No fanfare as Dave Watson departs 4th May 2000 He is a living Evertonian legend, a player who gave his all for Everton with over 500 appearances spread across 15 years of service to the club. But today Dave Watson slipped quietly out of Goodison Park to take up the vacant manager's position at newly-relegated Tranmere Rovers. Speculation had been rife that Watson, now 39, was high on the Birkenhead club's list of candidates and so it proved when he was announced as John Aldridge's successor. Unfortunately, he has barely been at Prenton Park five minutes and the barracking has begun, with some Tranmere fans angry that an outsider had to be brought in at all, let alone an Evertonian. Just two years ago, Tranmere were playing in a Worthington Cup Final and had made it as far as the FA Cup semi-finals, but that heady season seemed an aeon away when Aldridge, facing almost certain relegation from the Nationwide League First Division, announced his decision to resign. Rovers were indeed demoted and Dave Watson now faces the challenge of restoring the club to the division they worked so hard to reach after being in the lower reaches of the Football League for so long. It's a task he is relishing after a brief spell as caretaker boss at Goodison in the spring of 1997 when he guided a youthful Everton side to Premiership safety following the resignation of Joe Royle in March that year. For that contribution alone, Watson has earned a place in Everton history, but his decade and a half of unfailing dedication has guaranteed his entry into the Gwladys Street Hall of Fame. "Waggy" was 23 when he joined Everton from Norwich City in 1986 - in what was then a record British fee for a defender at £900,000 - essentially as a long-term replacement for Derek Mountfield. He was an integral part of the team that went on to win the championship so convincingly in the 1986-87 season under Howard Kendall; little did he know, however, that he had come in at the end of Goodison's last golden age (to date, we hope!). From that glittering pinnacle of achievement, the only way was down. Denied entry into the European Cup for the second time in three years because of UEFA's ban on English club's following the Heysel tragedy. Kendall left Everton in the summer of 1987 to manage Athletic Bilbao. The likes of England regulars Gary Stevens and Trevor Steven soon followed, Peter Reid, Kevin Ratcliffe and Graeme Sharp were past their best and and the Blues' on-the-pitch fortunes began to decline under new boss Colin Harvey. A Wembley Final defeat in the Simod (1989) and Zenith Data Systems (1991) Cup and an agonising extra-time loss to Liverpool in the '89 FA Cup Final were all Harvey had to show for his three years in charge before he was sacked in late '91. When Kendall returned to the Goodison hotseat that year, Watson was the captain and rock upon which the team was founded. However, between the two of them, neither HK nor Waggy could revive the club's fortunes in the league. Kendall resigned in December 1993 as the club's decline - both financially and footballing-wise - steepened. The knight in shining armour who was going to ride in on his white horse and both sweep away the money worries and bring back the glory days was Peter Johnson. An ex-Liverpool season ticket holder and, more recently, chairman of Tranmere Rovers, Johnson ousted Everton director Bill Kenwright's consortium to win a gruelling takeover battle in early 1994. By that time, Mike Walker, like Watson formerly of Norwich City, had been appointed as Kendall's second successor and everything looked rosy in the Everton garden. Waggy was in the prime of his career and, with Johnson's millions and the apparent managerial acumen of Walker, Everton were finally going places. Sadly, the only place the club was heading was further down into despair. By May 1994, Everton under Walker had slumped into the relegation zone and needed to win on the last day of the season to have any hope of preserving their 40-year continuous membership of the top flight. It was a day that no Evertonian will ever forget. 2-0 down to Wimbledon after 20 minutes, the Blues rallied under Watson's leadership to win 3-2 and, thanks also to results elsewhere going in their favour, escaped the drop by the skin of their teeth. "Never again," was the cry but by the following November, Everton were rock bottom of the Premiership without a win in eight games and Walker was unceremoniously sacked by the Johnson administration. Enter Joe Royle and 18 months of exhiliration and (ultimately unfulfilled) promise. Royle's first three games in charge set the scene what was to follow with three consecutive wins. By May 1995, the club were safe from relegation and facing a Wembley date with newly-deposed champions Manchester United in the FA Cup Final. It was to be Dave Watson's finest hour as an Everton player. Having gone a goal up after half an hour, Royle's Dogs of War dug their heels in and, martialled by Watson, their back line withheld a barrage of United attacks to hold out an win the famous old trophy for the fifth time. Of course, captain marvel Watson climbed the steps and accepted the cup, capping an unbelievable season for him and his Everton teammates. 