The Rat: A GOALS A GOAL FOR ME, IT WAS ONLY MY 3RD EVER, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO CELEBRATE & WHEN YOU SCORE ON YOUR DEBUT (PARTICULARLY AS I'D SUPPOSEDLY 'FINISHED ' PLAYING) IT WAS QUITE A GOOD END TO MY CAREER THAT YEAR AS WE WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH CARDIFF. IT WASN'T QUITE AS GOOD AS SCORING AGAINST THE RED SHITE!

Blue Kipper: How much did you pay Bruce Grobbelar to let 'that goal' in?

The Rat: I WASN'T ASKED TO GO TO COURT SO I MUST HAVE BEEN ALRIGHT

Blue Kipper: Do you ever get asked that question since Bruce's case?

The Rat: WHAT DO YOU MEAN SINCE THE CASE? IT WAS SAID AT THE TIME!! WHEN YOU KNOW BRUCE NOTHING SURPRISES YOU, BUT THE SHOT DID HAVE A BIT OF SWERVE ON IT AT THE END!!! IT WOULDN'T HAVE MATTERED IF NEV HAD BEEN IN, HE STILL WOULDN'T HAVE GOT IT!!!

Blue Kipper: How did you come to be spotted by Everton as a kid?

The Rat: A CHAP CALLED RYAN FROM ST ASAPH WATCHED ME PLAY AND ASKED IF I WANTED TO GO FOR A TRIAL, I WAS PLAYING FOR FLINTSHIRE BOYS AND I THINK THEY WANTED TO SIGN ME. I STARTED TRAINING AT EVERTON AND PLAYING FOR THE A & B TEAMS HOWEVER I WAS ALSO PLAYING FOR CHESTER YOUTH AS CHESTER WERE ALSO INTERESTED. I KNEW MOST OF THE LADS AT CHESTER AS THEY WERE ALL LOCAL IT WAS A TOSS UP BETWEEN THE 2 CLUBS AS TO WHO I SIGNED FOR.
THE SET UP AT EVERTON, PARTICULARLY FOR A YOUNG LAD, WAS UNBELIEVABLE, THE FRIGHTENING PART WAS THAT YOU WOULD NOT MAKE THE TEAM UNTIL YOU WERE 20/21 WHEREAS AT CHESTER YOU COULD BE IN THE TEAM AT 16/17 PLAYING REGULARLY LIKE RUSHY.
EVERTON HAD THE PULL BECAUSE I USED TO GO AND WATCH THEM & EVERYONE IN OUR HOUSE WAS BROUGHT UP AS AN EVERTONIAN.

The Rat: I WAS 19 AND MADE MY DEBUT AT MAN UTD IN FRONT OF 58,000. JOHN GIDMAN WENT DOWN ILL AND IT WAS SPRUNG ON ME IN THE AFTERNOON, I MOVED TO CENTRE BACK & BILLY WRIGHT WENT TO RIGHT-BACK, 12TH MARCH 1980 WE DREW 0-0.
THEN MY 2ND GAME WAS THE FA CUP SEMI AGAINST WEST HAM AT ELLAND ROAD, I WASN'T EVEN IN THE SQUAD FOR THE FIRST GAME, KIDDO GETS SENT OFF, ON THE MONDAY I'M IN THE SQUAD AND WEDNESDAY I'M PLAYING!.
IT WAS A BIG DISSAPPOINTMENT WITH ONE EXCEPTION, I WAS OVER THE MOON, I'D PLAYED IN A SEMI FINAL AND GOT 3 TIMES MY WAGE ON APPEARANCE. LOOKING AROUND THE DRESSING ROOM & ON THE COACH PEOPLE LIKE PETER EASTOE & LATCHY, MICK LYONS WERE CRYING SAYING 'YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF TIME TO GET TO ANOTHER FINAL, WE'LL NOT GET ANOTHER CHANCE'. THEY WERE QUITE RIGHT.

Blue Kipper: With all due respect to the greatest captain in Everton's history, how come you were outstanding in the middle & crap at left back?

