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Who Would You Boo?

By Alun Willis :  02/05/2011 :  Comments (42) :
Two matches over the weekend got me thinking (a rare event these days). The first was Liverpool vs Newcastle. I found it very amusing to hear the ?Toon Army greet the arrival, and every touch, of their "next" legendary Number 9, Andy Carroll, with a pantomime chorus of boos.

In the cold light of day I realised that my football hypocrisy knew no bounds as, only 24 hours earlier, I did exactly the same thing whilst watching Chelsea vs Tottenham (in the privacy of my own home with no witnesses of course). My booing highlighted my satisfying sense of schadenfreude seeing Stephen "Peanut" Pienaar come on for the last 10 minutes for Spurs where he appears to be no more than a bench warmer. I hope that, in his heart of hearts, he regrets his decision to turn his back on his spiritual home: "Go(o)d(ison) is Great".

These two matches made me think about who I have (or would) boo on their return to Goodison? Could I come up with a list of "Toffees Most Wanted?" Who are the ex-Evertonian Villains (some pantomime, some literal)? Could I come up with a Villianous First team?

Well, the answer to that last question is "No". I came up with a list of eight. There are some "no-brainers" in the list, those who come into the Blofeld Super Villain category.

So, purely for fun (don?t call in, your vote won?t count but you may be charged) here is my ex-Evertonian Villian VIII ? those players I would boo, possibly viciously, possibly comically. This list is in strict order of odiosity:?

? Wayne Rooney ("BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" to infinity and beyond!)
? Joleon Lescott ("Boooooooooooooooo!")
? Dan Gosling ("Boo Boo Booooo!")
? Nick Barmby ("Grrrrrrr Boooooo!")
? Olivier Dacourt ("Les Boo?s!")
? Abel Xavier ("Boooooo" to King Neptune)
? Martin Keown ("He?s behind you!")
? Franny Jeffers (Probably wouldn?t boo, would probably just ignore him)
? Stephen Pienaar ("Boo" but in the privacy of my own home)

I think that these are all self explanatory.

To finish on a positive note (the ying to the above yang); here is my top XI ex-Evertonians who I personally cheered (or would have cheered) when they returned to Goodison in others' colours (unless of course if they had returned in the colours of the Red Shites at both ends of the East Lancs Road, in which scenario they would all go onto the Villian list)... In NO particular order (except No 1): -

? Duncan Ferguson
? Yakubu
? Daniel Amokachi
? Lee Carsley
? Andrew Johnson
? Neville Southall
? Alan Stubbs
? Andy Van Der Meyde (don?t ask me why I just had a grudging admiration for the Old Dutch Inebriate and loved it when he sobered up enough "Waco Kid"-like, to play a small cameo)
? Kevin Sheedy
? Tony Cottee
? Glen Keeley (just because I used to go to school with him)

Please note also that I could have chosen a 1st team with subs and a reserve team in this category...

Reader Comments (42)

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Ray Robinson
1 Posted 02/05/2011 at 15:13:01
Notice Gary Speed is missing from both lists. I'm sure he was stitched up when he left.
Joe McMahon
2 Posted 02/05/2011 at 15:19:15
I suppose for the way he handled it Lescott, but he'll be playing CL football next season and has more than doubled his wages. The timing with Rooney was the worst of it, but at Man U he has won many medals that he wouldn't have won staying at Woodison. We are where we are, thats why Rooney, Lescott and Pienaar left.

I think you need to move on Alun, until we get rid of Kenwright and an owner who is willing to put in more than £48 of his own money, it ain't gonna change.
Joe McMahon
3 Posted 02/05/2011 at 15:24:40
Slighly off subject (thinking of Lescott) when City have won maybe 2 Premier League titles, and acouple of Champs Leagues, doesn't it just not seem right that none of it would have happened if the Commonwealth Games hadn't had been in Manchester. Nevermind Ya Ya and Tevez, would Lescott, Barry, Milner have ben crying to join City if they had still been at Maine Rd? There would have been no Shinawatra or Sheikh either.
Richard Harris
4 Posted 02/05/2011 at 15:28:25
Nick Barmby is the only player I have booooed. What would Wayne Rooney have won by staying and where would the club have been financially is he hadn't have been sold ? I don't get how people seem to be glad that Stephen Pienaar is a 'bench warmer'. He played well for us, but Tottenham have more ambition from their board, were in the Champions League, have a good chance of qualifying for Europe and his wage was increased. What does it say about the two clubs that Pienaar would have been one of our first choice players and at Tottenham he is just part of the squad. That shows a failing of our club and not Pienaar.
Brian Lawlor
5 Posted 02/05/2011 at 15:28:30
Why would you boo Dacourt? He got a good reception when he came back with Leeds.

