ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

Michael Kenrick

This is one of teose topics that crops up now and again. There was an occasion last season (or the season before) when he acknowldeged having been involed with Everton at some point in his career (his most prolific season as a goalscorer, if truth be known). But he's Leicester to the core.

Cash
1 Posted 06/09/2007 at 07:14:21

come on Guys give him his due.

He has on numerous occasions stated that, dispite playing for Barca N Spurs - neither slouches at the time - that Everton was easily the best club side he’s played in
You do however bring another point to mind
Did every single forward who played with sharpy have the best seasons of their careers ?

Callum
2 Posted 06/09/2007 at 07:43:28

Tony Cottee was better at West Ham than he was for us and he played along side Sharp for a few seasons.

Keith Harrison
3 Posted 06/09/2007 at 07:56:03

Graham wasn’t in agreement with the signing of Cottee - read his book ’Sharpy’.

Might explain why he wasn’t so prolific.

Allan Hobbs
4 Posted 06/09/2007 at 09:57:39

Gary Lineker used to be a footballer? Was Des Lynam ever a pro?

Matt Traynor
5 Posted 06/09/2007 at 10:02:57

Gary Lineker has been asked this before (Evertonians do get everywhere - be careful what you say!)

He never asked to leave Everton, he was sold. He thought he’d spend a few seasons there hauling medals. He decided not to rejoin after leaving Barca as he believed in the adage "never go back".

And the reason he hardly mentions his time at Everton? No-one ever asks him. We’re the pariahs of the media, as we’re not a bunch of self-obsessed gobshites from the Board... well, the players all the way down to the tea ladies and the fans.

Mark Stone
6 Posted 06/09/2007 at 10:13:08

He said in an interview that playing for Everton was the best time of his career and he felt he’d left too soon.

Peter Singer
7 Posted 06/09/2007 at 10:16:09

He was invited to the Barca game last year (he was to play for us in the first half and for Barca in the second or something) but he turned us down claiming he had some very important punditing to do.

Allan Hobbs
8 Posted 06/09/2007 at 10:20:56

My Sister met him at a charity event a few years ago and apparently he was very good looking and exceedingly charming, even to her and she’s quite fat.

She said he didn’t mention anything about Everton that day either.

M OBrien
9 Posted 06/09/2007 at 10:28:08

"Unlike Andy King"

Who when asked by Hells Bells on Sky Poker last night whether Liverpool could win the Premiership he replied...
"I couldnt care less - I’m a blue nose"
Andy King = Legend

Adam Carey
10 Posted 06/09/2007 at 11:00:46

I think to be fair to Gary, I can recall quite a few times on MOTD when he speaks of Everton in the way of a former player. He just seems to do it with a bit more dignity than the likes of Shearer and Lawrenson.

Seth DeMerit
11 Posted 06/09/2007 at 11:07:42

Right this isnt about Lineker - but because this is the most recent thread - and ive got a question which has been bothering me...

Quite simple... Does anyone know how long Everton have been playing Z Cars at Goodison Park and WHY it started????

Graham Nolan
12 Posted 06/09/2007 at 12:03:22

I couldn’t give a toss what Gary "walkers crisps" Lineker says or doesn’t say about Everton. Why do we need his approval?
All he is now is a granny’s wet dream.

Tommy Coleman
13 Posted 06/09/2007 at 12:11:14

He once said that the Everton team he played in was the best club team he ever played for.

Lee Spargo
14 Posted 06/09/2007 at 12:32:51

Peter,

the barca game was scheduled the same night as an England international. Linekar was working. Maybe Everton should have planned it with a bit more foresight and he may have even turned up. He did for the ’86 replay at Anfield last year.

Tim Spring
15 Posted 06/09/2007 at 12:37:29

When Timmy Cahill scored the aussies first and second ever goals in the world cup lineker said in the post match talk that it was nice to see an everton player scoring in the world cup.. He might be more subtle than Lawrenson and Shearer but he still bigs up the blues from time to time.

Joe McMahon
16 Posted 06/09/2007 at 13:04:39

I have found all teh MOTD presentesr have and do give us praise. The problem is they with the Media are expected to pander to Russian & American teams. BUT the bigest wanker of them all is Gary Speed, he was so ahppy to join his boyhood clube, but couldn’t wait to leave to join Newcastle to win trophy’s - wher are they Gary??

Tony Horne
17 Posted 06/09/2007 at 13:08:06

After the 3-0 Goodison Derby last year Lineker turned to his fellow MOTD pundits (Hansen & Lawrenson) and with a broad grin said "Well I enjoyed that what about you, chaps?"

James Elworthy
18 Posted 06/09/2007 at 13:26:37

Gary Lineker was amazing in his one and only season at Everton. Based on that season alone I would go on record as saying he was the best striker I ever saw and his partnership with Sharp was awesome. He left us because of the Heysel situation as he couldnt play in Europe. He does favour Spurs on MOTD to any other team but Leicester is his main club. Everton are probably his third team. The player who spent a short time with us who regards us as his team has to be Andy Gray, though Duncan McKenzie also does.

