Column

Memory Lane – Match 34

Matches against Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea

Forty Years Ago – 1973-74

Chelsea had been struggling at the wrong end of the table for most of the season but a recovery had transpired and they found themselves firmly in mid-table when they arrived at Goodison Park to take on Everton.

A two-page feature in the matchday magazine entitled Club Talk focussed on the popular and extremely talented Everton player Tommy Wright. Tommy had been forced to retire from the game due to a serious knee injury.

Tommy had made his Everton league debut on 17 October 1964 against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road and Tommy said “I don’t think I shall ever forget it, for we drew 1-1 and the significant thing was that it was my bad back pass that gave away their goal. What a way to start a professional career!” Alex Scott had scored for Everton in that match and it had been Ray Charnley who had taken advantage of Tommy’s bad back pass as 31,855 people observed.

Everton’s official website synopsis of Tommy’s career reads:

Wright was born and bred in Liverpool and won England schoolboy honours before joining Everton. He made his debut in 1964, aged 19, and played in the 1966 FA Cup final triumph at Wembley. He made his England debut in 1968 and won 11 caps for his country, including appearances in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. He was a solid defender who was an ever-present in the 1969-70 Championship-winning campaign. Eventually, injuries took their toll and Wright was forced into retirement in 1974.
Apps: 371 Goals: 4

Wikipedia reads:
He joined Everton as an apprentice in 1964 and made 373 appearances at right back and scored four goals. Wright played in the winning team in the 1966 FA Cup Final, in the unsuccessful team in the 1968 FA Cup Final and in all 42 league games in the 1969/70 season when Everton won the Football League Championship by nine points.

Wright has often been described as the best right back to play for Everton. (Another candidate for this honour is Keith Newton who Everton usually played at left back and another is Gary Stevens) George Best once described Wright as his most difficult opponent.

International career Wright made twelve appearances for England including the classic match against Brazil in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Wright made his debut for England in the game in which England beat the Soviet Union in the third place match in the 1968 European Football Championship in Italy, the only player to make his England debut in a European Championship finals match.

Although the magazine says that the game against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road was where Tommy made his Everton debut the record shows that he made his first appearance for the club in the European Fairs Cup tie against Norwegian outfit Valerengens (4-2) at Goodison Park on the 14 October 1964 in a first round second leg victory. Alex Young (15', 61') scored twice while an own goal by Jacobsen (66') and another from Roy Vernon (87') ensured Everton’s safe passage to the next round. For the record the visitor’s scorers were Eriksen (32') and Olsen (35').

The first-leg was played at the Bislett Stadium situated in Oslo, Norway– which had hosted the 1952 winter Olympics - Everton had beaten Valerengens (2-5) with the goals being scored by Fred Pickering (36', 71') with two, Colin Harvey (77'), Derek Temple (84') and Alex Scott (89’). Larsen (26' pen) and L Eriksen (46') had given the home side a surprise 2-1 lead just after half-time. But the late flurry of goals for the Blues had given Everton an unassailable first leg lead. Everton won the tie (9-4) on aggregate.

Tommy reflected on the club he represented so proudly and the players that he counted himself very fortunate to have played with, he said that “Ray Wilson was the type of player that every young full-back tried to model himself on. “He was out on his own as far as I was concerned.” Brian Labone according to Tommy was a great club man, great captain and a fine centre-half and he added “I don’t think the club have had a better stalwart or servant than “Labby” in all their years’ history.” Then of course there’s the one and only Alec Young, the famed “Golden Vision”. He was a classical player with so much skill and ability that at times it just didn’t seem true. How much, I wonder, would a player of like ability fetch in the transfer market at present? It would be bound to break records.

Looking back on the 1970 Championship winning side Tommy described Kendall, Harvey and Ball as “pure poetry – poetry at “sound-barrier” speed” and Tommy said that he had the good fortune to play behind one of the greatest midfield sections that football has ever seen.