The Rat: YOU MAY HAVE A POINT, EARLY ON IN YOUR CAREER YOU JUST WANT TO PLAY AND YOU'LL PLAY ANYWHERE. I DIDN'T REALLY ENJOY LEFT-BACK UNTIL LATE ON IN MY CARRER, I PLAYED A DOZEN OR SO LATE ON AT EVERTON AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT, I WAS MORE EXPERIENCED, WAS COMFORTABLE ON THE BALL UNLIKE THOSE EARLY DAYS.
I WAS BROUGHT ON AS A MIDFIELD/CENTRE BACK, SOME MIGHT CRINGE AT THE THOUGHT OF MIDFIELD! I NEVER SAW MYSELF AS A LEFT BACK AND HAD THE ARGUMENT WITH HOWARD WHO TOLD ME TO GET IN THE PECKING ORDER. FOR EXAMPLE, HE WOULDN'T PLAY ME & MARK HIGGINS TOGETHER AS WE WERE 2 LEFT FOOTERS.
I GOT MY CHANCE WHEN BILLY WRIGHT WAS DROPPED AFTER I KEPT FEEDING HIM A FEW PIES!

Blue Kipper: Around this time the was a rumour that Bobby Robson wanted you at Ipswich, was that right?

The Rat: SO I BELIEVE, ALONG WITH STOKE & BLACKBURN BUT I NEVER EVEN SPOKE TO THEM. HOWARD TOLD ME AT THE PFA AWARDS STOKE WERE AFTER ME. I SAID 'ARE THEY' & HOWARD SAID 'YES, I'VE TOLD THEM TO FUCK OFF!' WHICH WAS NICE TO HEAR.

Blue Kipper: So Howard was a good man manager?

The Rat: OH YES. NOT ONLY WAS HE A GOOD MAN MANAGER BUT PEOPLE FORGET HE RETURNED AS PLAYER MANAGER & I PLAYED IN THE SAME SIDE AS HIM.
YOU DON'T REALISE AS A SUPPORTER HOW GOOD A PLAYER HE WAS. HE WAS ALWAYS FIRST PICK ON THE 5-A-SIDE AT TRAINING BECAUSE HE NEVER GAVE THE BALL AWAY.
THE TRAINING WAS SUPERB, HE KNEW WHAT THE LADS WANTED, HE WORKED ON THE BACK 4 AND THAT WAS A FIRST FOR ME. IT WAS 'THIS IS WHAT WE WANT', 'SQUEEZE UP, HOLD THE LINE & MARK SPACE - WE ALWAYS MARKED SPACE, NEVER MAN MARKED' HOWARD WAS GOOD, VERY GOOD.

Blue Kipper: Something else the fans remember more fondly , often with a few beers down us and the video on is the Bayern Munich game. In particular the tackle early in the second half on Ludwig Kogl, do you recall it?

The Rat: I WAS JUST ONE OF A FEW OF US OUT FOR THE DANGERMAN. I DIDN'T EVEN GET BOOKED, I ALWAYS SAID SORRY. EARLY ON I USED TO WALK AWAY, THEN ONE SEASON I GOT MORE BOOKINGS THAN FRANK SINATRA SO I STARTED TO SAY SORRY!
HOWARD POINTED KOGL OUT AS THE DANGERMAN AND THAT WAS ENOUGH, YOU MAY AS WELL HAVE PUT A TARGET ON HIS KNEECAP, ANKLE OR CALF!

Blue Kipper: It was his thigh I seem to remember?

The Rat: WELL ISN'T THAT WERE YOUR THIGHS ARE? AROUND BY YOUR BOLLOCKS!
ME & REIDY SAID WE'D SORT HIM OUT. HAVING SAID THAT, REIDY HAD 6 OR 7 STITCHES IN A GASH THAT NIGHT WHICH PEOPLE DON'T REALISE. HE RAN OVER TO THE BENCH AND SHOVED A WET SPONGE DOWN HIS SOCK AND NEVER WENT OFF FOR STITCHES, IT WAS LOTHER MATTHIAS THAT DID IT.
AT THE SAME TIME ANDY BACK HEADED THEIR CENTRE HALF WHO HAD ABOUT 20 STITCHES IN A NOSE, FACE AND LIP WOUND! THEIR BENCH COULD BELIEVE WHAT WAS GOING ON.
THEY SAID TO HOWARD 'MR KENDALL, THIS IS NOT FOOTBALL', HOWARD TURNED AROUND AND SAID 'FUCK OFF'

Blue Kipper: What other memories do you have of that night?

