Stories

Cyril Webster – The Courteous Clerk

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It is extremely rare for players to spend a decade at the same club and not make a single first-team appearance. Before the Second World War, Everton had a player who did exactly that – Cyril Roscoe Webster.

Cyril Webster was born in Bootle on 8th February 1908. His football career didn’t begin until he was a student at Liverpool Collegiate School – a grammar school in Everton – at the age of 13. Before studying there, he attended Aintree High School, where, according to Webster, “they didn’t know what football was.” He was initially a goalkeeper for the Gordon House second XI and remained between the posts for a year before becoming an inside right after the Gordon House first XI was a player short. He made the most of his outfield debut, scoring 2 goals in a 3-1 win. From that game to the rest of his football career, inside right became Webster’s main position.

After leaving school, he joined West Derby Union, where he honed his skills. During his time at WDU, he played at Goodison Park for a Lancashire XI in a match against a Cumberland XI. He left the club to join Middlesex Amateurs but never had the chance to play for them. But soon, Everton came calling. In April 1928, Thomas H McIntosh phoned Webster and asked him to play for Everton’s ‘A’ team in a friendly against Wavertree. Webster accepted the offer, played in the match but unfortunately didn’t score. Despite that, the club saw something good in him and asked him to sign for them as an amateur. Webster, however, didn’t make a decision due to other commitments. The day after the Wavertree game, Liverpool were also in pursuit. Representatives of Liverpool watched his performance against Wavertree and liked what they saw. Liverpool invited Webster to see them play against Leicester. He attended the 1-1 draw and had tea at Anfield afterwards. But in spite of Liverpool’s efforts, Webster’s heart belonged to Everton.

Webster joined Everton in June 1928. For a short time, there was a bit of anxiety for Webster because he hadn’t heard from the club for quite some time after he hadn’t made his decision and he had an injury at the end of the season. But Dan Kirkwood hadn’t forgotten about him and snatched him up. At the start of the 1928/29 season, he featured several times for the ‘A’ team before making his reserves debut on September 22nd against Manchester City Reserves. Webster had a debut to remember as Everton Reserves thrashed the Citizens 7-0. Harry Ritchie, who scored two goals in the game, credited Webster for his contribution. Webster’s influence had since become a pivotal part of the club throughout his time there.

Cyril Webster signed professional forms on 4th May 1929. In the following nine years and the previous year, he didn’t play a single game for the first team, featuring fairly prominently for the reserves and the ‘A’ team. He had played over 100 games for the reserves, scoring 43 goals. The closest he came to first-team football was being the club’s “diver” (at the time, another name for the reserve in case any players pull out at the last minute) nine times. Even though he never played for the first team, the club refused to let him go and persistently put him on the retained list year after year. Everton were willing to keep him presumably because of how much influence he had on the team.

Webster could have had first-team football elsewhere. Despite that, he didn’t seem to care; he was happy to be part of the club and was willing to contribute when he can. Throughout his Everton career, there was nothing but praise for him. Towards the end of his time at the club, the official Everton programme described Webster as:

Always the perfect servant: ungrumbling, ungrudging, civil, courteous – he is of the type that assists in giving to the present-day professional, a more generous verdict from a sport-loving public. His influence in dressing room and on field is for good.

Webster had a life outside of football. When he joined Everton, he was a clerk in the out-relief department for the Central Relief Committee and despite becoming a professional, he was still working as a clerk. While he was balancing his football and working lives, he was also a student at the University of Liverpool. In the summer of 1936, Webster graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree. At the time of his graduation, he was reported to be the only law graduate at a Football League club.

Following his graduation, Bee from the Liverpool Echo said:

I congratulate him upon his success, and know it will make no difference to his outlook on sport or life – he has always been one of the most likeable of many likeable professional footballers.

Towards the end of his Everton career, he was a clerk for the Public Assistance Committee. But that didn’t stop Cyril Webster from contributing to the club. While working for the PAC, he was still playing for the ‘A’ team alongside future Everton player and manager Harry Catterick as well as coaching the new ‘B’ team after he called time on his playing career in 1938. The club’s chairman at the time, Ernest Green, praised his “special influence” for giving the youth players “the correct impression of the Everton requirements.”

His coaching career was short-lived following the outbreak of the Second World War but Webster still coped well in the outside world. His CV included an area officer for the Civil Service and a deputy regional licensing officer for the Ministry of Works. In 1953, he became the manager of a company aimed to develop the North West region called North Western Industrial Estates after a four-year spell as assistant manager. At one point, he lived in Ramsbottom until he returned to Liverpool where he stayed until his death on 21st January 1989.

Cyril Webster is still a bit of a mystery. There is a lot more to be known about him. Nothing is known about what the players exactly thought about him. But from what was already said, they seemed to have thought highly of him.

The Roker Park Comeback

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On 30th January 1935, Everton beat Sunderland 6-4 after extra time in an epic FA Cup match, often regarded as Goodison Park’s greatest ever match. However, it wasn’t the only entertaining match between the two sides in the 1930s. Just over a year later, on 7th March 1936 at Roker Park, the two sides met in the First Division in a game that made Everton history.

This game was the second meeting between Everton and Sunderland since the 6-4 epic. Their last meeting was a 3-0 win for Sunderland at Goodison Park the previous November. Sunderland were dominating the league in the 1935/36 season. Up until this game, Sunderland were 8 points clear at the top of the table. Everton, meanwhile, were in a relegation battle where 5 points separated 8th and bottom. Sunderland had the most wins in the league while Everton had the fewest. Although, it could have been a lot worse for Everton. At Christmas, they were second from bottom on goal average. 1 defeat in 11 league games since helped steady the ship a bit. The referee was Ernest Pinckston, who was the same referee in the famous meeting you all know about by now.

Sunderland – Matt Middleton, Tom Morrison, Alex Hall, Charlie Thomson, Cecil Hornby, Alex Hastings, Len Duns, Raich Carter, Bobby Gurney, Patsy Gallacher, Jimmy Connor

Everton – Ted Sagar, Billy Cook, Jack Jones, Joe Mercer, Tommy White, Jock Thomson, Albert Geldard, Nat Cunliffe, Dixie Dean, Alex Stevenson, Torry Gillick

Hat-trick hero Jackie Coulter missed the game (and the whole season) after suffering a serious leg injury the previous March. He sustained it during a British Home Championship match between Ireland and Wales and it was caused by an accidental collision with Everton teammate Ben Williams. Williams made a clearance but Coulter slipped and went into his clubmate with the Irishman coming off worse. According to the Liverpool Evening Express, Coulter was “lying in the arms of Williams like a baby.” He had a fractured tibia and didn’t play until he featured in an Everton ‘A’ match a couple of weeks before this game.

The match sprung into life after just 30 seconds with 19-year-old Len Duns breaking the deadlock in Sunderland’s favour thanks to a mishap from the Everton defence. Jack Jones attempted to clear the ball but as soon as he kicked it, Jock Thomson got in his way and the ball hit Thomson and fell kindly to Duns, who subsequently converted with a low, right-foot shot. The worst possible start for the Blues. Although, they came close to equalising early on. Thomson hoped to make amends for his error with a long-range shot but it was saved by Matt Middleton. Middleton can only parry the ball away and into the feet of Nat Cunliffe but sadly, he put it wide. And things got worse for Everton.

After just 12 minutes, Sunderland doubled their lead with their second attack of the game. Billy Cook fouled Jimmy Connor just outside the box, and Alex Hastings lifted the ball goalward. The ball was going towards Ted Sagar but he uncharacteristically misjudged the flight of the ball and and let it slip through his hands. The ball heading towards the back of the net and Bobby Gurney made sure of it.

Everton had a chance to halve the deficit. Alex Stevenson hit a through ball in Dixie Dean’s path. Matt Middleton rushed out and was poised to collect the ball. Dean could have gone for it but decided to allow Middleton to grab the ball. According to the Liverpool Evening Express, Dixie Dean was applauded by the crowd, presumably because of what happened to the recently departed Sunderland goalkeeper Jimmy Thorpe. Thorpe died from heart failure while in a diabetic coma just over a month before the game after being kicked repeatedly in the head and the chest by three Chelsea players while having hold of the ball. In those days, goalkeepers had almost zero protection – goals were commonly scored by players barging into goalkeepers with the ball in their grasp and forcing them into the goal.

After around half an hour, Sunderland were 3-0 up. Raich Carter passed the ball towards Bobby Gurney, who was adjudged to have been in an offside position. Gurney left the ball alone and allowed Carter to come through with the Everton defence too focused on appealing for offside. No offside was given and Carter was through on goal. Ted Sagar came out of his goal in an attempt to stop the prolific forward but Carter dribbled round him and took advantage of the gaping goal to score his 28th league goal of the season. Considering the gulf between the two teams that season, it looked like Everton were heading towards a humiliating defeat.

Sunderland could have extended their lead with Len Duns twice having the chance to grab Sunderland’s fourth but couldn’t convert. Everton, on the other head, could have cut the deficit to two but Albert Geldard hit the crossbar. Alex Stevenson had a chance himself but his first-time shot went into the crowd. Pinckston then blew the whistle for half-time – Sunderland 3-0 Everton.