Tommy said that some people may be surprised that the FA Cup Final victory over Sheffield Wednesday was not his personal career highlight as he felt that he hadn’t had a good game that day, so his highlight was the night that Everton won the Title against West Brom at Goodison in 1970. Everton were very confident of beating Albion that night and he said “we weren’t wrong – we murdered them and they knew it.”

Tommy thanked Everton Football Club and its supporters for their kindness and support throughout his career but especially since he had sustained his injury. Tommy said “The way the club have helped me through my present difficulties has been typical of the club motto. Nothing but the best is good enough for the supporters and nothing but the best is afforded to every player on the staff.”

Tommy Wright scored his first goal for Everton at the Dell when the Toffees had beaten Southampton (2-5) and his final goal for the club came in the victory over Manchester United (1-0) at Goodison in February 1971 when Tommy scored the only goal of the game in the 21st minute of the match in front of 52,544 spectators.

Tommy’s last appearance for Everton had been in a defeat by Wolves (4-2) at Molineux on 14 April 1973. Tommy Eggleston had been Everton’s caretaker manager and Terry Darracott had been the substitute who had to come on for the injured Tommy Wright.

Joe Harper and John Connolly had scored for the Blues but a hat-trick from John Richards and another goal by Kenny Hibbitt meant that Tommy’s career had ended with a defeat for his beloved club. Tommy hoped that as many people as possible would attend his benefit game with Glasgow Rangers which was scheduled to be played on 01 May 1974.

The Match: Mick Bernard made amends for his penalty miss at Turf Moor by giving Everton the lead at the beginning of the second half, but that lead lasted a little under ten minutes as Bill Garner (54’) equalised for Chelsea and the Toffees had to settle for yet another draw.

1973-74 — First Division; Saturday, 23 March 1974
Chelsea @ Goodison Park, Score: 1-1 (Bernard) Attendance: 29,542
Everton Lawson; Darracott, Seargeant, Hurst, Kenyon; Clements, Bernard, Buckley; Lyons, Jones, Connolly

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Thirty Years Ago – 1983-84

Everton’s final fixture prior to their FA Cup Semi-Final with Southampton saw them take on Arsenal at Goodison Park. Arsenal had beaten Everton (2-1) at Highbury the previous November and would be keen to complete the league double over Everton.

Last season’s corresponding fixture had resulted in defeat for Everton (2-3) by Arsenal, the game was played on Saturday 26 March 1983 in front of 16,138 spectators. Alan Ainscow opened the scoring after only two minutes and Everton went into the break a goal to the good. But two quick strikes in the opening ten minutes of the second period by Stewart Robson (52’) and Alan Sunderland (56’) turned the match upside down as Arsenal took the lead. Adrian Heath (70’) restored parity with twenty minutes remaining but Tony Woodcock (76’) scored what turned out to be the winning goal just six minutes later. Everton: Arnold; Stevens (Irvine), Bailey, Ratcliffe, Higgins; Richardson, Ainscow, McMahon; Sharp, Heath, Sheedy.

Everton’s last victory over Arsenal at Goodison Park had occurred in April 1982 when a crowd of 19,136 had witnessed goals from Adrian Heath and Billy Wright cancel out Graham Rix’s goal for Arsenal as the Blues secured the victory.
Everton: Southall; Stevens, Walsh, Higgins, Wright; McMahon, Irvine, Heath; Sharp, Richardson, Ross.

The matchday magazine notified fans that if the Semi-Final with Southampton ended in a draw after extra-time the replay would take place at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on Wednesday 18 April with a kick off time of 7.45pm. Ticket prices varied from £4 for a terrace ticket to £8 for the most expensive seats.

British Rail advertised their prices for the trip to Highbury and it would cost £10.50 return with a pound off that price if you had a young persons travel card.

