Column

Memory Lane - Leicester City (A)

Details of the matches that Everton have been involved in with Leicester City on their patch 10, 20 and 30 years ago.

Once a month between now and the end of the season I will try to give a flavour of what occurred during the corresponding months from previous campaigns concentrating on 10, 20 and 30 years ago, but for every Premier League fixture for 2014/5 I will give a history of Everton’s opponents of the day and how they fared against Everton over the year. For example, today you will find details of the matches that Everton have been involved in with Leicester City on their patch. In the reverse fixture I will concentrate on Leicester City matches that have taken place at Goodison Park and take a look at the players and staff who have had an involvement with both clubs.

Most of the information has been gathered from various Everton programmes, BBC match reports, ToffeeWeb's archives, various newspapers and last but not least Evertonresults.com where you can find a mine of information and detailed stats on almost any Everton match that has been played including opponents line-ups. I hope the guys responsible for inputting all that data don’t mind me using their hard work to help me to produce these articles. I hope readers will enjoy reading the articles and any feedback positive or negative would be most welcome.

Cheers!

August 1984

Charity Shield victory overshadowed by stuttering League start for the Blues

18 - Paul Bracewell makes his Everton debut at Wembley as Bruce Grobbelaar puts through his own goal to help Everton lift the Charity Shield as the Toffees beat Liverpool (1-0) to the delight of all Evertonians.

25 - Adrian Heath gives Everton an early lead from the penalty spot, but goals Mark Falco, Clive Allen with two and John Chiedozie sees Tottenham (1-4) gain maximum points at Goodison.

27 - Another penalty for Everton at the Hawthorns but Adrian Heath’s successful spot-kick comes too late as Stephen Hunt and Garry Thompson had given the home side a two goal lead as WBA (2-1) beat the FA Cup holders.

31 - Everton earn their first League points of the campaign thanks to a well taken goal from Kevin Richardson at Stamford Bridge as the Toffees beat Chelsea (0-1). Everton are sat in seventeenth place six points behind Newcastle United the only club with a 100% record after three games played.

August 1994

Peter Johnson and Mike Walker set about charting a new course for the Toffees.

2 - Tottenham’s midfielder Vinny Samways becomes the new regimes - Peter Johnson and company - first big money signing at a reported £2.2m.

3 - Midfielder Mark Ward joins Birmingham City.

20 - The Premiership campaign begins with Paul Rideout (22’) opening the scoring at Goodison Park, John Fashanu (68’) equalises for Villa on his debut. Graham Stuart (70’) regains the lead for the Blues but Dean Saunders (74’) grabs an equalising goal for Villa as the two side’s draw (2-2) at Goodison Park. Vinny Samways and Joe Parkinson make their Goodson debuts.

24 - Everton visit White Hart Lane for Jurgen Klinsmann’s home debut for Spurs and the German striker scores both goals for the Londoners’ as Paul Rideout grabs a consolation goal for the Toffees in a narrow defeat (2-1).

27 - Everton endure a second-half collapse at Maine Road (4-0) as Paul Walsh and Uwe Rosler grab two goals apiece.

30 - Nigerian World Cup forward Daniel Amokachi becomes the club’s record signing with a £3m move from Bruges… Paul Rideout scores once again but is unable to prevent another loss for Everton as an own goal by Andy Hinchcliffe and a goal from Colin Cooper give Forest (1-2) a rare triumph at Goodison Park.

31 - Everton enter the International break with only a single point on the board from their four Premier League matches and are fourth from bottom at the end of August.

August 2004

Departure of a Boyhood Blue and Civil War in the Boardroom

The Wayne Rooney saga rumbles on as does the tug-of-war over the ownership of Everton FC between Paul Gregg and Bill Kenwright. Rumour and counter rumour are played out in the press about both situations with Evertonians fearing the worst and hoping for the best.

3 - Eddy Bosnar joins Everton to link up with summer signing and fellow Australian Tim Cahill.

4 - West Ham’s Michael Carrick is a wanted man and David Moyes admires the young midfielder but feels that the transfer fee would be prohibitive at this moment in time as Portsmouth have already had a bid of £2.5m rejected by the Hammers.

