World Cup 2018 - Delicate Supermen, Predictable Germans and Lord Harry of Spottingham

The World Cup 2018

Some observations after two games

As the group stages of this year’s World Cup draw to a close here are some initial thoughts –

1.      England are doing better than many predicted.

Before the tournament began, I said that I thought we would at least get to the Quarter Finals. We have crossed the first hurdle by surviving the groups. I did not predict eight goals and some exciting free flowing football. This has sent all our expectations through the roof. And why not? After the doom and gloom of the last World Cup and the 2016 horror show against Iceland we all need something to lift the spirits. One commentator pointed out that after the first two games in 2014 England were packing their bags after losing both. We did of course lose to two previous winners – Italy and Uruguay. A certain Snr. Suarez had scored 31 league goals and picked almost every domestic award in sight. Tunisia and Panama were more manageable opposition. 

But let’s not be picky! We are in a strong position. By Thursday night, we will know how well England can mix it with the best. I do have a quiet tenner on Belgium to win the cup. Sir Harry Kane is rightly getting the glory. But I do have to point out some solid goalkeeping from Jordan Pickford against Panama when the game was on a knife edge at 6 – 0…

2.      International players are muscular but surprisingly delicate.

I     I remember the days when it was not unknown for players to have a quick ciggie at half time. Back in the sixties, the modern players would be showing off their rippling muscles in a circus. But for all that, that they are remarkably delicate. So on the one hand we have Mr Atlas Ronaldo and Mr Universe Shaquiri. 

      On the other we have Portugal’s Pepe who appears to be extremely fragile and to have a remarkably low pain threshold –

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMYkQ2XY-k0

      One wonders how he would have coped on a muddy November quagmire against Norman Hunter or Johnny Morrissey. 

3.      Despite their delicate constitution many players are also skilled at all-in wrestling.

There was much talk about the treatment endured by Lord Harry Kane a the hands of Tunisia. Surviving a corner was like enduring an episode of Jeux Sans Frontiers when contestants were assaulted by an array of weird and wonderful monsters. But it isn’t only His Harryship who has had rough treatment. The Swiss showed similar skills against Serbia without even so mush as a tut tut from the VAR. This all seems like a bit if a contradiction. On the one hand players collapse if someone blows a kiss in their direction but if someone actually is a victim of a gang assault it barely merits and harsh word in the ear.

4.      Germany have not lost their age old skill of grabbing last minute goals. When they played Sweden on Saturday, I checked my phone and it was 1 – 1 at 90 mins. I sighed and said there was plenty of time for them to grab a winner. It brought barely a raised eyebrow when they did the inevitable. What is the bet that they now go on to win it. Ah but to do that they might have to get past Ingerland and King Harry who will grant himself royal permission to take all five penalties.

Unsung Heroes (4) Alan Harper

'Gray up. Sharp up. Heath up. Now can Harper make it? Yes he can!!’

Thus went the commentary on 3^rd March 1984 as Alan Harper finished off a great Everton move to score an unforgettable equaliser against Liverpool with just a few minutes to go. It is one of those moments that most Everton fans think of when we mention his name.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iBm0WQ5GZA

A similar moment came in the 1986 FA Cup Semi Final when he ran on to a Derek Mountfield pass to give Everton the lead against Sheffield Wednesday. That was a game in which he had come off the bench to replace the injured Trevor Steven. Coming off the bench was a feature of his career which is why his heroics are often unsung.

Alan was another of those Everton players who started life across Stanley Park at Liverpool. He failed to break into the first team there and joined Everton in 1983 just as Howard Kendall’s great team was coming together. He joined as a right back and it was unfortunate for him that Gary Stevens, one of Everton’s greatest all-time defenders soon made that position his own. As with many unsung heroes he also suffered from his own versatility. His ability in different positions meant that his main contribution was in covering for missing colleagues, often as substitute.

He still managed to chalk up 15 appearances in the great 1984/85 season – 5 as substitute. This rose to 30 in the 1985/86 season with 6 as substitute.

But his greatest contribution was in the 1986/87 season when the title was regained. I have to say that this was the most satisfying of league titles. Everton might have lacked the flowing style of the 1970 and 1985 sides. But they also suffered a series of injuries which ruled out key players for almost the whole season. It was a title won on the back of grit, determination and no little skill!  Never was there a greater need for a ‘utility player’. It felt like Harper played in most positions at different times.  He started 29 league games with 7 more as substitute. Whenever or wherever he played he gave 110% for the Everton cause.

The following quote sums up his dedication –

“Z Cars started playing on the PA and I heard the crowd roar. If I could bottle a moment and save it forever, then that’d be it.”

