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.