Memory Lane – Match 1

If you like nostalgia then this new feature might trigger some good and bad memories and hopefully be of interest to all Blues. Patrick will attempt to publish a potted history from the last 40 years, using his collection of Everton Matchday Programmes as a reference point. His intention, ahead of each game this season, is to look at corresponding fixtures from 10, 20, 30 and 40 years ago.

Forty Years ago: 1973-74 — Match 1

Everton kicked off the 1973-74 season at Elland Road, the home of the mighty Leeds United. The same Leeds United, who had succumbed to overwhelming underdogs, Sunderland at Wembley in a memorable Cup Final earlier in the year.

This season saw the advent of three up and three down from the top flight, the theory of the change was to introduce more competition at the tail-end of the season, when many games where deemed meaningless and thus many fans lost interest and their absence had been duly noted. Don Revie in his programme notes was in favour of this change and he thought it might help to restore falling attendances to the Football League. The Leeds Manager was also upset at recent criticisms, by the media, of his side for their ‘professional’ way of playing the game.

This was Billy Bingham’s first Top Flight game as manager of Everton and in the Leeds programme he described how he couldn’t give the Toffees a straight answer when he was first approached to take over the club. This led to press speculation that Don Revie was ready to quit Elland Road during the close season and consider taking over at Everton. Bobby Robson the likeable and much respected manager of Ipswich Town had also reportedly turned down an offer to become manager of Everton. In the end, Mr Bingham sorted out his affairs in Greece and signed on the dotted line to become the permanent successor to Harry Catterick as Everton’s new Manager.

In a wide ranging interview, Bingham talked of his time in Greece and the trend in football for teams to be more interested in keeping clean sheets rather than trying to outscore the opposition. He went on to say that positivity had got to be the order of the day and that points for goals would be a way to improve the game. As for his first game in charge, he said that "The first match is always important for any new manager because it is only then that he sees if his hard work and ideas are going to bear fruition." Billy then told the interviewer that he and Don Revie were old friends having played in the same Sunderland team for three years.

Unfortunately for Everton and the new manager, the game ended in a 1-3 reverse with Joe Harper scoring a consolation goal for the Blues – not the ideal beginning to Billy Bingham’s career as Everton Manager.

1973-74, First Division: Saturday, 25 August 1973
Leeds United (A); Score: 1-3 (Harper). Attendance: 39,325

Everton: Lawson; Mclaughlin, Darracott, Lyons, Kenyon; Kendall Harvey; Harper, Royle, Buckley, Connolly.

Thirty Years ago: 1983-84 — Match 1

Stoke City were the visitors to Goodison Park in the Blues' first league fixture of 1983-84, in what would turn out to be a memorable season for Everton FC. Howard Kendall in the ‘Team Talk’ feature went over the reasons for the departure of Steve McMahon and the arrival of Trevor Steven. He cites that Everton had to release several youngsters in order to reduce the wage bill with the likes of Mark Leonard, Mark Kearney, John McMahon and Keith Tierney leaving the club and this allowed him to have the funds to purchase Alan Harper and Andy Higgingbottom. There were action pictures of the pre-season game at Walsall where Alan Irvine and Andy King were on target in a 3-0 win.

Stoke City had finished in the top 10 the previous season and their manager Richie Barker was particularly pleased that Stoke City had seen an average increase in attendance of 2,000 in their league games, bucking the recent trend in the top flight of falling attendances. Stoke had bought in Paul Dyson, Robbie James, Robbie Savage (no! Not that one) and Dennis Tueart. They had seen Paul Bracewell sign for Sunderland, Alan Dodd, Loek Ursem and Dave Watson (not the Everton Legend) leave for pastures new. ,P>A feature on Everton’s new kit manufacturer Le Coq Sportif was prominent with Mark Higgins posing on the front cover in the new shirt. A new shirt ranged in price from £9.99 to £12.99 depending on size. If you wanted to travel by coach to future Everton away fixtures you had to be a member of the Everton FC Executive Club Travel at the cost of £1. Hot and Cold drinks and video were on offer along with onboard toilet facilities. To travel to Arsenal it would cost £14 while a fiver would get you to Old Trafford.

Peter Reid was the player featured in Fact File where he said that a player for the future was a young player at Everton named Jimmy Coyle – what happened to him I wonder? Peter sais that his favourite food and drink was seafood and a bacon sandwich whilst he enjoyed a pint of bitter. That wouldn’t go down well today, Peter... well, maybe it would, but it wouldn’t help with the fitness.

As for the game, Howard Kendall bemoaned Stoke City’s style and he said that they were similar to Watford in that they belted the ball forward and missed out the midfield. Derek Mountfield made his home debut, Trevor Steven his first top-flight appearance, and Alan Harper made his first ever league appearance as they debuted for the Blues. Graeme Sharp was the toast of Goodison as he scored the winner in a narrow 1-0 victory.

1983-84, First Division: Saturday, 27 August 1983.
Stoke City (H) Score - 1-0 (Sharp) Attendance: 22,658

Everton: Arnold; Harper, Bailey, Mountfield, Higgins; Richardson, Steven, Heath; Sharp, King, Sheedy.