Also, he had the chance to join the shite before he joined Leeds and he said that he would never join them out of respect for us.
Antony Matthews
6 Posted 02/05/2011 at 15:54:55
I know who I'd boo if they ever stepped in Goodison again.... CLATTENBURG or COLLINA!
Trevor Lynes
7 Posted 02/05/2011 at 15:56:13
If everyone followed your example then legendary Goodison players like Collins, Hickson (who went to Liverpool), Beardsley etc etc would get the bird too.

Why do you idolise Duncan Ferguson? He was sent off lots of times and spent a lot of time injured... he doesn't come back to the club like Sharpy, Snodin, Stubbs etc.

When he played, we missed out the midfield and surrendered possesion by playing hoofball. I'm afraid he was never my idea of a great centre forward... he was physical like Davies of Bolton and good in the air like Carroll and Davies but he was no great shakes in my estimation.

Nick Entwistle
8 Posted 02/05/2011 at 16:00:46
Antony, such is the way Wikipedia is open to all, I couldn't help editing Collina's page, giving the Villarreal passage a little more realism... yup, still hurts.
Luke O'Farrell
9 Posted 02/05/2011 at 16:07:27
I wont be booing Gosling when he returns; purely because he isn't/wasn't really that good.

Most fans tend to boo good players who have left for money or more playing time; Pienaar must rue his transfer on a daily basis.
Chris Bannantyne
10 Posted 02/05/2011 at 16:02:30
I would boo Anichebe... But he hasn't gone anywhere (to my dismay).

ps: Before people jump on my back about giving it to one of our own, it was a joke. I would never boo a player wearing the Everton shirt, but I do wish Anichebe would go somewhere else... Anywhere to be honest, even Liverpool can have him.
Luke O'Farrell
11 Posted 02/05/2011 at 16:37:32
Quite a few of the fans booed Victor at Wigan; think people have reached the end of their tether with him. He just looks like he doesn't care and even when he tries he has no real ability.
Denis Byrne
12 Posted 02/05/2011 at 16:47:09
When Duncan McKenzie returned and scored against us for Chelsea the whole ground cheered and sung "We all agree... Duncan McKenzie is magic!" (We were a few goals up at the time.) Genius.

Also, just returned my sons football tournament in Isle of Wight and amazed when Tony Cottee came out to do the presentations! He was asked for his most memorable moments in football and said playing for his boyhood team WHU and scoring a hat trick on his debut for Everton ... I was the only one going mental in the whole auditorium. Great to hear him give the blues a mention in a room full of Manure, Gooners and Chelski blurts, so yeh, give him a cheer too.
Sam Morrison
13 Posted 02/05/2011 at 17:43:26
I wouldn't boo a current player not matter how bad they are ? unless they clearly didn't care. But I would give a couple of the current crop a very stern look.
Andrew McLean
14 Posted 02/05/2011 at 18:02:42
Sam, I'm with you on that. I might even put the effort in to do some serious finger wagging at them as well :P
Phil Bellis
15 Posted 02/05/2011 at 18:11:14
McMahon
Guy Hastings
16 Posted 02/05/2011 at 18:16:12
"...and the brass band plays, 'Fuck off, McMahon, Fuck off, McMahon' "
Andy Crooks
17 Posted 02/05/2011 at 18:33:07
Never boo your own players. What is ever to be gained by it? There are two players for whom booing would be silly. Jimmy Case and Kevin Nolan. Booing? Both of these specimens represent the lowest form of scum ever to play football. Booing them would detract from their just desserts.
Tony J Williams
18 Posted 02/05/2011 at 19:05:19
I saving my vitriolic hate for the ref and the ref alone.......oh and Robbie Savage!
Stephen Leary
19 Posted 02/05/2011 at 20:39:49
I would boo: Speed, Barmby, Lescott, Jeffers, Pienaar, Van der Meyde, Rooney, Gosling, and all Red Shite and Manure players. My applauds would be: Big Dunc, Cars, Pembridge, Yakubu, AJ, Weir, Donovan.
David Price
20 Posted 02/05/2011 at 22:35:29
Denis #12, when Duncan scored for Chelsea at Goodison, he put them 2-1 up, we won the game 3-2. Remember it well Nov 14th 1978 and Gordon Lee criticised us in the press for cheering the goal.
Jamie Sweet
21 Posted 02/05/2011 at 22:52:49
I would boo Kenwright ?- but he loves all that pantomime shit, so I'd probably just tell him to fuck off instead.
Keith Edmunds
22 Posted 02/05/2011 at 23:51:14
Classic Nick, classic.
Ste Traverse
23 Posted 03/05/2011 at 00:22:33
Brian Lawlor. Your latest post shows how out of touch you are.

