Fans Comment
Phil Roberts

Ten Years Ago Today
21 November 2004

Big Dunc

Ten years ago today, I had my 40th birthday.

It was a Monday night.  I was quite depressed.  40 was a bad age.  Could I get enough Philisan to fortify the over-40s?  My wife was teasing me about the bald spot at the back of my head.  The waistline was expanding faster than my salary.  And then there was Everton.  I had just taken my eldest to his first ever game, at home to Coventry City.  It was the first time I have ever cried at the end of an Everton match.  We just didn’t have a clue.  My eldest was overjoyed, he had at last come to Everton and one of the stewards even let him walk on the pitch after the match was over.  I just tried to hide my tears.  My beloved Everton, failing, dying.

Four months earlier I had been sitting at home agonising.  We needed to beat Wimbledon.  At half time I could stand it no longer, I went out and started working in the garden.  Anywhere but away from any comments in the house as the kids checked Ceefax.  I knew what was going to happen and I only wanted to know when it was all over, rather than live a thousand deaths as time ticked away with hope fading by the minute.  In my heart, I couldn’t see them doing it.  Then my wife came into the garden with the cordless phone and it was my mate from East London, a Hammers fan and a long-time friend.  Well he was until then.  "Thank you for ringing Dave and rubbing it in," was all I could say.  But I couldn’t; he was too busy saying “Congratulations on 41 consecutive years in the 1st division”.  They must have heard the scream at Goodison and we live 40 miles away.

But it was a false dawn.  That day against Coventry showed how bad we were.  There was no skill, no organisation and no passion.  We were rooted at the bottom and the only way was not up.

You see it mattered to me.  I was born to an Everton supporting father, 4 months after Everton were promoted from the Second Division and so, in the whole of my life, we had always been a top division side and I didn’t want the feelings that the other third of Merseyside had until 1962.  I was there on the back row of Gwladys Street Stand in May 1963 when we beat Fulham to win the League, but the enormity of the moment was too much for me to understand.  I missed my second game of the 1969-70 season when I was in London on a school trip and my Mum saw us beat WBA 2-0.  I rushed over from my work in Leeds when we played West Ham in 1984-5 to see the trophy presented, something I had missed 15 years earlier.  I had seen the high spots, but now I was seeing the lows.

So on the Monday night, my wife took me to the best restaurant in Chester and we decided I was only 40 once in my life; instead of the Brasserie, we splashed out a bit more and went into the Michelin starred restaurant.  The food was excellent, the company magnificent and the atmosphere calm and peaceful.  We paid, left, walked back to the car and came home.  As my wife was seeing out the baby sitter, I checked Ceefax.  For the whole of the evening I had been relaxed, now was the time to spoil the mood.

Has my eyesight gone and I have only just turned 40?  But NO!  Thank you Joe Royle.  Thank you Duncan Ferguson.  Thank you Paul Rideout for the best possible 40th birthday present.  We were off the bottom of the league.  WE HAD JUST BEATEN LIVERPOOL 2-0!!!  It was the night “the Dogs of War” were born.  John Ebbrell was brought back and first half we snuffed them out.  David Unsworth was fantastic, reading the game, pace, skill on the ball beating players (where and when did he go wrong?).  Matt Jackson went off injured at half time and Paul Rideout came on and we battered them.  On the hour, Daniel Amokachi had shot saved by David James and Andy Hinchcliffe’s right-wing corner was headed home for his first ever Everton goal by Duncan.  Twenty minutes later Paul Rideout, on his own, only the goalkeeper to beat puts it against the post.  Remember, we are Everton, we don’t do easy.  We sat back in the last 10 minutes and it all got nervy, but then James missed a punch when challenged by Duncan and the ball fell to Paul Rideout who made it 2-0.  Then the whistle blew.

My Christmas present or birthday present the following year from the kids was the video of the match.  Every now and again I watch it to remind myself of that wonderful 40th birthday.  You do get the most wonderful presents.

10 years ago today.  21 November 1994.  I’ll always remember that day.  We were now third from bottom. 

But it is even better being 50 – we’re third from top!

ps: Dave Watson was 43 yesterday. Happy Birthday Dave.

Phil  Roberts

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