Graeme Sharp Interview

Exclusive Graeme Sharp Interview

INTERVIEW with GRAEME SHARP - FRIDAY 8TH DECEMBER 2000 Blue Kipper were honoured and privileged to meet up with and interview Everton legend Graeme Sharp using questions posted to the site. The meeting with Everton’s post-war record goalscorer took place in the EFC Restaurant at Goodison Park where later the whole of the Blue Kipper crew joined Graeme for Christmas lunch, we celebrated with a bottle of bubbly, Sharpy was on fizzy water (he had one glass of the real fizzy stuff). What a top bloke, we always knew he was on the pitch and he exceeded our expectations off it. We hope you enjoy the outcome. Merry Christmas.

FOOTBALL RELATED?
BK-what made you choose Everton? ‘We’ know, we just want to hear it?
GS-As a player I had a choice of a number of clubs, my brother was the talk of Rangers & Celtic but had a number of bad experiences which my father wanted me to avoid and go to a smaller club. I went to Dumbarton, chances came to move to Aberdeen and Aston Villa where I had been on trial for a week but nothing had materialised. I then came down with my father to Everton to meet Gordon Lee and the Secretary Jim Greenwood, we had lunch (in here as it happens) I was still a young lad thinking there I was there to be shown around, they showed me a fantastic stadium, fantastic training ground and then offered there & then to sign me. It was a big, big step for me but having been in Scotland and knowing Everton were a big club in English football I could relate to Everton, the fact that they had players like Bob Latchford and Asa Hartford, a Scottish international, it was very important to me to come down to a big club. It was a big step in my career, I could have stayed in Scotland, but when I came down and saw the place it took my breath away, even things like restaurants inside the ground which at the time I did not think existed! Gordon Lee was very focused, he looked after me in those early days. People have differing opinions of him but I found him a to be a good man. I’ve seen his look-a-like on the site and the less said about that the better!

BK- have you always had the competitive streak in you?
GS- my father always said, that I did not have enough belief in myself. When I first came down playing alongside Steve McMahon, Joe McBride, Paul Lodge(!) all good players and I thought to myself, even though I’d signed for £125,000, that I wasn’t good enough and perhaps shouldn’t be here. I was shy, retiring and not pushy I had a bit of an inferiority complex when I first arrived. It was only after working with and talking to Colin Harvey that things changed, I was in the last year of my contract, it was make or break and my father told me to go and show them what I could do. Working with Colin and alongside Andy you learnt how to look after yourself, you must have a passion and desire to win and I had that. You need that to succeed at the top level particularly in the striking position.

BK-can we go back to the aggression bit, you and Andy Gray, how did it rub off on you?
GS- Colin or Howard had told me not to get brushed off the ball and Andy had the approach of ‘don’t let anybody effin’ boss you about’ and it went from there, take the games against Spurs, Roberts and Miller it was like WW2 kicking lumps out of each other. My Dad always said don’t let anyone ever bully you, always get your retaliation in first. I always tell the tale about one of my first games here against Leeds, Kenny Burns was centre half and fearsome, his first words were something like ‘I’m going to break you ‘effin’ leg..’ I thought that’s out of order, my old fellas words are ringing in my ear when I get a chance and give it to him on the half way line, ball ends up out for a corner to us and Kenny is out for the count getting smelling salts on the half way line. I thought he’s going to kill me here but he was as quiet as a mouse, we won 1-0 an I scored. If someone kicked me I kicked them back I could play it either way.

BK-as a kid a number of top clubs were after you, were you on Celtic’s books?
GS- no, Celtic amateurs then Eastercraigs. Not Celtic as I am Rangers, although my son supports Everton & Celtic!

BK-how badly did you upset Ron Saunders by not signing for Villa and were there any later repercussions?
GS- no, not really, I went there for a weeks trial, Andy Gray & Brian Little were there. Andy was a hero of mine, he doesn’t like me saying that but he was and Villa were a big club. I’d been down for a trial as a 15 yr old and nothing materialised but now I was older and had been at Dumbarton for a year. I did well and was called in by Mr Saunders along with my then manager, Davie Wilson and a director Sean Fallon, he said I’d done well but there was no offer of signing. I came back up, I would have liked to sign for Villa but then Gordon Lee came up to see me in a Tuesday night match in which I scored but we lost and the phone went the following morning inviting me down to Everton. After I’d signed the forms, articles appeared in the paper saying Ron Saunders had gone mad as he had been gazumped. I scored plenty of goals later against Villa in my career but there was no animosity. I know I was fortunate to chose Everton ahead of Aston Villa.