He was never a prolific striker but those he did score were as memorable as they were important. To the two mentioned above we have to add the spectacular 30 yard winner against Chelsea which edged us ahead of the Liverpool in the chase for the 1987 title – just a few moments after a brilliant Neville Southall save had thwarted the opposition at the other end!

Alan Harper is not often mentioned when we talk about the 1980s achievements. He is often overlooked – perhaps understandable alongside Reid, Gray, Sharp, Sheedy, Southall and Co. 

But those great teams would have all the less effective for his contribution. And this is why he deserves his place among the parade of unsung heroes!

Unsung Heroes (3) Johnny Morrissey

‘Show him your arse alehouse!’

They were five words which I often heard from someone who stood near me in the Gwladys Street end from the mid to late 1960s. He wasn’t encouraging Johnny Morrissey in any literal way. In truth he was referring to the only part of Morrissey’s anatomy that most defenders saw as he sped away from them. 

Johnny Morrissey joined Everton from across Stanley Park at the start of the Championship winning 1962/63 season. According to the LFC History Website, he was sold for a ‘giveaway’ £10k without Bill Shankly’s knowledge or agreement. Shankly threatened to resign as a result! There’s a thought to ponder –

http://www.lfchistory.net/Players/Player/Profile/385

He went straight into Everton’s first team and scored in a 2 – 2 Draw against the reds at Goodison in September 1962. He quickly followed this up with a hat-trick against WBA in a 4 – 2 win. He scored a total of 7 goals as Everton took the title with a record 61 points. 

From 1966 he was a first team regular. He was known for his pace, crossing and a powerful shot. He was also known as a hard player – unusual for an outside left. Jackie Charlton had said that he kept a book where he listed players against whom he wanted to extract revenge. 

According to Colin Harvey, Morrissey clattered him in one match –

“We knew all about the so-called black book,” laughed Colin. “Johnny absolutely clattered Jackie one afternoon then went over to pick him up. As he bent over he muttered into his ear ‘you can put that in your ****ing book now!”

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/mersey-hard-men-johnny-morrissey-3433534

This led to the ‘alehouse’ nickname although he was universally known as Mogsy. But his toughness was combined with real skill. Colin Harvey again –

“He was an excellent crosser, with both feet. He would get up and down and put a good shift in every game. He was a real team player and when you put those qualities together you had a very good footballer.

“But he knew how to tackle, too!”

He famously scored the winning penalty against Leeds in the 1968 FA Cup Semi Final. His only previous penalty had been against Sunderland at the end of the 1966/7 Season when he was on his way to a hat-trick. He had volunteered because Alan Ball was suspended. Sadly, he was to be on the losing side in the final.

Two years later he got his second Championship medal, appearing in 41 of 42 games in that memorable season. One highlight was the coolest of strikes in the 3 – 2 away win at Wolves –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amHkmBjymj8

He also scored twice in the 6 – 2 destruction of Stoke City in November 1969.

His fortunes declined after 1970 along with many of his colleagues. He appeared 314 times for the Blues, scoring 50 goals. 

There are may great names associated with Everton in the 1960s – Ball, Young, Vernon, Harvey, Royle, Kendall. Johnny Morrissey deserves his place among them as another if not ‘unsung’ then certainly less-sung hero!

Unsung heroes (2) Peter Farrell

The 5 players who have made the most league appearances for Everton are –

1.       Neville Southall – 578

2.       Ted Sagar – 463

3.       Brian Labone – 451

4.       Dave Watson – 423

5.       Peter Farrell – 422

It is surprising that the player who comes in at number 5 is not often listed among the all time Everton greats. But it is fair to say that from the mid-40s to the mid-50s he was Mr Everton. He joined in 1946 from Shamrock Rovers together with Tommy Eglington. He was Captain from 1948 to 1957 when he left for Tranmere Rovers.

Interestingly one of his greatest Goodison moments was when he played for Ireland. On 21^st September 1949 he scored for them as they beat England 2 – 0. This was England’s first ever defeat to 'foreign'opposition.

His years at Everton were not always easy. At the end of season 1950/1 we needed a point at Sheffield Wednesday to avoid relegation. There was to be no Wimbledon style escape as we crashed 0 – 6 and dropped to the old second division. Farrell remained as Captain. 

In March 1953 he scored as Everton lost 3 – 4 to Bolton in the FA Cup Semi Final. Bolton went on to lose to Stanley Matthews’ Blackpool in one of the all-time great finals. The following year, he famously led us back to the top, where of course, we have stayed ever since.

On February 18^th 1956 he played his 400^th game against Chelsea at Goodison in the 5^th Round of the FA Cup. Appropriately, Farrell scored the only goal to send us into the quarter finals.  

Sadly he was never to see the glory days of the Catterick years but his loyalty and dedication certainly laid the foundation for the future.

Farrell is usually described as a right half, a right sided central midfielder. He also played as an inside forward. 