In the second half, Sunderland had another chance to grab a fourth goal – Jimmy Connor failed to convert Bobby Gurney’s cross, hitting the ball over the bar. Everton had another chance to reduce the deficit – Dixie Dean kicked a long through ball to Nat Cunliffe but his shot went straight to Matt Middleton. Then Sunderland had a crucial chance but once again, that elusive fourth goal was not scored. Len Duns had the best chance since Sunderland’s last goal and probably should have made it 4-0. He was one-on-one with Ted Sagar but Sagar managed to save his shot and kept Everton in the game. A save that later proved to be very vital in an eventful second half.

Everton made a change to their line-up with Nat Cunliffe and Alex Stevenson switching positions. Sunderland, however, made five. An injury to Cecil Hornby meant the Black Cats felt forced to switch a few players around in order to accommodate Hornby’s injury. While Hornby moved from centre half to the forward line in outside left, other changes included Alex Hastings filling Hornby’s previous role from left half and, rather questionably, Raich Carter moving back from the forward line to left half. Hastings moving to Hornby’s position was also quite questionable as Hastings himself had a couple of knocks during the game.

Sunderland’s disjointedness with the rearrangements quickly became evident as Everton made it 3-1 on the hour mark with their own rearrangement becoming a success. Joe Mercer passed the ball to Nat Cunliffe and he converted with a low shot that Matt Middleton couldn’t stop. Everton nearly made it 3-2 only a minute later. A foul on Cunliffe by Patsy Gallacher enabled Jock Thomson to place the ball into the box and a crowd of players fought and struggled to get possession of the ball. Albert Geldard managed to shoot but his shot was cleared off the line by Alex Hastings. The disappointment of not grabbing a second goal lasted only a couple of minutes as Everton got themselves right back into this game with the best goal of the game. Geldard passed to Alex Stevenson on the edge of the box and he made up for his miss before half-time by placing the ball into the far corner of the net to make it 3-2.

Cecil Hornby’s injury was proving to be the turning point in this game and Everton completed the comeback after 75 minutes thanks to (who else?) Dixie Dean. Dean levelled things up by converting a cross by Torry Gillick. But it didn’t stop there. Everton could have won the game. Albert Geldard passed the ball to Alex Stevenson and Stevenson had the chance to make it 4-3 but he mistimed his shot. Gillick also could have made it 4-3 – his shot beat Matt Middleton but it went a yard wide of the goal.

Ernest Pinckston blew the whistle for full-time and the final score was the same scoreline in normal time of the famous FA Cup meeting the previous year – Sunderland 3-3 Everton.

Everton avoided defeat after losing by 3 goals at half-time for the first time in the club’s history. It only happened again once since, against Tottenham in April 1992. The comeback was slightly besmirched by Pinckston’s performance. Various newspapers criticised the referee for reasons such as continuously lecturing players when unnecessary and holding up the game doing so and being a bit handsy after he placed his hand on Alex Hastings while cautioning him. Nonetheless, a thrilling 90 minutes for the 23,268 spectators.

Sunderland subsequently became First Division champions for the sixth (and last) time – at the time, the joint-most league titles in English football history with Aston Villa. Meanwhile, Everton avoided relegation by 4 points, thanks to 5 wins from their remaining 10 games.

The Derby That Never Was

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On 20th October 1996, Everton and Liverpool were set to play against each other in the 184th Merseyside Derby. Ahead of the game, Everton were unbeaten in the previous 4 derbies, winning 2 of them. Both sets of fans were eagerly awaiting the occasion, however disappointment was on the horizon – not for just one team, but for both teams. Controversial decisions by a referee is nothing new in the Merseyside Derby, but this time, a controversial decision was made BEFORE the game. Around an hour before kick-off, the Merseyside Derby was called off by matchday referee Roger Dilkes due to torrential rain.

Dilkes said:

I was bitterly disappointed for the fans. I know how much Merseyside fans love their football, and this game in particular. Once you reach this level, all decisions are major ones, and a decision like this just comes with the job.

I’ve had to make the “big decision,” which is what this was, before and it is always a matter of great disappointment. It has been a decision, however, that I feel has always subsequently proved to be right.

Dilkes called the game off because he was thought the pitch was unplayable and he was concerned about the players’ safety. He arrived at Anfield at midday, already feeling apprehensive about the weather. He wanted to check how long the downpour would last for and concluded it would continue to rain until the evening. As the rain continuously fell, Dilkes assessed the pitch by kicking the ball around and came to what he thought was the best decision.

I had to assess whether the ball would move around the playing surface freely and the answer was no. I struck a ball towards the corners, where players will play it, and under normal conditions, it would have gone out. But it held up yards short and I knew I could only make one decision, despite the disappointment I knew everyone would feel.

Neville Southall also bounced a ball on the pitch surface and I believed it totally died on him. The ground may have looked superb from the stands, but when you got down to pitch level, there were pools lying on it.

The safety of the players also has to be uppermost in my mind, and when there is that much water around, you must ask yourself whether they will be totally in control of themselves and what they are doing.

I believe to start the game, we would have had to be convinced we would finish it. I simply felt that given the weather conditions, the state of the pitch and the weather forecast, I had no option but to tell the managers we could not go ahead.

Neville Southall, however, thought the postponement was unneccessary and the pitch would have been playable if the kick-off was delayed.

I thought the best course of action would have been to have delayed the kick-off for an hour, and worked as hard on draining the corner areas. As it was, the rain stopped at 3pm and the sun shone shortly afterwards.

The referee, Roger Dilkes, said he was concerned about the players’ safety. Although standing at about 5 ft 2 in tall, he was probably more concerned about his own safety – he may have drowned.

The postponement wreaked havoc. Ahead of the Derby, Everton rented a jumbotron at Goodison Park so that fans who were unable to attend the match at Anfield can watch it. But it came at a price as the postponement ended up costing them £25,000 for the jumbotron, wasted food and police costs. David Unsworth said he felt sorry for the fans, but especially for the fan he heard on the radio who came all the way from Australia to watch the match.

Everton and Liverpool fans subsequently watched the other game of the day – Newcastle v Manchester United. Manchester United, however, may have wished their game was postponed as well as the Magpies thrashed them 5-0. So at least there was something for Everton and Liverpool fans to smile about that day.

The match was re-arranged for November 20th – exactly a month after the postponement. Everton and Liverpool drew 1-1 with Gary Speed cancelling out Robbie Fowler’s opener. One of the mascots for the Derby that day was Wayne Rooney. I wonder what happened to him.

This wasn’t the first Merseyside Derby to be postponed because of the weather. Everton and Liverpool were scheduled to face each other on 23rd January 1965. However, referee Arthur Edge called the Derby off the day before because the overnight snow had melted on the Goodison Park pitch, worsening the already sodden pitch following weeks of rain. The underground heating system couldn’t save the game because it wasn’t switched on during the previous weeks’ rainfall; it would only switch on at freezing point, as the system’s sole purpose was to remove frost, not moisture, from the ground. Liverpool manager Bill Shankly said the pitch was “the stickiest I have ever seen,” calling it a “glue pot.” The match was re-arranged for April 12th with Everton winning 2-1, thanks to goals from Derek Temple and Johnny Morrissey.

The John Marshall Story

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Today (7th December 2018), John Marshall would have celebrated his 40th birthday. 23 years ago, he was a promising young footballer who featured prominently for England’s under-15 team. He honed his skills at the famous Lilleshall National Sports Centre for two years. Clubs were vying for his signature – such as Blackburn, Aston Villa, West Ham and Liverpool. But he decided to join Everton. The Blues were tracking his progress for 18 months and were pleased that he decided to join them. In June 1995, John returned home from holiday in Spain with his friends from Lilleshall. He was at home with his family, playing with his sister, and suddenly, he became very seriously ill. He was in intensive care for a few days but the doctors sadly couldn’t save him. He passed away on 3rd July 1995 – the day he was about to sign for Everton as an apprentice. He was just 16 years old.

The cause of his death was subsequently confirmed as HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). HCM is a hereditary heart condition which occurs when the muscle wall of the heart becomes thickened. The thickening makes it harder for the heart to pump out blood.

I remember I was absolutely delighted. Every now and again, you realise you have got a talent. I think we have a number of them now at the club, and John was up there with the best. He was more than just a signing to me. He became part of the family and his death has put a cloud over our whole build-up. The lad achieved so much in his short life. He won England caps, medals and shirts.

Ray Hall, Everton youth development officer

The directors, manager, staff and playing squad were all numbed to learn of John’s sudden and sad death. He was a charming young man with a wonderful career before him and will be sadly missed by everyone at the club.

Sir Keith Tamlin, Everton director

His devastated father, John Marshall Sr, spoke after his death:

What has happened is unbelievable. At the moment, it is a mystery to us. John had been on a holiday with the lads from Lilleshall and arrived back tired last week. He seemed perfectly fine but then collapsed and never came around. He went into hospital last Wednesday and it seems to have been something to do with his heart.

The news also devastated former Leeds and Wales player Terry Yorath, whose son also died from HOCM at the age of just 15. His son Daniel, who was also the brother of presenter Gabby Logan, collapsed in his garden before he was about to start his footballing career at Leeds, exactly like his father.

Speaking on Yorath’s behalf, his wife Christine said:

Terry is ill at the moment but when I passed on the news, he filled up. So many of these cases are really a tragic waste of life. There is no screening programme in this country yet it is common for all young people who play sports in the United States, Italy and elsewhere.

Daniel suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, now recognised as the biggest sudden-death killer among young people. Often on death certificates only natural causes or heart failure is recorded, so there are no precise statistics available.