BK -when did your love affair with the fans begin and how did it grow after ‘that’ goal at Anfield?
GS-it was difficult for me at first being homesick and only getting a few first team opportunities at the end of the season, I thought the fans didn’t fancy me as a player and things were slow to happen. In the darks days of ‘83 opinion was varied on me and it was a hard time, believe me 7,000 fans at Goodison can be a scary experience when you can spot everyone in the crowd and everyone is having a go at you! As soon as they saw the change in the team you could almost sense something was going to happen. I always believed that if I showed a passion, commitment and worked hard that the fans would take to you. I say that to everyone that comes here.

BK-was the half-time talk in the Bayern Munich game to basically kick shit out of them in the second half?
GS(after laughing)- no, I’ve said before Howard just said to keep it going. When we went 0-1 down the silence was unbelievable, it was eerie in what was an unbelievable atmosphere. Howard said that the Street End would suck one in, as it happened the first goal came off my eyebrow I think. Having been battered over there with a depleted side we rode our luck at times and came away with a 0-0. So coming back here with everybody fit we knew we could turn them over, we knew we’d also have a crowd of 50,000 behind us we had a great lift. We’d arrive at the ground by coach from a hotel in town, usual routine except this night the coach when it turned towards the ground it came to a standstill. We could not believe it and it then sunk in how big this was. You could always hear the crowd but this was a different buzz, we believed in ourselves and just wanted to get stuck into the Germans. Andy’s goal followed mine and Trevor rounded it off. It was a great day. I remember Hoeness chasing Andy down the tunnel at the end and Andy coming out with the proverbial ‘F... Off, we’re in the final and you’re not’. But make no mistake, they gave as good as they got in what was a physical battle which at the end of the day we won.

BK-how did the mood of the players and club change after the Heysel incident resulting in the European ban?
GS-people were talking about us going on and dominating Europe and we were looking forward to it. As a player you want to reach the pinnacle of the European Cup, sadly it was taken away from us through no fault of our own. We were disappointed but you look to all the people that died, that was a sad thing for football. Who knows we may have been drawn against Real Madrid in the first round but we really did fancy our chances. It subsequently resulted in Trevor and Gary going, there was the lure of European football and the money being paid at Rangers. Howard left and was successful at Bilbao, Andy Gray went to accommodate Links which I thought was a wrong move, whilst me and Links scored a lot of goals I was looking forward to renewing my partnership with Andy. But these decisions have to be made and not everyone connected to the football club likes them.

BK- Andy was one of your hero’s, is that why you two were the only ones wearing white socks with black shoes at the evening celebration following the ‘84 Cup Final?
GS-not me, Andy was a fashion victim, mine were light grey!

BK- right on the spot now, in the past you usually name 4 goals as your best ever, Wembley ‘84, Spurs(H) ‘82, Sheff Wed Semi ‘86 & of course THE one against the Shite. Come down off the fence, which was the best ?
GS-for spectacular and more difficult, the Spurs one was the hardest to execute. The best would have to be that one against them, it was spectacular, it was against them, it was the first time we had won there in 13 years and we went on to win the Championship. Also for the fellow who ran on the pitch, who for a long time I thought was the fellow who cleaned my windows after I heard a story that got mixed up. Then I went to a dinner last year and met this shy lad sat in the corner who I said was not the fellow I knew, he proved it was him and I realised I had the wrong bloke, my window cleaner, for years!

BK-What was the story behind you missing out on the England v Scotland international?
GS-I got 12 Scotland caps but never played against England, I played 12 times in which they never lost a game. I was called up for the game where Goughie scored the header and we won 1-0 at Hampden, where I was down to play. Jock Stein got a call on the Friday and I was pulled to one side. Everton were playing Coventry on the Sunday and Coventry were involved in a relegation scrap, fellow relegation candidates complained they would be playing a weakened side so I was called back and missed out. It was a horrible weekend for me we got battered 4-1 and is one of my great regrets that I never played in a Scotland/England game.

BK-many Merseysiders were howling laughing recently when you discussed your role as Fans Liaison Officer with an angry fan on the post match phone in after the Derby - it was hilarious. What is your role and job description?
GS-People say to me ‘What is it that the Fan’s Liaision Officer does?’, I don’t think any other club has one. Alan Myers approached me and asked me for a recommendation of an ex-Everton player who could do the job, I couldn’t, but said that I would be interested had it not been for other commitments. He then phoned me asking to meet Michael Dunford so I did, the role was described as a link between the club and the fans. It involves a lot of charity work, cancer charities, hospital liaision and Supporters Clubs, the club wants to build closer links with all their fans. A figurehead for the club representing Everton and gaining good PR, the role is difficult to define. That fan wanted me here when I was working elsewhere. I am there with the team witnessing live events such as recently at Sunderland. I do enjoy the role. Another example was the day we spoke recently when I had been with a family spreading ashes at Goodison.

