50 years on: How the title was won

I remember the bitter kopites looking for excuses to bring us down Purple Hearts (nothing ever changes with those fans.) I have to say my early years as a Blue were my best and we've had some great teams since.

EVERTON FC — YOU'RE IN MY HEART AND IN MY SOUL.

Come on gang, let's have your memories.

I knew most of the players as we went to their hotel in the morning at the London games and go for a walk to the stores with Roy Vernon and Alex Young who were very close. I was made up it was Fulham when we won the title as they beat us 1-0 at Craven Cottage early in the season such a disappointment but we never lost a home match that wonderful year.

I would say that Bayern Munich is still the most memorable night for me: straight after school, in uniform, and not getting home till the early hours... But, like I said, 84-85 has been done to death.

Back row of upper Gwladys. I seem to remember that when I stood up (on the seat?), I could not see the goal at the Park End.

Vague memories of the Roy Vernon hat trick goal and a little surprised at all the fuss as the players came out into the old directors box.

Season tickets in 69-70 but a school trip to London meant I missed the WBA game.

So come 84-85, left work early in Leeds to get to GP to see the WHU game and the trophy being presented.

I was gutted but my mam 'Mystical Zena Ruane' said "don't worry, they'll win it again in 1970 and then you'll be able to go".

By the way, that 'seeing into the future' thing is in the blood and was passed on to me, so I also asked "what about the cup final in 66 when we beat Sheff Wed - can I go to that?"

She said "I'll bleedin' 66 cup final YOU if you're not careful"

(she was a bit of a nark but a boss mystic).

Oh and for those who don't want to know the name of our new manager, leave the computer now.

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Stubbs!!

(or maybe one of the other fellers)

And the old St Johns Ambulance men with their white Sam Browne belt and ill-fitting uniforms who were there to administer first aid to anyone who succumbed to the heat and crush that 60k-70k plus crowds would bring. Kids stood on boxes or stools against the wall so they could see, with their dad's protective arms around them. Little Toffees. Bad language being frowned upon in the Paddock, where females and children could go in relative safety.

Huge floodlight pylons and big square clocks in the corners, the massive Goodison Road terracing, fans without tickets climbing onto the Church to see the match. Meat pies with juice running down your hand, people with flasks of Bovril... fuck me, I feel old.

I used to get there early to stand behind / above one of the stairwells so I had nobody in front of me (me being a short arse).

It seemed like our whole team was attack minded, possibly due to the manager Harry Catterick, who was an ex centre forward himself, but seeing Roy Vernon (Royston) scoring with aplomb, virtually every game it seemed, very ably assisted by Alex Young, made them two the most fearsome strike force at the time, truly 'poetry in motion' AND we lived up to our motto of Nil Satis Nisi Optium, plus the truly warranted 'School of Science', moniker, due to the absolute brilliant football we played!

I recall the Fulham game with Royston bagging another hat-trick & I think Chico (Alec Scott) got the other, also wasn't that Albert Dunlop's last game with us, due to the signing of Gordon West, I think it was to be Tony Kay's last game also, perhaps..........due to the betting he did, whilst with Sheff Wed?? I know it was hot that day with over 60,000 Toffees inside the Grand Old Lady & she was rocking that day, talk about LOUD, I remember seeing Tony Kay smoking a huge cigar....... after the game, receiving the League Championship in the Main Stands!! My apologies for rambling, but some great memories from that season & before, even many more afterwards too.........all connected to my first love...............Everton Football Club :-)

Anyone seen the film The Golden Vision? Brilliant. Reminds me of growing up in bootle and Walton.

1 blue is worth a 100 reds.

I remember getting on the bus in Litherland and walking up the hill to Goodison, with the horde of fans in their blue and white scarves. Then entering the ground and the green, green pitch and the maybe 60,000 people. Standing under the main stand, getting swept up in the noise and excitement.

Then the amazing roar when the team ran out like gladiators, hard and confident and class. We won 3-1, was it Burnley or Arsenal? Anyway, I fell in love that night watching Roy and Alex work their magic.

Next game was Tuesday under lights and I went alone following the crowds cos I didn't know the way. Another 3-1 and I was hooked.

When I asked my dad if I could be an Evertonian, it was like asking if I could change my religion. He was good about it, and admitted his favorite player had been Dixie Dean. I wondered why he always parted his hair down the middle.

Thanks for the memories.

No better present than seeing Roy Vernon lift that trophy, alongside a very talented team. COYB.

Great days – great football – great team.

On Saturdays, I'd get the lunchtime Echo because there was always a big frontpage picture of one of the Everton players; next week, one of the RS.

