls of red. And Bill Shankly smiled again –
Of course we can, said Bill Shankly. And of course we will. Because no one should ever underestimate the players of Liverpool Football Club. And no one should ever underestimate the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. So I’m certain we will win. I’m sure we will
win. In fact, I think there is no way on earth we can lose …
No way on earth.
In his seat in the stands at Wembley Stadium. In the
sixty-fourth
minute, Bill Shankly watched Steve Heighway replace Jimmy Case. On the edge of his seat in the stands at Wembley Stadium. In the sixty-fifth minute, Bill Shankly watched Heighway pass to Terry McDermott. McDermott pass to Kenny Dalglish. Dalglish back over his head to Graeme Souness. Souness back to Kenny Dalglish on the right of the Bruges penalty area. On his feet in the stands at Wembley Stadium. Bill Shankly watched Birger Jensen come out of his goal towards Dalglish. Dalglish lifting the ball over Jensen. Into the net and into a goal. Dalglish jumping over the advertising boards. Dalglish running to the supporters of Liverpool Football Club. His arms aloft, his fingers outstretched. In celebration –