BK-there was an incident at the Chelsea game involving low-life Chelsea fans and our disabled supporters. Are you aware of the incident and does the Club propose to take any action either with Chelsea or re-location?
GS-Yes, I’m aware we work closely with EDSA (Everton Disabled Supporters Association), Steve Ennigan does a wonderful job, we need to investigate and find out what happened, it may not just have been Chelsea fans and not necessarily a disabled fan but the club are looking into it. We are in regular contact with EDSA to try to improve facilities, they have 350 members for about 80 places here so people will miss out until we can change things. If we move to a new ground they will have a big say.

BK-as Fan’s Liaision Officer don’t you think a fan who knows the A-Z of being a supporter, just as you know the Club inside out, should be appointed to work along side you? PS I know 30,000 applicants!
GS-I get good feedback from fans on a regular basis, don’t get me wrong it may be an idea but I don’t know if Bill has any plans.

CONFIDENTIAL?
BK-what is the truth behind Joe Parkinson going?
GS-Joe always said he wanted to work in a different line, he gave it 10 weeks, he had just come from football where the hours are completely different, going from having almost the whole day to yourself to 9 - 5+, he also has a young family, so I think there are personal reasons as well.

BK-has Nyarko got the flu?
GS- Ghanan flu, it lasts 3-4 weeks!

BK-who was the hardest Keown or Sheedy?
GS-in that instance Keown but let’s just say that the man who has been drinking Coke all day will always win!

BK-in one particular Derby incident you were involved with Jan Molby and both elbows were used, what was all that about and what did Molby say?
GS-Darren Coyle had has leg broke in the mini-Derby by a naughty challenge, Big Jan had said some unsavoury things that had boiled tempers more. So as you do on those occasions I made sure that Jan knew I was unhappy with what he had said.

BK-when you were involved in the Chris Fairclough ‘Kirkby kiss’ incident, Cloughie was hopping mad were there any repercussions in the tunnel or afterwards?
GS-I love it when it kicks off because they are concentrating on me instead of the game. Usual Cloghie stuff after the game ‘Young man...’, we’d won 5-0 and I scored two. We had a return late in the season and I was in the dugout with Sheeds, Reidy, Brace & Andy being rested. Teams come out and Cloghie marches towards the dugout, I thought this should be interesting. He says ‘Young man, it’s a good job you are not playing today’. ‘Why’s that?’. ‘Because I told my son Nigel to kick your ..’ ‘Your son Nigel, do me a favour, fuck off I’m not afraid of your son Nigel we’ve got a Cup Winners Cup Final next week’. ‘Quite right too young man, and all the best in the final!’ He was off his trolley.

BK-what do you know about the Kings Dock rumours that we have two chances a dogs chance and no chance?
GS-rumours put out in the papers are flase. All these unknown sources, I wish they would come out and let us know who they are. The club are still persuing the Kings Dock option and personally I think it would be fabulous, it is still a goer at present and the next meeting is in January when we will know more. It is bad journalism, what I know is that Michael Dunford and Bill Kenwright are working extremely hard to make this happen.

BK-You played under ‘Sir Alex’for Scotland, what did you think of him then and did your opinion change after he slagged you off in his book regarding the Uruguay game?
GS- no, he wanted to sign me on 3 occasions, at Dumbarton he wanted to take me to St Mirren, at Everton he wanted to take me to Aberdeen a couple of times. He had a reputation as a bully, giving you the ‘hair drier treatment’ right in your face, I’d heard stories from the Aberdeen lads and didn’t fancy working for anyone like that. Then I went to play for Scotland when he took over from Jock Stein and I had no problems, then he goes and writes something like that in the book. What he is forgetting is that he has to live with his own performance and in those 3 World Cup games - he failed. That year I’d scored 31 goals with Links and Frank McAvennie had scored about 29 with West Ham with Tony Cottee. Charlie Nicholas had scored about 3 for Arsenal and Paul Sturrock a few for Dundee Utd a manager needs to make decisions. First game I’m not involved, not even in the 16, we got beat. Same again for the second game, my involvement was collecting the balls after training and doing my own thing. Then comes the third game, they realise they must win, I’m called into the team not having been involved in any of the tactics or training with the first team squad and he decides to play with no wingers! I was criticised for not being aggressive enough in the box but he dropped Davie Cooper and there were no crosses. He also dropped Graeme Souness, against Uruguay of all teams in a game where everybody thought he would be ideal against their hard men. The rest is history. I was involved in the Scottish team that took the only point in the World Cup , it’s easy to criticise me along with the likes of Brian Kidd and Gordon Strachan but if he looks at it deep down, he was the one who made mistakes. The job at the time was probably too much for him, he’s now gone on to great things and all credit to him.

