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Our best ever deals
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Looking at who we might sign in January set me thinking on what are the best deals Everton have ever made. Of the current generation I'd say Lescott, Cahill, Howard, and Arteta in, plus McFadden out.
All represent good business. Andy Gray and Peter Reid stand out from the recent past. Going back further I'd have to mention the great Ray Wilson.
But for me it's a choice between two: Alan Ball and... Gary Lineker. For me, Lineker wins because he was the last signing we ever made when we were the only club to go to.
Andy Crooks, Posted 19/12/2008 at 13:10:32
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Or Kevin Sheedy?
A mere £100k from Liverpool?s Reserves!
It?s always been true that there are players out there who have something to prove as well as the talent. They are the ones to look for. You can say Andy Gray and Peter Reid had to prove they were even fit enough to keep playing, Big Nev was a binman made good etc.
Pienaar had a lot to prove and so did Arteta and Cahill.
Attitude and a positive mental state count for a lot. For that reason, apart from the obvious lack of money, I?d suggest that Wagner Love is not really for us. I?d rather have Buddy Love up front!
A mere £100k from Liverpool?s Reserves!
It?s always been true that there are players out there who have something to prove as well as the talent. They are the ones to look for. You can say Andy Gray and Peter Reid had to prove they were even fit enough to keep playing, Big Nev was a binman made good etc.
Pienaar had a lot to prove and so did Arteta and Cahill.
Attitude and a positive mental state count for a lot. For that reason, apart from the obvious lack of money, I?d suggest that Wagner Love is not really for us. I?d rather have Buddy Love up front!
Andy
Got to disagree about ?jug head? ? he cost £800,000 a lot back then. We changed our style of play to suit him and, despite 40 goals, his form towards the end of the season cost us a league title. less of a team than in 85 and 87. To coOur goals from midfield suffered that season and we wermpound this he was busy ensuring his lucrative move abroad during the season.
Best value was Reidy (£60,000) and the mercurial Sheedy (£100,000) with 97 goals from midfield and he flicked the Vs at the RS, priceless.
Of the current crop Lescott, Arteta and Cahill have all represented good value.
Got to disagree about ?jug head? ? he cost £800,000 a lot back then. We changed our style of play to suit him and, despite 40 goals, his form towards the end of the season cost us a league title. less of a team than in 85 and 87. To coOur goals from midfield suffered that season and we wermpound this he was busy ensuring his lucrative move abroad during the season.
Best value was Reidy (£60,000) and the mercurial Sheedy (£100,000) with 97 goals from midfield and he flicked the Vs at the RS, priceless.
Of the current crop Lescott, Arteta and Cahill have all represented good value.
What about Kevin Cambell? He wasn't the most gifted player we?ve ever had, he wasn't exactly free either. But what sort of price do you put on somebody who almost single handedly keeps you in the Prem with his goals? If he wasn't our best deal, he has to be close to being the most timely...
Of course let’s not forget Alex Young. However, if you take into account what we paid for them relative to the market at the time they signed then picking up the best keeper I ever saw for the equivalent of an MFI shed has to be the one. Nev’s yer man. What about the best player ever to come through the junior teams?
Trevor Steven? Ohhh we love our tricky Trev..
John Morrissey at £10,000 was my bargain of all time and from the RS.
Well done, Andy Crooks ? you have brought out great responses about fine players who have all performed superbly for our club, and weren?t bought in as established stars.
Tim Cahill was quoted this week as saying that he would play anywhere as it was an honour to play for EFC. And I would like to think that is what made the list of fine footballers mentioned in this thread into something even better.
I like Dave Wilson?s comment about SuperKev ? that really was priceless.
But I hope that the bargain of the decade will be Marouane Fellaini, and his price will fade into insignificance as he matures into the European player that every other club wants ? but can?t have because he?s happy where he is.
Tim Cahill was quoted this week as saying that he would play anywhere as it was an honour to play for EFC. And I would like to think that is what made the list of fine footballers mentioned in this thread into something even better.