Following Daniel’s tragic death, Terry and Christine Yorath campaigned for clubs to introduce a screening programme for young players. However, only one club expressed an interest – Everton. The club’s physiotherapist Les Helm said Everton were already planning on screening their young players and John Marshall would have been among the first players to be screened.

We already had the ball rolling after Terry Yorath got in touch with Barry Horne. We were waiting to arrange a date for the people to come up from London to carry out tests at Broadgreen Hospital. […] John Marshall would have been among those tested. It is our wish that other clubs will follow our lead.

Everton promptly became the first football team in the country to introduce a screening programme for young players. Christine Yorath praised the club for getting the ball rolling.

We are pleased that Everton has responded in this way. Let’s hope it is the catalyst for others to follow.

On 13th July, just over a week after John’s death, Everton began screening their apprentices, starting with the 9 youth players who John would have joined training at the club with – Michael Branch, Paul Davies, Adam Denton, Daniel Gabrielson, Chris Hardman, Chris Lane, John O’Toole, Mark Quayle and Andrew West.

We have not launched this scheme because of John – but he would have benefitted from it. The idea began after Terry Yorath’s son, Daniel, died from heart failure. This is the first year we have implemented it. These young lads have come here without any history. They are not professionals, whose backgrounds I can check.

Les Helm

The medicals were carried out by Professor Bill McKenna, a cardiologist from St George’s Hospital in London. McKenna hoped that everyone learns from Daniel Yorath and John Marshall’s deaths and insists that it is important for young athletes to get their hearts checked.

It is vital that we raise awareness of the risks run by young people in sport. If a young person faints during training, they should not be given a cup of tea and told to come back tomorrow. We have to learn from tragedies.

The screening process was: a physical, two different types of electrocardiography (ECG) heart testing, and an ultrasound scan. Apprentice Andrew West, who was being screened in the picture above, believed the addition of screening was beneficial and would help quell any worries about his health.

I think the scheme is a really good idea, especially after we’ve seen what can happen. At least at the end of this, I will, hopefully, have a clean bill of health and be able to put my mind at rest.

John Marshall was continuously on everyone’s minds as three months after his death, £1,400 was raised in his memory during Everton’s League Cup match against Millwall at Goodison Park. The money went towards research and extra facilities at Alder Hey Hospital cardiac unit and maintaining the recently launched National Child Death Helpline at the hospital’s Alder Centre. The match ended in shock elimination for the Blues as they lost 4-2 after extra time, but on that night, given the circumstances, there were things more important than football.

An Alder Hey spokeswoman said:

The hospital would like to thank all the people who have donated money in John’s memory. We would like to offer the Marshall family our most sincere condolences on their recent bereavement. The family thought it seemed like a good idea to donate half the money to the Alder Centre which helps bereaved parents. Originally, all the money was to be donated to the cardiac unit as John died of a heart condition.

The following month, John’s mum Maureen spoke in detail to Liverpool Echo journalist Diana Pulson, about John’s death and the launch of scanning campaign CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), which is aimed to raise awareness of sudden cardiac death and sudden arrhythmic death syndrome among young athletes.

Even now, we cannot believe it. Not me, not his dad, or our nine-year-old daughter Hayley. We are all very, very sad, yet we know that life must go on. Which is why we have spoken out about the need for scanning young athletes, so what happened to John doesn’t happen again.

The whole thing happened so suddenly it was difficult to take in at the time. John had returned from a holiday in Spain with friends he had made at Lilleshall, the national soccer school in Shropshire. We met him at the airport and brought him home. He brought a lot of presents for us all. He was lying on the couch, joking and laughing with his sister Hayley, when suddenly he made a noise. We did not know what it was. His dad got hold of him and tried to help. But it was no good.

John had always been interested in football. He was picked for the school team when he was only seven. I can clearly recall him coming home to tell us. He was so excited. Originally, he had been a Liverpool supporter, but he thought the opportunities for young players at Everton were so good, he plumped for the Blues. The success he had already achieved gave us all so much pleasure. His dad went to watch him wherever he played. But now, it’s all over.

Our dearest wish is that the screening campaign is successful. Acuson, who make ultrasound machines, have made the campaign possible by providing machines free of charge for a limited number of public scanning sessions. What is needed is the commitment of professional sporting bodies and funds to establish an ongoing, routine heart scanning programme. Our son John was superfit schoolboy international due to join Everton. If a heart scanning programme had been started by the Football Association two years ago, after the death of Daniel Yorath – the son of Terry Yorath, the former Welsh football manager, who died from the same thing – our son may have been saved. Surely the football authorities should do something about it.

The first aim of the campaign is to reach all adolescents who play sport, and football has been highlighted because it is so physically challenging. For the last two years, John had been at Lilleshall. But sadly, it was not routine for footballers to be screened for heart defects. Yet within weeks of his death, all the other youngsters at the school had been screened. Professor Bill McKenna, cardiologist at St George’s Hospital in London, says that a key element will be to develop expertise centres across the UK. According to Professor McKenna, the consequences of a diagnosis of cardiomyopathies are extremely far-reaching, affecting the patient’s ability to continue an active life and the decision to have children – as the condition is hereditary and may involve a lifelong drug programme.

It won’t, of course, bring our lad John back, but if it helps others, then some good will have come out of his tragically young death.

After initally scanning the club’s apprentices, Everton decided to scan the whole team in November 1995. The club was determined to make sure no player at any level has any heart defects in order to avoid any more tragedies. The scans took place at Broadgreen Hospital in Liverpool and Dr David Ramsdale, who carried out the scans, hoped these tests will help any players who have been diagnosed with a heart defect and make sure the defect won’t result in a cardiac arrest.

As far as I am aware, Everton are the only football club in the country who screen their players. It costs around £100 per test, and the machines which conduct the scans cost about £90,000. But it is the only way to reveal the defect, and once we have done this, we can take steps to alleviate the problem. Those affected will never be able to lead an athletic lifestyle without risk, but we can take steps to ensure that the problem does not lead to cardiac arrest in normal lifestyles.

Everton were the only club taking screening seriously for quite some time. It wasn’t until the summer of 1996 that the PFA and the FA started to recognise the importance of screening. Les Helm said:

The PFA and the FA have met and they are planning to fund an ongoing scheme whereby a mobile unit tours clubs all over the country.

On 7th December 1996, Michael Branch scored his first senior goal for Everton in the Blues’ 2-2 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Branch was a very close friend of John Marshall – so close that he was a pall-bearer at his funeral. He dedicated his goal to John. The timing of the goal was very apt as it was scored on what would have been John’s 18th birthday.

We were close mates at Lilleshall and spent two years there playing for England under-15s and under-16s together. At the end of our time there, seven of us went on holiday to Spain and when we got back, John fell ill. I went to see him in hospital and just couldn’t believe it. He died on the day we were due to start as YTS trainees at Everton. It was a nightmare.

His mum asked if I would help carry his coffin and that was the hardest thing I have ever done. I didn’t realise I had scored on John’s birthday until our youth officer Ray Hall told me this week. It makes my goal all the more special. I always said I would dedicate my first one to him and it is just a coincidence that it came on the day he would have been 18.

It must be hard in a way for his parents to see me doing well because John could have been in the same position. I still see them every now an again and always say hello, but it is hard to know what else sometimes. John was a brilliant player and we used to call him ‘Macca’ because he was exactly the same as Steve McManaman, in looks and the way he played. I remember we used to talk about being apprentices at Lilleshall.

He wasn’t sure who to sign for, but in the end went for us. I know he was really looking forward to play for Everton.

In 1998, Les Helm couldn’t speak higher of the club as Everton continued to do regular checks of the players’ hearts and their pioneering made other teams take a leaf out of their book.

We were the first club in the country to insist on the checks as routine. Now I think every Premiership club does it. Every year, every single YTS trainee who comes into the club is checked.

Not only can the scans help find any heart problems but also reassured players of any worries about their health. In February 1998, before Everton’s FA Youth Cup tie against Watford, Francis Jeffers knocked on Helm’s door in the early hours and complained about sharp pains in his chest and breathing difficulties. After Helm checked him, the diagnosis was pericarditis, which was an inflammation around the heart and a treatable condition.

Fran told me he wasn’t well. He said he had chest pains and difficulty in breathing. A layman would immediately think of heart problems, but having screened Francis when he joined our YTS scheme, I knew his heart was working efficiently and to look elsewhere. It turned out that Francis was suffering from pericarditis, which is a virus which attaches itself to the sac around the heart and causes inflammation. That can happen to anybody – no matter how fit or healthy.

Following the diagnosis, Jeffers was pulled out of the tie and didn’t train for six weeks. After his return to training, he helped Everton win the FA Youth Cup by scoring in the second leg of the final against Blackburn.

Les Helm went on implore parents to learn about CRY and to make sure their athletic children get checked regularly.

Every parent should be aware of CRY, particularly those with children who take part in sport. Most people are under the impression that only old and sick people suffer heart attacks and heart conditions. This is not true. We are all at risk to certain conditions. The reason why young people are so at risk, particularly lean and healthy sporting types, is that we are taught, quite correctly, that such a healthy way of life is the way to avoid heart conditions. But if this same healthy person contracts a virus and continues with the same vigorous lifestyle of intensive exercise, they could become a victim of sudden death.

The danger of CRY is the unawareness of this condition by parents. If elderly or overweight people complain of lethargy, breathlessness or muscle aches and pains, they would be told to seek medical advice. But if a young fit athlete – be it professional or amateur – presented the same symptoms, he or she may be told to run it off, be accused of laziness or suspected of making excuses for performing up to usual standards. In some cases, they may be forced to take part in extra training sessions to bring them up to scratch, either by well-meaning coaches or overambitious parents, and so be put at risk of sudden death.