There is an interesting feature about him in the September 1957 Charles Buchan’s Football Monthly - see the cover above with a rather scary toffee lady! This includes the memorable line –

‘Peter has not the advantages of an athletic physique. He stands at 5 ft 8 ins, weighs 12 st 7 lbs. so is a rather portly figure.’

They don’t write like that anymore!

The article goes on to say –

‘But he amply compensates by his wonderful agility, supreme anticipation and an uncanny position sense that usually takes him to the right place at the right moment.’

Never a bigger Evertonian

The great Dave Hickson said of him –

 “Peter Farrell was the captain and there was never a bigger Evertonian than him. I think he felt partly responsible for the relegation and he was so happy when we were promoted again.”

Farrell himself said of the promotion –

“We have no star man. Our success has been due to all-round work as a team and with such a great bunch of colleagues, my job as captain has been made easy.”

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/shamrock-scousers-everton-fc-hero-3380139

Many would say that he was star man but not one who craved the limelight.

For the record he played a total of 453 games scoring 17 goals.

I never had the chance to see him play. But from his records, character and achievements we can truly say that he is an Everton great.

A strange Derby - when the reds just kept on giving...

The Anfield Derby is the game that I look forward to the least. It feels like, in recent years Everton have turned up, been roundly thrashed, and then tried to get back to business. In truth we have ground out a few draws in the 18 years since we last managed a win. But a couple of 0 - 4 defeats and a 1 – 3 last season remain painful memories.

I actually felt more on edge yesterday than I might have done a few weeks ago. Following the hammering at Southampton, the Derby seemed like a dark shadow on the horizon. The worst seemed inevitable. We have then had three good wins, some encouraging performances and a new management team. It was a very dim glimmer of hope but a glimmer nonetheless. The glimmer was joined by a raised eyebrow with the news that Klopp had left out Coutinho and Firmino. An early Christmas gift?

As ever, I did not enjoy a single minute of the game itself. To be honest Liverpool were all over us. It was clearly part of the plan, to let them have the bulk of possession, to hang on in here and try and catch them on the break. The problem was that you actually need to have the ball for at last a few seconds for this to work.

Salah scored his obligatory goal and it began to feel like a matter of time before others followed. But it didn’t happen. We defended well – for a change. Pickford actually had very little to do. 

But most of all, Klopp & Co were remarkably generous. The gifts kept on coming. Mane found himself needing simply to pass the ball to his right, to guarantee Salah a tap in for number 2. He decided to go for glory. Klopp took the in form Salah off with the game still finely balanced, in score if not possession. Then the ever willing Lovren decided to shove Calvert-Lewin in the back when he was going away from the goal.

Rooney did not need a second invitation to almost send the goal into Stanley Park.

Klopp was clearly angry and his press conference will live long in the memory.

'But obviously we can have a test now to see who thinks it was a penalty. Hands up if you thought it was...three? What, everyone? Then I am really wrong obviously..'

But the reality is that Everton were organised and committed in defence. 

And Liverpool showered us with gifts for which we will be forever grateful.

Unsung Heroes (1) - Sandy Brown

The is the first in a series of posts about some of Everton's heroic players who don't always receive the praise that they deserve.

Mention the words ‘own goal’, to any football fan from the sixties and they will immediately think – Sandy Brown. Mention the name Sandy Brown to any football fan from the sixties and they will immediately think ‘own goal’. It is a remarkable that an entire career can be compressed into one moment from a poor Everton performance in an otherwise glorious season. For many reasons I don't intend to mention to game, the opposition or the score!

I have written before about my first visit to Goodison.

http://bluemuse2.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/goodison-first-time.html

The experience was unforgettable, unlike the game itself! My second game was a far more heart stopping experience. On Wednesday 23d November 1966 we were at home to Real Zaragoza in the European Cup Winners Cup. Everton had lost the first leg in Spain 0 -2 and took a second half lead. There followed an all-out assault on the Zaragoza goal which failed to produce a second. Everton single goal was scored by … Sandy Brown. A few weeks earlier he had scored in a 3 – 1 win against Liverpool, a fact overshadowed by a stunning brace from Alan Ball. In 251 games for the blues he netted 11 goals.  I remember a game against Ipswich in 1969 in which Everton were struggling after a controversial ‘hand of God’, goal from Crawford had put Ipswich ahead, and Alan Ball had missed a penalty. A point was rescued by a 25 yard drive from Brown.

