Well, you know how I collect memorabilia, Bill. Football memorabilia, said George Higham. Well, we just wanted to get you something nice, Bill. And we knew you would never accept any money. So I hit upon this idea for you, Bill. And I managed to find one, through my contacts. My contacts with other collectors. Because I believe you do not have one, you do not still have yours, Bill?
Bill stared down at the programme. Bill shook his head. And Bill said, No, George. I don’t. I don’t have one any more …
Well, you do now, said George Higham. You do now, Bill.
And Bill stared down at the programme again. And Bill nodded. Bill fought back tears. Bill struggled to breathe. And then Bill whispered, Thank you, George. Thank you. I do all these events. All these events for people. And I’m happy to do them. I am happy to do them for people. But this is the first time anyone has ever thought what I would like. So thank you, George. Thank you very much.
On Thursday 3 May, 1979, thirteen million, six hundred and
ninety-seven
thousand, nine hundred and twenty-three folk voted for the Conservative Party. That day, eleven million, five hundred and
thirty-two
thousand, two hundred and eighteen folk voted for the Labour Party. That evening, the Conservative Party won three hundred and thirty-three seats in the House of Commons. That evening, the Labour Party won two hundred and sixty-nine seats in the House of Commons. That night, the Conservative Party won the 1979 General Election. That night, Margaret Thatcher, the Member of Parliament for Finchley in London, who had been born in Grantham and who supported no one, became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. That night, James Callaghan, the Member of Parliament for Cardiff South East, who had been born in Portsmouth and who preferred rugby to soccer, was no longer the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In the house, in their front room, Bill Shankly got up from his armchair. Bill Shankly got to his feet. Bill Shankly walked over to the television. Bill Shankly switched off the television. Bill Shankly walked over to the window. Bill Shankly drew back the curtains. Bill Shankly stared out
through the window. Bill Shankly stared down the street. The empty street, the silent houses. Their curtains drawn, their doors locked. Forever drawn and double locked.
Despite the times, despite the world. The summer had still come again, another season come again. But Bill had not taken the train again. The train to Euston Station, London. Bill had not taken a cab again. The cab to Wembley Stadium. And so Bill had not gone down the corridors again. The Wembley corridors again. Bill had not stood before the dressing-room door again. The Liverpool dressing-room door again. And Bill had not taken his seat in the stands at Wembley Stadium. Bill had stayed at home, in his Liverpool home. In his front room, in his armchair. Bill listened to the 1979 FA Charity Shield match between Liverpool Football Club and Arsenal Football Club on the radio. In his armchair, in his front room. In his home, his Liverpool home. On his own, all on his own. Bill listened to Terry McDermott score for Liverpool Football Club. Bill listened to Kenny Dalglish score for Liverpool Football Club. And Bill listened to Terry McDermott score again for Liverpool Football Club. And then Bill heard Alan Sunderland score for Arsenal Football Club. And Bill got up from his armchair. In his front room. Bill got to his feet. Bill walked over to the radio. Bill switched off the radio. And Bill heard the telephone ringing. In the hall. Bill picked up the telephone. And Bill listened as a journalist introduced himself to Bill. And apologised for bothering him. Bothering and disturbing Bill. And then the journalist asked Bill for his thoughts. His thoughts on the match he had just listened to, his thoughts on the season to come. And in the hall, on the telephone. Bill breathed out. And Bill said, Well, we must get a wee bit of sanity back. That is the first thing, the most important thing of all. Because there is madness. Madness in the world, madness in the game. Madness in some of these fees that are being paid. It seems that suddenly everything has got out of hand, money-wise, transfer-wise. And the players themselves, they haven’t helped. I mean, I was all in favour of freedom of contract. Don’t misunderstand me, don’t get me
wrong. The clubs had things too much their own way. But now that freedom is being abused. They want freedom for themselves alone. I mean, everyone is out for themselves, every man out for himself. I mean, I bought players like Kevin Keegan, Ray Clemence and Larry Lloyd for the kind of money that today players are getting for their slice of the fee, their signing-on fee. Their own bloody fee! Now that to me is madness. That can’t be right, it must be wrong. And some managers, they don’t seem to mind what they pay. But the working man, he should be sick about it. He pays his money, too, more and more. And it is
his
money. His money they are throwing about. But in the end, I think the whole business will find its own level. It has to come to its senses. And maybe it will happen this season. That is what I would like to see. The first thing, the most important thing of all. A wee bit of sanity coming back into the game, into the world …
Talking of this season, Bill. This season to come, asked the journalist. Who do you think will win the League, Bill?