9 - Kevin Kilbane is called up by the Republic of Ireland who are to face Bulgaria later this month.

10 - Former Everton striker Francis Jeffers moves to Charlton Athletic for £2.6m….Eddy Bosnar makes his first appearance for Everton reserves in a goalless draw with Blackburn Rovers

13 - Scotland call up James McFadden and Gary Naysmith for the friendly with Hungary. Iain Turner is included in Scotland’s Under-21 squad.

14 - Tim Cahill scores for Australia in their Olympic group game with Montenegro (5-1)

15 - Defending Champions Arsenal increase the tension at Goodison by beating the Toffees (1-4) with goals from Bergkamp, Reyes, Ljundberg and Pires. Lee Carsley scores a consolation for Everton as Marcus Bent made his Everton debut.

17 - Everton reserves take part in another goalless draw against West Brom. 25 Carling Cup draw pairs Everton with Bristol City in the second round.

28 - Everton secure their second win of the new campaign when they beat WBA (1-2) at Goodison Park thanks to a brace from Leon Osman

30 - Everton claim a point at Old Trafford from a goalless draw, as Tim Cahill makes his long awaited Everton debut.

31 - Transfer deadline day and Evertonians await the news on incoming players and the likely sale of Wayne Rooney to Manchester United…. Rooney leaves Everton to join Manchester United in a complicated deal worth anything from £20m to £30m depending upon what sources are to be believed – but the truth is the money won’t matter to the fans as it was one of their own who left to join a ‘better club’.

David Moyes not helped by the failings at boardroom level, fails to bring in any new faces as the window slams shut…. Everton end the month in seventh position in the table five points behind Chelsea and Arsenal who both have maximum points from the four completed Premier League fixtures.

Welcome Back: Leicester City v Everton

According to Evertonia in November 1964, Leicester City FC had a not unusual origin. It was formed back in 1884 by a group of Rugby players. They felt there was a need for a club in Leicester to follow the newer code of no-handling and Leicester Fosse was the outcome of their plans.

For ten years after the foundation of the club, Leicester Fosse had a place in the Midland League. In this they were a successful outfit, so much so that after the club had been operating for no more than ten years a place was found in the Football League for it. The opposition in this sphere was of a much different standard to what Leicester Fosse had been accustomed to in the Midland League.

However, the Leicester men had more than held their own and in 1908 they qualified for promotion to the First Division. Unfortunately for the club, the going in the top class was more than they could cope with, and at the end of one season they were relegated along with Manchester City. During that campaign Everton travelled to Filbert Street for the first time and returned victorious thanks to goals from Alex ‘Sandy’ Young and Jack Sharp.

Leicester remained in the Second Division until 1925 and shortly after the end of the First World War they changed their name to Leicester City. During the 1929/30 campaign Leicester City completed a league double over Everton by winning both games by the odd goal in nine, which unfortunately led to the loss of valuable points in Everton’s unsuccessful quest to stay in the top-flight. Everton bounced back to Division One the following season (30/31) and four seasons later, Tottenham Hotspur joined Leicester City in the relegation places for season 1934/35 and a brief return to the top-flight was ended in the 1938/39 campaign as they remained outside of the top-flight until 1954.

Sixty years ago Everton and Leicester City were basking in the glory of promotion from the Second Division. Leicester City had pipped Everton on goal average to the Championship as Everton could only manage to put four goals past Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park in the final game of the season and it was the Leicester City players who watched on from the stand who celebrated winning the title, but at least Everton had the consolation of regaining their place in the top-flight.

The three visits to Filbert Street whilst the two clubs were in the Second Division produced a victory a defeat and a draw for the Toffees. The draw at Filbert Street in the promotion season was the first of three consecutive two-all draws between the two sides.

The story of the Second Division fixture during the promotion battle at Filbert Street is recalled in the close encounters article in the City Match-Day Magazine:

Everton and Leicester City both entered the game on the back of five consecutive league victories and 39,046 spectators crammed into Filbert Street to watch as Everton in top position began the game two points ahead of their promotion rivals Leicester City.