Such was Sandy’s versatility that he became known, unfortunately as a ‘utility player’, which gave the impression that he was jack of all trades but a master of none. In fact, he did play in almost all positions during the Catterick years. He operated very effectively as a defensive midfielder. Ivan Ponting wrote in his 2014 obituary - ‘Catterick sometimes deployed him as a shield in front of the back four, typically when facing West Ham, as he was adept at cutting off passes to Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters’. Bearing in mind the damage that those two players did to West Germany, this was no mean feat. 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/sandy-brown-obituary-everton-defender-known-for-his-rugged-commitment-and-a-memorable-own-goal-in-9257526.html

When called upon, he took over at the heart of the defence

It is tempting to say he could play in every position except in goal but this is not correct. He did in fact play in goal against Newcastle in 1967 after Gordon West was sent off.

And he could also look after himself. Most memorably he was sent off in the 4^th minute of the infamous 1 – 1 draw against Leeds in December 1964 for punching Johnny Giles. This was the famous game in which the referee took both teams off the pitch for 10 minutes in what became known as the Battle of Goodison.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/from-the-archive-blog/2014/nov/07/everton-leeds-football-goodison-1964-archive

It is ironic that the season that saw him establish himself in the left back position was the League Winning 1969/70 during which he scored that own goal.

But for me there was far more to Sandy Brown than one misdirected diving header. He was a tough but talented and memorably loyal player.

A truly unsung hero.

Much needed nostalgia - my most memorable Everton moments

I recently saw a post on a Beatles tribute page on which someone had ranked every song they ever released in order of preference – that is over 300 songs! You have to admire that level of obsessive devotion. So I have set myself the more realistic task of ranking my top 20 Everton games. We certainly need some nostalgia to lift the spirits!

This is my very subjective list and is influenced by many factors including age, recollection and whether I was actually at the game. For example the match that would top many people’ list is only at 4 because I was on my way to Heathrow and listening to it on the radio! I have watched that game many times since but there is nothing quite like being there!

So here we go –

20. v Liverpool 3 – 0 9^th September 2006.

I was in France. I told my wife that I had had a dream that we won 3 – 0 and Cahill scored the first goal. I thought of phoning home to put a tenner on it. Never did! I was dancing round the pool when the third goal went in but also a bit gutted. This was the game that coined the song – ‘Reina’s drops keep falling on my head’.

19. v Fiorentina 2 – 0 12^th March 2008. This is the only game on the list, that ultimately ended in disappointment. We were down 2 – 0 from the first leg and fought back brilliantly to level things – mainly due to a magnificent run and shot from Arteta. It was one of those ‘Goodison is rocking’ nights. Sadly, a penalty shoot saw us exit the Europa cup but with more fight and skill than we are likely to see in the current campaign.

18. v Stoke City 6 - 2 18^th October 1969.

This was a memorable day in so many ways. We were now beginning to believe that Ball, Kendall, Harvey & Co would win the title. Stoke were dismantled in one of the most stunning performances from what, to me, was Everton’s best ever team. I went home in great spirits to discover that my dad had bought Abbey Road. A thumping win and a first time listen to a classic album.

17. v Coventry City 1 – 1 10^th May 2008. I spent the night with Gareth Farrelly in 2015. We were sleeping out at Goodison for homelessness and set up our sleeping bags in the Park End. I couldn’t resist telling him that we were right by where I was sitting when he had his ‘moment’ for Everton. He is a lovely guy (now a lawyer) and took it in great spirit. His goal was the highlight of a poor game and shocking season but the sense of relief and celebration was only matched by another game which is higher up the list.

16. v Man Utd 3 – 1 19^th August 1967. United were the newly crowned champions and were to win the European Cup in May 1968. They were simply taken apart by Everton’s young guns. A game in which the mighty Alex Young and Alan Ball combined produce a display that still sends chills. Alex Young’s goal remains one of the best I can remember.

15. v Liverpool 1 – 0 4^th February 2009 (FAC replay). This was a poignant game for me as I had lost my dad a week earlier. The game itself was not memorable but that one moment when Dan Gosling netted the winner at the end of extra time will never be forgotten. For many different reasons I was shamelessly hugging and kissing a complete stranger at the end!

14. v Sunderland 4 -1 6^th April 1985. Two of the best headed goals I’ve ever seen, from Andy Gray followed by the pass of the season from Bracewell to Steven who nearly bust the net from a tight angle. Nothing more to say!

13. v Leicester City 7 – 1 30^th November 1968. It is hard to believe that Joe Royle was only 19 as he demolished Leicester with a glorious hat trick. We thought that this would be our championship season but had to wait another year for that.

12. v  Arsenal 2 – 1 19^th October 2002. Arsenal were virtually unbeatable and seemed to be on their way to routine win until Radzinski equalised before half time. This set the scene for a certain 16 year old to come off the bench and score the winning goal that has probably been replayed more than any other. Remember the name?

