Number 32 May 29 2017
Rose
County Footballing Legends
(Number 5)
Neville
Southall
My
abiding memory of “Big Nev” was the size of his hands and the gigantic gloves
that covered them. Born in North Wales, he was 22 before Bury signed him from non-league Winsford United. One season at Gigg
Lane was sufficient for him to catch the eye of Howard Kendall who brought him
to Everton. After an uncertain
start, he became a vital cog in the Everton machine as they and Liverpool
proceeded to dominate English football in the 80s. Southall was an outstanding
shot stopper. At 6’1” tall and with a broad girth, he seemed to fill the goal,
his exceptional athleticism enabling him to make saves he had no right to make.
His greatest saves were in crucial games, instinctively keeping out a point
blank range header from Mark Falco in their 2-1 victory at White Hart Lane in
1985; a win that secured their first title since 1970. In the 1995 FA Cup
Final, having conceded just one penalty en route to Wembley, he made a
memorable double save from a young Paul Scholes as his unfancied side lifted
the trophy. In an Everton career which stretched to a club record 578 league
games, he was responsible for a staggering 269 clean sheets. He is the club’s
most decorated player with Division 1 titles in 1985 and 1987 and 2 FA Cup
winners’ medals in 1984 and 1995. He also won a UEFA Cup Winner’s medal in
1985. For a number of seasons he was considered to be one of the world’s best
goalkeepers, an automatic choice for Wales for 14 years, winning a record 92
caps for the Principality. He never achieved the distinction of keeping goal in
major finals, coming closest to qualifying in 1986 when denied by a late
penalty in a game forever remembered for the tragic death of legendary Scottish
manager Jock Stein. Southall soldiered on, being released by the Toffees in
1998. He played 53 games at Torquay United down in Division 3 before bowing out
at Bradford City when, as goalkeeping coach, he was forced to play in a Premier
League fixture at the age of 41 due to injuries to other keepers. Not always
the easiest to manage, he once sat against the post throughout the half-time
interval rather than join his team mates in the dressing room after conceding 3
first half Leeds United goals. Nevertheless, the most iconic player at Goodison
Park since Dixie Dean is a true Red Rose Footballing Legend.
Neville Southall; a giant of a keeper and a Goodison Park legend
Is
there a managerial revolution about to start?
Sam
Allardyce, Marco Silva, Garry Monk, David Moyes, Paul Lambert, Harry Rednapp
and Tony Mowbray, what have they all in common? Four are ex-football managers
who have left their clubs this month. Well nothing strange there. Football
managers get sacked all the time, particularly at the end of a season. The
difference however is that they have all resigned and Lambert will probably go
very soon. Rednapp and Mowbray appear to be staying at their clubs, following
talks about future investment on the playing side. Only Lambert of the
aforementioned seven has been critical of his employer but it is when you start
to dig below the surface that it becomes interesting. Allardyce says he wanted
to retire, but I am not buying that. He told the media he was meeting with
Steve Parish, the Crystal Palace chairman representing the American owners, to
see what money is available for incoming players. Then he announced that he is
retiring. I suspect that the shrewd operator who is “Big Sam” felt that the available
money was insufficient for him to do anything other than scrap and scrape his
way through another relegation battle and he has had enough of them. Easier to
say he is retiring. Silva equally must have seen little prospect of Hull City
bouncing back to the Premier League at the first time of asking with the
scarcity of funds offered by the club’s Egyptian owner, although he was given
much more than the unfortunate Mike Phelan earlier on in the season. The Portuguese
has therefore moved on, this time to Watford where he will need all the luck in
the world to survive a year. Moyes said he was staying and then he met with Sunderland’s
American owner Ellis Short. That was enough to make him run away. Short wants
to sell the club and Moyes had been given virtually nothing either last summer
or in January to rebuild the team. Leaving was a no-brainer. Monk’s shock
resignation at Leeds also followed talks with the new Italian owner about the
forthcoming season and it appears obvious that this impressive young boss was
also dissatisfied with what he heard. Rednapp was initially vague about the
future following Birmingham’s narrow escape from relegation, saying he would
talk to the Asian owners. He has obviously got what he wanted and the same
applies to Mowbray who flew all the way to Mumbai to talk to the Blackburn
owners before returning to proclaim that money is available. Lambert at Wolverhampton
has been told that the agent Jorge Mendes will be in charge of recruitment (all
incoming players being part of his empire no doubt) but the tough talking Scot
has told the Chinese owners that if he is the manager, he wants the final say
on new players; something Arsene Wenger has been repeating all season. So in a
nut shell, we have at least 7 managers who are putting down their collective
feet and saying “enough is enough. If I can’t do it my way, I am leaving”. Many
would argue that the owners can do what they want with their business within
reason, but so many of them have little or no understanding as to what a club
means to a town or city. English managers in particular have that knowledge and
it surely makes sense to give them every possible opportunity to use all their
experience collected from at least 20 years in the industry to run the playing
side of the club. So is this the beginning of a managerial fight back against
predominantly foreign owners? Now that will be good news for the club, the area
and the supporters.
