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Power and The Glory

Paul Power, an unsung hero of the Blues' last League Title in 1987, in conversation with Rob Sawyer reflecting on his 40-year career in football

Paul Power in Conversation with Rob Sawyer

The Spring of 1986 had seen Everton pipped at the post, in cup and league, by Liverpool. Subsequently having lost Gary Lineker to Barcelona, with no stellar replacement in sight, Evertonians were not filled with optimism of regaining the league crown in the 1986-87 season.

However, the big-money purchase of Dave Watson on the season’s eve and surprise acquisition of Paul Power proved to be masterstrokes. The duo were near ever-presents as a patched-up team won the title with games to spare.

Power, after near-misses at Manchester City in the FA and Full Members Cup, finally found himself in a position to win silverware in the Indian summer of career. After retiring in 1988, Paul joined the Goodison back-room staff before subsequent spells with the PFA and his first love, Manchester City.

I caught up with Paul to reflect on his 40 year career in football:

My Mum and Dad were both Man City fans from east Manchester which was a big Blue area; it’s where the new ground is now. From being about 4 years old, every Christmas present I got was football boots or a City shirt. A lot of people supported United as it was the Busby Babes team era but I was brought up a Blue and that’s how I carried on.

My favourite player as a kid was David Wagstaffe but during the halcyon era of the late 60s and early 70s it was Neil Young because he was left-footed like me. They call it the Bell, Lee and Summerbee era but it should be Bell, Lee, Summerbee and Young.

I was brought up in Wythenshawe; there was a square just outside our house and I just used to be out there playing with my ball. I went to a school called St Anthony’s RC Primary School and I was lucky that we had two teachers, who were involved in Manchester Boys and the County FA, that coached and understood football.

I played for Manchester Boys Under-11s but not in the Under-15s team as there was a Manchester United lad called Danny Healy (who went to the same school as Eamonn O’Keefe). I was a late developer physically we did lot’s of fitness work but I’d never get a game at the end – so I got a little bit disillusioned. So I studied for my A-Levels and then played for Manchester Boys Under-18s team and that’s when Harry Godwin, who was a renowned scout, saw me playing and invited me down to Manchester City and that got my football career really going.

I always hoped that I would make it as I was above average but it was a question of getting an opportunity. I went to Leeds University and was able to get home easily to play for the City B team, A team and then the Reserves. So everything worked out well for me and City – if they had had to make a decision on me at 16, it would have been a “no” but they had longer to look at me whilst I was at University.

As soon as I graduated, with a Bachelor of Law, Tony Book signed me as a full-time pro and then, after a pre-season, I made my debut in August 1974 wide on the left. I had a really good attitude and I could run forever; we played 4-4-2 so the wingers were expected to track-back. I did but Peter Barnes didn’t; however Barnesy offered a lot more going forward because of his dribbling skills.

Malcolm Allison made me Captain in 1979 and I kept the captaincy until I left for Everton in 1986. I was 32 and had just signed a one-year contract with City but at the end of that season I’d have got a free transfer. City had Andy Hinchcliffe coming through as an 18-year-old so it was good business on City’s part to get £65,000 from Everton for me.

It was a hard decision but Billy McNeil and Jimmy Frizzell made it pretty clear that they’d accepted Everton’s offer. The only stumbling block was that I was due a testimonial at City but Howard Kendall said “No problem – Everton will play in your testimonial” – so I was an Everton player when I had my City testimonial! Howard showing that he really wanted to sign me really influenced me and made it feel the right decision to move to Everton.

It was easy to blend in as the lads were brilliant. Kevin Ratcliffe was captain but there were five or six in there – notably Peter Reid. For training, Adrian Heath used to drive up from Stoke and pick me up at Knutsford, then we’d collect Dave Watson from Warrington so that made it easier.

When I first came, the two players that impressed me were Trevor Steven and Kevin Sheedy. I’d played with lots of good players at City like Trevor Francis and Dennis Tueart but Trevor and Kevin were different class – better than anyone I’d trained or played with before. In training, Trevor just seemed to know which side I was marking him on – he seemed to have a sixth sense of where players were around him, so he could beat them and score goals.

Sheeds never gave the ball away. In practice games of 4-a-side you’d want him on your team as he never gave the ball away. He had the best left peg ever and it’s a myth that he couldn’t run; in pre-season training, Gary Stevens would always be at the front, maybe with myself and Dave Watson, but Kevin was never near the back.

