Duncan Ferguson in Conversation

I vaguely remember a story from way back, but after Big Dunc had stopped playing, when the subject of a book came up, or was broached with him — he may even have taken it forward to some interim stage, but it all went tits-up and he put it on hold.

Looks like we already had something of a premonition about this, from last year:

Everton legend offers tasters for next year's autobiography: Big Dunc

It was great to see him on the TNT match build-up last Saturday. He looked to be in fine form.

We literally went from being scared of playing opponents to dying for the game to start, so we could terrorise them with big Dunc at the forefront of all that.

I don't think we will see that kind of galvanising effect from 1 player ever again, seeing as the game has changed so much.

It's a shame the 96-97 season fell away so badly, still think it's my worst disappointment as a blue, iconic manager leaving in March, rumours of Dunc leaving in the ECHO. That unbiased publication with all letters being answered by an Anfield legend!!!

I say surprise, a shock is a better word. She's no idea who Big Dunc is but had asked me to pre-order another book for her. So when this one turns up she'll think it's the one she wanted. Which I did order but is due to be delivered later.

Just hope she remembers to pack it to bring over to me on her hols and doesn't just bin it in disgust!

I've said before, I never really done the Duncan admiration thing. My mate did and even styled his hair with one of those floppy, parted fringe haircuts in honour of the big man.

I just always felt he never lived up to his potential or expectation, but that's just me. I appreciate he gave supporters hope, when there wasn't much going around.

Very few fans do adulation like us Blues! I think it's part of the pass-down from the generation above.

He was a much better footballer than he was given credit for - great on the floor as well as with his head. His constant absence through injury, suspension, and (which I think was unfair) incarceration, meant that after nearly 10 seasons with us, he got I think 72 goals.

You're right, he was a beacon of hope when there was little. And we know, had he hit those heights he was capable of, he'd have been cashed in, and not to the Barcodes, and with no return.

I don't know how widespread Facebook is (or whatever it's called these days) but just lately they've featured on their "reels" option a series of so-called interviews of the shyster named in the title.

He's "interviewed" very recently, by "celebrities" Messrs Roy Keane, G Neville, and Ian Wright, and he welcomes their encouragement to boast about the total twat he was throughout his playing career with us chiefly, and he rejoices in reminiscing about his abject behaviour. 

I'm 70, and an adoring fan from 7 years old of strikers like Young, Vernon, Pickering, Royle, Latchford, Gray, Sharp, Heath, Clarke, Cottee, Newell and others, none of whom Ferguson is fit to lace their boots.

He encapsulates the gross piss-taking that's engulfed our club for way more than 30 years, at all levels, to our massive cost.

He's now reduced (because he is provably devoid of any football skills as a coach) to stealing a living performing as "a character" indulged by fellow stealers to entertain muppet watchers, to the cost of the game itself. 

"Legend"? Fuck off!

I've watched the whole show, and, yes, he and the panel (one of whom wasn't aware he'd been to gaol) revel in his thuggish behaviour, but he also says a few times that he wasted his career and wishes he could go back.

Overall I got the impression of man with a lot of regrets.

On the coaching side, it is leading me to think about Seamus Coleman. A tremendous servant to Everton and, by all accounts, a genuine bloke.

But talk of him as a "must be added to the backroom staff" concerns me. By all means, if he looks like he can be a good coach, that's fine with me. But don't do it on the basis he is a popular former Everton player, which it was proven to be the case with Duncan.

Seamus will always have a place and be more than welcome at the Everton Stadium. But as a coach or member of the coaching staff? just don't do it on sentiment if it is to be the case.

I'd rather coax Leon Osman away from punditry as I've said many times. One of the most technically gifted played we had of that era despite how unappreciated he was in some quarters.

Nowhere near as many regrets as he knowingly, utterly selfishly inflicted on true fans who scrimped and saved for years to watch him in the hope that he'd ever exercise himself to the advantage of the club rather than himself and his treasured, by him, pigeons.

He was from the outset of his football career identified and lambasted at length by his first manager as being massively lacking in ambition, commitment to anyone but himself, and fecklessness but some bozo running Everton signed the wanker twice.

You couldn't make it up.

But Duncan is responsible for some of the standout moments I experienced at Goodison in the last 50 years and there are a whole host of players who took the mickey more than he did imo.