Performances of the last week
It
is difficult to place the Manchester
United v Ajax Europa League Final into context. The North-West
of England had been immune from major terrorist attack since the IRA bombings
changed the face of Manchester’s city centre back in 1996. But on that occasion
there were no fatalities, largely because the Provisional IRA had given a 90
minute warning. This time at least 22 pop music fans have died, a number of
them teenage girls. Thus the Stockholm final was played in the shadow of this
tragic back-drop but thankfully, UEFA allowed black arm bands and a minute’s
silence, not banning them as part of an anti-political crusade. In the
circumstance, both sides played with a passion but it was always a bridge too
far for the Dutch youngsters. They needed to turn the United defence, make
progress down the wings and cause damage by putting pressure on a back 4 which had
been known to go walkabouts at times during the season. The kids showed off
their tricks, their improvisation and at times quite staggering ball skills but
with no end product. They never came close to threatening Romero in the Red’s
goal. Mourinho, as ever, had prepared well and Pogba, Fellaini and Herrera were
an impregnable shield in front of Smalling and Blind, being just too experienced,
too strong and far too street-wise for the opposition. The English side was
disappointing going forward and Pogba’s opener needed a huge slice of luck, his
tame shot being deflected past the Ajax keeper. The second goal, a rather
slow-motion scissors kick from Mkhitaryan came straight after the interval, ending
the game as a contest and allowing United to comfortably see out the second
half without the need to throw men forward. In the process they captured their
second trophy of the season, qualified for the Champions’ League and have
overtaken the arch enemy Liverpool as the English club with most major trophies
(42-41); an amazing set of statistics for a side which, by common consent, has
performed disappointingly in 2016-17. The game also showed the gulf between the
level of professionalism, experience and commitment required by players
performing week in and week out in the most physical top league in world
football compared to the less than competitive Dutch Eredivisie League. The
victory will always take second place of course to the dreadful events at the
Manchester Arena, but sport once again proved that if only for a couple of
hours, it can enable a city and a nation to come together in an act of unity against
the most evil of adversary.
Quiz of the Week
(Answers at the foot of the Blog)
Each question has a Red Rose County FA Cup connection
1
On Saturday Arsenal defeated Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup Final,
achieving their 13th victory and moving clear of which club in the
all-time list of winners?
2
Which ex-Bolton Wanderers player starred for Arsenal in this
season’s FA Cup Final?
3
More famous as a manager of Leeds United and England, Don Revie
won an FA Cup winners medal with which Red Rose County club?
Don Revie; symbolic of football in the 50s
4
Liverpool’s last FA Cup Final victory was in 2006. Who scored
twice for them in open play and then scored from the spot in the penalty
shoot-out?
5
The owner of which Red Rose County Club broke his leg playing
for Blackburn Rovers in the 1960 FA Cup Final, causing him to retire from the
game?
6
Which Red Rose County club was hammered 5-0 by Stoke City in the
semi-final of the 2011 FA Cup?
7
Dave Watson captained which Red Rose County club to an FA Cup
Final victory in the 1990s?
8
Malcolm McDonald (Supermac) scored twice in the 1974 Semi Final
to prevent which Red Rose County club reaching the FA Cup Final?
9
Who was the ex-Everton and Manchester City left back who scored
for Oldham Athletic in both the 1994 Semi-Final 1-1 draw and Replay v
Manchester United?
10
Which Red Rose County club defeated Eagley 9-0 in their first
ever FA Cup game in 1884 but lost this year by a 2-1 margin at home to the
eventual winners in Round 3?
Post Weekend Musings
Ask anyone to name the Liverpool 2005 Champions’ League
winning side and it is odds on that they will not remember a certain wide
player. It was none other than Harry Kewell who predictably limped off during
the first half in Istanbul as the Reds were initially overran by AC Milan. It
is easy to think of the Aussie as a serial “sick note” but his career was seriously
blighted by injury. In spite of this, he produced many magical moments and may
have been the best ever Australian export to Europe. He started as a youngster
at Elland Road in 1995 before crossing the Pennines to Liverpool in 2003. He also limped off in the 2006 FA Cup Final v
West Ham and also came on as a substitute in the 2007 Champions’ League final
when AC took revenge for their previous defeat. He later found success at
Galatasaray before playing out his days back in Melbourne. I had forgotten
about the Socceroo until it was announced this week that Crawley Town from
League 2 had appointed him as manager. Kewell could certainly play and he built
up a wealth of experience at the highest of levels, representing his native
land on 56 occasions and participating in the World Cup Finals of 2006 and
2010. Will this stand him in good stead in the “dog eat dog” world of League 2
football? That remains to be seen but at least he will be protected from injury
in the dugout.
Harry Kewell, so talented but
ultimately too fragile for English football
We were debating Wayne Rooney prior to the Europa League
Final and the view was put forward by a United fan that he had probably never
quite fulfilled his true potential at Old Trafford and therefore could never be
placed on the same pedestal as Sir Bobby in the pantheon of Manchester United greats. I felt that
this was a little harsh as legends generally grow in the years following
retirement, so this is probably not the right moment to compare like with like.