City opened the scoring after just eight minutes when Derek Hines netted but the lead was short lived as Dave Hickson equalised just a few minutes later. Leicester City regained the lead when home debutant Jack Froggatt (27’) rose to head home to give the home team a goal advantage at the break.

Fifteen minutes from time Dave Hickson restored parity and earned Everton a hard-won point which kept Leicester City two points adrift of the Blues and the point had extended the Toffees lead over Blackburn who had started the day level with Leicester City but had suffered a defeat at Leeds (3-2). Everton: O'Neill; Donovan, Lindsay; Farrell, Jones, Lello; Wainwright, Fielding, Hickson, Parker, Eglington

On the opening day of the 1958/59 campaign Everton returned to Merseyside empty-handed as Leicester City triumphed by two goals to nil. That victory for the Foxes continued a barren run for Everton at Filbert Street as Leicester City remained unbeaten against Everton until September 1967 having won seven of the league encounters during that sequence.

Not content with producing the legendary Gordon Banks, Leicester City were also responsible for the development of another England Goalkeeping legend Peter Shilton and he made his debut for Leicester City against Everton in May 1966 a game which saw the Foxes triumph over Everton (3-0) although Everton did have the consolation of winning the FA Cup at Wembley ten days later.

The Leicester City programme for the original date of the match (2 April 1966) noted that “assuming that nothing untoward has occurred since these notes have been written, this is a great day for Peter Shilton who, at the age of 16 years and 196 days, becomes the youngest player to keep goal for this club in a League match. “

The reason that Shilton was facing Everton was not down to an injury to Gordon Banks but rather that Gordon had travelled to Scotland with the England side to face the old enemy in Glasgow – a match that England won by the odd goal in seven.

As it turned out the re-arranged match with Everton at Filbert Street did see Peter Shilton make his League debut as Gordon Banks along with Everton’s Ray Wilson, were playing for England against Yugoslavia at Wembley in a pre-World Cup warm up match.

On the last day of September 1967, Alan Ball was Everton’s hero as he grabbed both goals, one in each half, for the Blues in the game at Filbert Street. Ball’s first goal came from a short corner as Alex Young played the ball to Alan and from a very narrow angle Ball let fly fiercely for the ball to “squeeze” into the net.

The second of Ball’s goals was more typical of the flame haired England International as he anticipated a superb pass from Alex Young swerved past the goalkeeper and smashed the ball home. Gordon West who was also a candidate for the England goalkeeping position saved a Jackie Sinclair penalty four minutes after Ball had put Everton two goals in front.
Everton: West; Wright, Wilson; Hurst, Labone (Bennett), Harvey; Young, Ball, Pickering, Husband, Morrissey

That victory for Everton was followed up by a Sixth Round FA Cup triumph at Filbert Street in March 1968, where Jimmy Husband (33’) opened the scoring to give Everton the lead, the goal had come about when Alan Ball had drove in low hard shot from the right, through a cluster of players, and it was heading outside the post when Husband, with a lightning reflex, flicked it into the net at close quarters.

Leicester City pushed for an equaliser and their persistence was rewarded in the second-minute of injury time, at the end of the first-half. Willie Bell headed on from a corner, for David Nish to lash the ball into the net from a few yards to restore parity with the final kick of the opening period. Everton were put under severe pressure in the second period, but always looked dangerous on the break and midway through the second period Howard Kendall (68’) gave the Toffees breathing space with a classically simple goal, John Hurst centred from the right, and Howard Kendall, out on the left, cracked in a superb shot.

Jimmy Husband (75’) sealed the victory fifteen minutes from time with his second strike of the game when he raced into position to meet a cross ball, and, with great timing, smashed in a choice goal which ensured Everton’s progress to the Semi-Final and ultimately a Cup Final meeting with West Bromwich Albion at Wembley. Everton: West; Wright, Wilson; Kendall, Labone, Kenyon; Husband (Young), Ball, Royle, Hurst, Morrissey

Leicester City had many near-misses during the 1960s as they appeared at Wembley in the FA Cup final on three occasions in 1961, 1963 and 1969 but unfortunately lost all three to add to their run of losses at the Stadium as they had also been beaten in the 1949 FA Cup Final. Leicester City did manage to lift the 1964 Football League Cup. In 1969 Peter Shilton and David Nish became the youngest Goalkeeper and Captain respectively to play in the FA Cup Final at that time.

