FAN ARTICLES

Hitting the big 60

By Howard Don :  18/09/2010 :  Comments (18) :

My first game was in February 1960, when I was still a pretty non-committed 9-year-old with an Uncle at Goodison to watch Preston NE, which was a comprehensive 4-0 drubbing of PNE and from that moment I was hooked. Subsequent trips to Goodison were often in the Boys Pen; on one occasion, a group of us from Junior school sneaked off without parental knowledge and the police were nearly called out by the time we got home.

First season ticket was in the Paddock (standing then) for the 62-63 Championship Season, crowds usually in the 50-60,000 range. The clincher game against Fulham at home, 4-1 with Roy Vernon?s hat-trick and subsequent pitch invasion, the team coming out into the director?s box to salute the fans was a fantastic occasion that just wouldn?t be tolerated now.

From there I graduated to Gwladys St where over the years my mates and I had our ?spec? just to the left of the goal. Saw the FA Cup run of ?66, the ?69 Championship and subsequent decline in the ?70s. I went to work abroad in the late ?70s but still knew where to find everybody when home on leave (terracing had its advantages). I came back towards the end of the great run in the ?80s and saw the last league title and subsequent decline to the horror and euphoria of the infamous Wimbledon at home 3-2 survival game.

Since then, we?ve sat in the main stand, and lived in hope! I?m a Moyes fan and firmly believe he?s doing a great job under difficult circumstances; how much longer he can sustain it against the financial odds is in the lap of the Gods, but he deserves support.

For a 60th present, my wonderful stepdaughter has tracked down an Everton programme from every decade of my life and if nothing else they show that some things never change. The Everton v Man City Programme from 6 September 1961, just after Catterick took over, contains an article lamenting the poor start to the season and that it was a mistake to have taken the players on a pre-season tour of the USA as they now appeared ?jaded? . Mr Catterick made no bones about the fact that had he been in charge it wouldn?t have happened. On the positive side we were Champions the following season.

Finally indulge me in naming my ?Mr Everton? of the past 60 years. For me it?s no contest, Colin Harvey stands supreme. A wonderful midfielder, the ?White Pele? was supremely talented and totally committed to the cause. He then went on to be Howard Kendall?s right hand man through the ?80s glory years, then took on the poisoned chalice of replacing Howard as Manager. In his later years, he was an outstanding youth team coach and only resigned from the job he loved because he felt he couldn?t do it justice anymore. Thanks for the memories Colin.

Off tonight to a "surprise" do somwhere or other, most of the guys I suspect will be there are Blues so three points today please Mr Moyes to start things off on a positive note.

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