12 months later, after an unsuccessful return to the European Cup Winners' Cup (for the first time since winning the trophy in 1985), Everton were, somewhat surprisingly, on the brink of qualification for the UEFA Cup via the league going into the last day of the season. And with 12 minutes left of their final game, they looked to be on their way when Joe Parkinson struck the winner against Aston Villa. However, further south at Highbury, Dennis Bergkamp had scored Arsenal's winner over Derby County and they edged the Blues out of 5th place and Watson's last opportunity to play in Europe evaporated. His England prospects - shockingly slim up to this point due to him being overlooked by a succession of England managers - also disappeared as Everton once again went into freefall in 1996-97. Royle's magic had worn off by that December when a crippling injury crisis destroyed the momentum that had propelled the club into 6th place in the Premiership. By March, with the team having equalled an unwanted record of seven straight defeats, the club was drowning in the relegation flood waters. Royle, trying desperately to bolster the squad with untried Norwegian "talent", had a showdown with a skeptical Johnson and, on transfer deadline day, the manager was gone leaving Dave Watson as the only real candidate for the caretaker manager position. Making effective use of the raw passion and enthusiasm of the youth and reserve teams, Watson was able to steady the ship and see Everton clear of relegation danger by the end of April. It was during this period that Michael Ball was first introduced the Premiership, an unlikely prospect under Royle. A farcical summer search for a "big name" manager unaffected by Blue Blood followed after Watson declined to even be considered as permanent manager at Goodison Park. Weeks of uncertainty ended with Howard Kendall sparing Everton's blushes and returning for an ill-advised third stint in the hotseat. Within a year he too was gone, but not before another last-day Houdini act which saw the Blues stay up on goal difference over Bolton Wanderers. Johnson's replacement was Walter Smith, a manager with a CV to die for in Scotland but who found the going tough during his first three seasons with the club. By this stage, Watson was becoming less able to influence matters on the pitch as age caught up with him. By the time the 1999-2000 season rolled around, he had effectively hung up his boots to concentrate on a defensive coaching role. Watson's reputation and stature in the game, combined with that precious stint in temporary charge of an Everton team in very real danger of losing their top flight status in 1997, meant that he was a prime candidate for clubs looking to take a chance on an untried manager. His old club Norwich City had him on their shortlist in 1999 but decided not to gamble on him but Tranmere chairman Lorraine Rodgers (girlfriend of Peter Johnson who was forced from the chairmanship of Everton in 2000) felt the time was right to see what Waggy could do in a full-time managerial position. Dave Watson is a player who should have rewarded far more richly by football than he was. A devoted, reliable and inspirational captain for both Norwich City (with whom he lifted his first trophy in the 1985 Milk Cup Final) and Everton, he deserved far more than the League Cup and FA Cup winners medals he owns and the handful of England caps he was given. For Evertonians, he will forever be remembered as the rock upon which an ever-changing team was founded. He played through injuries and broken bones for the Everton cause, was all too happy to be employed as a makeshift striker when the chips were down and he weighed in with his fair share of goals during his time at Goodison Park. He may have started his career on Liverpool's books (though he never played a game for the Reds) and started his professional career with Norwich City, but Dave Watson is an Evertonian through and through; as proud to represent the club as the fans are to have adopted him as one of their own on account of his unswerving loyalty and commitment during good times and bad. The subdued nature of his departure for Tranmere was typical of the no-fuss and no-nonsense approach he took towards playing the game. Sadly, he won't now get the chance to say goodbye to the Goodison faithful on the pitch on the last day of this season, as was hoped. But it will surprise no-one if his departure across the Mersey this week is merely a temporary spell away from Everton; a chance to learn the managerial ropes with the hope of perhaps one day returning to Goodison Park as manager some time in the future. And who wouldn't welcome back into the fold? Dave Watson: Hero, Legend, Evertonian.