The Rat: BIGGEST GAME OF MY CAREER. WE DARE NOT LOSE.
50,000 EVERTONIANS AND ABOUT A THOUSAND OF THEIRS, WE COULDN'T EVEN GET NEAR THE STADIUM IN THE BUS, WE WERE LATE, THE WHOLE BUILD UP WAS SO EMOTIONAL (SIMILAR TO WIMBLEDON BUT FOR DIFFERENT REASONS).
ATMOSPHERE AT NIGHT IS EVEN MORE HIGHLY CHARGED

Blue Kipper: Strong rumours are that you are a good friend of David Moyes and you are returning as his no.2?

The Rat: I'M NOT A GOOD FRIEND, I KNOW HIM AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY APPROACH. I'VE KNOWN DAVE A WHILE AS WE USED TO HOLIDAY IN THE SAME RESORT AND HAVE A DRINK TOGETHER, THIS WAS WHILST HE WAS JUST THE COACH AT PRESTON. I'M MADE UP WITH HIS APPOINTMENT AT EVERTON.
I'VE NEVER APPLIED OR BEEN APPROACHED BY EVERTON, OF COURSE ONCE AN EVERTONIAN ALWAYS AN EVERTONIAN AND YOU WANT TO MANAGE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IT WOULD BE NICE TO GET THE CHANCE!

Blue Kipper: How do you think Moysey will do?

The Rat: IT'S GOING TO BE A HARD JOB, IT WOULD BE FOR ANYONE BECAUSE THE MONEY SITUATION IS NOT THE GREATEST.
TEAMS BRING IN £4M PLAYERS FOR THE BENCH, EVERTON WOULD NEED TO PLAY THAT TYPE OF PLAYER WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT AND THAT'S THE SAD THING ABOUT IT, THEY ARE NO LONGER THE BIG CLUB THAT THEY WERE.
BY THAT I MEAN NO LONGER A BIG SPENDING CLUB, IT IS A FANTATIC MASSIVE CLUB BUT SO ARE VILLA AND THEY SPEND MORE THAN EVERTON.
IN THE PAST WE WERE ALWAYS UP THERE, LINEKER, WATSON, COTTEE ALL RECORD DEALS BUT WE DON'T SEE THAT ANYMORE, WE CAN'T COMPETE WITH MAN U, LEEDS, ARSENAL & CHELSEA.
IT'S A SHAME BECAUSE THERE ARE EVERTONIAN'S ALL OVER THE WORLD.

Blue Kipper: Did any game ever come near the Bayern Munich game?

The Rat: WELL OBVIOUSLY THE CUP FINALS BUT FOR ME PERSONALLY IT WAS A 'COMEBACK' GAME AGAINST WIMBLEDON, THE PRESS HAD BUILT IT UP BECAUSE IT WAS AFTER THE INCIDENT WITH VINNY JONES. WE PLAYED THEM IN A CUP GAME AND BEAT THEM 1-0 AT OUR PLACE, IT WAS BILLED AS THE RATCLIFFE & JONES REFIGHT TYPE OF THING. IT HAD US SIDE BY SIDE IN THE PAPERS WITH HEIGHT, REACH, WEIGHT AND IT WAS RIDICULOUS, IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE HEAD BUTT INCIDENT WHICH HE DENIED - HE'D ALSO MADE A BAD TACKLE ON SHARPY. I TOOK STICK FOR SUPPOSEDLY TAKING A DIVE! HE WAS UPSET, I THINK IT COST HIM A BOOT DEAL BUT IF HE HADN'T PUT HIS HEAD NEAR ME HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN THAT SITUATION.
IN THE GAME, I'D JUST COME BACK FROM INJURY AND HAD MY BEST GAME FOR A LONG TIME WE WON AND I THINK THEY WERE CUP HOLDERS AT THE TIME. VINNY WAS SUB AND WHEN HE CAME ON HE GOT THE BIGGEST 'BOO' YOU'VE EVER HEARD. HE RAN ON PAST SHEEDS WHO THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO CHIN HIM, SHEEDS HAD HIS FISTS UP! IT WAS A GAME WE KNEW WE COULDN'T LOSE, LIVE ON TV SO THEY COULDN'T GO ROUND SMASHING EVERYONE UP & ON AN EVEN KEEL WE KNEW NOONE COULD COME NEAR US!!!!!!

Blue Kipper: How did you get on with Gordon Lee?