11. v Liverpool 2 – 0 21^st November 1994. We had had one of our worst ever starts to a season. These were the days of Mike Walker and following the miraculous 3 – 2 win over Wimbledon in May we had gone into this season with a mixture of tentative optimism and sheer terror. The latter seemed to have prevailed. Walker had been sacked and this was Joe Royle’s first game at the helm. The rest of the story belongs to Duncan Ferguson who become a hero the moment his head made contact with Andy Hinchcliffe’s corner (not for the last time that season). Paul Rideout then added a second shortly afterwards. A Derby win is always welcome but Duncan’s explosive arrival makes this one particularly sweet!

10. v Wimbledon 3 – 2 7^th May 1994 – see above.  This began as the most miserable of days as Wimbledon raced to a 2 – 0 lead due to a penalty and an own goal! It did not help the atmosphere that there was no Park End. A Stewart penalty, a stunning shot from Horne and a glorious shot (ahem) for Stewart’s second guaranteed safety and saved Mike Walker’s reign for a few months.

9. v Arsenal 0 – 0 12^th November 1966 My first ever visit to Goodison. A dull 0 – 0 Draw that changed my life. (link)

8. v Watford 2 – 0 19^th May 1984 (FA Cup Final). When we had won the league title in 1970 there was a belief that we would go on to rule the world for years to come. We would never have believed that it would have taken 14 years until the next silverware arrived. This trophy saw the start of four glorious seasons under Howard Kendall. Who can forget the moment Andy Gray headed the ball, Steve Sherwood (and a double decker bus had one been in the way) into the back of the Watford net.

7. v Manchester United 5 – 0 27^th October 1984. This, for me, was the game that sent a message to the world that Everton were now the dominant force in English football. United were simply demolished and there was now no real doubt who would end the season as champions.

6. v Coventry City 6 – 0 November 26^th 1977. The underrated David Thomas took the ball half the length of the pitch. He crossed it to the far post. Latchford met it on the volley for Everton’s 6^th and his own hat trick. This was simply one of those games where everything went right. It was also the season in which Latchford memorably scored 30 goals to win a £10k prize. Cheap at the price?

5. v Chelsea 5 – 2 28^th March 1970. This was long before the days of the Abramovich money. But Chelsea were a good side. They finished 3^rd in the league and beat Leeds in a memorable FA Cup Final replay. But they simply could not live with Everton. Howard Kendall had scored the first before half the crowd had finished their last minute trip to the loo. We were still rubbing our eyes when Alan Ball added a second. Everton were 5 – 0 up with half an hour to go before relaxing and allowing Chelsea to score 2 late consolation goals. Two wins later, the league was won but the celebrations began on this beautiful spring Saturday.

4. v Bayern Munich 3 – 1 24^th April 1985 (ECWC Semi Final). This would appear at the top of most peoples’ lists. It is certainly the greatest game that I have ever missed. I was on my way to the airport on my way to Vienna, who Everton would coincidently, play in the final. But to listen to the second half goals on the radio and to watch the highlights many times over still places this match almost at the top!

3. v Sheffield Wednesday 3 – 2 14^th May 1966 (FAC Final). I was 10 on the day of this game. My interest in football was half hearted and I lived in a household of reds. This memorable come back was followed by the World Cup, the arrival of Alan Ball and my first trip to Goodison. By the end of the year, my life was changed forever.

2. v WBA 2 – 0 1^st April 1970. This game was played on a school night. Me and my mate Iggy rushed home, got changed and then went straight to Goodison which was packed to the rafters an hour before kick off. A group of us had gathered in the Gwladys Street  End for every home game since 1967. There was a raised section which meant that those as small as me could see. There was no space at all in our usual ‘spec’. So we decided to throw ourselves in with the crowd behind the goal. I saw very little of the game. I jumped, danced and sang as Alan Whittle and Colin Harvey netted the goals the secured the title. At the final whistle I was carried towards the pitch by the crowd. I got stuck and had to be rescued by the St Johns Ambulance volunteers. I didn’t care. This was and remains, my greatest Goodison moment!

1. v Spurs 4 – 1 9^th April 1995 (FAC Semi Final). It does seem ironic that my greatest Everton game was in Leeds of all places. We had reached the semi final against the odds. Spurs were the huge favourites and the media were desperate to see a Spurs v Man Utd Final. Me and my son were there long before kick off. Due to a stroke of genius from those who allocated the tickets, Everton had all three sides of Elland Road. The Spurs fans had the main stand which made them appear to be strangely remote. Such was the electricity of the atmosphere that no one could have stood in our way that day. Two late goals from Amokachi guaranteed a stunning victory – ‘the greatest substitution I’ve never made’ said Joe Royle after the game. ‘All Together Now!’

So there we have it. I cannot imagine any other fans which will have a list which exactly matches this!

I would love to hear the views of others….