He is a living Evertonian legend, a player who gave his all for Everton with over 500 appearances spread across 15 years of service to the club. But today Dave Watson slipped quietly out of Goodison Park to take up the vacant manager's position at newly-relegated Tranmere Rovers.
Speculation had been rife that Watson, now 39, was high on the Birkenhead club's list of candidates and so it proved when he was announced as John Aldridge's successor. Unfortunately, he has barely been at Prenton Park five minutes and the barracking has begun, with some Tranmere fans angry that an outsider had to be brought in at all, let alone an Evertonian.
Just two years ago, Tranmere were playing in a Worthington Cup Final and had made it as far as the FA Cup semi-finals, but that heady season seemed an aeon away when Aldridge, facing almost certain relegation from the Nationwide League First Division, announced his decision to resign.
Rovers were indeed demoted and Dave Watson now faces the challenge of restoring the club to the division they worked so hard to reach after being in the lower reaches of the Football League for so long. It's a task he is relishing after a brief spell as caretaker boss at Goodison in the spring of 1997 when he guided a youthful Everton side to Premiership safety following the resignation of Joe Royle in March that year.
For that contribution alone, Watson has earned a place in Everton history, but his decade and a half of unfailing dedication has guaranteed his entry into the Gwladys Street Hall of Fame.
"Waggy" was 23 when he joined Everton from Norwich City in 1986 - in what was then a record British fee for a defender at £900,000 - essentially as a long-term replacement for Derek Mountfield. He was an integral part of the team that went on to win the championship so convincingly in the 1986-87 season under Howard Kendall; little did he know, however, that he had come in at the end of Goodison's last golden age (to date, we hope!).
From that glittering pinnacle of achievement, the only way was down. Denied entry into the European Cup for the second time in three years because of UEFA's ban on English club's following the Heysel tragedy. Kendall left Everton in the summer of 1987 to manage Athletic Bilbao.
The likes of England regulars Gary Stevens and Trevor Steven soon followed, Peter Reid, Kevin Ratcliffe and Graeme Sharp were past their best and and the Blues' on-the-pitch fortunes began to decline under new boss Colin Harvey. A Wembley Final defeat in the Simod (1989) and Zenith Data Systems (1991) Cup and an agonising extra-time loss to Liverpool in the '89 FA Cup Final were all Harvey had to show for his three years in charge before he was sacked in late '91.
When Kendall returned to the Goodison hotseat that year, Watson was the captain and rock upon which the team was founded. However, between the two of them, neither HK nor Waggy could revive the club's fortunes in the league. Kendall resigned in December 1993 as the club's decline - both financially and footballing-wise - steepened.
The knight in shining armour who was going to ride in on his white horse and both sweep away the money worries and bring back the glory days was Peter Johnson. An ex-Liverpool season ticket holder and, more recently, chairman of Tranmere Rovers, Johnson ousted Everton director Bill Kenwright's consortium to win a gruelling takeover battle in early 1994.
By that time, Mike Walker, like Watson formerly of Norwich City, had been appointed as Kendall's second successor and everything looked rosy in the Everton garden. Waggy was in the prime of his career and, with Johnson's millions and the apparent managerial acumen of Walker, Everton were finally going places. Sadly, the only place the club was heading was further down into despair.
By May 1994, Everton under Walker had slumped into the relegation zone and needed to win on the last day of the season to have any hope of preserving their 40-year continuous membership of the top flight. It was a day that no Evertonian will ever forget. 2-0 down to Wimbledon after 20 minutes, the Blues rallied under Watson's leadership to win 3-2 and, thanks also to results elsewhere going in their favour, escaped the drop by the skin of their teeth.
"Never again," was the cry but by the following November, Everton were rock bottom of the Premiership without a win in eight games and Walker was unceremoniously sacked by the Johnson administration. Enter Joe Royle and 18 months of exhiliration and (ultimately unfulfilled) promise.
Royle's first three games in charge set the scene what was to follow with three consecutive wins. By May 1995, the club were safe from relegation and facing a Wembley date with newly-deposed champions Manchester United in the FA Cup Final.
