Number 17
February
13
2017
Do
you only support a winning team? Apparently many do.
I
listened to an interview last week with Robert Kraft, owner of New England
Patriots, the recent Super Bowl winners. American Football is that most
franchised of sports and Kraft was making the point that sport is all about
winning and the reason why the public flock to support winning teams is because
of the “feel good” factor. He also claimed that prior to the Americanisation of
Liverpool FC, he was given the opportunity to buy the club. “I turned it down”
he said “because I was uncertain about their ability to dominate The Premier
League”. This attitude may well be prevalent in the States and possibly here
also, but the old adage of finding a team, preferably from your home town and
sticking with them for better or for worse, through good times and bad times
hopefully is still in vogue. However I was talking to Bob from Wigan a few
weeks ago and he told me that when he was at secondary school in the years just
prior to the Latics reaching the Premier League, he was their only supporter in
his class at school. Everyone else rooted for a top team. There can be no
objection to a Wigan pupil choosing to wear a Chelsea shirt or a Burnley child
being a fan of Manchester United; it is their choice and in a democratic society
we all have to abide by that. However it is surely character building to learn
to take the knocks and the plaudits, to accept the wins and the losses, the ups
and the downs from a young age. It makes you stronger and prepares you for the even
harder knocks that adult life often brings. This of course was the basis of the
“Corinthian Spirit” which emanated from the late Victorians and what Kipling’s
much loved poem “If” was all about. Turning up at the ground every week when
your team is at the bottom of the league can be difficult and requires a
masochistic streak within. I have never even contemplated switching allegiance
to the nearby giants of the game in Manchester or Liverpool, even though I
would have witnessed far more victories than from the fortnightly trek along
Bolton Road to Ewood Park. In the real world there always has to be at least
one loser for every winner (actually 21 losers in the Championship) so
acceptance of defeat goes with the territory. The concept of supporting a side
just because they will win seems part of the “Hello Magazine” celebrity circus,
providing little substance, backbone or stability to our society; in particular
to our youngsters.
EVERTON: THEIR FINEST HOUR
As the chart shows, Everton have always been
one of England’s foremost clubs. Their successes have been well spaced out but
the 80s contributed massively to their trophy haul.
Number
|
Team
|
League
|
FA Cup
|
League Cup
|
Champions League
|
Various UEFA Cups *
|
Total
|
1
|
Liverpool
|
18
|
7
|
8
|
5
|
3
|
41
|
2
|
Manchester United
|
20
|
12
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
40
|
3
|
Arsenal
|
13
|
12
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
29
|
4
|
Chelsea
|
5
|
7
|
5
|
1
|
3
|
21
|
5
|
Aston Villa
|
7
|
7
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
20
|
6
|
Tottenham Hotspur
|
2
|
8
|
4
|
0
|
3
|
17
|
7
|
Everton
|
9
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
15
|
·
Various UEFA Cups
= Fairs Cup, UEFA Cup, Cup Winners Cup, Europa League
In 1981, Howard Kendall left Blackburn after
two successful seasons as Player-Manager and returned to Everton where, with
Colin Harvey and Alan Ball, he had formed one third of the glittering midfield
known as the “Holy Trinity”. In his first three seasons as manager, Kendall
settled the side into top ten positions, taking them all the way to Wembley in
his third campaign where they defeated Graham Taylor’s Watford in the FA Cup
Final. The Everton squad included Welsh internationals Neville Southall in goal and
captain Kevin Ratcliffe, Gary Stephens, Trevor Steven and Peter Reid
from England, Republic of Ireland winger Kevin Sheedy plus twin Scotland
strikers, Andy Gray and Graeme Sharp. Kendall built on this success and the
1984-5 season was truly memorable. They walked the league, finishing 13 points
in front of runners up Liverpool. They were in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup draw having
won the FA Cup the previous season and they reached the final, having defeated
the mighty Bayern Munich in a two-legged semi-final, coming from behind to win
3-1 at Goodison with goals from Sharp, Gray and Steven. In the final at
Rotterdam, they were opposed by Rapid Vienna and once more Everton proved too
strong, goals from Gray, Steven and Sheedy ensuring a 3-1 victory. They returned
to Wembley to contest the FA Cup Final once more but lost 1-0 to Manchester
United in a very controversial game. Kevin Moran brought down Peter Reid when
the Everton midfielder was clean through. The United centre back was sent off
for the professional foul, but the “Toffees” failed to profit from the free
kick and Norman Whiteside shattered their dreams of a most unusual treble with
his extra time winner. In 1985-86, the Blues returned to Wembley for a third
consecutive FA Cup Final and were runners up in the league, taking second place
to Dalglish’s double winning Liverpool side in both competitions. The following
year they regained their league title, turning the tables on their city
neighbours with a nine point winning margin. Kendall subsequently joined the Basque
club Athletic Bilbao after six glorious years by the Mersey and Everton has won
just one trophy since. But with two major trophies and a runners-up prize, the 1984-85
season was Everton’s finest hour.