Everton - my part in their downfall 2017

We have all been there before. A last gasp equalizer gives the third best team in Cyprus, Apollon Limassol, a precious point against Everton, and we all start to look for answers. How did this happen? Whose fault was it? The manager? The players? Or was it me??

All football fans like to think that they play a part in the success of their team. And that is never truer than with me and Everton. How often is the fantastic support called the extra man? We have all been at games when the ground is rocking and the crowd lifts the team to glory. A certain night involving Bayern Munich comes to mind.

But we also have to hold our hands up and acknowledge those moments when we have been responsible for misery and defeat. I have to confess that I felt that much of the gloom in the 1990s was down to me.

Now we all have our superstitions; the lucky or unlucky scarf. I got one for Christmas in 2013. I wore it for the defeat to Sunderland on Boxing Day and feel nervous about wearing it again…just in case.

But none of this comes near to the damage I have caused by listening to Everton on the radio. The 90s was particularly dark decade.

This is more than just superstition. It is scientifically proven. I think the story began back in the 1960s when I was glued to the radio as we lost 3 – 2 to Nottingham Forest in the 6^th Round of the Cup. Much as I willed us to win it all seemed to go wrong. Then we come to the 1990s.

In January 1996 we were away to Stockport County – an easy game if ever there was one. Me and my son were listening to the game and we were edging to a nervy 2 – 1 win. Then with two minutes to go they equalised. We turned off the radio in disgust. Then, during the one minute it took to get downstairs and check the teletext (remember that?) Ebbrell banged in the winner. Coincidence? Maybe. But almost the same thing happened again in November that year. We were losing the derby at Anfield and seemed to be going nowhere. The radio went off with 10 minutes to go. We checked teletext again and Gary Speed had equalised with 8 minutes left. Now you have to admit that is spooky.

By now I was beginning to avoid this dangerous pastime. But in November 1997 I was caught off guard. 2 – 1 up away to Blackburn with a few minutes left. One of my sons asked me for a lift to Crosby Village which is less than 5 minutes drive. I recklessly switched on the radio in the car. Before we had left our road Blackburn had equalised. Then the penny dropped but before I could switch the radio off, they had got the winner. A miserable 2 – 3 defeat and it was all down to me!!

So this is why I will never listen to Everton under any circumstances. I even think it might be possible for me to walk past a radio and cause us to concede a couple of goals. Listening online is a place to which I will not go!

We all need to do our part for our great team. So if ever I reach an age when I have forgotten this lesson, and you see me listening to a game, you have my permission to take the radio from me and throw it out of the window.

In the meantime, the new away shirt that I wore on Thursday night will stay in the wardrobe this afternoon. 

A Boy's Own treasure!

I just had to write about a great piece of Everton Memorabilia that I just picked up on Ebay. I am certainly not a collector in the David France league - who is? But I do keep an eye out for things on particular interest. And this is absolutely lovely.

It is a collection of all the Home and Away Programmes from the 1961-1962 Season. This was of course the season before we won the title with Roy Vernon and Co.

But what makes the collection so wonderful is that it has been so carefully catalogued by the hand of someone who was probably no more than about 10 years old. When you think of it he is now in his 60s! I was 5 years old at that time. Nobody outside of Liverpool or Hamburg had heard of the Beatles, John F Kennedy was a new, young President and the idea of a man setting foot on the moon was science fiction.

All of the scores have been meticulously recorded on a separate page, and the whole collection is placed within the pages of an old hard back exercise book. I just read through it with the same level of excitement with which was gathered all those years ago.

There are some fascinating games too. For the 18th October 1961 there is the Liverpool Floodlit Cup game against Liverpool. Of course there was no league derby then as they were languishing in another place!

There is a fascinating FA Cup 3rd Round Tie against Kings Lynn -

And how about a mid season friendly against Dynamo PS of Kiev -

But to be honest every page is a gem. The condition is hardly mint but that just adds to the charm. It isn't going to re-sell for a fortune but I intend to keep it in the family for my Blue grandkids to enjoy!

For the record; this was Harry Catterick's first full season in charge. We finished 4th in the First Division that was won by Ipswich Town managed by one Alf Ramsey. Top scorer was Roy Vernon followed by Alex Young!

Tim Howard for President

The USA seems to have gone football – real football – mad over the last three weeks.

This hasn’t gone down well in some quarters. Conservative columnist Ann Coulter went as far as to say that her country’s newly found enthusiasm for the beautiful game was a sign of moral decay –

http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2014-06-25.html

She showed her immense wisdom on the subject by going on to say – ‘There are no heroes, no losers, no accountability, and no child's fragile self-esteem is bruised.’ 

I wonder whether she brought to herself to watch last night’s epic encounter between USA and Belgium. Although the USA lost, they were all heroes. None more so than our own Tim Howard. At one point he was keeping Belgium at bay single handed. His sixteen saves in one game is a record for any World Cup. 