I like Dave Wilson?s comment about SuperKev ? that really was priceless.
But I hope that the bargain of the decade will be Marouane Fellaini, and his price will fade into insignificance as he matures into the European player that every other club wants ? but can?t have because he?s happy where he is.
Best bit of business --Selling Wayne Rooney. Great player that he is [and he is], the money we got changed an ageing relegation fighting team into one that challenges for Europe and is the only one to break into the top 4 for many years.
Best bit of business? Buying Peter Beardsley.
The worst? Selling him!
The worst? Selling him!
As was mentioned on a different thread, buying Marcus Bent for £400,000 and then selling that worthless lump of dung for £2.5million was a simply unbelievable piece of business.
Although he was good for a short time with us, selling Franny Jeffers for nearly £10m looks like awesome business!
Can’t really disagree with any of the sentiments expressed her except perhaps the one about Gary Lineker who didn’t stay long enough. If push came to shove, I’d plump for Kevin Sheedy.
Of recent times it?s gotta be Davy Weir: signed for £250k! Such a good deal and such a great servant for the club... wish him well for Rangers and Scotland.
Andy, What a can of worms you have opened! We have made many, for want of a better description cheap and cheerful class acts, over the years. Some have been mentioned, and many more have been forgotten, not deliberately. Tommy Egglington, Wally Fielding, and one of my hero?s Dennis Stevens. I will even put into that category Paul Power, this is only my opinion. But they all served the club, in the correct manner. And never let us down.
I?m with Ben Jones on this one. Three of the first names that sprang to mind were Weir, Gough and Martyn. We probably expected little from all of them yet got an unbelievable amount not just in quality but commitment. Of the current crop, for what we paid Lescott, Cahill and Arteta were great business. Going further back, he didn?t stay long but Kanchelskis was a bargain. Add to that most of our most successful side ever in the early 80s ? Mountfield springs to mind.
For me personally(in no particular order):
Lineker
Kanchelskis
Beardsley
Newell
Martyn
Cahill
Lescott
Stuart
Power
Lineker
Kanchelskis
Beardsley
Newell
Martyn
Cahill
Lescott
Stuart
Power
This is a brilliant link showing the passion we all share! There are loads of great bargain players who have entered my heart forever! Tim Cahill?s comments remind me of a true Everton servant Mick Lyons; some hate him as a player but he was Everton! The bargain I currently love, Tim Howard; £3mill for a keeper who is one of the best around, what a snip!
Neville Southall gave us 17 years loyal service and hardly missed a game. In the 80s he was the best goalkeeper in the world and he singlehandedly kept us in the Premiership throughout most of the 90s. He was a genius and in my opinion the greatest player to wear an Everton jersey, even above Dixie and Bally. He cost about 80,000 pounds and in terms of bargains, nobody comes near him.
I?m old enough to remember Alan Ball joining us from Blackpool, as a World Cup Winner. The fee was, I think £300,000. Absolute bargain, the best one touch footballer I have ever seen, with passion, skill and an eye for goal, what would he have fetched in this market?
Alan Ball, £110,000 if I'm not mistaken. Anyway, the best team I have seen is the boys from the 80s... Unbelievable. They were the best days of my LIFE.
Kevin Campbell for keeping us in the division.
Nigel Martyn, for being brilliant.
Special mentions for Kanchelskis (because I forked out for his name on my top), Lie Tie for marketing and Radzinski just because I liked the little guy.
Nigel Martyn, for being brilliant.
Special mentions for Kanchelskis (because I forked out for his name on my top), Lie Tie for marketing and Radzinski just because I liked the little guy.
Best buy? Paul Bracewell anyone? Gary Stevens? Andy Gray? Derek Mountfield? Pat Van Den Hauwe (my fav.)?
Overall the best buy without a doubt is Peter Reid IMHO. £60,000 with injury doubts and then selected for the England squad in WC 1986 AND played such a big part in England?s progress.
Best sell? YKW.
