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"STILL TALKING BLUE" by Becky Tallentire This is the second book by Becky T. in which she interviews Everton Icons with questions via the Internet from real fans. Blue Kipper has secured a few snippets from the book for you to have a gander at. The book is a must for all Evertonians. It compliments the first book "TALKING BLUE" very well. 'Talking
Blue' has been reprinted and is now available from:
Below are the NEW EXCLUSIVE snippet's. Barry Horne As a boyhood Evertonian, did you get to the match much? Where did you stand and which players stick in the memory from that period? Phil Redmond, Warrington, England It was the Bob Latchford era, I absolutely loved him and he was my favourite. I liked watching Roger Kenyon and Bruce Rioch, but it wasn’t the greatest Everton team to follow, although Bob, my hero, always seemed to save the day. I started off watching from the old Paddock and latterly I would go with my uncles and sit in the Main Stand. I’ll never forget the first time I sat in the top deck of the Main Stand and I was absolutely petrified, I honestly thought that if I tripped I would roll off the edge and land on the pitch. Dave Hickson Just how did Malcolm Barrass manage to stay on the field during the 1953 FA Cup semi-final at Maine Road when Bolton beat us 4-3? According to my Dad, Barrass "kicked the shit" out of Hickson that day and at the end of the match Dave walked off all bloodied and battered. Ken Myers, California, USA. We were 4-0 down. We came back to 4-3 and missed a penalty, so we should really have taken them to extra time. Something terrible happened there and they reckon it was Barrass. Whoever it was, he really belted me. He thumped me so hard that my eyes were filled with blood for weeks and weeks and my Mum went mad because I was disfigured for ages. It was terrible, and he’d never have got away with it now, he’d be charged with assault. I can’t remember much about that game to tell you the truth. I do remember I was through on goal, I saw it on Pathe News later, and I still can’t believe I missed it. If I hadn’t had concussion I’m sure I would have put it away. Kevin Ratcliffe I’ve got this idea in my head that he never warmed up on the pitch for home games, but he did away from Goodison Park. If this is the case, I'm sure it can easily be explained away as a footballer's superstition, but something must have triggered this ritual. What? Gary Hughes, Whiston, Merseyside. Early on in my career, I never warmed up at all - home or away. In fact, I never even used to go out when we were at home. I would have a bath at two o ’ clock, do some stretches and just get ready for the match. When I went out, I’d have a couple of sprints on the pitch and that was me, sorted. After a while, I did warm up at away games because I’d been stuck in a hotel all day and I needed to get a bit of fresh air. I never warmed up too hard, though, and I certainly never broke into a sweat. When I came back after my groin injury, I realised the importance of it and I think the older you get, the more care you take of yourself. There was no deliberate superstition about it, although if you thought something worked, you would do it all the time. Howard was superstitious. He would always play our lucky Bruce Springsteen tape. Another tape we had was The Christians. We played it on the coach in every cup game in 1985 and when we got to the Final the tape wasn’t on the bus and we got beat. Martin Keown used to play ‘Simply the Best’ by Tina Turner. I used to absolutely hate it, and to subject us all to that was unforgivable. Jimmy Gabriel He played with some greats, including the Golden Vision. Who was the best Evertonian he played with and why? Mike Coville, New York, USA. It’s hard to say. Alex Young was a fantastic player and he was so wonderful to watch, silky smooth yet strong. He scored and made goals, had it all and did everything with class. Roy Vernon was as sharp as a needle, he could play deep in the midfield, forward in midfield, up front and was a captain in every sense of the word. I felt he almost single-handedly won the league for us. Brian Harris was brilliant, too. They were all good and great to play with. I’d also like to mention Tony Kay because he had a huge inputwith us winning the League Championship. I really feel that if Brian Harris or myself were playing alongside him, Everton would have been a real powerhouse for years to come because of his influence. Unfortunately, he didn’t play for much more than a year and that was a real shame for Everton because he would have been huge. I often wonder what might have been. Bob Latch (grrrr) Doesn't he think today's goal celebrations make so called modern footballers look like a bunch of tarts compared to his classic bended-knee-clenched-fist salute? Mark Wilson, Warrington, England They look as if they’ve been rehearsing those celebrations for months and sometimes the celebrations are more interesting than the actual goal. Nobody was quite as demonstrative in my day and I would say a clenched fist would be sufficient every time. Ask him to clear up the ‘orange ball fear’. Was it the ball, or the fact that it was used in snowy, icy weather and it was more an indication that he was entering a field in less than ‘Latchesque’ conditions? Paul Rigby,Connecticut, USA It was just the whole concept of an orange ball, and it was so hideously bright it just wasn’t right. It’s like playing golf with a yellow ball or seeing cricketers in those bright colours, it was wrong and it played on my mind. I hated that orange ball and it made me anxious, so it got in to my head that I couldn’t play with it and became a self-fulfilling prophecy. © Becky Tallentire 2001 Below are extracts from the Interview with TREVOR STEVEN in "STILL TALKING BLUE" Did he ever have the chance to come back? Wasn't he supposed to come with Durrant and Dunc? Colin Berry, Wavertree. I did talk to Peter Johnson when he was discussing Durrant and Ferguson. The problem I had was that