During the 1970s Leicester City were relegated and promoted regularly and the games between the two sides at Filbert Street ended with Everton having the slight edge in terms of results. The goalless draw between the two sides in 1970/71 was the first occurrence of such a result at Filbert Street and as it happened the first time that both league fixtures between the two sides had ended goalless.

Perhaps Everton’s greatest triumph but certainly their greatest win at Filbert Street came in September 1977 when Bob Latchford opened the scoring shortly before the fifteen minute mark. Dave Thomas doubled Everton’s lead and Andy King added a third goal to leave Everton with a healthy half-time advantage. Leicester City’s Steve Sims (65) pulled a goal back for the home team but Mike Lyons (73) and Andy King with his second goal of the game, saw Everton go nap and sealed a victory that sent the Evertonians wild with delight as they travelled home hopeful of a successful season. Everton: Wood; Darracott (Jones), Pejic; Lyons, Higgins, Rioch; King, Dobson, Latchford, Mckenzie, Thomas

Leicester City returned to the Second Division at the end of that campaign and the next game between the two sides at Filbert Street occurred in November 1980 where a goal courtesy of Peter Eastoe (61’) was enough to earn the points for the visitors. The Foxes were once again relegated and spent two seasons in the lower league.

October 1983 saw the resumption of hostilities between the two sides and on this occasion Leicester City got the better of Everton (2-0) the goals being scored by Alan Smith and Paul Ramsey.

One of the most memorable games between the two sides at least from an Evertonian perspective occurred in February 1985 when two goals from Andy Gray gave Everton a victory which was both an important victory for the team and a morale boosting win for the title chasing side.

Andy Gray had given the Blues the lead midway through the second-half and when Steve Lynex (61’) equalised for the home side it looked as if the Toffees had squandered two precious points, but the irrepressible Andy Gray wasn’t going to be denied and he put his side back in front just a minute later to silence the home supporters and send the travelling Evertonians into raptures. Everton maintained their four point lead over second placed Spurs thanks to Andy’s grit and determination, not to mention his ability, a good day for both Gray and Everton FC. Everton: Southall; Stevens, Van Den Hauwe; Ratcliffe, Mountfield, Reid; Steven, Harper, Gray, Bracewell, Sheedy

Gary Lineker who had become the first and so far only Leicester City player to finish top of the goalscoring charts in 1984/85 albeit sharing the title with Chelsea’s Kerry Dixon, moved from Leicester City to Goodison Park for circa £800k and he had a hard act to follow as Andy Gray had decided to move to Aston Villa. So it was no real surprise to Evertonians that the fickle finger of fate decided to send the Champions to Filbert Street to face Gary Lineker’s home town club on the opening day of the 1985/86 campaign.

Goals from Mark Bright (61, 77) and Bobby Smith (44’) sent the Champions home with their tails firmly between their legs and although Derek Mountfield (24’) had given Everton the lead the goal was a mere consolation and the result a huge disappointment to the travelling fans and particularly to Everton debutant and former Fox Gary Lineker. Lineker went on to score 30 league goals for Everton and this time he became the outright leading goalscorer in the top division. Everton: Southall; Stevens, Van Den Hauwe; Ratcliffe, Mountfield, Reid; Steven, Lineker, Sharp, Bracewell, Sheedy (Heath)

Everton gained revenge the following season as they beat Leicester City (2-0) on the way to their second title in three seasons as Leicester City suffered the ignominy of relegation once more. Adrian Heath (23’) gave the Toffees a half-time lead and Kevin Sheedy (66’) ensured that all the points were Goodison bound. Everton: Southall; Harper, Power; Ratcliffe, Mountfield, Langley; Steven, Heath (Aspinall), Sharp, Adams, Sheedy

During the Premier League era the two sides have played each other eight times at Leicester City’s ground and the Toffees have been triumphant on two occasions. In December 1997 the Evertonians that travelled with their team were somewhat fearful as they had not witnessed an away victory for their team since Nick Barmby (86’) had scored a late winner at City’s East Midlands rivals Derby County almost a year earlier.