Overall the best buy without a doubt is Peter Reid IMHO. £60,000 with injury doubts and then selected for the England squad in WC 1986 AND played such a big part in England?s progress.
Best sell? YKW.
Jags at £4.5m was good value and will go on to prove to be a snip! The figures being bandied about for Upson we?d at least double our money but I?d rather keep him. Same goes for Yobo, £4m and you if Anton Ferdinand is worth £8.5 then ....
Moyes is shrewd in the market, he makes a return on even a bag of shite. An absolute bargain was David Wier at £250,000 and we got years and years out of him!!! Bargain!!!
Moyes is shrewd in the market, he makes a return on even a bag of shite. An absolute bargain was David Wier at £250,000 and we got years and years out of him!!! Bargain!!!
I was at Maine Road in the 60s when the tannoy welcomed to English football a Scottish legend who overnight had signed on for us and rushed down for the game. It was during a TV-free era and though some had heared of him, few knew what he looked like. My first thoughts were, gee, our mascot is a solid little chap... Wee Bobby Collins anyone?
Ed Fitzgerald, you're being a tad harsh on Gary Lineker? To moan about a player ?switching off? towards the end of a season after scoring 40 goals? Come on.
Also, he wasn?t to blame for losing both the Cup Final and the League title to the RS, as I remember clearly the team collectively ?bottled? it on both occassions.
Lineker?s pace was frightening, I remember a nervy FA Cup replay against Luton Town (our bogey team) at Goodison, and with the scores at 0-0, he raced away from Foster, the Luton centre half like Linford Christie, just after the half-way line and dispatched the ball away clinically.
Also, he far from engineered his move away, Barcelona came in with a stupid offer and Everton decided to cash in, end of story. I have only seen one Everton player match him for pace over the last twenty years and that was Ratcliffe.
Also, he wasn?t to blame for losing both the Cup Final and the League title to the RS, as I remember clearly the team collectively ?bottled? it on both occassions.
Lineker?s pace was frightening, I remember a nervy FA Cup replay against Luton Town (our bogey team) at Goodison, and with the scores at 0-0, he raced away from Foster, the Luton centre half like Linford Christie, just after the half-way line and dispatched the ball away clinically.
Also, he far from engineered his move away, Barcelona came in with a stupid offer and Everton decided to cash in, end of story. I have only seen one Everton player match him for pace over the last twenty years and that was Ratcliffe.
Cost per goal in my life time has to be Graham Sharp, underrated by anyone who?s not a blue. I will always remember the goal against the RS ? priceless!!!
The ECWC winning team of '85, the whole team is littered with bargains!!
Great post, Andy Crooks.
Great post, Andy Crooks.
I think Bally was £110,000 when we bought him, and double that when we sold him.
Norman Merrill, Good of you to mention Dennis Stevens, a much underrated player. People always talk about Collin Bell being "ahead of his time" but to my mind Stevens falls into that category. An all-action ball-winner who could protect the defence when required, a real box-to-box type of player. We could do with his like today.
I think Nev has to be the best signing. In his pomp he was the best in his position in the world. Good as Reidy, Sheeds etc. were, none could be described as "the best in their position in the world".
First thing that got in my mind is already mentioned by Iain Love. Selling Shrek was in hindsight a good piece of business. Team spirits rose high after he left and we got the money in to rebuild the team to a young squad full of potential. Essentially selling Rooney was one of the major factors in getting us out of the relegation battle and into the European battle.
Tim Howard, Tim Cahill, Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar cost £2 million each! Absolute steals looking back now, they?d each cost at least 3 times that amount now, probably more!
I think Don Hutchison was our best bit of business ? I doubt Kevin Campbell would have got those goals without him. Kev does admit that in interviews... in my eyes, he kept us up that season... We got shut of him and got Gascoigne????
Some great mentions here but if I was a picking a ?bargain buys? 11 it?d have to be. I can only include 80s onwards to be fair!