In 1999, Everton decided to screen every youth player from the under-9s onwards as HCM (or HOCM) was still a common cause of death for young people. The club decided to go for the really young players in order to find any problems much sooner so that it can be dealt with better as they get older. Les Helm continued to overlook the screening and said that out of 100 boys aged 9-16 Everton screened, there were youngsters who had murmurs with two of them having serious cases.

HOCM is still the biggest sudden death killer of young people aged 15-25 in this country. If our screening programme detects any serious problems then the boy will have to be ruled out of competitive sport. But at least he can be treated for the illness from an early age and it could save his life.

Out of 100 boys, we had eight positive tests which were heart murmurs. These eight boys were given further tests, and two turned out to be real positive cases. Out of the two cases, one boy had a hole in the heart and the other was liable to infection of the heart. These two boys have since had surgery and will be OK – and the boy with the hole in the heart has been with us at Everton for six years, but his problem has now been put right. He will now lead a normal life, which is the most important thing of all for him and his family. They can have peace of mind.

Helm had also implemented further safeguards to monitors youngsters’ health. Young players had to fill in a medical form signed by their general practitioner in order to train with the club. He also wanted to make sure the players were tested thoroughly in order to prevent any more tragedies and hoped to have screening in schools in the future.

We have gone a step further. In the past, young lads could just walk through the door, and we had people from New Zealand and Australia doing that, but I have put the blocks on that. They have at least got to have a medical form filled in and signed by their GP. Nobody can train unless they have provided us with this.

We take kids from the age of 6 and if they are taken on at 9, they are then screened. The big bonus, which I pointed out to the parents of these youngsters, is that of these 100 boys, we will be lucky if 1% go through to the big time. And once you are a member of the elite group of athletes that gets through, you get the best of everything as far as medical testing is concerned. If you are not, these boys would never be tested – but they are at Everton and these results stress the importance of it, and this is why I want to explain how important what we are doing is. We are not actually targeting the elite but the ones underneath, and they are very fortunate that they have come here because we will screen them very young and ensure that any problems are detected.

Football is leading the way on this score, but the ideal long-term view would be to have this done at schools. It cost the club £5,000 to screen 100 boys – £50 a boy – and I am sure parents would pay for the peace of mind it could give them or if screening showed up any problems. It would be a wonderful thing, and that is why we at Everton are determined to do everything we can as far as heart screening is concerned.

Thanks to Everton and Les Helm, clubs around the country do screening on a mandatory basis. But that hasn’t stopped John Marshall’s family on continuing to raise awareness. In 2009, they launched a screening campaign called the Test My Heart Tour with the aim of reducing the number of deaths among young athletes due to fatal heart conditions. The screening took place at Edge Hill University, where John’s mum Maureen was a catering assistant at the time. Among the attendees at the screening was Leon Osman. John’s sister Hayley said:

About 200 people have booked to be screened over the two days. It’s so important that people get their heart tested so what happened to John doesn’t happen to them.

He was an elite athlete and was classed as one of the fittest in the country, but unknown to anyone he had this heart condition, which goes to show it can happen to the fittest and the healthiest.

The screening happened again at Edge Hill University two years later, with Hayley Marshall saying:

He was classed as one of the fittest in the country, and he was an elite athlete. He passed away suddenly and it came as a big shock to us all because he was so fit.

Twelve people a week die of these cardiomyopathies. We’re here encouraging people between the ages of 14 and 35 to go and get screened and just be aware of it, so it won’t happen to them.

Although deaths from fatal heart conditions have happened in football since John’s death – Marc-Vivien Foe, Miklos Feher and Piermario Morosini to name a few, plus Fabrice Muamba’s extremely close call – as far as we know, hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of young players’ lives were saved because of these checks. The CRY campaign is still going strong, and in August 2018, it was revealed in a 10-year study supported by CRY that the risk of dying from a heart conditon in young footballers, as well as established footballers, is higher than first thought. Of the 11,000+ players who were checked for the study, one in 42 of them had a heart abnormality that needed further monitoring. However, nearly three-quarters of those diagnosed returned to football after their heart issues were resolved.

Since John Marshall’s death, around 170,000 people took part in the screening programme and football clubs all over the country screen their players. The Marshalls’ campaigning and Everton’s pioneering work were a huge success.

RIP John Marshall, 7th December 1978-3rd July 1995

Springboks at Goodison

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In 1958, a team comprising of South Africans went on a tour of Britain and Ireland. It started in the summer with a 2-2 draw against Headington United. Victories against Bedford Town, a Norfolk County FA XI and a British Universities XI followed and then came their biggest test – reigning champions Wolves. The Springboks narrowly lost 1-0 to Wolves. They then beat a Wales Amateur XI before preparing themselves to face Everton at Goodison Park.

In September 1958, it was announced that Everton would play against the South African tourists under the floodlights at Goodison Park. The match took place on October 8th – and this wasn’t the first occasion South African tourists played at Goodison Park. In December 1924, Everton played against a South Africa XI at Goodison, losing 3-2. Jimmy Broad and Alec Wall scored for the Blues. The player who scored two of the South African tourists’ goals was David Murray, who subsequently joined Everton the following summer and became the first overseas player to play (and score) for the club when he made his debut against Cardiff in September 1925.

Teams

Everton South Africa XI
Jimmy O’Neill Trevor Gething
Alan Sanders George Martin
John Bramwell Ken Denysschen
Johnny King Henry Hauser
TE Jones Gilbert Petersen
Brian Harris Malcolm Rufus
Andy Penman Charlie Hurly
Jimmy Harris Wally Warren
Dave Hickson Les Salton
Bobby Collins Marty Deetlifs
Eddie O’Hara George Barratt

There are three names worthy of note. Gilbert Petersen, the tour captain, was nearly signed by Everton in 1955 when he was 18 but he decided to stay in South Africa. Everton then tried to sign compatriot and tour-mate Charlie Hurly the following year but he declined, saying he didn’t want to move to England. The remaining name is Andy Penman – said to be Everton’s youngest ever player. The Scotsman made his debut for the Blues exactly a week earlier in Everton’s Floodlight Challenge Cup meeting against Liverpool, aged 15 years and 223 days. He also nearly scored in that game, with the Liverpool Daily Post saying he “delivered a magnificent shot that was speeding away from [Tommy] Younger to a place in the net, when the international goalkeeper flung himself sideways for a save which did full justice to the shot.”

Bobby Collins broke the deadlock after just 3 minutes and then Dave Hickson doubled the lead after Trevor Gething saved Collins’ shot only for the ball to neatly fall to Hickson. Eddie O’Hara made it 3-0, heading the ball past Gething after meeting a Jimmy Harris pass. TE Jones then made it 4-0, converting a penalty after O’Hara was fouled by George Martin. During the first half, Everton were briefly down to 10 men after goalkeeper Jimmy O’Neill had a recurrence of a knee injury he suffered in a preseason tour of Ireland. For a few minutes, Brian Harris took his place between the sticks and had little to do, so he “played up to the crowd by wandering yards out of his goal with the spectators waving him back,” and whenever he did get the ball, his clearances fell to the feet of the South Africans. Albert Dunlop was then brought on shortly before half-time and the match was 11-a-side again. It looked like it was going to be a cruising victory for Everton as they were 4-0 at half-time. But that wasn’t the case.

Near the hour mark, the South Africans reduced the deficit to three goals after Les Salton eased past TE Jones to pick up on Charlie Hurly’s through ball and slotted the ball past Albert Dunlop. But the hopes of a comeback for them faded after Dave Hickson set up Jimmy Harris to regain the 4-goal lead and then go one better around 10 minutes before full-time with Harris returning the favour for Hickson to score his second of the game. But a few minutes after it was 6-1, the South Africans incredibly made it 6-4. Gilbert Petersen converted a penalty after John Bramwell handled in the area, Malcolm Rufus picked up on a pass by Wally Warren with a move, according to the Liverpool Echo, that was akin to Stanley Matthews and hit the back of the net, and Les Salton scored his second of the game from a corner. There was a possibility for the Springboks to make it 6-5 and make the last couple of minutes of the game extremely interesting but it wasn’t to be after Dave Hickson completed his hat-trick. Full-time score: Everton 7-4 South Africa XI.

It was a very creditable performance from the Springboks, with George Barratt, Charlie Hurly and Les Salton receiving some praise from Liverpool Echo journalist Leslie Edwards. But the one player who got the biggest praise was Malcolm Rufus, whom Edwards said was “the best non-stop left-back [he’s] seen since Joe Mercer.”

An admirable performance also from Everton. The only criticism would be the defence’s brief collapse in the latter stages of the game. One would think the defence would have learned from their mistakes ahead of their next game three days later. But it appears that they didn’t as Everton got thrashed 10-4 by Tottenham.

The Latchford-Thomas Partnership

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In the 1977/78 season, Bob Latchford pocketed £10,000 after scoring 30 goals in the First Division. No Everton player since World War II has bettered that tally in the top flight (only equalled by Gary Lineker in 1985/86). It was a magnificent achievement and Everton fans who watched him that season could argue that it might not have been possible if it wasn’t for one man – Dave Thomas.

Dave Thomas joined the Blues shortly before the season started from QPR for £200,000. In his autobiography, Bob Latchford said he was looking forward to playing with him.

