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Christine Foster
1 Posted 17/04/2017 at 06:35:26
For me, Alex Young was saint-like, eulogised even in Sunday sermons, someone revered and special, quite a pedestal to have been placed on all his life...

But his graciousness, deference to others, and just sheer bloody skill made him an ideal that others can only dream about and fans only pay homage to.

In this day and age of modern football, where tackling is outlawed, Alex Young would have been priceless; that such skill was displayed on mud, with sheer thugs attempting to cripple him every week, made that skill divine.

If ever a football stadium was to be named after a player,it should be him, for he personifies all that is good about Everton, for all that is aspired to, all that we believe in.

Football is close to religion in our city; Alex Young was the miracle that to this day turns faith into belief. If his name was bestowed on our new ground, then all the world would know, all the world would see and all the world would ask.."Who is the Golden Vision?"

"La Vision d'Or" has a nice ring to a name for a place of worship...

Rick Tarleton
2 Posted 17/04/2017 at 06:59:40
He wasn't the best player I've ever seen in an Everton jersey, even in his own time in many ways Bobby Collins, Roy Vernon, Tony Kay, Ray Wilson, Colin Harvey, Alan Ball,and Brian Labone possibly had claims to be more effective players.

But and it's one hell of a but, no player ever captured the imagination of me and fifty thousand Evertonians better than Alex Young. Even now fifty odd years later, I have a signed print of Young scoring his first Everton goal at Ewood Park above my desk. To me he epitomises all that I want an Everton footballer to be: skilful, elegant, even noble . He had a grace that no other player ever seemed to have.

When I think of my beloved Everton, Alex Young is the first player I think of. I know that Collins's impact was possibly greater, that Vernon was a more deadly finisher, that Ball and Harvey were and so on. But it's Alex Young who for me is the spirit of all I want Everton to be.

Incidentally, before Loach and Honeycombe christened him "The Golden Vision" wasn't his nickname "The Golden Ghost"? Or is my memory playing tricks?

Brent Stephens
3 Posted 17/04/2017 at 07:50:53
Rick "wasn't his nickname 'The Golden Ghost'? Or is my memory playing tricks?"

Yes, we used to sing "Who's the player with the most, Alex Young the Golden Ghost".

Who's the greatest of them all...?

Rick Tarleton
5 Posted 17/04/2017 at 08:00:36
Thank you, Brent, for that.
Jeff Spiers
6 Posted 17/04/2017 at 08:14:22
Only, but lucky enough, to see him in the flesh 3 times. He was a vision.
Dick Fearon
7 Posted 17/04/2017 at 10:41:15
Rick, I also remember him first as the Golden Ghost.

I often saw him in Maghull where we both lived. He was a reserved quiet sort of bloke and though we never got round to speaking we shared friendly nods as we passed.

Tony Hill
8 Posted 17/04/2017 at 11:41:49
A fine piece. That last Blanchflower quote is so very true.

You mention John Hurst who was at the game on Saturday and remains one of my favourite players, another gentleman of the game. I think you are right that the truly talented are often humble – not always, of course, but often.

Terry Underwood
9 Posted 17/04/2017 at 12:18:10
Alex Young, the heart and soul of Everton Football Club. Always to be remembered with love and pride. The Golden Vision.
John Hughes
10 Posted 17/04/2017 at 12:22:22
Brent:

"Who's the greatest of them all?"
"Little tiny Alan Ball!"

Martin Nicholls
11 Posted 17/04/2017 at 12:52:41
Brent and John – "Little curly Alan Ball"?
Brent Stephens
12 Posted 17/04/2017 at 13:00:52
Martin – curly it was (as I remember it, so that's no guarantee!).
Dave Abrahams
13 Posted 17/04/2017 at 13:32:11
Peter Jones, I am glad you included some quotes from Danny Blanchflower in your excellent article on Alex Young. Firstly because Danny was as cultured as Alex and played the game in the same style, classy and something the spectators could go home talking about for the rest of the week.

Secondly Danny was one of the few footballers who didn't need a ghost writer, so the tributes Danny has made have come from the heart and from his own hand.

Alex Young has left those who saw him many happy memories and you didn't have to be an Evertonian to appreciate the pure quality he provided, as Peter says Alex Young will always be with us.

By the way Danny is not Blanchflower's real name, his Christian name is Robert, he was given the nickname Danny by some one who thought he resembled the American singer and comedian Danny Kaye... never could see the resemblance myself.

Martin Mason
14 Posted 17/04/2017 at 13:44:34
Whatever the relative values of the present and the past, having seen Alex Young was a privilege.
Don Alexander
15 Posted 17/04/2017 at 14:05:12
That last comment by Danny Blanchflower sums up what football should only be about. Play with that attitude and the wins arrive anyway...

Or am I getting old?

Rick Tarleton
16 Posted 17/04/2017 at 14:14:48
Blanchflower wrote that quote which is at White Hart Lane. "The game is not about winning or losing, it is about glory". Hence his biography's title "The Glory Game". He believed it was about the way the game was played and that's why Young is my Everton hero.
Dick Fearon
17 Posted 17/04/2017 at 14:40:39
Tony @ 8,

Hurst plus another – was it Labone? – formed Everton's first experiment with twin centre-halves. That was when British football was trying all kinds of combinations in an attempt at catching up with European clubs.