Everton’s Youth side had progressed to the FA Youth Cup Final by beating Barnsley in a two-legged Semi-Final. In the quarter-final Everton had beaten Newcastle United (2-1) at Goodison Park despite the fact that the Magpies had taken the lead in the opening minute of the game. Thanks to Ashington born forward Rob Wakenshaw - Everton prevailed to reach the Semi-Final stage. Rob’s goals both came in the second period, the first had seen Rob run virtually half the length of the pitch to equalise and his second and ultimately winning goal came fifteen minutes from time when he scored with a header following a corner. Graham Smith described the match as ‘a scratchy battle’.
Everton: Hall; Oldroyd, Marshall, Macowat, Hughes, Walsh, Hood, Fielding (McKenzie), O’Brien, Wakenshaw, Rimmer N.

The first leg of the Semi-Final with Barnsley took place at Goodison Park on Tuesday 27 March the only goal of the game had been scored by Neil Rimmer. Graham Brindle – son of former Everton player Billy Brindle - had to deputise for Derek Walsh in midfield as Derek had been suffering from a virus which had seen the youngster lose six pounds in weight in only a couple of days. Coach Graham Smith had been pleased with his team’s performance and especially their commitment in the face of a physical Barnsley team. Graham added that “We managed to play a bit of football and I think we deserved to win on the night.”
Everton: Hall; Oldroyd, Marshall, Macowat, Hughes, Brindle, Hood, Fielding, O’Brien, Wakenshaw, Rimmer N (McKenzie).

In the return match at Oakwell Everton had to make enforced changes as Ian Macowat and Graham Brindle had joined Derek Walsh on the treatment table but the rejigged team had kept Barnsley at bay to preserve their slender first-leg lead until the final moments of the game when Barnsley equalised with the last kick of normal time to take the game to extra-time. But John Hood hit a 25 yard shot that soared over the keeper and into the Barnsley net to give Everton an aggregate lead which they held on to give them a two-one aggregate win and reach the final of the competition.

Coach Graham Smith had been surprised that it had been John Hood who had scored the winning goal and he said “John doesn’t score many goals and I wouldn’t have picked him to get the winner – as in training John had been hitting his shots all over the place. Graham also said that he reminded his players that they were only playing 11 lads from Barnsley as he didn’t want the youngsters feeling like they were taking on the 5,000 fans in the stadium as well. Graham concluded by saying “I wouldn’t say that we played well, but didn’t do too badly, and over the two games, I felt that we were the better side.”
Everton: Hall: Oldroyd, Marshall, O’Brien, Hughes, Richmond, Hood, Fielding, Diggle, Rimmer N (McKenzie), Wakenshaw.

The Match: Despite the lack of goals in this game, Howard Kendall was pleased with his team he said “We were never under any illusions….Arsenal are a good side on a good run, with a lot of quality and the organisation to make things difficult for the opposition. Although we had to settle for 0-0 in the end, I was delighted by our performance and thought that we played very well. We restricted Arsenal to probably only one scoring opportunity and Neville Southall was able to deny Charlie Nicholas. The only fault was in our finishing. Howard Kendall and all the Evertonians would be hoping that the players would find their shooting boots by the following Saturday at Highbury.

1983-84 — First Division; Monday, 9 April 1984
Arsenal @ Goodison Park, Score: 0-0 Attendance: 21,174
Everton: Southall; Stevens, Bailey, Ratcliffe, Mountfield; Reid, Curran, Heath; Sharp (Steven), Gray, Richardson.