Then off to the match, we would win as usual. Then wait outside your local shop for the Pink Echo, you could be waiting for about half an hour for an Echo van to turn up. Then read about the game on the way home, because your dad and elder brothers would be waiting to read it first....

Not sure how the media today would have reported Roy Vernon running onto the pitch throwing away his cigarette, probably wanted him banned for x number of games for setting a bad example. Beause there was no segregation you could talk with opposing fans and usually had some good banter, I think when television became more involved and made the game more tribal thats when all the trouble started.

I guess it was easy being an Evertonian then because we were successful and I do feel for the younger fans who haven't had the joy of watching us win the league.

The team came up to Gwladys Street for the pre-match kick about and someone ran on the pitch waving blue streamers and shook hands with all the players, I couldn't imagine that being allowed now...

We went at Fulham right from the kick-off and were two up after eight minutes with both goals from Roy Vernon, who went on the complete his hat-trick in the second half, and from then on it was only a matter of how many we would score. The crowd was going wild towards the end of the game as we knew that we would be Champions.

The lap of honour after the game was something special, Alex Young had a column in the Echo at the time and he wrote the following week that he could nearly feel the ground shake with the noise of the crowd.

Just a mention about the crowd moving between the Park End and Gwladys Street. A couple of years prior to the 62-63 season, there was a fence erected at the corner of Goodison Road and Gwladys Street, there was a gate in the fence that was opened late in the games to let the crowds exit by the Church. Sometimes this gate was left open during the games but as a general rule it was closed.

I went to the first game away to Burnley, lovely sunny day and a sublime Alex Young performance in a 3-1 win against a powerful Burnley side. Meanwhile at Anfield the newly promoted Reds were losing to an Alan Ball inspired Blackpool, it was a great start to the season.

I think our first home game was against Sheffield Weds, Young was brilliant again and scored a great hat-trick.

Later that long season, made so by the 'Big Freeze of '63, we played the great Spurs double-winning team at Goodison around mid April I think, unfortunately I was in Stanley Hospital having had my appendix removed. I listened to the game on the hospital radio broadcast, and the magnificent Alex Young scored the only goal of the game with a towering header, press pictures show him 'hanging' in the air, those who saw him will know what I mean. I think I was close to bursting my stitches in the excitement of the game.

A couple of weeks later, out of hospital but still off work, I went with a mate (who bunked off his job) to a midweek game at West Brom; we won 1-0 when the great Alex Young intercepted a Don Howe back-pass and scored. I think this was the game that clinched the title???

The following Sunday we went to see Roy Orbison and the Beatles at The Empire. This was followed the next weekend by the Fulham game, I was in the Gwladys St end and remember the great atmosphere and the Roy Vernon hat-trick, was it the last time we saw Tony Kay? I remember he was smoking a cigar when the players appeared in the Director's Box at the end of the game. Great days and greater memories.

It was a magnificent season.

As someone mentioned, Alex out-jumping Brown, the Spurs goalie, to head us to victory. He also had to contend with Maurice Norman, their centre half and that dirty bastard Dave McKay. A truly majestic goal from a majestic player. I can remember painting a picture of it, that got put up on the class room wall (teacher was a good Blue).

Remember Royston's hat trick. What a goalscorer was our Roy, I think he scored about twenty penalties and never missed. Between them they scored over 50 goals that season. I think Roy got 28 and Alex 25.

It wasn't just that we won the Championship, it was HOW we won it, pure magic and you had to get to the ground before 2pm to make sure you got in. We used to walk from Lambeth Road to Goodison Park and get in for about quarter-past, half-past one.

Probably spotted George and his mates as we made our way along wessy, too. What a great great team we had and what fantastic football we played. I think we got 88 goals that season.

I was 15 and had been watching from the end of the great Davey Hickson's time. Used to run home and watch the Telly goons... still daft now!

They always put extra buses on that just stopped to let you on – there were as many hanging on the platform than actually in the bus!!

Walking along Great Homer Street or up the Brow and along Netherfield Road, cars and taxis would just stop and if you could squeeze in you got a lift to the ground.

For the Fulham match, the ground was full long before kick-off, I doubt anyone could get in if they stayed for a final pint just before kick off like we do now.

How much would Roy Vernon or Alex Young cost nowadays???

I always remember Young seemed to, just BEFORE the ball was crossed in, the centre half would go with him and when he landed Young would still be up there having a look round! Bang – straight in!!

I can remember we were playing the Dark Side and Alex got the ball, and just had his foot resting on the ball. Yeats thought he'd do a slidy on Alex and began charging over to him. We were all shouting "Watch out Alex" and thinking the worst was going to happen. Just as Yeats dived in, Alex just rolled the ball back and then went on his way. Yeats slid right off the pitch!

Bored housewives.