It appears to be adios to Manchester but not goodbye to football, although it
must have been a disappointing and difficult year for the club captain. One
minute plus time added on is not the best moment to enter the fray at a
European final and in a season of playing bit parts, this was the ultimate walk
on role. The news that Gareth Southgate, quite rightly in my opinion, has left
him out of the England squad on merit will give him a longer family holiday but
will have done little to lift the cloud hanging over him. I do hope we see more
of the Croxteth born boy who has grown into a responsible leader of a mighty
club as well as his national side. He has almost always behaved with dignity
whilst giving his all on the pitch. Is he the best English player of his
generation? Arguably yes.
Which colour of shirt will Wayne be wearing next season?
Manchester City have bought the Portuguese attacking
mid-field player Bernardo Silva from Monaco for £43million. What is interesting
is that the Sky Blues have now made 5 of the 10 most expensive purchases in the
history of English football. £232.5million has been spent on Kevin de Bruyne,
Raheem Sterling, John Stones, Sergio Aguero and now Silva. It will of course
cause problems for commentators should City play him and David Silva together.
Thank goodness the ex-Hull City boss Marco Silva has moved to Watford and not
the Etihad.
Bernardo Silva
There is an argument which says that a side which finishes as
low as 7th should not be promoted, but whatever the rights and the
wrongs of the system, the supporters of Blackpool
FC will not have cared two hoots as they returned up the M1 and M6, celebrating
all the way. It has been a bizarre season for the Tangerines and one victory,
as vital as it was, does not suddenly make everything right at the club. They
only took 6,000 supporters to a final at Wembley Stadium on a Bank Holiday
Sunday, a figure which shows just how low the football club has sunk in the
estimation of the one-time regular supporters of what was once a fine and
upstanding club. But this weekend is a time for positives and how overjoyed
Gary Bowyer must feel after, having been sacked at one sinking Lancashire club 18
months ago, he was thrust into the manager’s chair at a club in an even worse
predicament both on and off the field. Now with his old club’s relegation and
Blackpool’s promotion, they can meet as equals in the season ahead. As for the
game itself, this League 2 Play-Off was a cracking affair
between two equally matched sides. Exeter City certainly gave it everything,
but the Seasiders had Brad Potts and Mark Cullen to thank for their narrow 2-1
victory. Potts scored an early opening goal, latching on to a Cullen flick on
and then the roles were reversed. An hour into the game, Potts crossed and the
striker added to his impressive goal tally, notching what turned out to be the
winner and Blackpool’s record breaking 5th Play-Off win.
Blackpool's list of Play-Off final victories
|
Year
|
Opponent
|
Tier
|
League title at the time
|
|
1992
|
Scunthorpe
United
|
4
|
Football
League Division 4
|
|
2001
|
Leyton
Orient
|
4
|
Football
League Division 3
|
|
2007
|
Yeovil
Town
|
3
|
Football
League Division 1
|
|
2010
|
Cardiff
City
|
2
|
The
Championship
|
|
2017
|
Exeter
City
|
4
|
EFL
League 2
|
Red Rose County Player of
the Week
Paul Pogba
It has been a difficult season for the French international,
having to live up to the tag of the world’s most expensive footballer. In the Europa League
final however he scored one of Manchester
United’s goals, albeit with lady luck on his side. Even more importantly,
his contribution to a strong defensive midfield created a wall which the
youthful Ajax side found impossible to breach, hence his award as Red Rose
County Player of the Week.
A Review of the Northern Premier League, 2016-17
Unfortunately the Red Rose County was merely making up the
numbers in the Northern
Premier League this season. With just 4 representatives in this 24
strong Tier 7 league, only Warrington
Town gave any hint of making the Play-Offs. The club from Cantilever Park
performed strongly as winter eased into spring, but they fell away at the
season’s end to finish in 10th position, acceptable for their first
year at this level. Their progressive chairman has made changes to the
infrastructure and Blackpool legend Keith Southern has been brought in to
oversee the development squad, a production line which will feed younger
players into Lee Smith and Stuart Mellish’s first team squad. Ashton United occupied a mid- table
position throughout, achieving a number of creditable victories, but could
finish no higher than 11th. Marine,
the Division’s longest resident, again flirted with relegation and the club
brought in Tommy Lawson as manager in the latter part of the season. A veteran
of many campaigns at this level, he showed his experience by steering the club
to safety by a healthy 9 point margin. There was much to be concerned about at Skelmersdale United, the West
Lancashire club ending a 4 year sojourn at this level by scoring less than a
goal a game, conceding 118 and finishing rock bottom. Even more seriously, they
are probably in need of a new ground from November onwards. Prescot Cables have
generously offered them a loan arrangement at Valerie Park but Skelmersdale
United are from “Skem” and a new ground within the town must be their first
objective as they start next season in the Northern Premier League 1 North.
Quiz
Answers
1
Manchester United, 2 Rob Holding, 3 Manchester
City, 4 Steven Gerrard, 5 Wigan Athletic, 6 Bolton Wanderers, 7 Everton, 8
Burnley, 9 Neil Pointon 10 Preston North End
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