Dacourt didn't get a 'good reception' when he came back with Leeds (February 2001). He was booed all game and if you dig out your season review of that season, Dacourt put his finger to his lips after he equalized because his goal silenced the booing.
Liu Weixian
24 Posted 03/05/2011 at 06:59:11
Definitely that bald myopic twat Collina.

Totally agree with Chris Bannantyne (#10): The Shite can have Anichebe for free. Please, take him!
Steve O'Malley
25 Posted 03/05/2011 at 08:15:16
I might save my booing for the next home game. I will locate myself as close as possible to the dug out so I can give it to that clown Steve Round for even suggesting that Anichibe "has improved".

That comment in itself shows why we are going nowhere and will continue to go nowhere. How Anichibe managed to get in that team on Saturday ahead of ANY other forward on the bench including Baxter is absolutely beyond my comprehension.

Maybe Steve Round could be Victor's agent and get them both a move to anywhere!!

Alan Clarke
26 Posted 03/05/2011 at 08:19:33
I'll boo any ref that gives us nothing at Goodison, so pretty much every ref's decision every week. It becomes tiresome but we still all do it.
Chris Matheson
27 Posted 03/05/2011 at 09:40:54
It is an interesting feature of Everton supporters that mostly when an ex-player comes back, they always get a decent reception from the home crowd. Interesting and I would say, commendable.

I don't know if this happens elsewhere but my experience of going to away matches suggests that we are pretty unique.

So, to be booed you have to do something special to pee-off the Goodison faithful.

Barmby - Everton got him back into the England squad where he promptly jumped ship across the park.

Rooney - can't argue with his ambition and I am sure Kenwright's role was murkier than we have been led to believe so far, but all this "once a blue" stuff rang very hollow when he left, hence giving him the aura of a traitor.

Speed - another boyhood Evertonian who, I was told, delivered papers to Kevin Ratcliffe on his childhood paper round ( as though that matters??!!). Didn't he leave saying he wanted to go somewhere to win things...thereby dismissing Everton's chances and ambition in a fell swoop and so encouraging the ire of all faithful blues?

Raszinski - I seem to recall that he left and then urged a fellow player to leave to fulfil their ambitions elsewhere? Where is he now?

Perhaps it is those who profess to have the same love for the club as we do (as opposed to being there for purely professional reasons) but who then walk away, and make disparaging comments too.


Finally, congrats to Nick Entwistle - see comment No 8 and follow up on Wikipedia.
Alan Clarke
28 Posted 03/05/2011 at 10:13:39
Nail on the head Chris about them making comments. If a player leaves because the club decides to sell them then they get a good reception. If a player wants to leave like Rooney, Lescott or Barmby then they should incur our wrath.

Rooney kissed his badge in front of the Everton fans. Rooney showed the least respect any ex-player has ever shown us. He could have just kept his mouth shut. Everton raised him and put a lot of work into making him. He still never talks about this, listing Taggart and Sven as the two best managers he's worked with. He also made false claims about our manager.

Speed made comments about joining a 'big club' when he moved to Newcastle implying we were a small club. I also know he was given an absolutely massive signing on fee at Newcastle, which made his decision to leave a very easy one. I have no problems with the fact I shouted greedy bastard at him.

Jeffers was an absolute shitbag, again showing no respect for a club which reared him. Had he stayed, he could have been a great. I'm glad his career ended up where it did.
Chris Regan
29 Posted 03/05/2011 at 12:31:22
I would boo the board everytime. They don't take a wage coz they are amateurs.
Ray Roche
30 Posted 03/05/2011 at 13:14:03
Alan Clarke

Speed was stitched up by Kendall and Johnson at Everton. His failing was in not accepting Kendall's drinking culture that was evident at Everton in those days.

You only need to think of how Speed has looked after himself (physically) to see that he is the ultimate professional. He was, and is, an Evertonian and you should be ashamed of yourself for shouting "greedy bastard" at him.

Ray Roche
31 Posted 03/05/2011 at 13:31:17
Alan Clarke

Incidentally, Alan, you're out of order booing the rest of your list of ex-Everton players.

What's wrong with a snipers rifle in the Main Stand?
Eugene Ruane
32 Posted 03/05/2011 at 15:23:45
I never ACTUALLY booed Terry Darracott, but I always kind of mentally did after he did that 'feet not connected to brain' non-clearance dance against Villa in 1977.

By the way, I'd LOVE to know who did the first ever 'BOOOOOO' and love to know why those who heard it thought, "I don't know why, but that noise really registers disgust and anger, I'm going to do it too".