Tony Hill
18 Posted 17/04/2017 at 14:54:01
Yes, he played alongside Labone. A very strong, fit player who never got the credit he deserved. He just lacked a bit of pace to be regarded as a truly top performer but he was very much part of the 69-70 side and scored in our very first game that season at Arsenal when we won 1-0.

(I remember that game very well for some reason, I used to go home and away in those days but somehow it felt like we were going to do something special that season, right from the start.)

Tony Hill
19 Posted 17/04/2017 at 15:06:03
While talking about that side, I've just had a look at Alan Whittle's goal against the RS at Anfield in 1970. It shows what a good poacher he was (his goal against West Ham after Moore cocked up is also worth a look) and you can see where Tom Davies gets it from. The Anfield goal celebration is very Davies-like.
Terry White
20 Posted 17/04/2017 at 15:42:46
Rick (#2), I have that same photo above my desk as I sit here now. I was at that game at Blackburn when he scored twice.
Dave Abrahams
21 Posted 17/04/2017 at 16:03:28
Tony(19) I remember that goal by Alan Whittle, Inwas in the Kop that day and when Whittle scored thousands of Red fans started leaving the ground, nothing wrong with that but I'm sure there was about twenty minutes to go.

Another thing about that game, Joe Royle scored with a good header in the Kop but the next day in one of the papers Ron Yeats tried to claim an O G by saying he headed it, why would he say that, only thing I can think of is they must have had a bet on it, Who scored.

Phil Bellis
22 Posted 17/04/2017 at 16:05:24
I showed my son a YouTube video of Everton V Man United, 1967 I think : he was amazed to see Alex "tracking back" at right back and dispossessing George Best. Worth looking it up.

The late Freddie Armstrong worshipped Alex and was at Blackpool joining in the jeering of The Catt (he told me that was all it was).

Brian Denton
23 Posted 17/04/2017 at 16:22:59
Phil, that was the first game of the 67-68 season. I was there with my dad, just by the 'Cage'. Unfortunately the camera doesn't pan down to see me..... TV cameras in Goodison Road those days, of course.
Brian Denton
24 Posted 17/04/2017 at 16:25:24
Tony Hill (18), it felt even better when we beat Man Utd home and away in the space of 4 days!
Dave Abrahams
25 Posted 17/04/2017 at 16:32:07
Rick (#16),

Danny worked for the BBC and did the preview for the 1966 FA Cup Final, he finished talking about the two teams and then said. 'So on Saturday, for me, It is Everton for the cup and Wednesday for the middle of the week '

Sure enough at Wembley, some Everton fans had made a huge banner with those words written on it.

Stan Schofield
26 Posted 17/04/2017 at 16:33:01
Phil, I was at that game with my dad, on the Goodison Road terraces on the big step, near the players tunnel, a bit towards Gladwys St.

Some great players on that pitch. Young and Ball together, and Charlton and Best for Utd. Very nice goal from Young.

Brian Denton
27 Posted 17/04/2017 at 17:43:29
Stan, see my comment above. We must have only been a few yards from each other.
Soren Moyer
28 Posted 17/04/2017 at 23:05:01
Alex Young, a true blue..
Mike Dolan
29 Posted 17/04/2017 at 23:27:06
John Hurst was a really solid player for years very underrated in my opinion. Alex Young never got the amount of caps he deserved nor did he get the accolades outside of Merseyside that his ephemeral skills warranted he was pure velvet- what a player.

The sixties were a golden era for great Scottish players Dennis Law, Jim Baxter, Jimmy Johnson, Dave Mackay, John White, Ian St John, John Grieg, Paddy Crerand, Peter Lorimer , Wee Willie Henderson. Back in those days a center forward was expected to be built like a brick shithouse.

Alex Young was way way before his time and he suffered for it.

Roger Helm
30 Posted 19/04/2017 at 07:46:02
There is an obituary of Alex in today's Daily Telegraph, available on the paper's website if you don't want to buy the paper.
Andrew Clare
31 Posted 19/04/2017 at 07:50:43
Mike, You forgot to mention Alex Scott.
David Midgley
32 Posted 19/04/2017 at 09:14:14
Phil (#22), Do you remember the sixties TV show T.H.E. CAT? That's how Catterick got his name.

As soon as you saw Alex coming out on to the pitch, you felt a thrill of excitement and feeling of anticipation. Then, when they ran forward and fanned out you felt as though they couldn't wait to get at at it. I know that I couldn't.

Last year, I couldn't go to the film preview and lunch for him at Goodison but I went there anyway. A taxi pulled up and out he stepped ! He still had that demeanour of a Greek God with that short cropped blonde hair.

I had a picture from the Daily Post for his testimonial against Espanyol in 2001 and said, "Mr Young would you sign my picture for me ? Yes, of course. You people are wonderful!"

"No, Mr Young you're wonderful . You gave me so much pleasure in the '60s" My heart was beating fast and I was that excited I forgot to get my picture taken with him. He still had that effect after all those years and I'm in my seventies .

The caption on the picture summed it up for then and for always:

"Every football club has a Golden Boy. Only one has a Golden Vision."


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