The Rat: I THOUGHT HE WAS DIFFERENT CLASS TO BE FAIR.
MANY FANS DIDN'T LIKE HIM BUT HE GAVE ME MY CHANCE, HE WAS DIFFERENT, HE NEVER REALISED THAT HE WAS SO FUNNY. THE LADS WOULD JUST CRACK UP LAUGHING AT HIM AND HE DIDN'T REALISE WHAT HE'D DONE!
HE ALSO HAD AT KNACK OR AN ART YOU COULD SAY OF DISTRACTING YOU AND MAKING YOU LOSE TRACK OF WHAT YOU'D COME TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT!
I GOT DROPPED ONCE AFTER A GAME AGAINST SPURS, WE PLAYED WEST BROM IN THE WEEK AND I WASN'T EVEN IN THE SQUAD! I MARCHES IN TO SEE HIM, I WAS FURIOUS OVER A FEW THINGS, HE'S SAT AT HIS DESK ROCKING BACK ON HIS CHAIR, HE ROCKED BACK TOO FAR AND CRACKED HIS HEAD ON THE CUPBOARD! I COULD SAY A THING, I JUST WANTED TO GET OUTSIDE AND LAUGH ME BOLLOCKS OFF! IT WAS SO FUNNY TO SEE THE MANAGER LIKE THAT.
GORDONS DOWNFALL WAS WHEN STEVE BURTENSHAW LEFT AT A TIME WHEN A NUMBER OF PLAYERS WERE AT THE END OF THEIR CAREERS AND HE GOT THE SACK.

Blue Kipper: What was the story behind the head butt on Tommy Hutchinson?

The Rat: DIDN'T LIKE HIM!!
NO, I WAS YOUNG, WE'D HAD A BIT OF A DING DONG THROUGHOUT THE GAME, I WASN'T TOO HAPPY WITH HIM & I REGRETTED IT AND NEVER DID IT AGAIN. IT MAY HAVE COST US A SEMI FINAL PLACE.
IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT IF YOU COULD TURN BACK THE CLOCK…..

Blue Kipper: Who did you rate amongst all the great players around the mid 80's?

The Rat: EVERYONE HAD A DIFFERENT TALENT IN THEM. 80% OF THE GOALS CAME FROM KEVIN SHEEDY, TREVOR WAS VERY SKILLFUL, NEV WAS PROBABLY THE BEST KEEPER IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME, AND WITH REIDY, SHARPY, ANDY & INCHY IT WAS JUST SUCH A GOOD MIXTURE, BUT THE BIGGEST THING ABOUT IT WAS THAT WE WERE NASTY!! WE WERE A NASTY BUNCH WHO WANTED TO WIN EVERY GAME. WE HAD A BIG TOGETHERNESS, A TEAM SIPIRT LIKE I'VE NEVER COME ACROSS BEFORE OR SINCE.
NOW YOU JUST SEE A FEW ON THE BENCH, WE HAD ABOUT 10, IT WAS OUR TRADEMARK, WHEN YOU SCORED EVERYONE ON THE BENCH WAS UP DANCING. THEM LADS WEREN'T PLAYING BUT THEY WERE MADE TO FEEL ONE OF THE LADS. WE NEVER TREATED ANYONE ANY DIFFERENTLY, THE LADS ON THE BENCH WERE JUST AS IMPORTANT. YOUR KEVIN RICHARDSON'S & ALAN HARPER'S WHOEVER IT WAS, THEY WERE MADE TO FEEL PART OF THE TEAM.

Blue Kipper: Why didn't you get a perm when most of the others did?

The Rat: I HAD A BUSHY MOUSTACHE INSTEAD BUT I NEVER HAD A PERM. NOR DID I HAVE LEATHER PANTS EITHER, UNLIKE SHARPY! HE ALSO HAD A BAD PERM ALONG WITH INCHY & KEVIN RICHARDSON. BUT THE FUNNIEST SIGHT WAS SHEEDS TURNING UP FOR PRE-SEASON TRAINING WITH BLOND HAIR!

Blue Kipper: Are you aware that you were caught on camera having a piss in the tunnel before the '86 Cup Final?

The Rat: I ALWAYS PEED IN THE TUNNEL BEFORE I WENT OUT, EVERYWHERE. IT WAS MY THING, EVEN AT GOODISON!

Blue Kipper: Why did you never kick Ian Rush all over the park?