PA News reported:

“Nick Barmby pounced for a late winner as Everton maintained their impressive record at Derby with a 1-0 victory at the Baseball Ground. The England striker reacted quickly to head home after Joe Parkinson's 25-yard effort had rebounded off the crossbar four minutes from time. Everton's victory, their eighth in 11 visits to this ground, put them above Chelsea in seventh place and left Derby cursing their first defeat in six games.”

Evertonians fears were allayed when Kasey Keller the City keeper upended Danny Cadamarteri and when the referee pointed to the spot, up stepped Gary Speed to convert the all important penalty in the dying embers of the match. Everton: Myhre; Barrett, Hinchcliffe; Short, Watson, Tiler; Farrelly, Barmby, Cadamarteri, Oster (Ball), Speed

The previous season (96/97) also saw an Everton victory away at Leicester when the Blues triumphed by two goals to one, Andy Hinchcliffe and David Unsworth were the Everton goal-scorers on the day. The match was not without incident as Deryk Brown of the Sunday Times reported:

EVERTON, the form team of the Premier League, go ever onwards, ever upwards. Despite Leicester City's battling finish, inspired by Steve Walsh's headed goal seven minutes from time, they were good value for this win, and have now gone eight League matches unbeaten.

It was an afternoon of rare passion. One of the biggest cheers came when a linesman who had often flagged Leicester offside was stretchered away after David Unsworth had clattered into him -­ accidentally, of course. And at the end, the locals booed Jeff Winter, the referee, as they had done since Everton's controversial opening goal in the 12th minute.

That goal, scored by Andy Hinchcliffe, destroyed Leicester's confidence and it was not until the second half that they managed a worthwhile shot on goal. They were never anything like the side that had passed its way to success at Aston Villa a week earlier and Mustafa Izzet and Steve Claridge, especially, were shadows of the players they were then.

Everton, in contrast, are blossoming. In the past they have often displayed all the grace of an elephant's hind quarters, but that is now changing. In Nick Barmby, who, at £5.75m, cost about as much as the Leicester team put together, they have bought a man who glides around and knits them together. He also gives Joe Royle, his manager, various options in terms of formation.

Yesterday Royle's dilemma of who and how to play was solved for him because Andrei Kanchelskis had flu. So Duncan Ferguson, his knee mended, made his first start since September 21. Everton refused to aim the ball at his forehead, instead giving him the chance to show how nifty he can be on the ground.

With Graham Stuart and Gary Speed effective on the flanks, and the defence sound, Everton had it made. They did not wobble until the last 15 minutes, when the toll of three matches in eight days, including the Merseyside derby on Wednesday, told in their legs.

Leicester, like Everton, had made one change, and it proved crucial. Kasey Keller was away with the United States World Cup squad in Trinidad, and the experienced Kevin Poole replaced him. Poole it was who began the brouhaha surrounding the opening goal by picking up the ball on the front right-hand corner of his penalty area after a free kick had been passed back to him by Simon Grayson.

Mr Winter blew immediately and Barmby raced up to Poole to claim the ball. The goalkeeper, having made one blunder, made another by meekly surrendering it. Barmby rolled an instant free kick to Hinchcliffe, and that celebrated left foot did the rest. Hinchcliffe's shot curled deliciously into the goal with Poole still stranded.

The crowd chanted "cheat" and worse at Mr Winter, and a sense of injustice gnawed at Leicester from then on. It later transpired that Poole thought the ball might be dead as Grayson directed it to him. But Martin O'Neill, his manager, said that he had "not an ounce of sympathy" for his goalkeeper.

"If in doubt, kick it out," said O'Neill, who hopes to fly Keller back in time to face Manchester United in the League Cup on Wednesday.

It seemed an age after Hinchcliffe's goal before a decision went Leicester's way. When it did, it was greeted by a sarcastic cheer. Everton, meanwhile, threatened to extend their lead. First, Barmby took a through ball from Unsworth and shot across goal, narrowly wide. Then Everton produced a move which epitomised their new-found style. Speed sent Stuart away down the flank but, from the return cross, he could only glance his header wide.