The acquisition that got me most excited was the QPR winger, Dave Thomas. I first saw Dave at a schoolboy international at Wembley when I was 15. For some reason, I just noticed him on the pitch when they came out and picked out his name from the team sheet. He had a style and a verve that attracted me to him as a player. He could do things on the pitch with the ball, like juggling it with both feet, that few other players at that level could manage. I remember thinking, “He’s got some ability, this lad. He’s going to be a player.” Sometimes you can recognise players who are going to make it to the very top and so it was with Dave.

And Latchford was not disappointed. In his 30-goal season, according to newspaper reports and available footage (plus a little help from Latchford’s autobiography), Dave Thomas assisted 12 of his goals, with 10 meeting his head and 7 directly from set pieces (6 corners and 1 free kick). By comparison, Everton’s best assister-goalscorer partnership in the Premier League – every season combined – was Leighton Baines setting up Tim Cahill 11 times.

Bob Latchford Goals Assisted By Dave Thomas:

Date Opponents V Min Body Part
10 Sep 1977 Leicester A 14 Foot
1 Oct 1977 Manchester City H 62 Head
4 Oct 1977 West Brom H 56 Head
8 Oct 1977 QPR A 18 Head
29 Oct 1977 Newcastle H 54 Head
26 Nov 1977 Coventry H 44 Head
26 Nov 1977 Coventry H 90 Foot
3 Dec 1977 Chelsea A 53 Head
26 Dec 1977 Manchester United H 70 Head
25 Mar 1978 Leeds H 35 Head
27 Mar 1978 Manchester United A 61 Head
1 Apr 1978 Derby H 40 Head

Another 3 of Latchford’s goals came from set pieces by Dave Thomas:

  • His hat-trick goal against QPR in October – Thomas took a free kick which fell to Andy King and he neatly set up Latchford.
  • His fourth goal in the aforementioned game against QPR – Thomas took a corner which was cleared but only as far as just outside the box. Everton brought the ball back into the box and Mick Lyons subsequently set up Latchford.
  • His first goal against Birmingham in November – a Thomas corner met the head of Jim Pearson but his header hit the underside of the bar and the rebound fell nicely to Latchford.

One noteworthy Thomas-to-Latchford goal was Latchford’s second goal against Manchester United in March. Early in the game, Latchford had a concussion and required two stitches in a head wound after a collision with Terry Darracott. But despite that, he still managed to head a goal from a Thomas cross.

It was an amazing season for Bob Latchford, and for Everton. And Latchford will always cherish his Everton days with Dave Thomas.

He was a magical player; he really was. There’s the old football saying of “landing the ball on a sixpence,” but Tizer [Latchford’s nickname for Thomas] could really do it. He could land it wherever you wanted it, which, to a centre forward, is the ultimate gift. He played in rubber-soled boots, no matter what condition the pitch was in, and without shin pads too. You can imagine some of the pitches then that he played on – the Baseball Ground and so on – but his balance was absolutely phenomenal. You can’t do that without having great balance and good feet, and he did, for the whole of his career. He was a joy to play with – an absolute joy.

Every League Goal Scored By Bob Latchford In 1977/78 (in case you’re interested):

Date Opponents V Min Assister Body Part
10 Sep 1977 Leicester A 14 Dave Thomas Foot
1 Oct 1977 Manchester City H 62 Dave Thomas Head
4 Oct 1977 West Brom H 56 Dave Thomas Head
8 Oct 1977 QPR A 8 Andy King Head
8 Oct 1977 QPR A 18 Dave Thomas Head
8 Oct 1977 QPR A 48 Andy King Foot
8 Oct 1977 QPR A 68 Mick Lyons Foot
29 Oct 1977 Newcastle H 54 Dave Thomas Head
29 Oct 1977 Newcastle H 69 Martin Dobson Foot
12 Nov 1977 Birmingham H 32 N/A Foot
12 Nov 1977 Birmingham H 50 Mike Pejic Foot
26 Nov 1977 Coventry H 42 Mick Lyons Head
26 Nov 1977 Coventry H 44 Dave Thomas Head
26 Nov 1977 Coventry H 90 Dave Thomas Foot
3 Dec 1977 Chelsea A 53 Dave Thomas Head
10 Dec 1977 Middlesbrough H 4 N/A Foot
10 Dec 1977 Middlesbrough H 49 N/A Foot
26 Dec 1977 Manchester United H 70 Dave Thomas Head
31 Dec 1977 Arsenal H 16 N/A Foot
4 Feb 1978 Leicester H 29 George Telfer Foot
4 Feb 1978 Leicester H 52 Trevor Ross Head
24 Mar 1978 Newcastle A 16 Duncan McKenzie Foot
25 Mar 1978 Leeds H 35 Dave Thomas Head
27 Mar 1978 Manchester United A 37 N/A Foot
27 Mar 1978 Manchester United A 61 Dave Thomas Head
1 Apr 1978 Derby H 40 Dave Thomas Head
8 Apr 1978 Coventry A 20 Duncan McKenzie Foot
15 Apr 1978 Ipswich H 63 N/A (Penalty) Foot
29 Apr 1978 Chelsea H 72 Mick Lyons Head
29 Apr 1978 Chelsea H 78 N/A (Penalty) Foot

Jamie Baker – The Evertonian Warrior

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When you think of a young child who had suffered from leukaemia, the first person who would come to your head would be Bradley Lowery. He touched everyone’s hearts. 30 years before him, a 9-year-old Evertonian called Jamie Baker did exactly the same.

On September 21st, 1986, Jamie and his twin sister Brenda were chosen as Everton’s mascots for their match against Manchester United at Goodison Park. It was a dream come true for Jamie. This wasn’t his first encounter with the Everton team. After his mum Joyce wrote to Howard Kendall about his illness the previous year, the club invited Jamie and his family to Bellefield (the club’s training ground at the time) and chatted to some of the players. The club got to know him and everyone wanted the best possible day for him.

I cannot thank everyone at Everton too much for what they have done. They have made Jamie the happiest little boy in the world.

Joyce Baker

On the day, Everton’s club officials welcomed Jamie and his family to Goodison. They were given a tour of the trophy room and were greeted by the referee of the game, Joe Worrall. Jamie was then handed his Everton kit to wear for the game and then he walked out of the tunnel with his heroes in front of nearly 26,000 fans at Goodison and millions of Match of the Day viewers at home. Jamie watched the game from the directors’ box with his sister and his mum. An already incredible day got even better for Jamie as Everton beat Manchester United 3-1, thanks to goals from Graeme Sharp, Kevin Sheedy and Adrian Heath.

A tremendous day for Jamie and his family. Exhausted from all the excitement, Jamie went home and straight to bed. Before his mum tucked him into bed, he told his mum:

Thanks, mum. It’s been a good day.

The next morning, his dad Ken came round to show him the newspaper stories about his day. However, Jamie couldn’t wake up. Hours after the best experience of his life, Jamie sadly passed away.

I am glad we helped to make his day. He was a smashing little lad. He had obviously gone through a lot, but he clearly enjoyed his visit. He was looking up to the players in awe. It was very sad for us because we knew what was wrong with him.

Graeme Sharp

I am so very sorry he has died, but at least his dream came true. He seemed overwhelmed to have taken part in the day.

Kevin Ratcliffe

It’s a great tragedy. I didn’t realise the lad was ill. The condolences of the club to his family.

Ron Atkinson, Manchester United manager

Everton paid their own tribute to Jamie in their programme for their match against Arsenal a couple of weeks after his death:

It was a devastating blow to everyone connected with Everton Football Club when we heard that Jamie Baker had died in his sleep after the happiest day of his life.

Only hours earlier, a nationwide television audience had shared Jamie’s pleasure when he and his twin sister, Brenda, were mascots for the day against Manchester United. Though we knew that he was ill, we were left with a numbing sense of despair when we learned that he hadn’t woken up the next morning. The only comfort in that time of grief was that Jamie had lived to enjoy an occasion he had dreamed of for so long.

Howard Kendall expressed the club’s deep sympathy to Jamie’s family, “For him to have been a mascot on Match of the Day, meeting the English and Welsh captains, means there is a permanent record of a day that he enjoyed so much. We sincerely hope that the video [of the match] brings them a bit of joy in the future.”

Jamie was known to the players for some time. They knew he had leukaemia and made him welcome at the training ground on a number of occasions. Subsequently, we received a request that he should be considered a mascot, and as doctors had advised an early holiday for him, we decided it should be earlier rather than later.

Jamie’s funeral took place on the Friday after his death and he was buried at the Garden of Rest in Thornton near Crosby. His coffin was carried by Everton representatives – coach Terry Darracott, promotions manager Ralph Williams, mascot overseer Derek Wallbank and, on behalf of the stewards, Ray Spriggs.

The Reverend Patrick Sykes said his last day was the greatest day of his life, adding:

What could you add to the final moments of Jamie’s last dramatic day? What more could you ask for Jamie than seeing his greatest wish come true – being mascot for his favourite football team, Everton?

Jamie touched the nation’s heart for a short while in a special way that is only given to a few people. His death will be shared in a similar way. A window has been opened on Jamie’s life which we have been able to look through for a short while. He was a brave young boy struggling against crippling illness but he bore his suffering with remarkable bravery for one so young.

At a time when football is reeling from a violent public image, it’s good to be able to show another side of the picture.