The Rat: COULDN'T GET NEAR HIM!
HE WAS AN EXCELLENT PLAYER, A YEAR YOUNGER THAN ME AND I'D KNOWN HIM SINCE I WAS 15.
WE BECAME PALLY WITH WALES, WE HAD BANTER & RESPECT, I DID KICK HIM AND BELIEVE ME I DID MY BEST TO STOP HIM

Blue Kipper: How much did that team socialize together?

The Rat: DURING HOWARD'S FIRST REIGN WE ALL WENT FOR A DRINK AFTER THE GAME. IT WOULD BE ONLY A COUPLE THEN YOU COULD DRIVE HOME! IN THE BULLDOG OR THE SEFTON EVEN REIDY CAME AND HE LIVED IN BOLTON THEN. WE ALL WENT OUT TOGETHER AND THAT BUILT THE TEAM SPIRIT.

At this point Kev goes for a 'quick pee'. Sauge turns to Kipper and says ' Pinch me quick, I want to make sure I'm not dreaming this!' Kipper says, 'This is for real lar, and it's fuckin' brilliant!!' It certainly was. The Rat returns……

Blue Kipper: The 3 goals you scored in your carrear, what do you remember?

The Rat: RIGHT FOOT, LEFT FOOT AND A HEADER. NORWICH THE RIGHT FOOT, LEFT FOOT AGAINST THE SHITE & THE HEADER WAS AT CARDIFF.
I THINK I SCORED 1 IN EVERY 150 LEAGUE GAMES, IT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER BUT I WASN'T ALLOWED UP! EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT I WAS THE BEST ATTACKER OF THE BALL AT THE CLUB.
I COULD ALSO HANG IN THE AIR LIKE SHARPY, MINE WAS MORE OF A SPRING THOUGH, I FELT I SHOULD HAVE SCORED MORE. WITH MY PACE HOWARD WANTED ME AT THE BACK. I MADE A MISTAKE ONCE AT QPR AND IT WAS NEVER FORGOTTEN, I BLAMED GARY STEVENS, HE BLAMED ME & SHEEDS JUST LAUGHED HIS SOCKS OFF!

Blue Kipper: THE best player you played with?

The Rat: THEY WERE ALL GREAT IN THAT SIDE BUT IF I HAD TO PICK ONE IT WOULD HAVE TO BE THE ONE THAT WAS 'WORLD' CLASS - BIG NEV.
HE WAS OUTSTANDING, AWESOME WAS THE WORD, HE MADE SOME FABULOUS SAVES AND WOULD THEN SAY 'I'VE MADE BETTER IN TRAINING' AND IT WAS TRUE!

PLAYING OUT IT WAS PROBABLY KEVIN SHEEDY, I'VE NOT SEEN A BETTER LEFT FOOT, HIS DELIVERY WAS UNBELIEVABLE. YOU HAVE TO PLAY WITH THESE LADS TO KNOW HOW GOOD THEY ARE.

PETER REID HAD UNBELIEVABLE DETERMINATION AND THAT WAS FROM SOMEBODY WHO WHEN HE CAME TO THE CLUB WAS NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE PLAYING FOOTBALL BECAUSE OF INJURY!

AND THE SIDE COST NEXT TO NOTHING!

Blue Kipper: Best player you've played against?

The Rat: HERE, RUSHY OR DALGLISH BUT THEN THERE'S BUTTRAGUENO, CARRECA, KLINNSMAN, VOLLER, SANCHEZ YOU CAN'T NAME JUST ONE IT WOULD BE UNFAIR ON THE OTHERS.

Blue Kipper: Hardest player you've played with or against?

The Rat: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY HARD? IF YOU MEAN LIKE DAVE WATSON, NEVER MOANED - HE WAS ONLY HURT IF HE WAS KNOCKED OUT. REIDY WAS HARD & ANDY GRAY MUST HAVE BEEN ONE HELLUVA PLAYER AT 20 YRS OF AGE BECAUSE WHEN HE CAME TO US HE WAS SUPPOSEDLY FINISHED AND HE WAS STILL OUTSTANDING, VERY BRAVE. I THINK HE WAS TRAINED AS A KAMIKAZE PILOT WHO THOUGHT HE COULDN'T BE KILLED! HE WON YOUNG & PLAYER OF THE YEAR SO YOU KNOW HE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME PLAYER AND I WOULDN'T HAVE LIKED TO MARK HIM.

THERE'S 3 PLAYERS WHO YOU WOULD WANT WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT.