"And how many would you have had to, er, you know what, in order to achieve the prize?"

Seven - it was basically a promotion run by Barker & Dobson, makers of Everton Mints.

"Nob seven bored housewives, win a 62/63 Everton season ticket"

You might be too young to remember it, but at the time, many Evertonians were into it.

(much like the Tetley pub crawl many years later)

I think it was won by a young David Johnson.

Roy Vernon was my particular favourite as he never gave less than 100% and shone in all the derby matches (unlike Alex Young)... The derby hurly-burly never suited Young's style of play but both Vernon and later Alan Ball revelled in them.

The Fulham game was a triumph and we put on one of the best displays of the season. The atmosphere was electric and Vernon's hat-trick was fantastic.

Tony "Cassius" Kay had a wonderful game and smoked a big cigar at the end of the match as he strutted around the pitch. It was a real shame when he was banned for life as the footballing world was at his feet.

The whole of the 60s was standout for me and was the best era I lived through. Full employment, a great team to follow and the Liverpool pop scene has never been equalled since.

Alex Parker, who was a great right back, ended up managing the Swinging Sporran in Runcorn shopping centre.

My honest opinion is that the old First Division was a much better league than today's Premier League due to the equal playing fields each team had... money did not rule to the extent it does today and every team had a chance of winning the title. It's no coincidence that the likes of Chelsea and Man Utd struggled.

Liverpool as a city dominated the First Division without the help of foreign players and this fact did not sit well with the media of the day. Teams like Leeds Utd and even Ipswich won the title whilst the London clubs were also-rans.

The nucleus of the great Everton side of the 60s was actually built by the unfortunate Johnny Carey who coached the team to play football with true entertainment, skill and workrate. Catterick's best buy was Tony Kay... even though just for a short period. Unfortunately he got rid of Collins, Vernon and Young which took the flair away from the team. Collins left far too soon and later had a great career at Leeds Utd.

I was privileged to support the best footballing side ever produced by Everton.

The Fulham game was so marvellous and I was at this year's game against Fulham and was delighted to be able to stand up and honour Young and the others who were there.

People often forget Ray Veall who played 11 games on the left wing at the beginning of the season. I never hear anything of him, do any old Evertonians have any information?

At school on the double decker bus on sports day going past Goodison Park cheering and shouting EV-ER-TON on the way to Wally Hall Park. Arrrh great days...

Mick Meagan our irish left back mentions that Blackpool game and how Ray Veall run rings around Jimmy Armfield. He played for Gisborne in New Zealand and now lives there.

Remember the home night game v Arsenal. Westy was injured just before half-time and the players didn't came on the pitch for the 2nd half for about 20 mins with big Gord's injury strapped up, we drew 1-1.

In those days the music from the tannoy was usually military music, but I remember that night at half-time they played an Andy Williams song, "Cant Get used to Losing you".... Now why does that stick in my mind? Sorry guys!

The last time I ran into Ray Veall was when I was living and married to a local girl in Gisborne, New Zealand, back in 1975. We had a few beers around that faraway town and talked about the days of yore. I'm amazed at Ray Atho's revelation above that he still lives in Gisborne. Long way back it all seems now.

There was a reserve night game at Goodison Park between Man City and the Blues many years ago. Big big crowd and the team featured the aforementioned Veall and big George Heslop amongst others. I found myself in the Park End for a change that night; it was absolutely pissing down but the mission that thousands of Blue boys set out to achieve that night was accomplished: a voucher for a ticket to the greatest FA Cup final of all time in 1966.

By the way, I'm convinced the Fulham match was on the BBC news that night, but I haven't seen it since and I've searched high and low on the net with no luck at all... can anyone help please!

Yes I remember Ray Veall, a very exciting left winger. I remember seeing Ray in an away game against Burnley, he was up against Alex Elder who was one of the best fullbacks in the league. He turned Elder inside out and I remember him hitting the bar rfom about 25 yards, he was outstanding that day and all the Burnley fans were asking about him.

I did hear a rumour that Ray liked his drink now whether that stopped him progressing I don't know , but he was a very talented young footballer. I think he came from Huddersfield, and I cant remember who he went to after us.

Our best player was Roy Vernon. Then the bitter aftertaste the following season when we lost Tony Kay and the other lot took top spot from us.

Ray Veall signed from Skegness Town in 1961, made 11 appearances for us in the 62-63 season. He joined Preston in 1965, later moved to Huddersfield then Los Angeles Wolves then moved to South Africa's Maritzburg and finally Gisborne New Zealand.

In that title-winning year, I went to Notts Forest, a night game; we were 2-0 down early on but went on to win 4-3. Ray Veall had a smashing game; Vernon and Young were unplayable! Terrific, what a match it was!