NEVER FELT MORE LIKE SINGING THE BLUES
THE FA CUP HERO’S OF 1966
(There was TWO great Cup finals in 1966, you know!)

I’m going to take you back over nearly forty years ago to a day at Wembley on Saturday May 14 1966 that for those who witnessed it will never be forgotten as one of the greatest finals and comebacks in the history of the FA cup. I hope I can do this evergreen story in Evertonian hearts justice.

Back in 1966 John Lennon met Yoko Ono, George Harrison married model Patti Boyd, The Sound of Music was the hit film of the year, Sir Francis Chichester in his boat Gypsy Moth rounded the world single handily, Walt Disney died (only to return to manage Everton in the late nineties), the sadness of a coal mountain slide at Abervan killing a whole generation of schoolchildren, Ian Brady and Myra Hindly were jailed for their heinous crimes. Pope Paul VI pleaded for peace in Vietnam.

The Greatest Takes on The Greatest
(Thanks To Rob Sharrett for the paper cutting)

In the week leading up to our cup final against Sheffield Wednesday the Mamas and Papas were number one with ‘ Monday Monday’ and Cassius Clay was in London to fight Our Henry Cooper a couple of weeks later. In fact there is a famous photo of the greatest man meeting the greatest fans in Hyde Park.

The road to Wembley

Unbelievably we had not graced Wembley for over 33 years when Dixie and co won 3-0 that was far too long for a club with the stature of Everton. The 3rd round draw gave us a home game against Sunderland which we won 3-0 with goals from Temple, Young and Pickering.

Bedford Town Programme

Then after beating the Mackems our fourth round took us to the mighty Bedford Town a loss to them would have been a disaster of Titanic proportions. Phew, we won 3-0 with goals from Temple 2 and Pickering again.

Fifth round and it was Coventry at home and the same score line with goals coming from the same scorers as in the third round Young, Temple and Pickering.

The sixth round saw us drawn away to Man City we ran out of goals for a while, our first game at Maine Road finished 0-0 as did the replay at Goodison 0-0 We still could not be parted so off we went to a neutral venue at Wolves were we won 2-0. Familiar scorers Temple and Pickering. Now for the semi final draw. We got the hardest tie on offer, Bobby Charlton’s Man Utd; the game was to be played at Burden Park. Sheffield Wednesday drew Chelsea at Villa Park.

A young different scorer came to the fore in this hard fought game one Colin Harvey, a classy midfielder, who went on to be a great stalwart and shinning light of our club. Cattericks boys were back at Wembley! Book the trains and Charras and get those big Blue and White Rosettes on your mum made!

The Owls (the nickname came from the Owelerton district of the steel city were they play and the name Wednesday from the time when the club formed and it was their day off ), beat Chelsea and were considered outsiders for the 85th FA cup final. But Wednesday had been drawn away for every tie so they were never going to be pushovers.

It was our first meeting against Sheffield Wednesday in a cup final since 1907 at a time when the owls were only known as just Wednesday and Arsenal by Woolwich Arsenal. That season third placed Everton, and the holders, were shocked and beaten by 13th placed Wednesday 2-1. Was another upset on the cards? It had been a similar time to Everton for the last visit by the owls to Wembley, 31 years in all. Revenge was in the air!

We were going to Wembley as the first team ever not to concede a goal on the way.

The game

Cup fever ensued on Merseyside. The expectant Scousers poured down to that there Landon by any means. We had the ‘Golden Vision’ and a great star studded team, we were going to down to Wembley to bring back the cup. And it was going to taste even better as the reds were the holders. Going down Wembley way to see the twin towers has gone forever but to those there that day and other finals it will still live on, 100,000 fans singing in unison.

Official Programme! What's A Shilling?

What Were The Fans Singing?

At the cup final the programmes, (cost one schilling, a rip off at the time) had song sheets inside for communal singing before the game from the Daily Express. It seems a different age now, songs included Bye Bye Blackbird, Come Abide with me and She’s a Lassie from Lancashire, did we really sing those songs?

An LP was made later of the road to Wembley, including both semi finals and the final itself Before the game a bombshell was dropped. Evertonians looked in disbelief at the team sheet. Fred Pickering a fans favourite had been dropped! Had the shrewd old fox Catterick lost his marbles, had he been drinking?

Fred was to be replaced by a young Cornishman by the name of Mike Trebilcock, (pronounced Trebilco but some mischievous pronunciation of his name was obviously made and not allowed on air), who Catterick had bought from Plymouth Argyle for £20,000 on New Years eve Later Catterick said about the drastic team change that Fred had lost form and this kid was sharp and a goal poacher

Labone introduces Princess Margaret to Brian Harris

The massed ranks of Evertonians created a carnival atmosphere before the game kicked off .The Mersey Millionaires and the School of Science was urged on.