Peter Reid and Paul Bracewell went to the funeral, visibly weeping during the reverend’s eulogy. Other players and Howard Kendall could not attend as they had to travel to London for a match against Tottenham the next day.

But brave mum Joyce said she didn’t want anyone to be sad about Jamie’s death and that he had a great life and a fantastic day.

It was a dream come true for Jamie. The doctors told us he was dying and there wasn’t much hope, but we were praying he would be well enough to make it to the match. The club were fantastic and laid on everything. The players made a tremendous fuss of him. He led them on the pitch and even Bryan Robson, the Manchester United captain, had a chat with him.

Jamie had stars in his eyes. He loved Everton and was so excited about being on the pitch. There was a lump in my throat and tears rolling down my cheeks when I saw him walk out holding hands with Brenda. He did not know how ill he was, but he never complained. He was a real fighter.

I would not like anyone to be sad at Jamie going. He had a lovely life, even though it was only short.

A fund-raising match was subsequently arranged by Merseyside and Manchester-based branches of the Football Supporters Association. A Merseyside XI and a Manchester XI faced against each other to win the Jamie Baker Memorial Trophy and to raise money for Alder Hey’s leukaemia research fund.

Joyce was also extremely thankful for the support she received and that Jamie’s name will live on.

This has given the whole family a tremendous lift. To think that Jamie’s name will live on and help other children with leukaemia is marvellous. Ever since the Echo told Jamie’s story, the response has been incredible. We received sackloads of cards and flowers from strangers who shared our grief.

Donations to Alder Hey came flooding in, including:

  • 1,500 people watched the Merseyside XI v Manchester XI match, which included Colin Harvey, Terry Darracott, Alec Stepney and Tony Book, raising £1,140 from the gate receipts, plus an extra £175 from a raffle.
  • The Liverpool Echo raised £300 in a 7-a-side tournament.
  • Morecambe and Wise scriptwriter Eddie Braben sold sets of cigarette cards which included boxing personalities, film stars, and a complete set of 1950s football players signed by Billy Liddell.
  • An anonymous donor delivered an envelope containing £100 to the Liverpool Echo office.

The Everton players donated a sum of £1,000 from their own pockets. Howard Kendall was full of praise for them.

The players have made this donation and I think it is a tremendous gesture. So many people have said how sorry they were to hear what happened to Jamie. His death saddened everybody, especially at this club, and this shows how much the players care. They did this entirely on their own and Kevin Ratcliffe and the lads deserve full praise.

The donations helped build a new ward at Alder Hey, costing £200,000. The ward was built especially for children who were suffering from cancer, ensuring that Jamie’s legacy will live on.

Jamie Baker touched the hearts of Merseyside. Although his death brought a lot of sadness, at least his life couldn’t have had a more perfect end.

The Chedgzoy Corner

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On November 15th, 1924, Sam Chedgzoy dumbfounded the Goodison crowd by displaying a technique that should really have been illegal – dribbling the ball from a corner. However, it was legal thanks to a vague rule change. Before the 1924/25 season, goals could not be scored directly from a corner. In June 1924, the rule was amended to allow players to score directly from a corner. But the amendment ended up causing loads of controversy and debate.

That day, Everton were playing against Arsenal in front of roughly 20,000 fans. Early in the game, Chedgzoy was in possession of the ball in the wing and, despite encouragement from the crowd to cross it, he hung onto it. He had done the same thing a few times and the ball was always given away. But on one occasion, he won a corner, and proceeded to do one of the most famous (or infamous) dribbles in football history. He kicked the ball 10 yards and ran onto the ball in order to make a cross. Despite the technique being frowned upon by referee Henry Griffiths, he allowed play to continue. Griffiths told Chedgzoy that he couldn’t do that but at half-time, Chedgzoy showed him the rule book and Griffiths accepted it. Chedgzoy did the dribble again and again throughout the game, and opponent Jock Rutherford followed suit. The game ended in a 3-2 defeat for Everton with James Ramsay scoring the winning goal for Arsenal – ironically, from a corner (taken in the usual way.)

It transpired 25 years later in a Liverpool Echo article by Will Cuff published after his death that Sam Chedgzoy was offered £2 by Echo journalist Ernest “Bee” Edwards before the game. Chedgzoy was Bee’s second choice – his first choice was Liverpool left-back Donald McKinlay but, after initially agreeing, he changed his mind and backed out, fearing people would judge him for not playing the game properly. Bee would only pay him the £2 on one condition:

Get the corner in the first 20 minutes if possible as I want to feed my newspaper clients around the country with the full story, and if it arrives after then the wires I send will not reach London, Manchester, Preston, aye, every big town, in time for publication.

After succeeding, Edwards gave Chedgzoy the £2 at half-time.

Coincidentally, the loophole was taken advantage of in another game the same afternoon. In a match between Preston and Nottingham Forest, Preston winger George Harrison (who used to play for Everton with Chedgzoy) did the same as Chedgzoy. It was reported Harrison did it to “follow out an arrangement.” However, unlike Chedgzoy, Harrison was penalised. Referee Charles Lines thought the dribble was illegal and gave Nottingham Forest a free-kick.

This perplexed everyone, but the loophole had been known for a while.

The Scottish Football Association proposed the rule change to permit players to score directly from corners and succeeded. The SFA then had the task to implement the change and modify the rules. But one modification was about to cause furore:

Law 10 – Delete “corner-kick.”

The “corner-kick” was then added to Law 11, and the new rule was thus:

A goal may be scored from a corner kick or from a free kick for an offence under Law 7.

Law 7 was:

When the ball is played behind the goal-line by a player of the opposite side, it shall be kicked off by any one of the players behind whose goal-line it went, within that half of the goal area nearest the point where the ball left the field of play; but if played behind by any one of the side whose goal-line it is, a player of the opposite side shall kick it within one yard of the nearest corner flag-staff. In either case, an opponent shall not be allowed within ten yards of the ball until it is kicked off.

And Law 10 was (before the amendment):

When a free kick has been awarded, the kicker’s opponents shall not approach within ten yards of the ball, until the kick is taken, unless they are standing on their own goal line. The ball must at least be rolled over before it shall be considered played, i.e. it must make a complete circuit or travel the distance of its circumference. The kicker shall not play the ball a second time until it has been played by another player. The kick-off, corner-kick, and goal-kick shall be free kicks within the meaning of this Law.

Players were forbidden to dribble from a free kick. The removal of “corner-kick” meant a corner wasn’t classed as a free kick. Therefore, the new rule meant that players were allowed to dribble from the corner flag as long as they initially kick the ball at least 10 yards.

Confusion about the rule change arose before the season started, but people thought it meant the 10-yard rule was redundant. That was not the case. In September, the possibility of players scoring directly from a corner while dribbling from the corner flag was discussed.

Lancashire Evening Post, 20th September 1924

The Scotsman believed that the “corner-kick” omission was an accident but it wasn’t likely someone would score in that way.

A curious difference of opinion has arisen in “Soccer” circles as to the effect of the removal of the words “corner kick” from the last sentence of Law 10. It has been claimed by Scottish officials that as the result of the alteration, it is permissible for the kicker to dribble the ball up to the goal, if he can, and direct it through. But this was not, I believe, the intention of the framers and there are inferences that it cannot be done.

However, it DID happen.

Lancashire Evening Post, 1st November 1924

The loophole being exposed in the Football League was bound to happen at some point. The dribble was criticised and there were calls for the FA to do something about it.

After some months of somnolence, the Football Association authorities have wakened up to the fact that the framing of the rule relating to the corner kick, was of an ambiguous nature and the International Board will be asked to alter the rule accordingly.

The position was forced at Goodison Park and at Deepdale, where the ball was dribbled from the corner flag, with diverse rulings from the respective referees. Some decision was bound to come sooner or later, for matters had reached a pitch that compelled the attention of the ruling bodies, if they wished to maintain the best interests of the game.

Everton and Liverpool joint programme

It may be that the legislators who framed the new rules whereby a goal may be scored direct from a corner kick had in mind the possibility of the kicker touching the ball more than once before being played by another player. Certainly, the legislators have not provided against it, though my personal view is that a mistake has been made in doing so.

An official ruling on the point is necessary, since the matter has been brought to a head by such distinguished wingmen as Chedgzoy and Rutherford. Referee and other people who should know all there is to know about the rules differ on the question, and the F.A. must take the earliest opportunity of amending the rule. It is certainly much easier for a wing forward to touch the ball nearer goal than to kick from the flag.

The new methods added variety to the tactics employed following a player putting the ball over his own goal line. Rutherford and Chedgzoy are convinced that there is nothing in the rule, as it at present stands, to prevent dribbling the ball into the middle from a corner.

“F. McN.”, Liverpool Daily Courier

Clearly such a state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue. Referees and players “dunno where they are.” The dribble should be banned.

Athletic News

I do not see that there is anything to be gained by this new way. If a man starts to dribble from the corner flag, the opposing side will, of course, place a man to stop him. After all, you can get the ball into the danger zone much more easily in the old way.

Then-Fulham manager Andy Ducat

There is a mistake in the rules, and I do not think it would be in the interest of the game to let a corner kick be dribbled. A corner is awarded for a specific cause, and I do not think a man should be allowed the advantage of dribbling up to the goal.

Referee John Howcroft

Although Sam Chedgzoy supported the rule change.

My dribbled corner kick is a new and good way. After all, a back who concedes a corner can be suspected of sneaking out of a goal, and therefore should be penalised.