Neville Southall
Alan Harper
Dekka Mountfield
Richard Gough
Joleon Lescott
Peter Reid
Mikel Arteta
Tim Cahill
Andy Gray
Graeme Sharp
Peter Beardsley
Neville Southall
Alan Harper
Dekka Mountfield
Richard Gough
Joleon Lescott
Peter Reid
Mikel Arteta
Tim Cahill
Andy Gray
Graeme Sharp
Peter Beardsley
Richard Gough, Dave Weir, Dave Watson and Nigel Martyn... Christ I feel like Davey Moyes ? I?ve picked all defenders!
Regardless of what we paid for him, Andy Gray for his sheer bravery. He would put his head where others feared to put their boot....
Kevin Campball definitely. I mean he single-handedly kept us in the Prem. I still remember his hat trick vs West Ham from about 8 or so yrs back or something, one of my earliest Everton memories.
Also, what about Brian McBride on loan, about 5 yrs ago in one of Moyesie's first years in charge? If I remember rightly, we were struggling with no fit strikers and in came Brian and hey he scored about 5 goals in 8 matches.
Finally, how about Lee Carsley, one of Walter Smith's I think; he was the mainstay of our turn-around from being no hopers to European contenders (not that you'd know it this year) ? surley he deserves a mention for 6 years of service to Everton, and good service at that. Why Moyes didn't give him a 2-year deal, I?ll never know.
AVDM would get my vote ... sorry, got to go now ? the pill trolley is coming.
What about Roy Vernon, and only for injury Tommy Ring? There have been some great signings. I remember being concerned when we got Paul Power ? another bargain... Trebilcock, if only for his Cup Final goals.
I think you lads have all mentioned the best deals and Big Nev has to take some beating. I loved it when we signed Colin Todd and then Lee went and sold him the next season.
Changing the subject slightly but at the end of the infamous Wimbledon game and all the players were celebrating with us as we had avoided relegation, Graham Stuart trudged off the pitch clearly unhappy. His comments later were unbelievable from a cockney with no great connection to the club. "I find it hard to celebrate because a club of this size and history should never be in this situation". 10 out of 10 for that one, Graham!
Tommy Ring in the 60s because I seem to remember that no-one would sign for us, then this fellah I?d never heard of, Tommy Ring, signs for us, and was he good... very very good; tricky although not quick. Then I would go for Bobby Collins, Alex Young and Alan Ball.
Although he wasn't technically a signing, I?d have to say Kevin Ratcliffe. I just love the wiki article on him: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Ratcliffe
Did he really challenge and beat Linford Christie to a sprint?! :)
Did he really challenge and beat Linford Christie to a sprint?! :)
Bargain of any year, Neville Southall... 750 games... we would have been relegated without him.
What about Wayne Clark? If you are looking for value for money & return on investment then he takes some beating. Bought from Birmingham in March 1987 in a joint deal with Stuart Storer (remember him?). The fee was £300,000 which was controversial at the time as Wolves (Clarke's former club) were due half of any profit on a future transfer from Brum. Wolves complained that Storer was included in the deal to lower the fee for Clarke, thus reducing any profit due to them.
Although Clark is not held in the highest regard at Everton due to negative remarks made when he left, 5 goals in 10 games during the run-in to the championship were crucial to us winning the league that year. I was at Highbury in the South Bank, behind the goal where he lobbed John Lukic to give us a 1-0 win which remains one of my best Everton memories. The journey back that day was fantastic as the RS had lost at home to Wimbledon & the momentum to winning the league was unstoppable.
We also made a tidy profit on him when we sold him to Leicester 2 years later, he was valued at £600,000 in the deal that brought Mike Newell to Goodison. Not a legend in the class of Sharp or Gray but nonetheless did exactly what he was brought in to do, provide goals on the run-in to the title. I seem to remember the RS trying the same thing with David Speedie in 1991 and failing.
My thanks to Andy for starting this wonderful thread. Ah what sweet memories of all those good and even dubious characters.
Kenny Samson.... worked about about 50pence per pound....