PERSONAL?
BK-where does ‘Marshall’ your middle name come from?
GS- I think it’s from my father’s side somewhere. There are no links between this and wearing the cowboy hat and carrying the gun for the Echo photo when I first arrived!

BK- do you still keep in touch with John Duffy, the purser on the QE2?
GS- John is smashing lad and a good Evertonian, his wife Marie and son Simon a lovely family. We went on a cruise and he looked after us very well. I see John now and again usually around Christmas, hopefully I’ll see him this year.

BK-at which hairdressers did you get your hair permed in the 80’s, which players resisted the temptation?
GS- it was a mad spell and it wasn’t a perm it was a demi-wave! I think I went up to Scotland to have it done originally then I went somewhere in Church St, the less said the better I don’t like reminders. I wasn’t alone, Inchy and Kevin Rich had one and of course John Bailey’s was natural and before us there was Latch and Georgie Wood.

BK-your Best Man was Kevin Richardson, do you still see him and what is he up to?
GS-I see him now and again at foundation dinners and on holiday a few years ago but not as much as I’d like. Kev’s back now working for Sunderland with the academy, he was only a bit part player here, a very good one, he moved on to have a great career at Villa, Coventry, Arsenal and over in Sociadad he done very well for himself.

BK-he played in a great game at Anfield, for Arsenal.
GS-what a wonderful game, we were in Magaluff in a bar which lost the picture and had commentary only.It was fabulous, we had been there all day and when the second goal went in it was an excuse for a party. When we got back and saw the Steve McMahon one minute finger it made it all the better.

BK- do you keep in touch with your ex-striking partner Gary Lineker and is he the little shit we all think he is?
GS - I saw Links last year when I did a bit on Football Focus. Links was alright here, no problems in the dressing room, he mixed and his goal scoring record was good. I’ve got no gripes, even though people say I made him a millionaire when he went to Barcelona but he was a better player when he came back. What sticks in peoples throats I think is that when he mentions his ex-clubs he seems to have little affinity with Everton but I still think he holds Everton close even though he doesn’t show it. No, he doesn’t send me a Christmas card unlike Andy and Mike Newall.

BK-apparently you passed your driving test late in life, when? who used to take you to training/matches?
GK- about 1992, I’d had enough getting the train from Southport to Oldham and the wife had enough as well. I’ve cadged a lift off loads of people Sheeds, Andy, Alan Irvine, Ian Snodin it was laziness, but into the bargain you could have a drink.

BK-would you stick with the current team (OK we lost one on Monday) or would you revert to the pre-season big money signings?
GS-difficult given how well they have done but a manager must stick with the side he knows is his best.

BK-have you EVER correctly predicted the ‘bet direct it’s a better way to bet’ first scorer? And ‘no’ you’re not getting any of our money back!
GS-I have as it happens but you must go with an Everton player even against Man U away, I’m 3-1 up on The Saint.

BK-what connections have you had wit Nigel Twisten-Davies, Tom Scudamore, Alan McAnally or 'Retro’s Lady' please explain because many of us have lost fortunes backing any horse with ‘Sharp’ in the name?
GS- I know Tom but not the others, I have backed and won on Retro’s Lady but that is down to someone I know, Big John from The Retro. I’m not a gambler, sorry for the ‘sharp’ bit but I don’t have a horse, if I go to the races the only horse I see is the police horse at the entrance I’m always in the tent.

BK-did you have a dislike not only for The Shite but particularly Steve Nicol?
GS-no, not Stevie Nic we got on well, don’t get me wrong we would kick each other, maybe you are getting mixed up with Steve McMahon as we both wanted to win so badly. I hated losing, particularly against them made it even worse - I even go there now and it pains me, I can’t stand them.

BK-Colin Harvey worked for you at Oldham, was it difficult telling him what to do?
GS-no, because I never did. I have great respect for him, Colin helped me in a coaching capacity as he is qualified. Unfortunately it was at the wrong time Oldham having been relegated and lacking ambition as a club?