Performances of the last week
Liverpool
2 Tottenham Hotspur 0 (Premier League)
Your Talisman returns from distant lands and the world is a
different place. This was certainly the case at Anfield where Sadio Mane’s
pace, skill and work rate was far too much for the Spurs. After rank mediocrity
from the Anfield outfit since New Year’s Eve, this was a complete turn around
and the defensive fragility of their opponents, conveniently forgotten by the
London media, was exposed by Mane’s physicality. Suddenly the table looks more
optimistic for the Reds and is Jürgen Klopp suddenly everyone’s favourite
manager again?
Burnley
1 Chelsea 1
It must have been easier to escape from Colditz than it is to sneak away
from Turf Moor with 3 points in the bag. The Claret’s fans were celebrating the
point against the country’s top team as they left Turf Moor but no more so than
all over Manchester, half of Liverpool and two areas of North London. Chelsea
has dropped 4 points in their last 3 games and although this does not signal a
collapse, it raises optimism levels amongst their rivals. As for Burnley, the
best managed team in the land goes from strength to strength ………… at home.
Oldham
Athletic 3 Coventry City 2 (EFL Division 1)
They say lightning doesn’t strike twice but can John Sheridan be
about to rescue the Latics for the second consecutive season. Bottom of the
table when he arrived from the horror show which was Notts County, they have
plundered 12 points from 7 games and are now out of the relegation zone.
Coventry is a club which is overloaded with problems but Oldham held off their
spirited late challenge to collect the vital 3 points. “Shezzerection is the
word around Boundary Park as Mr Sheridan orchestrates another great escape.
Carlisle
United 1 Blackpool 4 (EFL Division 1)
Fail to score at home against lowly Crawley, travel to 3rd
place Carlisle and smash-in 4. That somehow sums up Blackpool’s topsy-turvy
season. If only they can add a touch of consistency to their game, a place in
the play-offs is there for the taking. Jordan Flores appears to be a good loan
acquisition from Wigan and centre back and captain Tom Aldred has certainly
impressed me when I have seen him play. His strong leadership on the field can
yet propel Blackpool out of a league which historically, they ought to be
nowhere near.
On the non-league
scene, over 2400 supporters watched the game of the day at FC United of Manchester where the home side led 3-0 at half time
only for Chorley to roar back and
snatch a draw in the National League North. Prescot Cables pulled further clear of relegation with a 3-2 win
over the fancied Colne and also in
the Northern Premier League Division 1 North; Burscough gained a rare victory over Goole Town, cohabitees in the
two relegation places. Bootle continued
to commit carnage with a 6-1 win over the normally competitive Padiham in the North West Counties
Premier Division to stay at the head of the league, Carl Peers grabbing 2 more
goals to take his season’s tally to 22.
Games
to look forward to this week
Huddersfield Town v Manchester City (FA Cup
Round 5) Saturday February 18, 15.00
Some
may classify this fixture as David v Goliath but the West Yorkshire side have
certainly stored more than a sling shot in their armoury in recent weeks. David
Wagner, who was Klopp’s reserve team manager at Dortmund, has impressed at Huddersfield
and City will need guile, pace and trickery to safely reach the last eight.
Aguero should start now that de Jesus is on crutches.
Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United
(FA Cup Round 5) Sunday February 19, 16.15
Attending
this game as a Rovers fan is akin to supporting the Christians against the
Lions at Ancient Rome’s Colosseum. Other than with a large slice of luck, I see
no scenario where the Rovers can prevail. United will want to win because the
mini treble is definitely on the cards, so a strong Mourinho eleven is expected.
The Rovers will value an escape from the drop before Cup success, but an
insipid performance will further turn off the Ewood faithful.
Danny Graham; Rovers centre forward with 18
goals from 41 starts
Wigan Athletic v Preston North End
(EFL Championship) Saturday February 18, 15.00
The
DW Stadium is separated from Deepdale by 22 miles of M6 tarmac, making this a
local derby. It has been a roller coaster ride for Wigan since their shock
defeat of Manchester City in 2013 to win the FA Cup. Two relegations then a
storming run through League 1 last season could be followed by a 180 degree
turn and a drop straight back down. There have been stirring victories since
Warren Joyce arrived as manager but PNE need this victory just as much if this
season has to produce anything really positive. It is a “tough to pick” game.
Bradford City v Bolton Wanderers (EFL
Division 1) Saturday February 18, 15.00
It’s
Parkinson’s old boys versus Parkinson’s new boys at Valley Parade in this vital
promotion game. After a winless January, the Wanderers have returned to form
and they crushed Walsall on Saturday. Bradford is 5th in the league,
2 places behind Bolton, but Phil Parkinson’s current club has games in hand and
a result in West Yorkshire will pile the pressure on Sheffield United and
Scunthorpe in the automatic promotion spots.
Quiz
of the Week (Answers at the foot of the
Blog)
All of the questions have Red
Rose County connections
1
Who
scored his first goal for Liverpool in September 1985 against his old club
Everton?