With even Shankly comparing him to "Beethoven, Shakespeare or Mozart" ...it has to be William Ralph Dean; £3,000 ? Tranmere to Everton, 1925.
I?m ashamed to admit that I actually forgot Neville Southall. He must win hands down. I saw him play for Wales in a 5-1 defeat to a truly great Dutch team. It was the finest display of goalkeeping I have ever seen. The Dutch players applauded him off at the end. Without Nev that night, Wales could have conceded Twenty.
Thanks for all the great memories.
I have no idea what he cost or where he came from, but Joe Parkinson was a mainstay until injury cut his career short.
I can?t really argue about Big Nev though. When I started going to the match in the 80s, I just assumed all goalkeepers stopped "he must score" opportunities like he did. Poor old Bobby Mimms proved they didn?t.
I can?t really argue about Big Nev though. When I started going to the match in the 80s, I just assumed all goalkeepers stopped "he must score" opportunities like he did. Poor old Bobby Mimms proved they didn?t.
Chris Jones, I cannot believe you put Lescott in your XI at left back!!!
It has a been a pleasure reading this thread and recalling many of our greatest players. Tommy Lawton deserves a mention, bought for £6,500 and pivotal in our 1939 title success.
A couple who have not been named yet: Paul Rideout for £500,000 and Andy Hinchcliffe for £800,000 ? both were good servants as well as bargains and instrumental in winning the FA Cup in 1995.
It has a been a pleasure reading this thread and recalling many of our greatest players. Tommy Lawton deserves a mention, bought for £6,500 and pivotal in our 1939 title success.
A couple who have not been named yet: Paul Rideout for £500,000 and Andy Hinchcliffe for £800,000 ? both were good servants as well as bargains and instrumental in winning the FA Cup in 1995.
Brilliant post, some great suggestions. There have been so many down the years as all the posts demonstrate. For me, in recent times it has to be Tim Cahill. At the end of his first season in a survey of writers for the Independent, Everton won ?best buy? for plucking Cahill out of the Championship. Ironically we also won ?worst buy? of the season a day later for the £6 million we threw away on one James Beattie. The starting point for a new post ? Worst Ever Deal?
Pyscho Pat. Especially when he broke that prick's leg.
By the looks of things, most managers have had an eye for a good bargain down the years (even Walter Smtih and David Weir). The only problem being we can also see how pointlessly money was spent on no marks and journeymen at the same time.
I think we should take our hat off to Moyes for buying a greater percentage of good, cheap and reliable players ? duds as well, I don?t deny that, but he?s made money back and the value of players we have far exceeds what we paid out for them.
The pick of the bunch has to be Tim Cahill though, a mere £2 million for a midfielder who brings such a threat and so many priceless goals. Although not as technically good or all round as some central midfielders, other clubs have thrown money at players to give them the sort of ability that Cahill gives Everton and failed. We would surely be at a loss without him, floundering in mid-table mediocrity
I think we should take our hat off to Moyes for buying a greater percentage of good, cheap and reliable players ? duds as well, I don?t deny that, but he?s made money back and the value of players we have far exceeds what we paid out for them.
The pick of the bunch has to be Tim Cahill though, a mere £2 million for a midfielder who brings such a threat and so many priceless goals. Although not as technically good or all round as some central midfielders, other clubs have thrown money at players to give them the sort of ability that Cahill gives Everton and failed. We would surely be at a loss without him, floundering in mid-table mediocrity
Just one more I forgot- how much did we pay for Stubbsy?
Big Nev must win, or good old Dixie. But my favourite is Joe Parkinson, everyone said, "Who?" when he signed, but he was my favourite player as a nipper. Although he did probably cost us a lot of money in medical fees!
Evertons best ever deal?... A pie and a pint of Chang for £6.00 bargain!!!!
Gareth Farrelly.
Nigel Martyn and Lee Carsley two of the biggest unsung heroes for me!!!
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1 Posted 19/12/2008 at 18:20:20
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