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Twenty Years Ago 1993-94

Yet another must win game saw Tottenham Hotspur arrive at Goodison Park as the two famous clubs struggled for victories in the Premier League. Everton were three points above the Londoner’s at kick-off time and if they could manage a win it would go a long way to securing their top-flight status

Manager Mike Walker had re-shuffled his pack in recent days as he had allowed Mark Ward to go out on loan to Birmingham City and he had sold Peter Beagrie to Manchester City in a deal worth £1.1m and those deals created the room in his squad to bring in Anders Limpar from Arsenal for £1.6m and Joe Parkinson from Bournemouth for a fee in the region of £700k. Billy Kenny had also been released by the club, and Mike Walker explained that “Kenny had gone through a few problems before I arrived, and I was prepared to forgive and forget as long as he did not step out of line again. For a month or so that was the case, but unfortunately things then took a turn for the worse.” Walker went on to say that Kenny hadn’t refused to be a substitute in a recent reserve match and had missed that game through injury which the player had sustained during the warm-up. He also stated that Everton FC retained Kenny’s registration and if Billy was to move to another club, Everton would have to be recompensed for his services.

Everton would be hoping to fare better in today’s encounter with Spurs than they had the last time the North London club had visited Goodison Park in February 1993 when the visitors had beaten Everton (1-2). Gary Mabbut (26’) had given Spurs the lead but three minutes later Kenny Samson (29’) equalised for the Toffees, but Paul Allen (69’) regained the lead for Spurs and they left Goodison Park with all three points. Everton: Southall; Harper (Johnston), Sansom, Jackson, Watson, Ablett; Kenny (Preki), Beardsley, Cottee, Rideout, Horne.

The last occasion that Everton had beaten Spurs at Goodison had occurred in October 1991 when Tony Cottee scored a hat-trick. Tony Cottee (14’) opened the scoring but former Blues star Gary Lineker (17’) equalised just three minutes later. Everton were awarded a penalty and Tony Cottee (21’) stepped up to score from the penalty spot and six minutes later Tony Cottee completed his hat-trick (27’) and that had been the end of the scoring as the home side beat Spurs (3-1) in front of 29,505 people.

Everton: Southall; Harper, Ratcliffe, Ebbrell, Watson, Keown; Warzycha, Beardsley, Cottee, Sheedy (Atteveld), Ward (Newell)

Everton’s largest victory over Spurs at Goodison Park had occurred in the 1976-77 campaign when Bob Latchford had opened the scoring and Andy King had converted a penalty, Martin Dobson added a third and Mike Lyons (86’) scored in the later stages of the game as Everton earned both points in a handsome home victory.

One of the most important fixtures between the two sides at Goodison Park had occurred in April 1963 as both sides were vying to be Champions of England. 67,550 people packed into Goodison to witness the heavyweight clash and Evertonia in the following season’s programme reported:

This game was one of the most exciting games seen at Goodison Park last season. Everyone knew what significance the game had as regards the League Championship. It was popularly thought that the team to win this game would ultimately win the Championship. A near-capacity crowd saw the encounter.

Both teams soon found their feet but it was Tottenham who found their way to the goal in the early stages. Fortunately the Everton defence stood up well, and then gradually Everton got on top.

After twenty-minutes Alex Young headed in what transpired to be the winning goal and all Goodison erupted with delight. After that Everton had several good chances to go further ahead - indeed they were most unfortunate not to score again. The woodwork was hit on several occasions.

At the other end, however, Everton had a few narrow escapes - notably in the closing minutes when Bobby Smith seemed to be through but lost the ball to Brian Labone.

At last the whistle blew and the strain of both players and fans was over. We virtually had one hand on the Championship trophy.

Everton: West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey.
Spurs: Brown; Baker, Henry; Smith J, Marchi, Mackay; Jones, White, Smith R, Greaves, Dyson.

As well as Tony Cottee’s hat-trick in 1992 other Everton players to achieve this feat had included Joe Clennell (away) in September 1914, Wilf Chadwick (home) in April 1924, William Ralph Dean (home) in December 1934, Jimmy Harris (away) in October 1958 and Fred Pickering (home) in August 1964.

