Thomas… Latchford… Goal!

As Dave says that team that he played in should have had a trophy to show for their footballing ability and his own unique style, watching him cross the ball at speed was indeed a sight to behold. A much maligned era in Everton's history, but in hindsight not as bad a period as some would have it.

It is also interesting to hear about his conversation with Bill Shankly and the 'higher' money the other lot were on, some things never change.

It's such a shame that football as an industry doesn't use people with David's talent to coach the youngsters, they would certainly learn a thing or two from someone like David Thomas.

Good luck DT and thanks for the memories.

It is genuinely not an exaggeration to say he is the best crosser of a football I have ever seen (can't even think of a close second).

He may not have made the money from the game they do now, but it is great to read of the fulfillment he got from teaching.

For those whippersnappers who didn't see him, you are talking a £20m player in today's market - EASY!

Plus, astounded to find out his granddad captained THAT West Auckland side.

I remember first hearing about them when they made a film (or TV fim) a good few years back.

As I remember it, the Lipton's people thought 'WA' stood for (top pro side) Woolwich Arsenal, only to find they were dealing with an amateur side from the north east, who turned up and won the first 'world' cup.

Is Philip Carter the biggest disaster to hit this club ever?

Eugene think you need to double that figure mate.

I agree with Eugene about Dave's crossing ability, he would push the ball past the defender and get his cross in quickly, bang on the spot, so Bob could time his run to meet it.

My favourite memory is of the QPR away game in 1977, I went on my own, had problems with the van, it turned into a marathon day but who cares when you win 5-1?

The ‘70’s were my formative years. I entered it as an 11 year old with my team as League Champions and destined to rule English football for years to come. I left it as a 21 year old with a twice replayed League Cup defeat to show for it along with three FA Cup semi-final defeats. With our neighbours winning everything in sight the decade was certainly character building.

That said I absolutely loved following Everton in the ‘70’s and the Billy Bingham/Gordon Lee years were a lot better than history has portrayed them.

I didn’t miss a game in Big Bob’s 30 goal season, the air-wear, parallels and crombie got some outings that year. I also had a “West Ham” zip-up but never tempted fate and wore it to the match. I thought I was the height of sartorial elegance c1977 vintage. Anyone else remember the “West Ham” jumper?

Anyhow, we were in the old Park End for the Cov game and went mental when Bobby Latchford got his hat-trick. He truly did walk on water with a little help from Davey Thomas on the wing.

I loved those days, we might not have won anything but Everton were magic.

Thanks Rob for rekindling some great memories.

Peter (729) I was also at the QPR away when Latch got four. Seem to remember a few of us (17 year olds) jumping over the fence a couple of times but not actually having the nerve to 'do an invasion' so just jumping straight back (although..erm..that could have been Liecester, the memory plays tricks these days).

Dave (732) Talking of the memory playing tricks - "air-wear, parallels and crombie got some outings that year" - in 1978!? Where are you from St Helens? Crombies hadn't seen action in Liverpool since 72/73 (VERY latest 74). Also parallels had been replaced by high-waist birmos by 76 and the only other trouser choice in 77/78 was the punk/new wave (very) straight leg. Also DMs were actually making a comeback. Get those old albums out Dave, you'll see.

I was gutted when we let him go... and, let's not forget, in that era, when we were really close to wining the league a couple of times, we played some magnificent stuff and put some teams to the sword. All-in-all, great memories. When men were men and full backs were scared.

http://retrodundee.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/how-to-wear-your-scarf-in-70s.html

- although I sported it in around 74/75 with la feather cut and flares. As the text says, it was associated with Glam Rock. 'Saturday Night's Alright For Watching The Generation Game' - get a little action in!

Great read, by the way, Rob.

I did have a female relative who would have been about 16 at the time try and tell me it was copying the Bay City Rollers.

Much as I'd like to think I did, I never walked down Lime Street swinging my chain.

By 1977, I'd moved on to Harold Ian and Leonard Silver attire and had just seen Springsteen for the first time at the Hammersmith Apollo (I think it was the Apollo, I'm beginning to doubt my memory!).

Bobby Latchford, Bruce Springsteen, winter of discontent, could life get any better.........?

Thank you for a very enjoyable article.

As Peter says #721, Dave, never forgotton. By the way, if you sign up to any of the EFC forums, be prepared. They will suck you right back in.

Dave Thomas was undoubtedly the best winger I've ever seen. One of my best recollections was him coming on as sub for England at Wembley &, unless my memory deceives, with his first touch he just ran onto the ball, first time cross from the right in this case & provided Malcolm MacDonald with yet another England goal - was it that match when 'SuperMac' scored 5 against Cyprus or somesuch? Did I just make it up from an amalgam of distant memories?

A good read about Dave Thomas, thanks for putting it on.

That Coventry game was amazing. I remember we were second and they third at the time. I think we were 2 up after about 10 minutes then they battered us for half an hour and could have scored three or four themselves.

My best memory of the sixth goal was watching the highlights on Granada the next day with the wonderful Gerald Sinstadt effusing: "What a glorious goal! That's the goal of champions!" Alas, it wasn't to be, but I wouldn't swap this magical club for the world.

If you are talking about THE Bruce Springsteen gig which my Dad has on DVD and insists upon watching almost as regulalry as the 3-1 Bayern Munich game then I am eternally jealous. My old man can be a right dick sometimes but I'll always be thankful for the Everton and Springsteen influence he has passed down.

Don't know what would've been better, seeing Bruce belt out Born to Run in 77, or watching from the Gwladys as Latchford scored a diving header. It sounds like you're one of them lucky bastards like my Dad that saw both!

