Buried treasure

Interesting about David Exall saying we would be playing in all-seater stadiums in the future, I'd already started watching from The Gwladys Street Stand, didn't see the sense in getting knocked from pillar to post from standing positions when I could sit and watch in comfort from the stands.

The players with a hammer of a shot were well known back then, but I can't ever recall Everton having one as consistent as those I've named, ever.

Anyone put me in the know? My memory ain't perfect, as the woman I've lived with for forty years ago tells me, whatever she's called.

Sandy Brown was measured as the second most powerful shot to Lorimer in the late 60s. Not really the same thing. Plus he was more dangerous with his head. At both ends!

I reckon Dixie Dean would be a superstar in any era, as would Ronaldo. However, and this is an old hobby horse, can you imagine George Best on today's pitches, with the protection of referees? Or Pele? I know Mike Gaynes will disapprove, but I believe Best was, in my view, the most naturally gifted footballer who ever lived.

And Andy, I fully agree. The pitches and clogging that then went on were as nothing to George Best. With the ball at HIS feet you were watching another dimension of skill and imagination. He was mesmeric.

I used to stand on the Goodison Road Terrace at the Church end. That shot really did rattle the woodwork.

I seem to remember there being some competition run by a paper for who had the hardest shot. I think it was Peter Lorimer who registered the highest speed but I don't think Sandy was far behind on that score.

I certainly wouldn't have liked to be in any wall when either of them were going to take a free-kick!
Andy (5),

My pick would be Alex Young. I couldn't say the best whoever lived, but Alex was the most artistic player I've ever had the luck to see.

Around this time, my Dad and his pal Wilf Heslop (two devoted Evertonians and religious men) attended a spiritual retreat at Loyola Hall. As part of their exercises they were put amongst a group of others, including priests and nuns, to consider a particular matter of philosophical importance.

After deep contemplation, the group discussed their opinions for some time, apart from Wilf, who remained deeply buried in his thoughts. As chair of the group, my Dad gently asked, “Wilf, you look a little troubled, what are you thinking?”

Wilf looked up and said, “Charlie, do you think Joe Royle's back will ever get better?”

Anyhow Joe was sold but he had a good many decent years ahead of him at Man City, Norwich and Bristol City; he came back to haunt us once or twice too.

How interesting someone foresaw the need to reinvest in stadia. It was needed, and not just for the behaviour or hooliganism. We were treated like cattle back then and caged.

Nice historical reference to our current change strip.

The 14 years. I will never ever forget as a 12-year-old in 1984 being on one of the London Underground lines (I can't remember which one). We had just won the FA Cup and my Dad who had attempted a pitch invasion was still with me – I can still point him out trying to scale the Wembley fences when I see the footage, but fortunately he failed so I made it home.

But I remember a grown man, a stranger, in tears, telling me and everyone else on the train as well as hugging me with his repeated telling of 14 years without a trophy. I truly believe had that man died that day, his life was complete!!

Great post.

I agree, George Best was an outstanding player who could dribble, shoot, make long or short passes, score goals and defend.

I put him in the same category as Big Nev: greatest in the world but did not get that recognition because their respective international sides were not amongst the elite.

I agree about Best but how about our white Pele? As good as Best apart from finishing?

Better than Cruyff?? Imagine him on these pitches.

As a Blue, I was starved of skill like that and have never seen a better more skilful player since – although north of the border jinky Johnson might've rivalled him in that sense.

Great story about the stranger in 1984. I was there that day and it was the first time I had seen us win silverware.

Andy @5,

I agree with you on Best. I watched a great highlight video of him on YouTube a few weeks ago. You may enjoy it. I think it was titled 'George Best was better than we thought'. What balance he had and was a tough player too. No diving and rolling around when he got fouled.

Although many pitches became muddy very quickly, Goodison's pitch was always very good. I think we had the first under-pitch heating in Britain. The quality of our pitch suited the quality of our football in the 60s and early 70s.

Like Goodison itself, back in the day, Everton were quite pioneering off the pitch then. Sadly, apart from the Gwladys Street plastic roof and a hardly revolutionary Park End stand, Goodison pretty much looks like it did in 1980.

I do remember commentators always referring to the standard of pitch at both Goodison and Anfield in the 1980s. Old Trafford was notoriously awful if I remember.

We did need that plastic roof though. I remember the odd game when the rain came down and the upper-lower Gwladys Street would be rammed sardine style with the front end basically empty!

There was a stage when both he and Kendall were keeping their respective teams out of the relegation places.. .then he packed it in and Man Utd went down.

So Cruyff for me for his long term impact on the game. I guess playing wise for me, it has to be Maradona. Apart from Kevin Sheedy obviously!!

When you watch footage of all 3 of those masters of football, one thing is apparent. They were hunted and blatantly kicked / hacked at the first opportunity.

You're correct in stating that Everton were the first club to install undersoil heating, but it was replaced in the 60s because it was causing drainage problems. At one stage there wasn't a blade of grass to be seen, and the reserve team were forced to play Central League fixtures at Bootle Stadium.

An uncle of mine told me that Everton had been refused permission to install such a feature before the Second World War, and he was a font of knowledge in all things Everton related, and my inspiration.

Never witnessed anything like it before or since whether on tv or live. The fella was unplayable and if English would have won the world cup several times.

In terms of being able to beat a man (which used to be the measure of who was the best player) only Maradona comes close.

Different era, but as a footballer playing on cow field, and mud flat pitches, and the weather, as natural as it gets, is what he was.

Like Maradona, Messi, etc they played in streets and alleys and often with a sponge or a can as a makeshift ball.

But skill, balance, and almost endless time on the ball, how many players in history, have those attributes?

I was sometimes called Stanley Matthews, but only because of my first name, not because of any ability with a football. Having said that, I did improve my skills with a football considerably by trying to emulate Colin Harvey, through ball juggling and using my left foot more whilst being right-footed. So I could eventually dribble reasonably, at my ‘street level'. But the likes of Best was astonishing when it came to dribbling, and I thought Harvey the epitome of elegance and natural ability with a football, in a sense the ‘essence' of the fabled School of Science.