(I mean why not 'SPLAAAAAH' or 'KREEEEE'?)

Anyway, 'big up' (one for the teenagers there!) to whoever it was.

Like the first person to look at a cow and think "bet we can drink their milk", or the first person to look at a bee's nest and think "bet they've got something in there that tastes fucking great", he/she deserves to be known.
Liam Reilly
33 Posted 03/05/2011 at 15:52:44
Still surprised to this day that Speed gets booed. He never asked to leave, he was truly shafted, but I can?t be arsed providing the link again.

Also surprised to see Abel Xavier getting the bird. Never has there been a footballer cross the Mersey divide with so much indifference from Evertonians. He was shit with us and equally shit with them. Let?s hope a lot more Xaviers cross over in the future.
Frank Key
34 Posted 03/05/2011 at 16:15:19
Chris @10 ? I would cheer Anichebe if he ever came back playing for someone else because that would mean he wouldn't be playing for us anymore!
James Hollister
35 Posted 03/05/2011 at 18:02:13
I'll tell you someone I'd boo.

The head of UEFA for picking this corrupt clown Pierluigi Collina as head of referees...
Ste Traverse
36 Posted 03/05/2011 at 18:28:36
I would boo Rooney even if this twat ever came back to the club. Dumping us at the first opportunity was one thing, but some of the sly comments he's made about EFC since he left leave a sour taste in the mouth.

He's completley airbrushed Everton out of his life.

And his behaviour whenever he plays against us has done nothing but make me hate the cunt even more.
Chris Butler
37 Posted 03/05/2011 at 19:07:23
I think people are simply childish regarding Rooney. He has tryed to create better relationships with Everton fans and amend for his past mistakes but a section of delusional fans can't accept it.

Until 2009, I booed him until he actually made it obvious he still supports Everton. Dream on Ste that he airbrushed us out of his life ? he's made numerous attempts to watch games at Goodison Park but, due a handful of hateful people, he's prevented from doing so. It's pathetic that fans simply can't forgive him; he was 18! Since he's left, we've only got better and he's only got better. The badge kissing was the reaction to fans abusing him.

Joleon Lescott's transfer is totally different; unlike Rooney, he wasn't a young lad, he left for financial reasons to a club with no soul. Manchester City used unscrupolous tactics to sign him, and his behaviour at the Arsenal game was disgraceful, not even applauding fans chanting his name.

Rooney was just a misled young lad but his transfer benefited Everton; Lescott was devious and shady and fully deserves all the abuse he will get on Saturday.

Michael Kenrick
38 Posted 03/05/2011 at 20:33:02
Ste: ? "He's completley airbrushed Everton out of his life."

Is that the same Wayne Rooney who thinks Evertonians are right behind him winning the 19th league title for Man Utd, as a nice snoot cocked Anfield way?

Is that the same Wayne Rooney who attended the 2009 FA Cup Final with his kid all decked out in Everton kit?

Is that the same Wayne Rooney who said, before the 2009 FA Cup Semi-Final: ?There?s always banter between me and the Everton fans but it doesn?t run too deep,? said Wayne Rooney, ahead of Sunday's massive Wembley clash. ?It?s just a bit of banter. All the stick I get makes me want to do better, it tends to drive me on, but it doesn?t bother me that much now because I expect it now whenever I play against Everton. It?s nothing now really.?

I think he needs a new airbrush...


ps: Anyone remember that multi-part Rooney interview on the OS? Was that this season or last? Or even earlier?
Ste Traverse
39 Posted 03/05/2011 at 20:33:03
Is this the same Wayne Rooney who kissed his Manc badge in front of the Park End and consistently makes gestures when he plays at Goodison and ran 50 yards to taunt the away end a couple of years ago at Old Trafford.

Is this the same Wayne Rooney who said before a CL tie 'you don't play in these sort of games when you play for Everton'?

He's a cunt. End of in my eyes.
Stephen Kenny
40 Posted 04/05/2011 at 12:40:35
Well said Ste, 18 is old enough to know who's done you a favour and treat them with the respect they deserve.
Denis Byrne
41 Posted 04/05/2011 at 18:54:08
Dave #20 - blimey, I got that wrong, how weird, I guess that makes it even more amazing that we cheered!
Amit Vithlani
42 Posted 04/05/2011 at 19:38:04
1 ? Alex Nyarko, pantomime villain, boo hiss.

2 ? Slaven Bilic. What a cock.

3 ? Mike Walker.

4 ? Vinny Samways. Second laziest player to wear a blue jersey (see No 1 above for the laziest).

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