His performance has drawn unique praise from the American media –

http://www.mlssoccer.com/worldcup/2014/news/article/2014/07/01/world-cup-usmnt-goalkeeper-tim-howard-sets-world-cup-record-16-saves-vs-belg

The Americans also turned to Twitter to show their admiration.

NBA commentator David Aldridge tweeted –

‘That was incredible. Proud of that US Team and in awe of Tim Howard’.

NFL ‘insider’ Adam Shefter weighed in with –

‘Belgium has been relentless but Tim Howard has been flawless’.

But the best tweet of all came from NBC Weatherman John Morales –

‘Regardless of the outcome…@TimHowardGK for President’.

In a brilliant piece of internet mischief someone changed the Wikipedia entry for Secretary of Defence of United States of America to a biography page about our hero. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, whilst not wanting to approve such acts of vandalism called the move 'exquisite' - 

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/07/tim-howard-wikipedia-united-states-secretary-of-defense

Some fans have even called for Washington Airport to be renamed in his honour -

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/tim-howard-airport-white-house-petition-world-cup-108510.html

Now it was a great performance but that is pushing it a bit far! Imagine if USA had won...

Of course we Evertonians already knew how good he was but it is good to bask in his reflected glory. The individual performance of the world cup from our own Tim Howard. And this after Tim Cahill – still ours at heart - scored the goal of the tournament against Holland.

My only worry is that Barcelona will have taken notice! Or worse still that he will be persuaded to go for the White House. 

Of course Tim was not the only Blue hero last night. Kevin Mirallas was a massive influence when he came on. Lukaku made one and scored one, after a poor World Cup until now. Who knows where his future lies? But for now, he’s one of ours.

But the night belonged to our beloved keeper even in defeat.

The premier league watch out.

We are after you and we now have a future President in our ranks!

Everton - my part in their downfall

We have all been there before. A last gasp equalizer gives the third best team in Cyprus, Apollon Limassol, a precious point against Everton, and we all start to look for answers. How did this happen? Whose fault was it? The manager? The players? Or was it me??

All football fans like to think that they play a part in the success of their team. And that is never truer than with me and Everton. How often is the fantastic support called the extra man? We have all been at games when the ground is rocking and the crowd lifts the team to glory. A certain night involving Bayern Munich comes to mind.

But we also have to hold our hands up and acknowledge those moments when we have been responsible for misery and defeat. I have to confess that I felt that much of the gloom in the 1990s was down to me.

Now we all have our superstitions; the lucky or unlucky scarf. I got one for Christmas in 2013. I wore it for the defeat to Sunderland on Boxing Day and feel nervous about wearing it again…just in case.

But none of this comes near to the damage I have caused by listening to Everton on the radio. The 90s was particularly dark decade.

This is more than just superstition. It is scientifically proven. I think the story began back in the 1960s when I was glued to the radio as we lost 3 – 2 to Nottingham Forest in the 6^th Round of the Cup. Much as I willed us to win it all seemed to go wrong. Then we come to the 1990s.

In January 1996 we were away to Stockport County – an easy game if ever there was one. Me and my son were listening to the game and we were edging to a nervy 2 – 1 win. Then with two minutes to go they equalised. We turned off the radio in disgust. Then, during the one minute it took to get downstairs and check the teletext (remember that?) Ebbrell banged in the winner. Coincidence? Maybe. But almost the same thing happened again in November that year. We were losing the derby at Anfield and seemed to be going nowhere. The radio went off with 10 minutes to go. We checked teletext again and Gary Speed had equalised with 8 minutes left. Now you have to admit that is spooky.

By now I was beginning to avoid this dangerous pastime. But in November 1997 I was caught off guard. 2 – 1 up away to Blackburn with a few minutes left. One of my sons asked me for a lift to Crosby Village which is less than 5 minutes drive. I recklessly switched on the radio in the car. Before we had left our road Blackburn had equalised. Then the penny dropped but before I could switch the radio off, they had got the winner. A miserable 2 – 3 defeat and it was all down to me!!

So this is why I will never listen to Everton under any circumstances. I even think it might be possible for me to walk past a radio and cause us to concede a couple of goals. Listening online is a place to which I will not go!

We all need to do our part for our great team. So if ever I reach an age when I have forgotten this lesson, and you see me listening to a game, you have my permission to take the radio from me and throw it out of the window.

In the meantime, the new away shirt that I wore on Thursday night will stay in the wardrobe this afternoon. 

Goodison - The First Time

I was 11 when I went to my first match at Goodison. For someone brought up in Anfield in the 1960s that makes me a relatively late starter. My mum and dad and brother were all reds. For some reason that never did much for me (born not made?).