I was injured so much. I'd played so much in my early career and managed to fend off injuries for a long time, but when I got back to Rangers they all surfaced at once. Peter Johnson was enquiring whether I would go back and I said I would when I was fit and if the conditions were right. But the moment passed, I took longer than I thought to regain my fitness and I'd missed my chance. I don't think it would have been wise for me to go back as, indeed, it wasn't wise for me to go back to Rangers. They say you should never do it. Who was the best player he had the privilege to play with? Darryl Ng, Singapore. It would be difficult to name one, but Neville Southall was a fabulous goalkeeper, probably the best in the world at that time. His frame was big, but he was light on his feet, and very aggressive. He was most certainly the best goalie I've ever worked with. All the players in the team had their own particular strengths, but if I had to pick out one it would have to be Kevin Sheedy. He had ability and a technique not many others could claim, and his left foot was absolutely magnificent. He could pinpoint passes, he could hit the ball like a thunderbolt and he had something that was very special indeed. Which of his many medals and trophies is his most precious? San Presland, New Brighton, Merseyside I've got some great medals to look back on. It's especially nice that I've got a World Cup medal, it's not a winners medal, I suppose it's equal to a bronze, but it's always good to know you've done something on the world stage and gained some recognition for it. But for me, the turning point was the FA Cup win with Everton. To win there and take Everton on to a new level was brilliant, and that medal is the one I cherish the most. © Becky Tallentire 2001
Below are extracts from the Interview with Mike Lyons in "STILL TALKING BLUE" Why did you selfishly score the fifth goal against Chelsea in 1978 instead of heading it back for Fat Latch to score his thirtieth of the season? Ged Fox, Wickford, England. Everyone bollocked me for that! I'd gone up to head it, knocked it into the other corner and the whole crowd just went "Hhhhhhhhuh". But I went down against Mickey Droy for the penalty so Latch could get the last one but I think the ref was kind that day. Of the £10,000 Bob won as a prize we all got a share of £192 and then he got stung for the tax. What's he up to nowadays? Andy Howarth, Long Beach, California, USA. I'm Director of Football at the Southampton Academy in Perth, Australia. How's it going over in Oz? Does he plan to stay there for good now? Colin Jones, Mossley Hill. I don't know, I seem to have been over this side of the world for ages now. I'm really happy where I am and it's full of Scousers and Jocks, so it's just like being at home, but with the sun shining every day. Does he despair at the thought of what Everton is going through at the moment? John Walton, Dubai, United Arab Emirates I can't understand a lot of what's gone on at the club. Selling Hutchison still mystifies me - why would we sell our best player? I can't understand it for the life of me. I think football has become shady these days, and I'll leave it at that. Below are extracts from the Interview with Gordon West in "STILL TALKING BLUE" I remember his first game for us - does he? David Catton, Sheffield, England It was Wolves at home and we won 4-0. I was only eighteen and frightened to death. The sports coverage wasn't as it is now but there was this cameraman in the dressing?room and a fella called Wally Barnes who started off with the BBC on Match of the Day. He was taking my photos and I was almost wetting myself, I was so frightened. I was just a lad from Barnsley and I didn't want the fame, I wasn't interested in the cameras. I wanted to get it over with, win and go home. Did he really throw up before games? Jim Lynch, Brentwood, England No, that's been exaggerated. I couldn't throw up because I was too nervous to eat anything in the first place. I did feel sick with nerves, though. Everybody's nervous and if you're not, you shouldn't be going out onto the pitch. I remember playing for Blackpool in the same side as Stanley Matthews. He used to walk around with just his shirt on and he was permanently weeing, he was so nervous. When I was in the Blackpool first team, I had a brilliant run and I helped get them out of relegation at Birmingham. After the game, I got into the big communal bath and could hear the champagne corks popping in the dressing?room. The next thing, there was a tap on my shoulder and it was Stanley Matthews with a glass of champagne. He said: "There you are, son, you deserve this." It was the first drink I'd ever had in my life, but I've made up for it since. What do you miss most from your playing days? Michael O'Connell, Galway, Republic of Ireland. Probably the money, and I wasn't even paid well. I remember going to Everton from Blackpool, I was a world record signing at £27 500 and my wages went from £20 to £30 a week. I had a signing on fee of £20 and we won that week, so I got a bonus. I went home to Blackpool on the train with £58 and I stood up all the way, with my hand on my pocket in case I lost it. I'd never had so much money in one go in my life. A docker was earning about £12 in those days, so it was an enormous amount of cash. Later on in life I had two cars. I used to fill them both up for £5, get the week's shopping in for another fiver and the rest was spare. Did he really hate Ian St. John (and if not, why not?) and did he land a punch in the cup-tie derby game in 1967? Jim Lynch, Brentwood, England. It was a full season before I realised how intense the rivalry was. By then, I'd had it instilled into me that Liverpool were evil and bad, and I just hated them. As for St. John, he never hit me, he threw a punch, but he only came up to my chest so I wouldn't have felt it even if he'd made contact, but I took a dive to try and get him sent off © Becky Tallentire 2001 'Talking
Blue' has been reprinted and is now available from: |