I loved him, and even for a long time wore my socks down round my ankles. An inspiration. I tried picking an all-my-time Everton team, and was bloody stuck between Sheedy and Dave Thomas. slightly different types. Pienaar might get it, but only if used tactically because of his Baines link up.

Went to very few games, as was depenent on med dad at the time, and we lived 20 miles away.

One at home to Manchester City was classic. A cross which seemed to defy physics to dip into the six yard box where Latch, predictably, chose to dive-head it rather than shoot, into the roof of the net. Think the game finished 1-1.

PS. Andrew and Kev, You're right about scarves on wrist era. Definitely 76 through to about 78. My first shirt was the Umbro diamonds down the sleeves, V-neck job and I used to wear a silk scarf on each wrist and a woolen one tucked inside the V-neck of the shirt. Also a wrangler jacket with Winston Churchill-style UP THE BLUES sew-on badge. Thought I looked cool but sadly now know differently....

And while we're on the nostalgia trip. Anyone who hasn't seen the Granada documentary about the 1984 Milk Cup final PLEASE Google "Home and Away Milk Cup 1984" on YouTube. Be prepared to lose an hour of your life though. Actually make that enrich your life by an hour.
Classic stuff with fans in London and at Wembley, players in the dressing room and on the team bus and really moving social commentary too. Classic stuff.

Every town in Britain with more or less the same sales but a massive drop when it came to Liverpool.

Always imagine some London rep in a call-box in Walton phoning back to head office.

"Yes sir...Flemings...FLEMINGS.....F-L-E-.....that's right sir...erm..Supatuf...no sir it's not really a boutique..."

Etc

One for the teenagers -

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol/exhibitions/liverpoollives/graphics/large/flemings_jeans_label.jpg

To those that did not see Dave play it is hard to compare him to present day players - perhaps an Ashley Young with a better left foot and improved end product or a Matt Jarvis with more pace, more skill and better crosses! The other player that Dave felt was similar in his era was John Robertson at Forest - another naturally right footed winger who was also devastating on his left peg. I still can't understand how Everton let him go in 1979.

And I was at that Leicester mauling, Eugene, went in a mini van, crappy ground, standing in the right-hand side of that stand down the side, a mauling, quite a bit of fisticuffs after the match, I remember.

Loved Davie Thomas, he was a bit of a cool guy too. Those were the days when you could drive back from Burnley or Newcastle or Notts Forest (remember that 0 - 0 game in November was it the year after they had won the league and we were on a great run and they had not lost at home for ages?) and go to Erics once back in God's city. 77-78, Everton and punk, ah what heady days!!!! And not long after I was a tidy little blue in pod and lascoste.

As I said earlier, a fantastic piece about an immense player.

Unique is a word that is bandied around too much...we will NEVER see the likes of this genius again.

Still my favourite ever Everton player.

I loved the Harold Ian shop but Temple Jensen was a bit more my budget. Jeans were always a problem due to my rather thickset thighs, so Flemings were a Godsend.

I was there, on Gwladys St, when Latch scored his 30th goal. Happy days.

Next thing you know, we have 5-6 player in contract disputes. Bob Latchford wanted away and couldn't be arsed, Dave Thomas wanted more money, the team was doing well so why shouldn't we put our hands up for more cash. The players blew it or they turned around and made it clear that without the extra dosh they would not be bringing a league title to Everton.

As much as Dave Thomas was a great player he was also a mercenary and, as with modern day footballers, nothing has much changed in the last 35 years.

Dave highllights the triangle he formed on the left hand side with Martin Dobson and Mike Pejic. The team of the late 70s was as lobsided as the present one! Dobson and Pejic are both underrated in my opinion. Dobson was so cool and calm and could chip in with 8 or 9 goals a season while Pejic was a tough tackler with a sweet left foot. The team went rapidly downhill when he got injured in December 78.

I didn't know about Shankly's influence in him asking for a pay rise. The club, though, would have none of it and Gordon Lee consigned both Thomas and Latchford to the reserves for the start of the 79/80 season despite a crop of injuries. Dave eventually left, of course, while Latchford eventually settled his differences and returned to the then struggling team in October. Despite that unrest I don't think it had anything to do with the team's decline - the run of poor results coincided with a run of games on icy pitches, injuries to key players, and a lack of strength in the 1st team squad..... sounds familiar again!

Dave also mentions the fine work done by the Former Players' Foundation in providing help for players of his generation, and those of the 50s, 60s and 80s. Every Evertonian should feel proud of this and the fact that several clubs, including the likes of Barcelona, have seen fit to emulate them. All donations to them are put to good use, or you can buy the e-book to read on a kindle, computer or tablet, 'Everton in the 1970s' which contains match reports on every competitive game played by the Blues during that decade with all proceeds going to the Foundation. You'll find a link to it on their website http://www.evertonfpf.org

Dave Thomas was one of my first hero's growing up - cracking player. Thanks for the insight into why he left. Philip Carter - lifelong President - Jesus Wept.

For those guys who worked at Vauxhall Motors in the seventies (76-79) we used to be treated to an hour of insight from prominent people in the game.

Gordon Lee was once asked his opinion on continental players coming to Everton. He dismissed the thought as fanciful saying the language barriers presented too much of a hurdle. Ardiles anyone? Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison was a rip-roaring treat to the senses.

You can catch some of those games on The Big Match revisited on the ITV Player, I watched the Blues v Bristol City the other day, 1979, 4-1, Andy King hat-trick and a stunner from Billy Wright. I know it's a tired old cliche but they used to play on allotments in those days, the pitch was so hard some of the players were wearing trainers. Just one sub, who sat on the bench in a sleeping bag. Marvelous.

I better stop before I say "jumpers for goalposts".