Others believed that Chedgzoy exposing the loophole on the pitch was a good thing because this could lead to the rule being amended again to ban the dribble.

Chedgzoy in dribbling the corner kick acted according to the present interpretation of the law on the subject. Hitherto, the corner kick has always been included among the free kicks in the rules, but this season, it is not. We gave no instructions to Chedgzoy, but he is aware of the rule. His action was allowed by the referee, although it is problematical if all referees would agree to it. It may prompt legislation on the matter leading to a definite ruling.

Will Cuff

[Billy] Meredith, the famous old Welsh international player, said in an interview yesterday [17th November] that there was nothing in the rules to prevent it, and he was glad to see it done, for it gave further scope to brains. He supposed that to guard against the man dribbling from the corner, opponents would now place a man, or two men, ten yards from him. But the more men they put to watch him, the more they left their goal open, and the forward should have no difficulty in lifting the ball over the heads of the forwards. By the new method, the corner kick, instead of being practically useless as it has been, would be rendered quite dangerous.

Gloucestershire Echo

Football League president John McKenna was at the Everton-Arsenal game and wasn’t satisfied with the rule change, adding that the corner kick rule will be amended as soon as possible.

It is lawful, but it was never intended that the corner kick should not be a free kick. However, the rules does not make that clear.

My opinion is that the authorities will amend the corner kick rule at the first opportunity. Certainly, something will have to be done, because even the referees themselves seem uncertain on the point. Either it is an infringement of the rule to take the corner kick in this way, or it is not; and the point must be definitely settled. It is true that the opposition can counter to some extent by bringing a man out to mark the player taking the corner kick. That was done in the Everton v Arsenal match on Saturday, and then the kick was taken in the ordinary way, but even when this was done, there was nothing to prevent the player dribbling if he liked. I think that on Saturday, the man who marked was standing too far off.

The point is that advantage is being taken of a looseness in the rule which was never contemplated by those who framed it.

FA secretary Frederick Wall added:

The FA are considering the matter in conjunction with the other national Football Associations, and in due course, some communication will be made.

Whatever was going to happen with the new corner kick rule needed to be done quick because in a match between QPR and Brentford, a goal was scored because of the controversial dribble (though not by the dribbler himself.) QPR’s Bob Bolam dribbled the ball from the corner flag and crossed it into the box. The ball reached Harry Hirst and he subsequently converted and the goal was allowed.

Nearly a couple of weeks after the Chedgzoy corner, the FA released this statement:

At the meeting of the International Football Association Board on June 14th, 1924, the words “corner kick” were inadvertently deleted from the law. At the meeting of the Board, to be held in June 1925, it will be proposed that the words be reinstated.

In the meantime, officials of the game and the players are instructed that the corner kick must be deemed to be a free kick within Law 10, and that the kicker shall not play the ball a second time until it has been played by another player.

The rule was rectified and the dribble was illegal again.

Sam Chedgzoy subsequently spoke about the incident in more detail. In March, he said players were aware of the loophole.

In the summer, the rules were altered so as to permit of a goal being scored direct from a corner kick, but in the alteration of the rule, it seemed that the authorities had omitted to state clearly whether it was permissible for a player to dribble from the corner flag. We players talked about it and thought about it, and on a well-known legislator being asked his opinion, he declared that there was now nothing in the rules to prevent a player taking several kicks in succession when his side had been awarded a corner kick.

A few months later, he added the dribble was done as an experiment.

You will remember that when the corner kick rule was altered the authorities seemed to leave it open for the players taking the corner to dribble. Well, I tried the dribble from the flag as an experiment. The referee in that game allowed me to do so, and I did it a few times. Yet I was criticised for trying it: spectators wanted to see the corner kick taken in the old way. I should not go so far as to say that the dribble from the corner kick which I tried was better than the old straight kick into goal. But surely there could be no harm in giving the new idea a trial.

A tumultuous couple of weeks in football because of one small omission.

How Non-League Football Shaped Jordan Pickford

Bradley Cates Stories , , , , , ,

Jordan Pickford’s World Cup heroics made people realise what a great goalkeeper he is. Before the World Cup, and even during, they were wondering whether he was the right choice to be England’s number 1. He brushed those criticisms aside with brilliant performances in the knockout stages which helped England fans believe in the team again. Where did it all start? The Conference.

In the 2011/12 season, Darlington were in complete disarray. Players were released and sold left, right and centre, and they had to heavily rely on youth. At one point, they had a physio who was still a student at Teesside University. The club was inevitably heading towards extinction. Darlington’s extinction was delayed until the end of the season thanks to supporters’ funding but despite their demise, there was one final shining light for the fans to enjoy – Jordan Pickford. The 17-year-old Pickford joined the Quakers on loan from Sunderland on 21st January 2012 and made his debut for the club the same day against Fleetwood. Darlington lost the game 1-0 courtesy of a goal by Danny Rose, which was disputed to have been offside. Despite the defeat, Pickford had a solid debut with the Newcastle Evening Chronicle saying he “confidently collected a string of crosses, and his judgement and distribution was sound.” One highlight of the game for Pickford was saving a shot from Andrew Mangan that was heading towards the far corner of the net.

During his spell at Darlington, Pickford played 17 games, conceded 39 goals, kept just 2 clean sheets and was not on the winning team once. One particular low point of Pickford’s time at the club was his second game in a 3-2 defeat against Hayes and Yeading. After just 6 minutes Darlington were 2-0 down with Pickford being responsible for both goals. The first goal came after Pickford fouled Julian Owusu and the referee awarded a penalty while the game was just a couple of minutes young. Louie Soares then converted the penalty. The second goal came from a poor throw from Pickford which was calmly intercepted by Daniel Wishart who then went on a run towards the goal with no Darlington players attempting to stop him and slotted the ball past Pickford.

In another game against Alfreton, with the score level at 1-1, Pickford fumbled a shot which fell kindly to Paul Clayton to convert, and the match ended in a 3-1 defeat. Six weeks later against AFC Telford, when Darlington were 2-1 up, Pickford made a grievous error. As the ball was bouncing and midfielder Richard Davies was running towards him, he completed miskicked the ball. Instead of clearing it away, Pickford kicked in front of the goal and Davies was quick to take advantage to equalise. The match ended 3-3. Following the miskick, manager Craig Liddle and his Darlington rallied round him to reassure him.

In a post-match interview, Liddle said:

Jordan Pickford is very disappointed, but if anybody can come away from this with credit, it’s Jordan. When a goalkeeper makes a mistake, it usually ends up in the back of the net but he’s got nothing to be disappointed about. I’ve told him that, the lads have told him that, he’s disappointed because he feels he cost us a goal, but there are no fingers being pointed at him.

Despite his mistakes, Pickford was still a reliable asset. He made a few important saves in Darlington’s 2-2 draw aginst York – one in particular close to full time as he stopped York from stealing all three points after saving a shot from Paddy McLaughlin. He also made a creditable performance in Darlington’s 2-0 defeat to Southport. After Pickford joined Everton, Southport manager and Everton fan Liam Watson talked about his performance in that game.

On the night, we [Southport] played well and won 2-0 but all everyone was talking about after the game was “How good was the keeper?!” He was immense.

A huge positive from Pickford was his resilience. The week after the Telford game, he bounced back from his miskick and kept his first ever clean sheet against Grimsby.

Jordan Pickford went full stretch to push wide a shot by Rob Duffy. Pickford went on to enjoy a fine game and he was frequently involved. The 18-year-old, on loan from Sunderland, was quickly out of his area to intercept a forward pass into Liam Hearn’s feet, the keeper belting the ball down the pitch, and within seconds, he had punched the ball clear of Hearn’s head when meeting a left-wing cross.

[…]

When the visitors did catch sight of goal, Pickford was alert. Grimsby left-winger Peter Winn cut inside Neil Wainwright and fired in a low shot towards the near post that Pickford parried before reacting quickly to Liam Hearn’s follow-up.

Northern Echo

Pickford stopped more shots from Shaun Pearson, Liam Hearn and Andi Thanoj to earn his first career clean sheet.

Reality then hit Pickford and Darlington after a 5-0 defeat to Lincoln with the Quakers losing 4-0 half-time and conceded three goals within eight minutes. During that game, Pickford was pictured shouting at defender Neil Wainwright after Darlington conceded a goal.

Craig Liddle recently spoke about how vocal he was on the pitch.

He wasn’t afraid to give lads almost twice his age an earful if he thought they were doing something wrong. He’d be yelling at the defenders playing in front of him. He certainly wasn’t frightened of them.

Darlington’s relegation was confirmed the following game as they let a two-goal lead slip in the final eight minutes to draw 2-2 against Bath, just a couple of minutes after going 2-0 up. But Pickford was undeterred. The first game since the club’s relegation was confirmed, the 18-year-old kept his second clean sheet of his career in a 0-0 draw against Newport with a performance similar to the one against Grimsby.

The Exiles [Newport] continued to probe with [Sam] Foley curling a free-kick towards the top corner of the net, but Pickford was equal to it with [Jake] Reid poised to pounce on the rebound. The goalkeepers were the two best players throughout the first period.

It was Pickford back in action at the start of the second half, first saved by [Aaron] Brown when [Gary] Warren’s header beat him at a corner and then tipping over magnificently to deny the same player from another set piece.

South Wales Argus

His last game for the club (and Darlington’s forever) was a 2-0 defeat to Forest Green. It was the end of Darlington, but the beginning of Pickford.

