ToffeeWeb - Season 2008-09

The Mail Bag

The Rat!

Last night I went to a wine bar/restaurant in Greasby on the Wirral called "Ellies". I paid £15 for a ticket to see and listen to no less a person than Kevin Ratcliffe.

It was just an honour to be in the same room as the skipper of our most successful side, let alone listen to him, but that aside Kevin's a great after-dinner speaker (for want of a better title) and it was great to go down memory lane and hear about things that are still dear to me to this day, from a player's perspective.

He told us about Sheedy's freekick that the ref made him take twice; yeh, the one where he scored in the top left corner and then rescored in the top right when the ref said, "Take it again I wasn't ready."

He reminisced about the great characters he played with, about some of the things they got up to and about some of the things they said... like Andy Gray nutting a centre-half in the back of the head in the box because... "Well, I knew I couldn't get to it so I nutted him so it would come off his head and at least get us a corner!" ......

They were obviously very different days then in football, probably in every walk if life, but it seemed, listening to him, that they were much better days too, and not just because we won things. The only sad thing about the night (in my eyes anyway) was that Kevin has no "real" contact with the club, doesn't represent them anywhere, isn't on the books in any way shape or form, and I just think that that's a real waste. In Everton's history, his name must be up there with the biggest, if only for being the captain during those halcyon days of the eighties.

I had a great night and so did everybody else there. "I lived the dream" was how Kevin described his footballing life, and for a couple of hours last night I lived it too.

Thanks, Kev... for everything!
Brian Williams, Wirral Posted 27/03/2009 at 16:10:51

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Paul Johnson
1 Posted 27/03/2009 at 21:18:38

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He would struggle at the club these days Brian. He can?t pronounce the players names ? we would have to get rid of Jags for a start; Pienaar & Fellaini would be a challenge and god help us if we sign Jao Moutinho in the summer. Best if he stays on Channel 5 imo.

Paul Johnson
2 Posted 27/03/2009 at 21:28:16

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Jesus, just heard that we will be getting Jutkiewicz back soon. No way Rats could pronounce that.

Barry Scott
3 Posted 27/03/2009 at 22:57:48

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Brian - Where did you hear about the ’event’? I live nearby and never heard anything about it..

Will Leaf
4 Posted 28/03/2009 at 04:47:48

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I say take him on with instructions to refer to players by their squad numbers...pronunciation disasters averted.

To any that missed it here is a good interview with Ratty (bitter with the sweet...Rush is interviewed with him). Classic references to the Glenn Keeley’s illustrious debut in the Merseyside Derby and Imre Varadi’s famous meat pie!

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/videos-pictures/videos/liverpool-sport-videos/2009/01/21/the-rush-ratcliffe-mersey-derby-chronicles-part-i-92534-22746116/

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/videos-pictures/videos/liverpool-sport-videos/2009/01/22/the-rush-ratcliffe-mersey-derby-chronicles-part-ii-92534-22753963/

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/videos-pictures/videos/liverpool-sport-videos/2009/01/23/the-rush-ratcliffe-mersey-derby-chronicles-part-iii-92534-22762848/

Tony Williams
5 Posted 28/03/2009 at 13:11:52

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Cracking videos there, cheers for that Will.

Anthony Newell
6 Posted 28/03/2009 at 22:25:31

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Also good to see ’the Rat’ slumming it with the rest of us in the restaurant/warehouse sections of Warrington Ikea. His item was there whereas my shelf was bloody empty!

John Pickles
7 Posted 29/03/2009 at 13:04:14

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"Brian - Where did you hear about the ?event?? I live nearby and never heard anything about it.. "

Me too Brian, I live just a few hundred yards down the road and heard nothing!......Now if had been a red-nose speaking.

Brian Williams
8 Posted 29/03/2009 at 17:22:13

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To those who asked... I don?t know whether the night was advertised in the bar, but I?m sure a couple of visits there would reveal what?s coming up etc.......