BK-many people feel you left Everton too soon, indeed you went on to prove them right. Did you ever ask Howard why he sold you?
GS-not really no, a manager makes a decision and has to live with it but I found it farcical at the time. A friend approached me on holiday in America with the missus and kids and asked if I would fancy going to Oldham? I told him to get lost. I came back from holiday and at pre-season training Howard called me in and accused me of speaking to Joe Royle which I denied, he told me he was thinking of bringing Dean Saunders in and I said I was willing to fight for my place. Howard said he had sorted something with Joe, I asked him to phone and cancel which he wouldn’t. I met up with Joe and told him straight I didn’t wish to go Howard clearly did not want me and said Everton could not match Oldham’s offer! I felt that I had served the club for 11 years and the whole thing could have been handled much better. It was a sad time they got £500,000 for me when I never wanted to leave.

BK-remember the ‘80’s programmes with the player & wife centrefold? Who supplied the ‘Val Doonican’ sweaters you all wore?
GS-shows how much football has moved on, it was always bad photos then, I remember the cowboy one and another with Sheeds with a clarinet and me with a trumpet, ridiculous! That dog that was in the picture, my pet, bit me once before the Notts Forest game. I was clowning around with him around Christmas time, rolling around on the floor and he was growling, the wife warned me and the next thing he bit through my hand. We were due to play on the Sunday and I phoned Clinks (John Clinkard - Physio) after I’d been to hospital for treatment and said I can’t play tomorrow as the dog has bitten me, I’ve had stitches and my hand is like a balloon. Clinks called me straight in, I looked like ‘the Mummy’, my hand was twice normal size so I couldn’t play, Wayne Clarke came in for me scored and we won 1-0!

BK-what is it really like to score the winning goal in the Derby, we’ve all done it but usually at 3am then woke up in a damp patch?
GS-everyone talks to me about this, that day at Anfield I don’t know why I ran to the crowd, everyone knows about the guy who ran on, but I fixed on the crowd and saw a guy called Eddide Done a mad Evertonian and a friend of Colin Harvey, I still see him to this day I just locked on to him. To see those faces in the crowd it is just fantastic.(BK-and no Bill he didn't get his knob out unlike you!)

QUICKIES
BK-best striking partner?
GS-for goalscoring Lineker, I enjoyed playing with Inchy, in terms of winning and physical enjoyment it has to be Andy Gray. There was talk of pairing up with Rushy at Juventus that would have been interesting. I also would have liked to play alongside Bob Latchford for longer.

BK-and the worst?
GS-Mick Ferguson, Alan Biley, Rob Wakenshaw. There were a few lazy ones including Tony Cottee if we’d lost and he’d scored he felt job done whilst ‘muggin’s’ here was running all over the park. In his book he says people did not pass to him at Goodison, load of tripe, it was him who did not give enough to the team.

BK-fittest players at club?
GS- Gary Stevens & Pat Van Den Hauwe (even after a night out).

BK-best centre half opponent?
GS-David O’Leary you could never get at him even physically, quick and a good reader of the game.

BK-best player you played with at Everton?
GS-some would say Trevor, but from my view it was Sheeds because I knew what he was going to do, if he pulled it onto his left foot he was going for the diagonal ball and I would peel off and get to the back post.

BK-how did you feel when you went around Grobbellar at Anfield and missed?
GS-bloody awful. I was never great one on one I was more instictive. Training with Nev made one on one’s almost impossible.

BK-in the 1987 Christmas party only you and Psycho Pat did not wear fancy dress, why?
GS-I think we’d been out before and couldn’t make it to the fancy dress shop in time!

BK-26.3.1988 you were captain for the last time, is it right you got the coin from the ref?
GS-No. I remember the game and think it was the one and only time I was Captain. It was a great honour for me but I never received the coin, referees are too tight for that.

BK-have you ever thought of managing the Blues?
GS-I’d love to but I think that’s past now. Oldham didn’t work out, Walter is doing a fantastic job and I’m just happy to be back at the club.

BK-recent times have not been good for the Club, we recognise that there have been many positive changes over the last couple of years. Have we turned the corner & how long before we are challenging for honours?
GS-I think it is difficult with Man U, Arsenal & Leeds ahead of us, just look across the park where they have invested over £60m and I don’t see a good side there. I think with our financial problems it will be difficult for us over the next 2 to 3 years, hopefully we are moving the right way this was one of the reasons I came back. Whether we see Kings Dock remains to be seen, I believe the club is in the right hands, we have a fabulous fan base, football is an up and coming business there is more to be had out there. I still think, I said it years ago, there are 3 priorities , the ground, the academy and the team on the pitch, whatever way you want to approach this depends. All the top teams have this right, I see the Academy as the future of the club and we need to address this, but it is only one part. We’ve got the Manager right and hopefully with more backing we will see that you couldn’t get a better man for the job.

BK-On behalf of all at Blue Kipper and all other Blues I’d like to say ‘thankyou’ for all that you’ve done for us. Thankyou Graeme Sharp.