The Match: Anders Limpar made his Goodison Park debut for Everton, and Mike Walker’s son Ian Walker kept goal for the visitors, but it was Steve Sedgley (70’) who scored the only goal of the game that consigned Everton to their third successive Premier League defeat and the first at Goodison during Mike Walker’s brief tenure. Tottenham climbed above Everton with this victory and Everton were beginning to look likely candidates for the drop as they continually failed to take their opportunities and were often punished for defensive lapses.

1993-94 — Premier League; Saturday, 26 March 1994
Tottenham Hotspur @ Goodison Park, Score: 0-1 Attendance: 23,580
Everton: Southall; Jackson, Snodin, Watson, Hinchcliffe; Stuart, Horne, Ebbrell, Limpar: Rideout (Angell), Cottee.
Unused Sub: Kearton, Preki.

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Ten Years Ago 2003-04 Match 34

Paul Rideout had been the last Everton player to score a winning goal for the Toffees at Stamford Bridge back in November 1994, shortly following Joe Royle’s appointment as Everton manager. Since that victory Everton had secured draws on three occasions, and in total Everton had only left Stamford Bridge with all the points on a dozen occasions in the entire history of the fixture. So it was with trepidation that Everton and their supporters went into this vital fixture which would help to determine the club’s fates at both ends of the table.

Prior to that Paul Rideout winning goal, Everton had previously been victorious in the 1990/91 campaign when they had beaten Chelsea (1-2) at Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day 1991 thanks to an own goal by Chelsea’s Jason Cundy.

Bobby Campbell’s Chelsea had opened the scoring in the tenth minute courtesy of Kevin Wilson (10’) but Graeme Sharp (13’) had restored parity just three minutes later. Early in the second period Jason Cundy (50’) had put through his own goal and that had been enough to secure a rare Everton victory at Stamford Bridge.

Everton: Southall; McDonald, Hinchcliffe, Ratcliffe, Watson; Ebbrell, Nevin, McCall; Sharp, Sheedy, Beagrie
Unused Subs: Keown, Newell

Everton’s last point at Stamford Bridge had been gained in the fixture played on March 11 2000 when a Danny Cadamarteri goal had earned a draw (1-1) for the Toffees. The BBC reported that:

Chelsea were punished for a lacklustre display at Stamford Bridge as Everton equalised late-on to take away a well-deserved point. The result damages the London side's bid to stay in touch with Leeds and Manchester United at the top of the table. In-form Dennis Wise put the Blues ahead before the interval, only for the home side to squander the advantage to a Danny Cadamarteri goal.

After a workmanlike first-half, Chelsea relaxed in the second 45 minutes and failure to clear the long throw that led to Cadamarteri's goal typified their approach. Wise was once again the home side's stand-out player, netting after just 29 minutes - his second goal in the space of four days following his winner against Marseilles in the Champions League on Wednesday.

But perhaps even more alarming than Chelsea's defensive weaknesses is the continuing lack of goals up front, as Tore Andre Flo, Chris Sutton and Gianfranco Zola once again failed to net. None of them has scored in the league since 4 January and they rarely looked like troubling Everton all day.

The rotation system was once again in effect as Thome, Roberto Di Matteo, Sutton and Jon Harley coming in for Marcel Desailly, Didier Deschamps, Flo and Gus Poyet. Chelsea enjoyed two chances early on, with Wise putting it over the bar and Zola grazing the post from a free-kick.

The score just before the half-hour came as Di Matteo split the visitors' defence, delivering the ball to Sutton who chipped on to Wise for an easy conversion. An understrength Everton did little better before the break. Only Cadamarteri created any danger to beat Frank Leboeuf twice and trouble Ed de Goey once.

The home side took its foot off the gas after the interval and the Merseyside club responded by equalising. Sutton missed the ball in the air from a long throw, whereupon it fell to Cadamarteri whose turn-and-volley gave the Chelsea keeper no chance.