Steve Williams
19 Posted 06/09/2007 at 13:39:40

James, sorry to be picky but .. whilst Andy Gray clearly has a very soft spot for Everton, the club closest to his heart is, unfortunately, Villa.

Simon Jones
20 Posted 06/09/2007 at 13:19:38

Sorry if this is out of order, but perhaps Tony Horne should have the last word on Lineker, that seems to sum it up for me.

Ray Roche
21 Posted 06/09/2007 at 13:46:39

To Joe McMahon
I think it?s sad and wrong that Speed gets so much stick both here and when he plays against us. Speed was forced out of Everton. He never fitted in with the drinking culture that exists at EFC in those days and Howard didn?t take kindly to Speed saying so. He was stitched up good and proper to the extent that he had to sign a confidentiality clause when he left to prevent him from telling his side of the story. I love what Howard did for us as much as the next EFC fan but, let's be honest, he DOES like a drink!

Look at the way Speed has conducted himself since, a model professional who looks after himself and still doesn?t have a bad word to say about us. All the stories "leaked" to the press that Speed "refused to travel" to the West Ham game or to play in the reserves were absolute rubbish. I have had this info from within the club itself and take no pleasure in recounting it here.

Andy Lea
22 Posted 06/09/2007 at 13:43:08

I genuinely think Lineker holds us in high regard just, like a number of threads here, he isn’t blatant about it.

As for the Gary Speed comment by Joe McMahon - harsh I feel.

In an article in a Geordie publication Speed spoke about the circumstances surrounding him leaving and it was all down to Kendall. He told Speed that the club had received an offer for him and that he shouldnt travel for a mid week game at West Ham to avoid any chance of injury. Speed doesnt travel, we lose and Kendall fires a jibe in Speeds direction through the media saying it doesnt help when senior pros refuse to travel. Speed feels he has been let down and forces his hand re the move.

I think the stick he gets is over the top and out of order, am probably in the minority here but there ya go. Was gutted when he left and saddens me that he could have given us umpteen more years of great service.

Re the overtone of the original topic, think of all ex pros who prior to Everton had no allegiance to us but now are Blue through and through. Gray, Reid, Snodin, Ferguson list is long and endless. What was it the late, great Alan Ball said - "Once Everton has touched you nothing is the same"

Says it all for me!

Kevin Tully
23 Posted 06/09/2007 at 14:10:22

Seth,Z cars theme tune.
I read that there were two actors from the T.V. show at Goodison so the announcer played the theme tune at that match and it has stuck ever since.

Tony Mac
24 Posted 06/09/2007 at 14:51:59

I met Lineker, Hanson and Lawrenson on a train going to Berlin at last years world cup, the first thing I asked him was ’why do you never aknowledge the season you spent at Everton’ his words was he enjoyed his breif spell at Everton and would have stayed but circumstances meant he at to go to Spain, to be honest he never had much to say about his time at spurs or Barca, but his first love is Leister city which is fair enough. And to be honest the best one to talk to was Mark Lawrenson, very open about things and talked at length about Sharps goal and the cup final in 86, he thought the RS had blew it. The other twat hansen had nothing to say.

Mike
25 Posted 06/09/2007 at 14:35:18

Joe Royle did his bit to try and redress the balance when summarising on the liverpool v Celtic Old boys match on Channel 5 back in October, with point blank refusal to give any credit to any of the liverpool players (for past or present performances) and repeatedly changing any subject discussed to the blues.

MOTD take heed - Thats the sort of commentary I want for my TV licence money!

Dave Roberts
26 Posted 06/09/2007 at 15:03:38

I remember Gary Lineker was on the ’Studio Panel’ for the 1995 FA Cup Final. After the game, while everybody else was making excuses for Manure and asking how they conspired to lose, Gary Lineker was absolutely insistent that the best team won.He was a lone voice that day. Admirable!

Archie Alehouse
27 Posted 06/09/2007 at 15:10:09

With regard to Gary Speed’s departure; I was told by a reporter that Adrian Heath had tried it on with Gary. When he went to see Howard to complain, unfortunately he was pissed, so he thought it was time to leave!

Chris Dottie
28 Posted 06/09/2007 at 20:34:37

Don’t know if it was by the same reporter, but I’ve been told the same rumour as Archie that Inchy had a big thing for Speed, hence the confidentiality clause.

Dave Lynch
29 Posted 06/09/2007 at 22:55:44

Have actually spoken to a close relative of Speed.
He told me Gary was broken hearted at having to leave the club.
It came about because Speed and Waggy where having to take the training sessions cos HK was to pissed to take them.
When he complained he was moved on and kept his mouth shut not because of a clause, but because the blues where going through a bad time and he didn’t want to ’pour oil on burning waters’.
Said he will put things straight in his autobiography though.

billy deane
30 Posted 07/09/2007 at 13:19:53

Are yu insinuating archie alehouse that Inchy Heath is a poof