Leicester started the second half with signs that they had sorted out their complexes. But after Walsh, as sure as anybody for Leicester, had shot well, it was Everton who scored. Speed headed down a corner and Poole could not hold the ball, enabling Unsworth to squeeze it home. It just was not Poole's day.

Leicester, who do not have that much in reserve, nevertheless brought two useful men off the bench in Ian Marshall and Scott Taylor. Leicester's goal was admirably clean, Emile Heskey reaching the byline and pulling the ball back for Walsh to head across a beaten Neville Southall. Southall did miss one punch as Leicester came again but Everton never really suggested that they would lose it.

It was left for Royle to purr about the merits of Barmby. "He's given us control and guile, and he's only 22," said Royle, fresh from studying the upper reaches of the Premier League table. O'Neill, meanwhile, faces not one but two matches against Manchester United this week as he tries to lift his men again. But he and his team will not surrender Leicester's brave new world lightly.

Everton: Southall; Barrett, Hinchcliffe; Unsworth, Watson, Parkinson; Barmby, Stuart, Ferguson, Grant (Short), Speed

It is hard to believe that it is now more than ten years since Everton travelled to the East Midlands to face Leicester City and on that occasion in March 2004 the game ended in a draw (1-1) the fourth consecutive occasion that the sides had shared the spoils in the East Midlands.

The Last Time

Saturday, 20 March, 2004, 15:00
Leicester 1-1 Everton

As reported by BBC website:

The game kicked off after a show of support from the Leicester fans for the trio of players charged with sexual aggression in Spain but only one of those - Dickov - was in the starting line-up.

Everton carved out the first opening when Pistone forced Ian Walker into a smart save with a 20-yard drive. But the home side could have taken the lead when a Muzzy Izzet free-kick from the right found Dabizas, only for his header to go over.

With the strong winds making life difficult for both teams, there were precious few moments of quality, although Dickov turned smartly and fired just wide and Rooney blazed over at the other end.

There was controversy just before the break when Bent headed against the bar from an Izzet corner and when the rebound went in off him, referee Barry Knight ruled that it had hit his arm. Knight was at the centre of another row minutes later when he gave the big striker his marching orders. Ferguson had been booked for catching Dabizas in the face with his arm, and then Knight cautioned the big Scot for wrestling Freund to the ground. Ferguson appeared to gesture to the Leicester supporters as he went off.

In the second half Everton were content to sit back and City struggled to make their numerical advantage tell. Pistone almost turned an Izzet cross past his own goalkeeper Nigel Martyn but there were few other moments of excitement for the Leicester fans.

And it got worse for the Foxes when Rooney - who turned the game between these teams in December - did the damage again. After failing to connect with a good Steve Watson pass 10 minutes earlier, Rooney made no mistake when Radzinski set him up. Everton's defence stood firm in the closing minutes as Leicester desperately tried to snatch a point to boost their survival chances. The visitors might even have added to their tally as Thomas Gravesen went close after a fine solo run. Just when it looked like it was all over for City, Bent netted from a corner which had followed a tremendous Martyn save to deny Riccardo Scimeca's 18-yard drive.

Leicester: Walker, Scimeca, Dabizas, Heath, Thatcher, Bent, Freund (Nalis 84), Izzet, Benjamin (Guppy 45), Dickov, Ferdinand (Canero 57). Subs not used: Coyne, Davidson.
Booked: Scimeca.

Everton: Martyn, Watson, Stubbs, Yobo, Pistone, McFadden (Radzinski 45), Gravesen, Linderoth, Naysmith, Rooney (Campbell 88), Ferguson. Subs not used: Wright, Unsworth, Nyarko.

Sent off: Ferguson (41). Booked: McFadden, Ferguson, Gravesen, Radzinski, Rooney.
Attendance: 31,650. Referee: B Knight (Kent).

Everton at Leicester:

			  PL	W	 D	 L	 GF	GA
Top Flight	45	11	14	20	57	81

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