I had played under a lot of good coaches but at Everton it was the first time I learned how to press up and hold a high line – the full back never drops deeper than the centre back – it was like a new lease of life for me. Howard and Colin were instrumental in putting that programme together. I’d played in some teams at City where people would do their own thing – like Roy of the Rovers and it could be all over the place whereas at Everton there was discipline right through the team. We’d have Reidy and Alan Harper in front protecting us – that was their job. Sheeds and Trevor did their bit to protect us but were their job was to create and score goals. Sharpy and Inchy played off each other, then later on Wayne Clarke came in.

Training was serious but enjoyable. Colin took training and Howard joined in – he was still probably one of the best players. Early on in a practice game he had the ball I made a run on the overlap and shouted “Yes Howard, Howard!”; as I was running back past him he said “Hey – you might be the same age as me but call me boss” – so in the nicest way he laid down the rules.

Howard didn’t promise me 1st team football – I think he was looking for experienced cover for Pat van den Hauwe who had an ankle injury – I assume that Howard knew how serious the injury was. I played at left-back for the first part of the season and then Kevin got injured and I ended up moving forward to left-side midfield. My first game in midfield was at Maine Road and I scored; I think I could have saved my shot – it just crept in the side netting! I always enjoyed scoring but it was difficult to celebrate in front of my mates – I couldn’t run around flailing my arms and rubbing their noses in it.

When Sheeds was fit again, he played in central midfield and Alan Harper was left out. It was a fantastic season for me.

The best game of the whole season was Newcastle away – we absolutely battered them despite them being a decent side. Trevor was unbelievable that day – magnificent and unplayable.

I had an arthritic problem on the outside of my left knee and had a couple of knee injections just to see me through the run-in. Then, as we’d won the league, I thought if I missed the last 2 games of the season it would give me longer to recover ready for the start of next season. They trimmed the cartilage away but it was a bit “bone-on-bone” so they drilled the bones so that they formed a marble surface when it healed. It was never the same afterwards, so the next season I only played about 14 games.

It was a shock to me when Howard left – he was so popular it was unbelievable – but the players knew that Colin would get the job so they were happy with that as well. Colin was the serious one and Terry Darracott was the joker in the dressing room, that was a good combination.

They wanted me to be around and work with Mick Lyons, the reserve team manager, and Graham Smith the youth team coach as I had got my coaching badge in the summer. There was a good group of players then like Eddie Youds and Ian Marshall. I used to play at left-back in the reserves with Lyonsy at centre-back – we just added a bit of experience for the younger players. At the end of that season Colin asked me to work with the first team more which was a massive surprise and I didn’t think it was right as people like Mick and Graham (who worked really hard for the club) would have been better choices as I lacked a bit of experience. Also coaching players that you played with is never easy – for me to tell Graeme Sharp how to make runs into the box is a bit ludicrous really. But that’s what Col wanted and so I was more than happy to work with them.

I think Colin was let down by the Board as all sorts of players were allowed to leave like Reidy, Trevor and Gary. New players were coming in like Pat Nevin, Neil McDonald, Martin Keown and Stuart McCall – there was a little bit of “them and us” with the old school and the new boys. So it was a really difficult for Colin and eventually he lost his job after we lost away at Sheffield United.

When Howard returned I went in to Bellefield as normal and Terry’s gear was hanging up but he wasn’t there – so I thought it was strange. So I went upstairs and Howard pulled me into the office and said, “Listen, I’ve just had to sack my best mate in football and it’s a really difficult morning for me but I’m going to make changes”. He told this to me, Mick Lyons – an Everton Stalwart – and Graham Smith who had worked unbelievably hard with the youth team. When I went to see the Chairman I defended Graham more than myself as I felt he was very unlucky to lose his job.

I then went working for the PFA Community Programme as Area Manager for the North West. I was responsible for ten clubs including Everton. I used to sit on a forum and Bill Kenwright was the director responsible for community activities so I got to know him quite well. I worked for the PFA for 8 years and then I went to City when Franny Lee was Chairman.

I’ve left City now – the new Academy Manager has now come in and the people from Barcelona. I think they want to do things their way; it’s disappointing but they have been very fair with me and I have no complaints.

I’m 60 in October and I’m lucky that I can afford to retire. I bought a house about 8 years ago in Languedoc, France. I Iove it down there – it’s peaceful with lovely weather so I can go for a jog through the vines and chill out a bit. I may do a few bits again in football but I’m in no hurry to work full-time

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