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Lenny Kingman
1 Posted 24/01/2018 at 23:11:03
Quite an adventurous life for the Lee clan and ending up in leafy Lytham, nice. Sorry to read she had passed recently but I am sure she will be remembered fondly by those closest to her.

I worked for the club at the same time as Gordon Lee and every time he saw me coming he'd say "How are you, big fella?" I was hoping for a game but never got one.

Gordon wasn't all that enamoured with the mercurial McKenzie, different personalities. Though Duncan's smoking habit used to irk the manager somewhat!

Those two defeats in 77 were hard to swallow and I don't think Lee ever recovered from them. Took their toll.

Brian Hill
2 Posted 25/01/2018 at 05:58:41
Gordon Lee often receives some harsh criticism on this site but the 1977-78 team was wonderful to watch and had some of the best players I have seen in my Everton life. Dobson, Latchford, King, Thomas, great memories. He still cares very much about us, a lovely man.

Gordon Lee makes emotional return to Goodison and celebrates club's Scouse heartbeat

Steve Carse
3 Posted 25/01/2018 at 14:00:55
Dare I say it, but Gordon Lee was what Allardyce is aspiring to be like ie someone who produces a solid side but with added flair and attacking aggression that could get us into the top 4. He's unfortunately a long way off proving he can do it.
Steve Barr
4 Posted 25/01/2018 at 14:45:54
Brian, I agree with you about Gordon Lee and our team during his management.

I recall it being a great team with great players. A mix of youth, experience and flair players. I had just come back to Liverpool from college in the smoke during his era so got to see quite a few games live, my spot then was in the paddock. Not as many games as I wished I'd seen with hindsight as I played in the Shipping league which kicked off at 2pm on a Saturday back then!

Dave Thomas and Bob Latchford were by far my favourites. No one could cross the ball on the run the way Dave Thomas did. This seems to be a lost art nowadays and I don't know of any player who can hit consistently good crosses on the run!

Who can argue with the quality players we had then?

Dobson, King, McKenzie and I think he bought Colin Todd? The link you posted on the Coventry game even shows Micky Lyons displaying great touch and vision setting up Latchford's first goal, our second.

He had the hard men with Pejic, Lyons, Higgins etc. I think Mick Bernard also played in that team.

He also brought in youth with the likes of Sharpie, McMahon and Richardson.

Maybe time has dimmed my memory but that was my best time watching Everton, particularly as I was living in Liverpool then and got to go to many live matches for a change.

I love a quote I dug up that Lee made; "People keep on about stars and flair. As far as I'm concerned you find stars in the sky and flair at the bottom of your trousers."

A very good Everton manager, a great Evertonian and it's heartwarming to see he's still very fond of our club.

Sad to hear his wife has now passed away.


Don Alexander
5 Posted 25/01/2018 at 15:08:16
The comments he made about weighing up "the man" in any player resonate with me. Maybe it's an age thing but many of the modern-day players seem distinctly lacking in that department sad to say.
Steve Hogan
6 Posted 25/01/2018 at 16:53:48
I remember quite well, the Everton teams under Gordon Lee. Like a lot of supporters at the time felt, we always seemed to be just 2 or 3 player's short in key positions, of being a very good side.

At their peak, they were very good to watch, King, Thomas, Latchford, Martin Dobson (who was the complete midfielder) and the ever reliable, and much under rated Mike Lyons.

I don't get nostalgic very often, but simply cannot help comparing the precious, money grabbing charlatans of today's era, and the wonderful characters who played for us back then, but probably never made enough money to retire comfortably on.

Right, I'll take my rose tinted glasses off now.

Paul Tran
7 Posted 26/01/2018 at 12:52:41
Another lovely nostalgic piece.

Those first two season under Lee are amongst my favourites as a Blue. Goals, cup runs, first Wembley trip, first Derby win, players you looked forward to seeing every Saturday.

If only he'd bought a decent keeper.

If only we had a side like that now.

John McFarlane
8 Posted 26/01/2018 at 13:48:43
Another excellent article, we tend to forget that the football personalities have private lives, and in that respect they are little different to ourselves. The players themselves live in a 'Goldfish Bowl', and quite often that impinges on family life, where the support of a wife or partner is crucial.

Regarding Gordon Lee, I feel that he has been, over the years, much Maligned. When he took charge in January 1977, Everton were a struggling team, and he saw them reach League Cup and FA Cup finals; if the football Gods had smiled on us, we could have been celebrating a momentous double. That season we only lost 2 of the final 18 league fixtures, and finished 9th.

Steve Green
9 Posted 26/01/2018 at 16:24:31
Absolutely spot on, Paul. As much as I loved Georgie Wood (always knew when he was gonna have a shit game cos Ally McLeod would be in the Main Stand) if we would have secured Shilton at that point before he got to Forest... history may well have been different... and kinder!
Jay Wood
[BRZ]

10 Posted 26/01/2018 at 21:50:59
Another lovely tale of the woman behind the man from Everton's past.

Thanks once more for sharing, Becky.

Andy Meighan
11 Posted 27/01/2018 at 14:24:47
Great stuff again, Becky.

In my opinion, a very underrated manager who just happened to be manager of our club when the Red Shite over the park were in their pomp. Like a few have said, he brought some great players to Everton and actually played some great stuff. Pity about McKenzie who he obviously didn't rate... but, hey ho.

I will say this, though: when I see that name Clive Thomas, I nearly wretch. I can still picture his smug gob that day at Maine Rd when he disallowed our 3rd. One horrible Bastard.

Sad to hear about Mrs Lee though.

Michael Kenrick
12 Posted 27/01/2018 at 17:07:31
John (#8)

"He saw them reach League Cup and FA Cup finals; if the football Gods had smiled on us, we could have been celebrating a momentous double. "

You may need to refresh your research materials, old fella. As the article says, 1977 was that horrible Clive Thomas FA Cup semi-final when the bastard denied us the winning goal, and I think we went on to lose the replay. So a long, long way from a momentous double, sad to say.

Colin Glassar
13 Posted 03/02/2018 at 13:33:17
Brian 2, The 77-78 team was one of the best Everton sides I’ve ever seen. That team was strong, and talented, all over the pitch.

I liked Lee until he sold Duncan McKenzie which was just (for me) as gut wrenching as when Catterick sold Alan Ball. I’ve never forgiven him for that.

Paul Tran
14 Posted 03/02/2018 at 14:29:55
Sums up everything about our board in those days, Steve. Wouldn't stump up the money for Shilton, then told Lee he could have one of Sharp or Rush. Imagine if we'd bought both? Just 100k each!

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