In the hallway, on the telephone. Bill smiled. And Bill said, Don’t look further than Liverpool. Back the class horse. I mean, you’ll only lose your money backing the triers. Your Aston Villa, your West Bromwich. I mean, it’s a one-horse race. Not like in my day, not these days. I mean, in my day, in those days. You’d look at the Manchester teams. You’d look at Everton, you’d look at Derby. And you’d say, We’ve got something on our hands here. And above all, you’d look at Leeds. About this time of year, just before the season started. And you’d think about the likes of Hunter, Bremner, Giles and Lorimer. And you’d think about the manager, that fellow who’s in the desert now. And you’d think, What’s he up to? What is he planning for us? And you’d think about the confrontations, the confrontations to come. How they would go, what would happen. But not any more, not these days. There’s no point. Not any more, not now. Now there’s only Forest. They are a very talented side, a very well-managed side. And perhaps Ipswich, Ipswich Town. Again, they are a good side, a
well-managed
side. And I think they possibly should have won more things than they have. More than just the Cup. They should have won the League by now. The most important thing. But that’s all there is now, these days. Just Forest and Ipswich. And I mean, that’s the reason I did not go down for the match today. For the Charity Shield today.
Because I could have gone. Oh yes, I could have gone. But there’s no point going all that way to find out something you already know now, is there? No bloody point. Not if you already know. No point at all …
But you still listened to the match on the radio, said the journalist. So who would you say was Liverpool’s best player today, Bill?
Bill breathed in. Bill tightened his grip on the telephone. And Bill said, Liverpool! Liverpool was the best player. And Liverpool Football Club is always the best player. Because Liverpool does not have individual players like other teams. I mean, look at the Arsenal. Take the Arsenal today, for example. They are a good side, a capable side. But they depend on Liam Brady. They depend on one single man. One individual player. Liverpool Football Club depend on no single man. No individual player. Liverpool Football Club depend on every man! Liverpool Football Club depend on each other. And when you’ve people doing that properly, when they are the right men. Well trained, well prepared. Then they cannot be beaten. And so Arsenal couldn’t beat them. Not if they played them for the next ten bloody years. Because Liverpool depend on each other. It’s collective. Everyone working for each other. It is a kind of socialism. Pure socialism. Everyone doing what they can for the rest –
And Bill put down the telephone. In the hall. Bill heard a clock ticking. In the house. Ticking. And Bill felt old, two thousand years old. The clock ticking. So very old, so tired. Ticking. So very tired and so strained. The clock ticking. So very strained, his heart strained. Ticking and whispering. It was a different time, a different world. A world with no place for some men, some men left behind. In a different time, a different world. Men like him, men like Bill. His heart strained, his heart breaking. Left behind, with no place. In a different world, a different time. The clock always, already ticking. In the house, in the hall. Ticking and now a ball bouncing. On the ground, in the drive. Feet walking up the drive, hands knocking on the door. Little feet and little hands. And Bill opened the door. And Bill said, Hello, boys. How are you, lads? Did you listen to the match then?
Yeah, Bill. Yeah, said the boys. The boys with their red cheeks, their red shirts. Their red ball in their little hands. It was great, Bill. It was magic. And now we’re going to play it, Bill. So will you come out to play? Will you come out and be the referee for us, Bill?
Bill looked at the boys. On his doorstep, in his driveway. With their red cheeks, their red shirts and their red ball. And Bill frowned. And Bill said, Aye, go on then. I’ll come out to play. But I’ll not be the referee. No way. If I’m coming out to play, then I want to play!
But then who will you be, said the boys. If you come out to play, then who will you be, Bill? Which player will you be?
Bill laughed. His heart beating. Beating and healed again. And Bill said, Liverpool, of course. I’ll be Liverpool, boys …
What do you mean, asked the boys. With their red cheeks, with their red shirts. Their wide eyes and their open mouths. What do you mean? You can’t be everyone, Bill. You got to pick one player. You got to be someone, Bill. You can’t be every man now, can you?
Bill shook his head. And Bill smiled again. And Bill said, That’s the thing, boys. That’s just the thing. When you play for Liverpool, you play
as
every man, boys. Because when you play for Liverpool Football Club, you play
for
every man. You are not someone, you are everyone, boys. Every man. That’s the thing that is different about Liverpool Football Club, boys. Different from every other football club in the land. In the world, boys. When you play for Liverpool, you play for everyone. You play for every man, boys. So you
are
every man. And then you are every player, boys. That’s you, every man. And so I’m going to be Liverpool, boys. I’m going to be Liverpool. Now what about you, boys? Who are you all going to be?
Liverpool, shouted the boys. All the boys with their red cheeks, all the boys with their red shirts. And their red ball, their red ball up in the air now. We’re going to be Liverpool, too, Bill! Liverpool!
For the second successive year, Kevin Keegan had been named as the European Footballer of the Year. The Souvenir Press and the Wilkinson Sword company invited Kevin Keegan to London from Hamburg, West Germany. The Souvenir Press and the Wilkinson Sword company planned to present Kevin Keegan with a Sword of Honour in recognition of his achievement in becoming the European Footballer of the Year for the second successive year. And Ernest
Hecht of the Souvenir Press called Bill Shankly. Ernest Hecht asked Bill Shankly if he would like to surprise Kevin Keegan. If Bill Shankly would like to present Kevin Keegan with his Sword of Honour –
Yes, said Bill Shankly. I would, Ernest.