AGAINST. THERE'S HARD AND DIRTY, JIMMY CASE WAS A HARD NUT, WELL RESPECTED AND A GOOD FOOTBALLER, SOUNESS WAS HARD AS WELL. I KNOW I KEEP PICKING THEM BUT THEY WERE A GOOD SIDE BUT SOMEBODY HAD TO TAKE OVER THEIR MANTLE AND WE DID IT! BRYAN ROBSON, PETER WITH & THEN THERE WAS JOHN FASHANU HE NEVER CAUGHT ME BUT I REMEMBER HAVING TO PICK DAVE WATSON UP ONCE THANK GOD IT WASN'T ME!.
THE 2 HARDEST WERE MICK HARFORD & BILLY WHITEHURST, BILLY WAS AN ABSOLUTE MONSTER ME AND REIDY BOTH WENT IN ON HIM ONCE TOGETHER AND CAME OFF WORST! HE WAS THE ONE WHO FINISHED BRACE MORE OR LESS HE WAS CERTAINLY ONE YOU DIDN'T MESS WITH.

Blue Kipper: Did anyone ever try & get revenge on Brian Marwood for doing Inchy?

The Rat: BRIAN WAS A GOOD PLAYER, I DON'T THINK HE ACTUALLY MEANT IT, IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS, HE WASN'T A DIRTY PLAYER I'VE SEEN WORSE TACKLES WERE NO-ONE WAS HURT. UNFORTUNATELY IT PUT HIM OUT FOR 12 MONTHS & HE HAD ONLY JUST WON THE FANS OVER AND THAT HAD TAKEN A WHILE. BRIAN REGRETTED IT BUT IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS.

Blue Kipper: Is Gary Lineker on your Christmas Card list?

The Rat: I'VE NOTHING AGAINST GARY LINEKER. I MADE HIM WHAT HE IS A TV STAR! EVERTON WAS HIS KICK START BUT WE NEVER WON ANYTHING WITH HIM, AFTER HE LEFT WE WENT AND WON THE LEAGUE AGAIN. HE WAS A GREAT PLAYER THOUGH, ONE OF THE BEST CENTRE FORWARDS I'VE PLAYED WITH. I HAD GOOD CONTACT WITH HIM, KNEW WHERE HE WANTED THE BALL, BUT HE MADE HIS NAME WITH US AND WENT ON TO MAKE HIS MONEY ELSEWHERE. A GOOD BIT OF BUSINESS THOUGH, £800K IN AND £2 MILLION OUT I THINK IT WAS, MONEY TALKS SOMETIMES.

Blue Kipper: You were in a Wales side with some great players, Big Nev, Hughesy, Rushy & Giggsy, why weren't they more successful?

The Rat: WALES COULD NEVER GET A FULL SET OF PREMIER PLAYERS IN THEIR TEAM. WE HAD 2ND DIVISION PLAYERS IN THE SIDE, MARK BOWEN, PAUL BODIN, MARK AIZLEWOOD & MY LAST GAME FOR WALES I WAS PLAYING IN THE THIRD DIVISION! THE STEP UP IS MASSIVE, PEOPLE FORGET, MY LAST GAME WAS RYAN GIGGS FIRST, BY THE WAY THOSE PLAYERS WERE EXCELLENT AND NEVER LET US DOWN.

Blue Kipper: What do you put it down to that the great side never managed to beat Man U and clinch what some might call a treble but most definitely would have been the double?

The Rat: THE GAMES WERE TOO CLOSE, THE LADS WERE A BIT JADED & THE SENDING OFF GAVE THEM AN EXTRA EDGE, THERE WAS A STRANGE ATMOSPHERE, A LOT OF HATRED IN THE GROUND AND WHEN YOU GET THOSE VIBES AS A PLAYER IT'S NOT NICE TO PLAY IN. ANYONE WHO WAS THERE KNOWS WHAT I MEAN.

Blue Kipper: How did you feel about being robbed of the chance to take on Europe with that great side?

The Rat: THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT HEYSEL BROKE THAT SIDE UP & COST EVERTON RULING EUROPE AND THE 1ST DIVISION FOR MANY A YEAR. GARY, TREVOR & REIDY ALL WENT, SHARPY WAS SOLD I GOT A BAD INJURY, HOWARD WENT AND WITHIN 3 YEARS THE TEAM HAD GONE.

Shrewsbury Town's Manager