The Day Everton Changed

In those pre-agent and social media days, the first you knew of a transfer was often (especially with Harry Catterick) when the done deal was announced.

If I remember correctly, the transfer followed a defeat at the mud heap also known as the Baseball Ground.

This transfer broke many Blue hearts. Bally was revered. Took me weeks to get over it. How the kopites rejoiced.

For me, this was only one foot in the grave though. I remember the papers being full of speculation when it became known that one of football's hottest properties was up for gabs.

Here's what Philip Carter had to say: "Everyone was of the opinion that Trevor Francis was a first-class player, myself included, but we felt that £1 million was a ridiculous price to pay for anyone. I am certain the board and myself would not condone that sort of irresponsible behaviour."

Trevor Francis was dazzling on his day. However, he was not everyone's cup of tea. Many thought he wasn't worth that much, but the landscape had changed forever. The big boys were all prepared to go beyond £1M to land their man from there on in. Carter may as well have stated that Everton were no longer in the big time.

Makes Howard Kendall's achievements seem all the more remarkable...

I went back to University in January 72 hoping things would improve. Hope, eh… it's what does for you!

Our scouting and transfer policy has been overwhelmingly abysmal since 1970 – that is and has been our Achilles Heel since Alan Ball.

I remember in the early eighties (I was about 12), he got sent off at Maine Road against Everton. I was just elated seeing Adrian Heath score.

You are correct though, time after time, Everton cock up transfers. I remember we didn't opt for Van Dijk when he was at Celtic. The nearly club, eh?

There was a lot of talk about his goal-scoring but I believe the year Joe Royle scored his 29 goals in 1 season, most of them were from a cross or pass from Ball. That type of assistance to me was why he should not have been sold, apart from how much of a crowd favourite he was who, as they say, put bums in the seats.

I don't think my Dad ever really got over it or forgave Everton for this, even though he couldn't deny his love and passion for them for the rest of his life. As I've said elsewhere, he (and by default me), used to look out for Alan Ball and Southampton in the late 70s.

One of my brothers is named Alan John after Alan Ball and my paternal grandfather.

The other is James Howard after my maternal great grandfather and Howard Kendall.

Danny Boy here was named after an Irish song my maternal Grandmother used to like to sing!! I feel cheated.

Possibly a bigger mistake was not going in for Peter Shilton. We didn't have a great team under Billy Bingham but Shilton would, almost certainly, have saved us a good 10 points the season we were in a good position to clinch the title.

Although Gordon Banks was before my time, I grew up with Peter Shilton, Ray Clemence and, my personal favourite, Pat Jennings. Then closely followed by Neville Southall.

A golden generation of British keepers.

Or better still, we could have just brought Cloughie in. He signed Shilton and Francis and made them European Champions.

I fully endorse the point Steven made in his OP but we've missed a few boats down the years, mate.

Fuck it... we'll only depress ourselves thinking about it.

Players like Rooney don't come along very often, and certainly, it's highly unlikely that such a player will come through a club's academy of his boyhood club. I'm not arguing that he shouldn't have been sold or that he should have stayed with the club because he was a blue, rather, it signalled the end of Everton FC being regarded as one of the leading clubs in the country.

That was the day we as a club officially joined the other clubs who were outside of the elite, and ever since then any potential international star that we've had at the club, could be purchased by any other club that could tempt our best players with higher salaries and a greater opportunity for personal success.

For those that remember the chequebook years at Everton of the 60s and 70s, it has been a bitter pill to swallow, having to accept that the Blues are no longer a club that would be high on the list of the very top players.

Everton are such a conservative club, they would have been terrified of bringIng Brian Clough to Goodison Park but he would have definitely revolutionised the club. Archie Gemmill and McFarland would have joined Francis and Shilton along with a few others and - and - yes, fuck it, just depresses you thinking about it!

I'll use another pivotal departure that turned my life upside down. Howard Kendall walking out on the then second time in 3 seasons English Champions.

Maybe it was circumstance with the Heysels ban etc. Or maybe he could see what was coming. But then he came back for more.

He was at Forest then but before all his great success and his stock was still high with winning the title at Derby so surely Everton should've been looking at someone of his pedigree instead of the guy they eventually appointed.

Alan Ball's Goodbye

He says George Watts was the Everton Chairman at the time. There is a photo of George Watts (Chairman) and Bill Dickinson (Secretary) on line from 1971 but my records list the great Sir John Moores as Chairman from 1968 to 1973.

Strange... looks like I'll have to do some research.

I heard a rumour that the boot manufacturer Hummel were looking for a professional to wear their white boots and were prepared to pay £2,000. He took them up on the deal, only to be disappointed, he said.

“To be honest, lads, they were crap, like cardboard, so I got the young apprentices to paint my Adidas football boots white. It was great, till one day it rained and the black came through. A not too happy watching Hummel rep saw what I'd done so I said goodbye to the two grand.”

It's said we don't do dynasties or never have any proper prolonged plans. The '80s great side obviously taken out of our hands with them shower getting us banned. No way Lineker and Kendall would have left for starters.