In London, at the presentation. Wide-eyed and thrilled to bits, Kevin Keegan watched Bill Shankly step out from behind the curtains. Kevin Keegan watched Bill Shankly walk across the stage. A sword in his hands. Bill Shankly held out the sword towards Kevin Keegan. And Kevin Keegan heard Bill Shankly say, This is for you, son. For all you have achieved in the game. For all you have done with your life, son. This Sword of Honour is yours. This sword is for you, son …
And Kevin Keegan took the Sword of Honour from Bill Shankly. Kevin Keegan stared down at the Sword of Honour in his hands. But now Kevin Keegan shook his head. And now Kevin Keegan handed back the Sword of Honour to Bill Shankly. And Kevin Keegan said, This is not mine, this is yours, Boss. Because anything I have achieved, anything I have done. It is because of you, Boss. It’s all because of you. Because it was you who bought me from Scunthorpe, you who took a gamble on me when no one else would, Boss. And it was you who believed in me. You who always believed in me, Boss. You always encouraged me, you always supported and taught me. That was you, Boss. All you. So this sword is yours, not mine.
Bill Shankly shook his head. The sword in his hands, the tears in his eyes. Bill Shankly shook his head again –
No, no, said Bill Shankly. It’s yours, son. Please take it. I cannot take it, son. I just cannot …
But Kevin Keegan looked at Bill Shankly. And Kevin Keegan whispered, Please. Please take it, Boss. You have given me so much. So very, very much, Boss. Please take this from me. Please, Boss …
At the presentation, on the stage. Bill Shankly stared down at the Sword of Honour in his hands. And Bill Shankly swallowed –
Then when I die, you can have it back …
On the train. The train from London back to Liverpool. Some of the passengers saw Bill Shankly sitting with a sword on the table before him. And some of the passengers stopped to ask Bill Shankly about the sword on the table before him. And Bill Shankly smiled –
Well, it was a great gesture by the boy. A very moving gesture
by Kevin. Perhaps even the greatest gesture since the world began! And it is certainly the greatest present I have ever had in my life. And when I get home, back to my house. I am going to display this sword in our home. So everyone can see this Sword of Honour …
Back in their house, in their front room. Nessie Shankly watched Bill Shankly prop the Sword of Honour up in the corner against the wall. Nessie watched Bill Shankly then step back. Bill Shankly standing before the sword, staring at the sword –
You must promise me this, love. That when I die, the day I die. You must pack up this sword, this Sword of Honour. And send it back to Kevin. Will you please promise me that, love?
Nessie Shankly nodded. Nessie smiled. And Nessie said, Well, yes, I promise you, love. But you know you’ll be burying me. You’ll bury us all, love. And so make sure you tell the girls and all.
Bill Shankly nodded. And then Bill Shankly turned away from the Sword of Honour. And Bill Shankly walked over to the bookcase. Bill Shankly took out one of his scrapbooks. His scrapbooks of cuttings, his scrapbooks of pictures. And Bill Shankly opened the scrapbook. Bill Shankly turned the pages of the scrapbook. Bill Shankly found the page he was looking for. And Bill Shankly walked back over to Nessie Shankly. Nessie still standing before the Sword of Honour, Nessie still staring at the Sword of Honour. Bill Shankly held out the scrapbook towards Nessie, the scrapbook for Nessie –
You see this, love? This sword here, in this picture here. That is the Sword of Stalingrad. King George commanded that sword be forged as a homage from the people of Britain to the people of the Soviet Union who had defended their city during the Battle of Stalingrad. King George commanded Churchill present Joseph Stalin with the sword at the Tehran Conference in 1943. But before Churchill took the sword to Tehran, the sword was exhibited all around Britain. And wherever it went, people came to see this sword, loads and loads of people. And finally, it was put on display in Westminster Abbey. And again people came from miles around, long queues of people. Not only to look at the sword, that magnificent sword. But to show their gratitude to our allies in the Soviet Union, to show their respect for the people of the Soviet Union. And it was like an icon to people, it was an inspiration to people. Not the sword, but the people of Stalingrad.
Their bravery and their courage. Their fortitude and their resolution. All their sufferings and all their sacrifices. This was an inspiration to the people of Britain, a lesson for the people of Great Britain. Their hearts, their hearts of steel. An inspiration and a lesson. And so on one side of the sword it says in English,
TO THE STEEL-HEARTED CITIZENS OF STALINGRAD. THE GIFT OF KING GEORGE VI. IN TOKEN OF THE HOMAGE OF THE BRITISH PEOPLE
. And on the other side, it says the same again in Russian. And you know what, love? That Sword of Stalingrad was forged by the same people who forged this Sword of Honour. The sword they gave to Kevin, that Kevin gave to me. The same people, the Wilkinson Sword people.
Nessie Shankly shook her head. Nessie smiled again. And Nessie said, I didn’t know that, love. I didn’t know any of that …
I don’t think many people do, said Bill Shankly. And if they ever did, they probably don’t remember now. People often forget.