On 25th February 2013, Jordan Pickford went on another loan spell in the Conference, this time at Alfreton. He joined the Reds after an injury to first-choice keeper Phil Barnes. The next day, he made his debut for the club and tasted victory for the first time as Alfreton vanquished Hyde 5-1. After his debut, manager Nicky Law was full of praise for him.

He was a major plus point tonight. After the injury to Phil, we asked about Jordan. He is the third choice at Sunderland which says everything, and for Martin O’Neill to let him come down, we are very grateful of that. The young goalkeeper’s kicking was immense and made a massive difference to us.

In his second game for a club, he repeated his heroics against York with Darlington for Alfreton against Wrexham as with the score level at 1-1 and into the third minute of injury time, he tipped over a shot from 10 yards from Dele Adebola and then punched out the eventual corner to earn a point. The next game, he was Alfreton’s man of the match in a 1-1 draw against Tamworth after making a string of saves. He then kept his first clean sheet for the club in a 3-0 win over Ebbsfleet. Following the win against Ebbsfleet, Nicky Law again praised Pickford, believing he was destined to be a first-choice Premier League goalkeeper.

He is a bright lad and he has got a big, big future ahead of him. Speaking to people at Sunderland, they rave over gim and they think that he will play at the top end of the Premiership. I am sure he will do. If you look at the last four games, we have conceded three goals, and it’s no coincidence that Jordan Pickford coming in has been a big part of that.

In the next game, Alfreton came from 2-0 down to beat Gateshead 3-2, with Gateshead manager Anth Smith pointing the finger at Pickford for keeping Alfreton in the game and denying Gateshead from extending their seemingly comfortable lead.

At 2-0, I didn’t see this coming, and Pickford has kept Alfreton in the game with a great save from Jamie Chandler. If tht had gone in, we would have been cruising and the lad made an excellent save from Josh Gillies in the first half, so he has kept his side in it.

Pickford then suffered his first defeat as an Alfreton player as they lost 2-1 to Braintree but despite that, he was named the club’s man of the match for the second time for denying Braintree from turning the defeat into a thrashing. Another defeat followed against Lincoln but Pickford was named Alfreton’s man of the match for the third time in five matches after Lincoln had 10 shots on target with Pickford saving 8 of them in a 2-0 loss.

The Lincoln game was the start of things to come as Pickford went on to keep three consecutive clean sheets. The first was against Southport in his second trip to Haig Avenue, where he kept his cool and didn’t let one aged Sandgrounder get to his head.

I remember going for a drink of water and one old bloke shouts, “Hey you, young lad! Your grandad is under that grass!” I just turned around to him, gave him the thumbs up and said, “Nae problem!”

He missed the 3-2 defeat to Stockport due to an injury but he kept his second consecutive clean sheet in a 4-0 win over Barrow, and his third in a 3-0 win over Tamworth. In the Tamworth win, he also earned himself an assist after a very long ball from Pickford allowed Nathan Arnold to chip the ball over the Tamworth keeper to make it 3-0. His clean sheet run ended in a 2-0 defeat to Newport but was named Alfreton’s man of the match again, meaning he was the club’s man of the match in each of the last three defeats he played in.

His last game for Alfreton, and as a non-league player, was a 2-1 win over the same team he played in his final game for Darlington – Forest Green. His spell at Alfreton was 12 games, 4 clean sheets, 4 man of the matches (all of which were in games he didn’t keep a clean sheet in), an assist and a truckload of saves.

Pickford originally wanted to join a Football League club before he went to Alfreton but was unsuccessful. But he had no regrets whatsoever, as his spell at Alfreton helped him continue his progress by climbing up the pyramid.

I wanted to try and find a League club at the time, but that didn’t come about and I went out to another club in the National League. It was just a case of playing games for them and I kept a few clean sheets there as well. It was another great experience and a case of going in at the deep end and taking my chance.

The Alfreton gaffer at the time was Nicky Law, who is now head of recruitment at Burnley, and he had signed a few younger lads on loan there. I remember Aden Flint, who is now doing well at Bristol City [now at Middlesbrough], was there just before me too. That loan helped me get my next move, as Nicky recommended me and put in a good word to Gary Rowett at Burton Albion.

It was an eye-opener for me and the big thing was that you had lads there who were working part-time and playing football for their livelihood. They’re playing to help pay for mortgages and I was just an apprentice there to learn, so you’ve got to do your best and it was all an unbelievable experience.

His spell at Darlington prepared him well for what was to come at Sunderland and Everton. The unrest at the time was a lesson well learned as in the past two seasons, Pickford became over-reliant. In spite of all the disjointedness at Darlington and leaking goals every other game, it didn’t affect him whatsoever. Considering he was 17 and 18 at the time he was at Darlington, one would assume a goalkeeper that age would have his confidence shattered. Not Pickford.

It was my first taste of first-team football when I went out to Darlington, in the National League at the age of 17. They were struggling and I was asked if I wanted to go there and help them out. My coach thought I was getting beyond the U18s football I was playing with Sunderland and I played nearly 20 games for them and it was quality. I really enjoyed it, it was a great experience for me, despite the team getting battered every week during what was a difficult time for the club.

Another thing he learned in non-league football was adapting to criticism and abuse. Against Belgium in the World Cup group stage, he was criticised for “using the wrong hand” and “not being tall enough.” But he brushed those harsh words away and used them to improve himself after getting used to hearing taunts at him in his days at Darlington and Alfreton.

Places like Wrexham and Southport away when there are not that many people there, you are a young lad and you’re having abuse hurled at you. That is what teaches you and that’s what you laugh about now. And when you get that stick, that’s when you become better.

When there are just 500 fans inside a ground, you can hear everything they say, every little word that is getting said. So that is what turns you from a kid into a man.

One more thing Pickford learned was mistakes happen. As previously mentioned, he made a few at Darlington and Craig Liddle backed him up at the time, and reiterated his defence of him.

Jordan made mistakes but you expect that. The most impressive thing was the way in which he didn’t let the odd mistake bother him.

He still makes the odd mistake now. But very rarely. And whenever he does make a mistake, he is his own toughest critic. He doesn’t let them get to him and always vows to do better next time.

Jordan Pickford is now adored by football fans all over the country. They were initially unconfident about him, but now they are seeing what he is truly made of. His spells at Darlington and Alfreton were a learning curve for Pickford. Darlington was a test which he passed with flying colours and Alfreton allowed him to blossom. They gave him the opportunity to show his ability, improve his performance, make the odd mistake and learn from them, and tackle criticism and abuse. They allowed Jordan Pickford to grow as a footballer and for that, we have non-league football to thank for nurturing one of the best young goalkeepers in the world.

Harry Cooke – Dixie Dean’s Saviour

Bradley Cates Stories , ,

On 5th May 1928, Dixie Dean scored a hat-trick against Arsenal on the final day of the 1927/28 season. The last of those goals was Dixie’s 60th league goal of the season – a record in English football, beating George Camsell’s record of 59 in a season. No player has come close since and it is extremely likely that this tally will never be beaten. However, Dixie came really close to not playing in the game at all. In the previous game against Burnley, he picked up a thigh injury. The record was in sight but the injury made Dixie’s hopes of breaking it fade away. But then along came Harry Cooke.

In an interview with Liverpool Echo journalist Michael Charters in May 1971, Dixie thanked long-time trainer at the club Harry Cooke for making the 60-goal season possible. Cooke was determined to make him fit for the Arsenal game and beat it.

You see, if it hadn’t been for old Harry Cooke, I wouldn’t have played against Arsenal at all. Harry was the trainer at Everton in all my years there, and he was a great character. His birthday was the same day as mine, on January 22nd, and he was like a father to me.

The position was this: George Camsell, the Middlesbrough centre-forward, had set the League scoring record at 59 the season before, but that was in the Second Division. With two games to go, I had scored 53 goals in 37 League games, so I wanted seven goals from the last two matches to beat George’s record.

The first of these two games was at Burnley on the Wednesday of the last week of the season. I got four that day, all before half-time, and I was particularly pleased because I was playing against big Jack Hill, the England centre-half in those days, and a particular pal of mine. He was reckoned the best in the business then, but any rate, I got four against big Jack and he rubbed his faced on the ground when the fourth one went in. I didn’t do anything in the second half because I pulled a thigh muscle badly, and I was in some pain. Old Harry Cooke was shaking when he found out about it – and so was I.

Harry was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to play against Arsenal. So when we got back from Burnley that night, he came with me to my home in Alderley Avenue, Birkenhead. He wanted to put hot plasters on my leg to get the muscle right. You’re supposed to put these plasters on pretty hot and leave them for about ten to twelve hours, but Harry wasn’t content with that. He wanted to change them every two hours so that the heat from the plasters would really work. So I went to bed and he sat in a chair in my bedroom and woke me up every two hours so that he could put a fresh plaster on. He did this for three nights on the run – the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights before the Arsenal game.

Without him, I’d never have played that day and never broken the record.

What we used to do was that in the morning, I’d run him to his home in Wallasey before we went over to Goodison for more treatment. I don’t know how he stuck it for three nights on end without much sleep, but he told me he used to try and get a few hours sleep each afternoon before he came back to my home in Birkenhead to start putting on the plasters all over again.

He was a wonderful man – all the lads at Everton would do anything for him, and he was a wonderful man to me.

For decades, Everton fans have been adulating Dixie for breaking the record, but there has been little mention of Harry Cooke. He was Everton through and through and his key contribution to Dixie’s record should be talked about more often.