2
Manchester
City beat Stoke City in the final of the 2011 Cup Final. Vincent Kompany did
not captain the City side. Who did?
3
Who
was Burnley’s top league goal scorer in their promotion year of 2015-16?
4
Jürgen
Klopp obviously did not “fancy” Mamadou Sakho, his French centre-back but which
club has he joined on loan from January 2016 onwards?
5
Notts
County have played more League games than any other club. Which Red Rose County
side comes second in the all-time list?
6
Which
manager took Everton to their most recent trophy success, the FA Cup in 1996?
7
John
Sheridan, current Oldham Athletic manager, scored the only goal of the 1991
League Cup Final for which team that beat Manchester United 1-0?
John
Sheridan, current manager of Oldham Athletic
8
Which
current Red Rose County manager has been in charge of Burnley, Bolton Wanderers
and Wigan Athletic amongst others?
9
From
which club did Manchester United sign Daley Blind?
Daley
Blind; son of Danny, a Dutch footballing legend
10
Who
left Blackpool in 2011 following relegation from the Premier League and signed
for Liverpool?
Post Weekend
Musings
If
you have just been signed from a club two leagues below, you want to make an
impression on your full debut. Omar Bogle certainly did that shortly after his
move from Grimsby Town, scoring twice for Wigan
Athletic against Norwich City. His header and direct free kick were
sufficient to earn the Latics a point in their battle to avoid relegation.
Like
Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary”, Manchester
United keeps on “rolling, rolling”. Unbeaten in the Premier League since
October 23, the squad has slowly gelled together without the manager finding a
settled eleven. Only de Gea has started all 25 league games, with Pogba and
Ibrahimovic on 21. This suggests that Mourinho has struggled to work out his
best team, even while putting together this impressive run. They have unfortunately
drawn 7 of these 16 games, the reason for them still being a distance behind
Chelsea.
In
the game of the weekend in the North West Counties League, Atherton Collieries’ Jordan Cover scored the only goal of the match
against Bootle. It enabled the clubs
to sit side by side at the top of the Premier League, but with the “Colls”
having two games in hand. They are now definitely favourites for promotion to
the Northern Premier League.
Also
on Monday evening, Manchester City
comfortably defeated Bournemouth 2-0 down on the south coast to leapfrog three
other rivals. They are now leading the chase to catch the leaders but the gap
is still 8 points. It is still possible to bridge that chasm but it will mean
Chelsea losing at least 3 games and City winning every single one of their
remaining 13 Premier League games. Crazier things have happened, witness
Newcastle’s amazing capitulation under Keegan in 1996, but Chelsea are odds-on
favourites.
Gabriel de Jesus; injured early and
substituted v Bournemouth
There
were only 21 goals scored in 10 Premier League games this weekend but
worryingly for Gareth Southgate ahead of his World Cup qualifiers, just 2 of
them were scored by Englishmen. Centre back Alfie Mawson scored with a rocket
shot for Swansea against Leicester City and Raheem Sterling netted for Manchester City against Bournemouth.
With
two/thirds of the season already behind us, which trophies are likely to be resting
in Red Rose County Board Rooms come the middle of May? If the season ended now,
only AFC Fylde in the National
League North, Lancaster City in the
Northern Premier League North, Bootle
in the North West Counties Premier and Litherland
REMYCA in the NWC Division 1 would be celebrating. Wake up professional
clubs, you are letting the area down.
Tier 10 Club of the Week
St Helens
Town; playing second fiddle to Rugby League
Although football is the nation’s number one
sport, there are a few towns and cities dotted around the country where rugby
takes precedence. Northampton, Worcester, Gloucester and Bath spring to mind in
the 15 a side game while in Rugby League territory, there is Wigan, Salford,
Widnes and of course a certain town on Merseyside. On Thursday night, the Super
League season kicked off with St Helens and Leeds Rhinos, undoubtedly two of
the best teams in the Northern Hemisphere. Close to 13,000 spectators witnessed
the game at the Saints’ home ground whereas the average gate this season for St
Helens Town is a mere 83. This is unsurprising because the club is currently
without a place to call home as they wait for the Local Council to complete the
construction of the Ruskin Drive complex. They have recently played at other
local clubs in Prescot and Ashton, often on an unfamiliar Thursday night and
have managed a mid-table position in Division 1 of the NWC League. They were
surprisingly relegated last season after 33 years in the Premier Division but
the club is most famous for producing a superstar goalkeeper from a most
unexpected source. German prisoner of war Bert Trautmann stayed on in England
and played for St Helens Town before joining Manchester City. There he will forever
be remembered for bravely playing on in the 1956 FA Cup final in spite of a
broken neck sustained during the match.
Bert Trautmann; a split-second before he
broke his neck
Quiz Answers
1
Steve
McMahon, 2 Carlos
Tevez, 3 Andre
Gray, 4
Crystal Palace, 5
Preston North End,
6 Joe Royle, 7 Sheffield
Wednesday, 8 Owen
Coyle, 9 Ajax,
10 Charlie
Adam.
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