Labone Looks For The Coin

Everton kicked off, but disaster struck, in only the fourth minute Wednesday went ahead, this was not in our script. The goal came from a deflected shot from McCalliog into the net. Our proud defensive record in the run had gone! Gordon West was not at fault with this cruel deflection from Ray Wilson’s heel. Game on, Wednesday showed their intent that were not there to just to make the numbers up .Eleven minutes later Alex Young and every one thought we were level ,everyone that is except the referee. His goal was ruled to be offside. Just before this happened ‘The Golden Vision’ was felled by Wednesday’s great keeper Ron Springett, in the penalty box only for play to be waved on. Minutes later after a goal mouth scramble West brilliantly stopped a shot from McCalliog. He should have scored. Was this not to be our day?

The Owls restricted Everton to a handful of chances for the rest of the half, putting the onus on Everton to come forward in search for the equaliser, to be honest they were slightly the better side. Half time whistle came, fans debated the final outcome, and no one envisaged what was to come in a thrilling roller coaster of emotions in the second half. A great roar from the Blue Army urged the Blues on from the kick off .

Everton carried on from the first half enjoying more of the play. Young was denied an equaliser after 5 minutes .An inch perfect pass from Temple and Alex turned on a sixpence to smash the ball goal bound from near the penalty spot. But Springett made a world class save pushing the ball out for a corner. Disaster struck again in the 54th minute. Westy made a great save from a blockbuster of a shot from Fantham, only to find he ball fell at the feet of Ford who scored. We looked dead and buried at 2-0.

Trebilcock Scores

But no, we weren’t going to let the travelling Blue hoards down and minutes later we threw ourselves a life line. Temple set up Trebilcock and from 12yds out made no mistake, game on. Just over four minutes later Alex Scott threw a free kick cross over to Trebilcock on the edge of the area, Trebs smashed the ball into the back of the net .Everton were level. Mayhem ensued 2-2.

Then came the first real pitch invader to make the worlds press. Step forward into Everton folklore (or run would better describe it) a great Evertonian Eddie Cavanagh. The late Kenneth Wolsenholme of the famed commentary “Some people are on the pitch !They think its all over …it is now ”, (in the World cup final later this year) was the commentator of the final as always. Ken followed Eddies full run of the pitch like he was running a commentary on the egg shaped ball game as Eddie danced around every tackle the stewards and police made at him. At one point a policeman grabbed Eddies coat only to be left with it in hands after peeling off Eddie’s back in Buster Keaton like film. Wolsenholme boomed “And a great tackle, almost on the line”. Like if the policeman really had stopped Eddie from making the rugby grand slam.

Eddie Cavanagh - Legend

Brian Labone ran over to the over enthusiastic police and told them to go easy on Eddie. Brian had played football with Eddie. Even Westy went over shouted at the police to not be too hard on the man. I knew Eddie briefly from our Blue Streak days as a steward on the train. Eddie was such a staunch Blue that he would not have even tomato sauce in his house. When Eddie died it saw one of the biggest funerals on Merseyside.

Westy & Labby Try To Help Eddie,
While Brian Harris Tries On the Bobby's Helmet

I remember being told years ago that every time my auntie Lilly would go out to make tea in the kitchen we would score, so aunt Lilly was to miss all our goals making tea no one drank we just wanted goals! We had Wednesday on the back foot now and Everton sensing blood ran at them like demons. With just 16 minutes to go Gerry Young made a fatal error when he failed to control the ball, off his heel the ball fell kindly to Temple who raced through and smashed the ball into the net. For the first time we were ahead in the game and what a game it was now.

In just 15 inspired minutes we had come back from the dead and broke the Yorkshire teams hearts. Everton never stopped there with their onslaught. Young released Trebilcock who had a chance to complete his hat-trick but was denied by Springett.

In the last minute more drama. Wednesday summoned on last effort on goal but Westy punched the ball out to the head of Fantham who put the ball wide. The final whistle blew. What unbounded joy was released on and off the field, we were the winner’s. In the greatest FA cup final comeback of all time we had won the cup. Two nil down in a stamina sapping pitch with an unlikely hero to play a part into our folklore history.

Eustace, Fantham & Ellis can only watch as Harris, Wright & Harvey celebrate

Labone & Harris Run Around Wembley With The FA Cup

Labby went up first as captain to receive the cup off Princess Margaret asking fans on the way up the steps to pinch him was he dreaming? Like a triumphant Gladiator Brian lifted the cup to the delirious Blue Army then danced with his team mates in a lap of honour. It was a long wait since Dixie and by hell the Evertonians were going to enjoy it.

Mike Tebilcock & Derek Temple With The Cup

After the game Evertonians coming out if the ground sang to the tune of She’ll be coming round the mountain, “We’ve got the best little darkie in the land”. Wouldn’t get away with it now lads. And onto Trafalgar square to dance in the fountains, night trains back and coaches to see the triumphant homecoming at St Georges Hall next day. There was no toilets on the coaches those days just buckets but who cared, “E I ADDIO we won the cup”
In later weeks England would win the world cup and Bobby Moore would walk up the same stairs as Labby but to Evertonians around the world there was only one really massive cup win that summer of 66.

Ian Macdonald EISA

Everton With The FA Cup @ St Georges Hall