Like many of my generation I became obsessed with football following the 1966 World Cup. I can still remember the Brazilian fans in Stanley Park challenging us to a kick about. I was so star struck it might as well have been Pele himself. My uncle Bill was a great Blue – he was at Wembley in 1933 when we won the cup – Dixie Dean and all. But what changed a passing interest in Everton to an all consuming passion was the arrival of one Alan Ball, fresh from that famous win. His two goals in a 3 – 1 win over Liverpool sealed my fate. I was blue for life and he was the idol whose pictures covered my bedroom wall for the next 5 years!

I had met Iggy on the bus travelling from Anfield to school in Wavertree. He was a veteran blue. He had been going to games for at least a year or so. And so it was that, on 12^th November 1966 we went together to the home game against Arsenal. The first thing I remember is that he had the biggest rattle you have ever seen, two or three times the size of the one in the picture.

It took both hands to operate it and it was so loud… It would certainly merit action by the noise abatement society. It was probably a lethal weapon that wouldn't get past the turnstile these days.

As we did the short walk along Priory Road I began to get that feeling of sickness in my stomach that I sometimes still get as the ground gets closer. We paid our 5 shillings and then we were inside Goodison Park. I was spellbound. I had never seen anything like it. We were in the Paddock and stood in the corner near the Park End where the wall was low enough for a couple of 11 year olds to see. In those days the Goodison Road Terrace was massive and seemed like a sea of blue and white. To my right was the Gladys Street end. I remember thinking that, one day, I would be big enough to stand there.

What stood out were the colours, the smells (!) and the music. I saw the Seekers in May this year (they are getting on a bit now) and I could barely control the emotion as they sang – We Shall Not be Moved. And of course there was the Z Cars theme. I was as if I had been translated to another world, like Dorothy and Toto.

But the most abiding memory was during the first half. The ball went out play right in front of us. Who came over for the ball? Golden Vision himself - Alex Young. 

He was no  more than a few inches away from us. With his blond curls and piercing eyes he was like a Greek god. In fact, a few years later, I was in Florence and saw Michelangelo’s David. All I could think of was the features of Alex Young on that first day I saw him. Of course I wouldn’t assume to make any other comparison with the famous sculpture but you get my meaning!

I don’t know whether another memorable moment actually happened or whether memory has elaborated. Did Alan Ball really sit on the ball momentarily whilst surrounded by Arsenal defenders? Probably not but the day was so unreal I would have believed anything.

I cannot remember anything about the game itself. It ended 0 – 0 – something that was to be a feature of Arsenal games in years to come. But it didn’t really matter. This was the start of something that has lasted a lifetime.

Even now, if I am in the Main Stand I look across to that little corner of the old paddock and still remember the excitement of that day. 

Let the unbridled optimism begin

So here is the first post of my new Everton blog.

It may be the middle of June.

The World Cup may just be warming up.

But for most football fans this is the day that the build up to the new season begins. It is the day when the new Premier league fixtures are published. It is the day that sees the start of my wildest optimism. Every year I look down the list of games and am convinced that there is no team in the Premier League, that Everton cannot beat - 

http://www.evertonfc.com/match/premier-league-football-fixtures.html

This will be the season that we march relentlessly to the title leaving all others trailing in our wake.

And looking at the games there have been some great moments of glory over the years. 

We open on 16^th August against newly promoted Leicester City. I was at Goodison Park in November 1968 when we put 7 past them. I was standing in the raised section of the Gladys Street end with my gang on schoolmates. For about 5 seasons we stood in the same spot just by the Boys' Pen! I was just going down with flu and was off sick for a week after the game. But what a day it was. Joe Royle got a hat-trick with one from Alan Ball. The theme from The Good, The Bad and the Ugly topped the charts.

We follow that game up with Arsenal at home on 23^rd August – who remembers the 6 – 1 hammering we gave them in November 1985, less than a year after we beat Man Utd 5 – 0. We play them at home in April.

Then there is the game at home to Stoke City on Boxing Day. I was there in October 1969 when the eventual champions beat them 6 – 2 with Royle and Ball on target again. Interestingly, that was also the day I bought Abbey Road.

The nostalgia keeps on coming. 

In April and May we host Southampton and then Sunderland. We have put 7 past both of them in my time. In fact we banged 8 past the Saints in 1972 with 4 more from Royle - what a striker he was.

So you get my point. We have beaten all of these teams over the years. All we have to do is do it all during one season and the world is ours, with possibly a world record goal difference.

Now you might say that this is unrealistic, blind optimism from an old git who should know better. 

But I bet there are fans across the country who have similar dreams. It is the hope that keeps us going through the rest of the summer while we have to entertain ourselves with cricket, Wimbledon and, this year, the world cup..

Roll on August. Watch out world. Everton are coming!