Chelsea: De Goey, Ferrer, Thome, Leboeuf, Harley, Di Matteo, Wise, Morris, Babayaro, Sutton, Zola.
Subs: Poyet, Ambrosetti, Flo, Cudicini, Terry.
Everton: Gerrard, Dunne, Gough, Weir, Collins, Barmby, Xavier, Hughes, Pembridge, Cadamarteri, Moore.
Subs: Myhre, Watson, Gemmill, Jevons, Ward.
Referee: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill)

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Kevin Hitchcock recalled how Tony Cottee had lost a £10 bet with Dennis Wise when Hitchcock had saved Tony’s penalty kick. Clive Allen had scored the only goal of the game in the FA Cup tie at Stamford Bridge and following the game Dennis Wise had gone looking for Tony Cottee in the bar later, but Tony didn’t pay him the £10. According to Kevin Hitchcock, Dennis Wise had a similar bet with Eric Cantona in the 1994 FA Cup final.

The Match: A goalless draw earned the Blues a valuable point from a venue which had provided little in the way of success over the years - should be viewed as a point won rather than two points dropped and as the BBC website reported the Blues were perhaps fortunate to take a point back to Goodison.
Chelsea created numerous chances, with Nigel Martyn saving from Adrian Mutu and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink. Mutu should have scored with a six-yard header; Hasselbaink went close from long range, while Lampard hit the woodwork with a chip and a low drive. Wayne Rooney was Everton's main threat, the striker denied by Marco Ambrosio from six yards and almost capitalising after an error from Robert Huth.

Chelsea went into the fixture knowing Manchester United's defeat to Portsmouth earlier in the day gave them the opportunity to extend their lead to six points in the race for second place. The draw leaves them four points clear of United, who have a game in hand on Claudio Ranieri's team. Everton have a poor record at Stamford Bridge but the result takes them seven points clear of the relegation zone.

True to form, Ranieri rang the changes from the team that lost to Aston Villa on Easter Monday. Mario Melchiot, John Terry, Damien Duff and Hernan Crespo dropped out with William Gallas, Marcel Desailly, Joe Cole and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink coming in to the team. And the re-jigged side started in assured fashion.

Nigel Martyn denied Adrian Mutu after six minutes, while the Romania international linked well with Hasselbaink shortly afterwards, but the Dutch striker fired wide. Rooney forced Marco Ambrosio into action after 12 minutes with a curling shot, but Chelsea continued to press forward. Hasselbaink should have done better with Mutu's cross but scuffed his shot straight at Martyn, while Wayne Bridge's chipped cross just eluded the Romania forward. Scott Parker passed to Frank Lampard, who could only watch as his adept chip rebounded off the crossbar.

Joe Cole pulled a 25-yard strike wide, but Rooney reminded Chelsea of Everton's attacking threat with a shot from eight yards that struck Ambrosio's legs after Chelsea failed to clear a free-kick. Robert Huth let the ball run when he should have cleared and Rooney nipped in, forcing Ambrosio to save with his body, while at the other end Martyn palmed Hasselbaink's 25-yard strike to safety.

After a spate of wasted chances in the opening 45 minutes, clear-cut openings were at a premium after the break. Everton boss David Moyes replaced James McFadden with Lee Carsley to shore up his midfield and limit the opposition's threat from deep.

Hasselbaink was unable to convert the rebound after Lampard's 84th-minute shot hit the foot of the Everton post. And a frustrating afternoon continued when Mario Melchiot and Mutu got in each other’s way as they both went for the same ball five yards from the Everton goal. Everton mustered little in attack after the break, with just one shot from Rooney to show for their efforts.

2003-04 Premier League; Saturday 17 April, 2004
Chelsea @ Stamford Bridge 0-0 Attendance: 41,169
Everton: Martyn; Pistone, Yobo, Weir, Naysmith; McFadden (Carsley), Linderoth, Gravesen (Watson), Kilbane, Rooney, Radzinski (Jeffers)
Unused Subs: Wright, Nyarko

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