Sadly we are all too familiar with the events that followed and that has made me sit back and wonder what would have really occured if the Heysel Stadium disaster had not have happened?
Of course nobody can truly tell you what would or would not have happened if Everton had been allowed to compete in the 1985-86 European Cup, but one thing's for sure is that for too long we have all been guilty of holding on to this myth that we would have 'definitely' been crowned champions of Europe. Let me explain why.
As English Football League Champions, Everton would have almost certainly played either Rabat Ajax of Malta or Omonia Nicosia of Cyprus in Round 1 of the European Cup. This comes from the fact that Anderlecht were given a Uefa bye following the European ban to English clubs which meant that the two unseeded clubs mentioned faced each other in the first round.
The result of this would have been that Everton would have almost certainly progressed to meet Anderlecht themselves in Round 2 and, on dispatching them (which in itself would have been no easy feat), we would have then gone on to meet Bayern Munich in the quarter finals, Steau Bucharest in the semis and either Barcelona, Juventus or Liverpool in the Final. Not exactly child's play you will agree.
Of course, a Lineker inspired Everton may well have lifted the European Cup at Seville's Estadio Ramon Sanchez the 7 May 1986... but a combination of poor team investment (a story in itself) and the fact that many key players ultimately succumbed to career ending injuries would have resulted in Everton's success being just what it was ? a mere flash-in-the-pan.
The fact remains that, for too long, we have held on to this myth that, if it wasn't for the events at Heysel, then Howard Kendall would have almost certainly achieved the dynasty that the Sportsnight interviewer orginally suggested back in 1985. However, in reality, the only dynasty that was created was the one that exists in our minds, and without Heysel, we wouldn't even have that.
Incidentally, the whole Sportsnight interview with Howard Kendall is available via http://www.gifts4blues.blogspot.com and well worth viewing.
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What is beyond doubt is that everyone was on a level playing field at the time of the ban and we were Champions. We let it slip ? no-one else.
We may have been involved in the European Cup for years as we would have had a good chance of winning the 1st Division on many more occasions. When we got banned from Europe, it was a sickener for all associated with the Club but what the management didn't do was have a long-term plan to remain at the top of the English pile and still be there when the ban was lifted.
I am sorry to say that Kendall must take a big responsibility for that. When he left, he said that he had achieved everything he could. That's nonsense. I would have took a walk over to Anfield and had a look in their trophy cabinet and if I were a true Evertonian as Kendall has always claimed, I have stayed determined to make us the greatest and at least try to win as many cups as we could. Instead he left and deserted us. I can imagine the response but Kendall is the one who is majorly responsible and is no hero in my eyes.
Everton in Europe at that time would have attracted top players as top sides do, and it would have grown on itself, with the team getting stronger and getting more revenue.
I think that, regardless of European football, the likes of Lineker would have left at the earliest opportunity. However, despite receiving £2.75 million for Lineker, Everton did not buy another 'high profile' striker until Tony Cottee arrived in 1988. In 1987-88 we actually completed a full season with a forward line chosen from Sharp, Wayne Clarke & Paul Wilkinson whist Liverpool speculated to accumulate by signing Beardsley, Barnes & Aldridge.
You also fail to acknowledge the likes of Arsenal & Man United also did not have any European football but within a very short period were leaving Everton in their wake. Sadly Heysel denied us a couple of European nights at Goodison and nothing more.
We missed out on PL glory from 92 onwards, granted not a cert, but it would have been right to miss out through football reasons and nothing else. Imagine it today, restraint of trade, human rights etc, disgrace what happened to us.
20 years we've had to wait for a team that gives us parity to any other side in the league. If we get the momentum from the start, the only thing that can stop us is some bunch of RS rampaging through some clapped out Europa League ground and getting us banned again.
Weren't we voted WORLD team of the year for 1985?!... The point being is we should never have been put in the position in the first place... and until the redshite offer an apology or even acknowledge Heysel was their fault... They'll always be REDSHITE!...
Over the previous decade (almost), every English Champ had won the European Cup, even one-hit wonders like Villa, and the tiny previously unheard of Notts Forest swept all the so-called European giants aside. Such was the strength of our league at the time. I think that, and the fact that we only narrowly lost a double the following year before reclaiming the title, would suggest that we would've had a very strong chance to secure a European Cup in at least one of those 3 seasons......
That IMO would've dramatically changed the club's fortunes and standing. Everton were hit far harder by the ban than say Liverpool for instance, since they'd had unprecedented success in the previous 13 years and had greatly increased their fanbase and wealth in the process. Their immediate future was secured. We had none of that to fall back on, and lost our momentum as we lost so many key players/manager.....
Other clubs, such as Man Utd and Arsenal were at a different stage in their development cycle, and they took up the mantle. Had the European backdrop still been there I doubt that momentum would've been lost so quickly. It was all a rather unnatural demise speeded by a ban that saw key personnel wish to further the European adventures they had already sampled. Yes, there were other issues and mistakes, but that lost opportunity was singularly the biggest factor on several levels IMO!
I have heard the cliches about how Lineker disrupted the contribution of the whole team approach to performances, vindicated by the 1987 triumph. However, IMO had Southall not sustained that terrible injury against Rep of Ireland, I would suggest that we would have also likely been Champions in 1986 too.
Philip Carter fiddled whilst Rome burned in the following seasons; how he can be given Life Presidency at Everton beggars belief.
Growing up in Manchester in the late 80s/early 90s, I would bang on about how in 85 Everton were the best team in the world, only to be drowned out by laughter... I remember in about 92 having to bring in an old Everton Annual into school to prove to ignorant classmates that just 5 years ago we were Champions, since literally nobody would believe me (by that point, we were fast becoming a complete joke).
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* Everton deducted 8 pts; †Forest deducted 4 pts for PSR breachView full table
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