Twenty Years ago: Match 1 — 1993-94

The Dell welcomed Everton to open the 1993-94 campaign, the 40th successive occasion Everton had been part of the opening fixtures in the top-flight and Southampton were the opponents. Howard Kendall was at the helm but he had lost his prize asset Peter Beardsley to Newcastle United for a fee in the region of £1.5M. So the Goodison Park faithful had seen the talented Beardsley score his final Premier League Goal for Everton at Maine Road, if they had been there to witness the 5-2 demolition of Man City on the last day of the previous season.

Rumours had abounded all summer that Everton were for sale for the princely sum of £5M and that the Manager Howard Kendall was going to turn his back on the club to return to Bilbao. Neither of these rumours appeared to have much basis in reality. With no replacements incoming for the talented and popular Beardsley, Everton’s morale on and off the pitch was beginning to suffer. According to the Saint's match-day programme, Everton’s Chairman Dr David Marsh had told Mr Kendall that money was available to buy new players and that was partly due to Everton announcing profits of £991,444 — although it didn’t say whether this was before or after Beardsley’s sale.

It also said that the three players Kendall was after all failed to join Everton and either remained where they were or joined other clubs. Players who made up the list were identified as Mark Bright who remained with Sheffield Wednesday, Brian Deane who joined Leeds United and a certain Duncan Ferguson who moved to Glasgow Rangers. Whether these were rumours or the truth it is hard to tell but the article added that Kendall also put in a failed bid for Niall Quinn who played for Kendall’s previous club, Manchester City.

Ian Branfoot, the manager of Southampton, in his programme notes, sensed an air of optimism and exuberance running throughout the south coast club following the refurbishment of The Dell. The need for a good start was highlighted as the Saint’s had only escaped relegation by a single point in the previous season and Everton had made an inauspicious start to the inaugural Premier League season, finishing in a lowly 13th place. To be fair, the 1992-93 season had been a competitive one with only 10 points separating Liverpool in 6th place and relegated Crystal Palace in 20th place, out of 22 in the new league.

Despite the gloom and doom of the summer, Everton got off to a flyer at the Dell and ran out 2-0 winners with the goals coming from John Ebbrell and Peter Beagrie to earn the Toffees three points. So the long journey for Evertonians had been rewarded with what would prove to be an invaluable three points for the Toffees.

1993-94, Premier League: Saturday, 14 August 1993
Southampton (A); Score: 2-0 (Ebbrell & Beagrie). Attendance: 14,051

Everton: Southall; Holmes, Jackson, Snodin, Watson; Ablett, Ward, Ebbrell; Cottee, Rideout, Beagrie.

Ten Years ago: 2003-04 — Match 1

The 2003-04 season opened with a trip to Highbury to face Arsenal, the FA Cup holders. A week prior to the game, Arsenal missed out on adding the Charity Shield to the FA Cup as they lost on penalties to reigning Champions Manchester United at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

No marquee signings had been made during the summer by either club, but the arrival of a certain Mr Abramovich at Chelsea would certainly shake the world of Premier League football, and beyond, for the decade to come. Ironically it was Chelsea’s defeat of Liverpool in the final game of the previous season which helped Chelsea to gain a place in the Champions League. An achievement which it is thought; had convinced Mr Abramovich to purchase Chelsea.

As for Everton, they had narrowly missed out on Europe following a 2-1 defeat at Goodison to the Champions, Manchester United, although in truth just one win in the last five games of the season had undermined their challenge. At the end of the season, Blackburn Rovers had pipped Everton by a single point for a place in Europe as Everton finished in a ‘Magnificent Seventh’ place.

Of those players to arrive at Goodison, Joseph Yobo and Le Tie both signed longer term contracts following successful loan periods. Kevin McCleod had been released to join QPR. Arsenal had signed Jens Lehman, Gael Clichy and a certain Philippe Senderos.

Everton celebrated its 125th anniversary during 2003-04 and rightfully made a big effort to promote the theme during the campaign. Optimism was the order of the day and Season Ticket sales had been limited to a maximum of 28,000 for the team that had that rather exciting and mercurial youngster in their ranks: Wayne Rooney. Rooney had scored a goal in each of the fixtures against Arsenal in the previous meetings of the clubs, firstly at Goodison with the famous ‘remember the name’ goal that had brought to an end Arsenal’s magnificent unbeaten run, and then a consolation goal in the return match at Highbury.

But on the opening day there would be no repeat as Rooney only entered the fray when replacing Tobias Linderoth on 57 minutes which was enough time for the youngster to earn a yellow card and little more – Everton lost out narrowly to Arsenal by two goals to one. Both teams were reduced to ten men as Sol Campbell (25') and Le Tie (87') were sent off. Thierry Henri had opened the scoring with a penalty awarded by referee Mark Halsey and then Robert Pires made it 2-0 shortly after Rooney had come on as substitute. Tomazs Radzinski scored the consolation goal for the Blues in the 84th minute.

2003-04 Premier League Saturday, 16 August 2003
Arsenal (A); Score: 1-2 (Radzinski). Attendance: 38,014

Everton: Wright; Watson, Pistone, Yobo, Stubbs; Unsworth, Gravesen, Linderoth, Pembridge; Chadwick, Radzinski.

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