It was to be Dave Watson's finest hour as an Everton player. Having gone a goal up after half an hour, Royle's Dogs of War dug their heels in and, martialled by Watson, their back line withheld a barrage of United attacks to hold out an win the famous old trophy for the fifth time. Of course, captain marvel Watson climbed the steps and accepted the cup, capping an unbelievable season for him and his Everton teammates.
12 months later, after an unsuccessful return to the European Cup Winners' Cup (for the first time since winning the trophy in 1985), Everton were, somewhat surprisingly, on the brink of qualification for the UEFA Cup via the league going into the last day of the season. And with 12 minutes left of their final game, they looked to be on their way when Joe Parkinson struck the winner against Aston Villa. However, further south at Highbury, Dennis Bergkamp had scored Arsenal's winner over Derby County and they edged the Blues out of 5th place and Watson's last opportunity to play in Europe evaporated.
His England prospects - shockingly slim up to this point due to him being overlooked by a succession of England managers - also disappeared as Everton once again went into freefall in 1996-97. Royle's magic had worn off by that December when a crippling injury crisis destroyed the momentum that had propelled the club into 6th place in the Premiership.
By March, with the team having equalled an unwanted record of seven straight defeats, the club was drowning in the relegation flood waters. Royle, trying desperately to bolster the squad with untried Norwegian "talent", had a showdown with a skeptical Johnson and, on transfer deadline day, the manager was gone leaving Dave Watson as the only real candidate for the caretaker manager position.
Making effective use of the raw passion and enthusiasm of the youth and reserve teams, Watson was able to steady the ship and see Everton clear of relegation danger by the end of April. It was during this period that Michael Ball was first introduced the Premiership, an unlikely prospect under Royle.
A farcical summer search for a "big name" manager unaffected by Blue Blood followed after Watson declined to even be considered as permanent manager at Goodison Park. Weeks of uncertainty ended with Howard Kendall sparing Everton's blushes and returning for an ill-advised third stint in the hotseat. Within a year he too was gone, but not before another last-day Houdini act which saw the Blues stay up on goal difference over Bolton Wanderers.
Johnson's replacement was Walter Smith, a manager with a CV to die for in Scotland but who found the going tough during his first three seasons with the club. By this stage, Watson was becoming less able to influence matters on the pitch as age caught up with him. By the time the 1999-2000 season rolled around, he had effectively hung up his boots to concentrate on a defensive coaching role.
Watson's reputation and stature in the game, combined with that precious stint in temporary charge of an Everton team in very real danger of losing their top flight status in 1997, meant that he was a prime candidate for clubs looking to take a chance on an untried manager. His old club Norwich City had him on their shortlist in 1999 but decided not to gamble on him but Tranmere chairman Lorraine Rodgers (girlfriend of Peter Johnson who was forced from the chairmanship of Everton in 2000) felt the time was right to see what Waggy could do in a full-time managerial position.
Dave Watson is a player who should have rewarded far more richly by football than he was. A devoted, reliable and inspirational captain for both Norwich City (with whom he lifted his first trophy in the 1985 Milk Cup Final) and Everton, he deserved far more than the League Cup and FA Cup winners medals he owns and the handful of England caps he was given.
For Evertonians, he will forever be remembered as the rock upon which an ever-changing team was founded. He played through injuries and broken bones for the Everton cause, was all too happy to be employed as a makeshift striker when the chips were down and he weighed in with his fair share of goals during his time at Goodison Park.
He may have started his career on Liverpool's books (though he never played a game for the Reds) and started his professional career with Norwich City, but Dave Watson is an Evertonian through and through; as proud to represent the club as the fans are to have adopted him as one of their own on account of his unswerving loyalty and commitment during good times and bad.
The subdued nature of his departure for Tranmere was typical of the no-fuss and no-nonsense approach he took towards playing the game. Sadly, he won't now get the chance to say goodbye to the Goodison faithful on the pitch on the last day of this season, as was hoped.
But it will surprise no-one if his departure across the Mersey this week is merely a temporary spell away from Everton; a chance to learn the managerial ropes with the hope of perhaps one day returning to Goodison Park as manager some time in the future. And who wouldn't welcome back into the fold?
Dave Watson: Hero, Legend, Evertonian.