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morning. The players and the coaching staff of Liverpool Football Club travelled back to Anfield. Every morning. The players and the coaching staff got off the bus in the car park at Anfield and walked back into the ground. Every morning. The players and the coaching staff of Liverpool FootballClub walked back down the corridors and back into the dressing room. Every morning. The players and the coaching staff took off their boots. Their sweaters and their tracksuit bottoms. And every morning. The players and the coaching staff of Liverpool Football Club went into the showers and into the baths. Every morning. The players and the coaching staff of Liverpool Football Club washed and then changed back into their suits and ties. And their shoes. And then every morning. The players and the coaching staff of Liverpool Football Club said, Goodbye. See you tomorrow. Take care now. See you. This was the Liverpool way. Every morning –
    The Anfield way –
    And every morning. A young lad with a broom in his hand stood by the bus in the car park at Anfield. Every morning. The young lad with the broom in his hand watched the players and the coaching staff of Liverpool Football Club climb aboard the bus to Melwood. And every morning. The young lad dreamt of the day he would no longer have a broom in his hands. The day he would have boots on his feet. The day he would climb aboard the bus to Melwood –
    What’s your name, son, asked Bill Shankly.
    The young lad jumped. Out of his dreams, into the car park. And the young lad said, Christopher Lawler, sir.
    What are you doing just standing here, son, asked Bill Shankly. Why aren’t you changed? Why aren’t you on the bus, lad? Hurry up.
    The young lad said, But I have my work to do, sir. My work.
    And what work is that, son, asked Bill Shankly.
    The young lad said, During the day, I have to clean the place up, sir. That’s my job. That is my work, sir.
    So when do you do your training, son, asked Bill Shankly. When do you play your football, lad?
    We do our training at night, sir.
    You train at bloody night?
    Yes, sir. At night. All the boys do.
    Not any more you don’t, son, said Bill Shankly. So you go now and you get all the boys together, all the ground-staff lads. And you tell them to get changed and get on board this bus. Because you are here to play football first and to clean up second. So you’ll play your football during the day and you’ll do your cleaning atnight. Is that clear, son? Is that understood?
    Yes, sir.
    Well, don’t just stand there then, son. Get to it. Hurry up, lad! We haven’t got all bloody day. We’ve got football to play!
    …
    After their lunch, in the afternoon. The directors of Liverpool Football Club were sitting in the boardroom at Anfield. The directors of Liverpool Football Club were waiting for Bill Shankly. Again. The directors of Liverpool Football Club heard the footsteps in the corridor. Again. The fast steps, the heavy steps. And the knock upon the door.
    Tom Williams said, Come.
    Bill Shankly opened the door. Bill Shankly stepped into the boardroom. Again. Bill Shankly looked around the boardroom –
    You wanted to see me, asked Bill Shankly.
    Tom Williams said, Yes. Sit down, please, Mr Shankly.
    Bill Shankly sat down at the long table. Bill Shankly looked up the long table at the directors of Liverpool Football Club.
    Tom Williams said, I am afraid you have upset the routine of the club, Mr Shankly. The young boys are needed to help the staff clean up the stadium. That is their job, Mr Shankly.
    I know that, said Bill Shankly. I know that is
part
of their job. But first and foremost they are here to play football. They can still do their cleaning, they can still help the ground staff, but they can do it at night. During the day they should be playing football. They should be training. Developing. Not cleaning toilets.
    Tom Williams smiled. And Tom Williams said, We all know how passionately you feel about bringing on the younger