Alex The Great

A great story about a great man.

Alex the God!

Most enjoyable read Michael over my coffee and Danish. Wonder if the Dr. had the ribbon changed ?

Great cartoon too.

I was very lucky in 1966. My dad worked at a garage in Old Swan which was having a grand opening by Ken Dodd but, as he was an Everton fan, there were a couple of players there – including Alex Young. I stayed by his side all evening, also there was a new lad we just signed with him... a certain Alan Ball. I was in heaven

If only our Board consisted of people such as the estimable Doctor. Everything I ever read regarding Dr Everton is uplifting - makes me feel privileged to be an Evertonian. He deserves a statue next to Dixie!

"Who's the player with the most? Alex Young the Golden Ghost".

Ah, probably my most favourite Everton player.

I think we need to add an extra Blue Belief:

11 - Everton have the best Fan site

He wasn't called 'The Ghost and The Golden Vision' for nothing. I vaguely remember seeing him play and all I can remember is this blonde fella just gliding past players like he was walking on air. Like many players from years ago he has never been given any credit, outside the Everton family, due to the fact that very little football was shown on the telly. Nowadays a player has a decent season and he's instantly converted in legend.

I don't like comparing humans to the Good Lord, you understand, but this is a lovely piece to read and the film looks smashing. Alex Young was a real hero to so many if us...

Well done to MK for this super read and the Tabacula team for their film...and of course to David France.

Whilst writing eulogies, what about that cartoon?

Priceless.

What a passionate read, and don't we just love the "Don't you have a blue ribbon?"

Gave me goosebumps remembering Alex Young like that.

That cup-tie against Burnley where he ghosted to the front corner of the 6 yard box and flicked the ball on past Adam Blacklaw (his cousin?). Not just once, but he did it a second time later on.

The West Ham goalie, Jim Standen rooted to the spot after the Golden Vision ghosted past 4 defenders and chipped him dead! Cue Gwladys Street to sing "Standen on the goal line watching all the goals go by..."

Oh, my, tell me my memory has gone...

I can just about remember Alex.
One thing that always sticks in my memory,my owld feller told me "he didn't run, he floated across the ground"

Also, most 60s television recordings were junked many years ago - typically what the great and good considered important was retained, but that did not include football or 'popular television'. Top of the Pops has been particularly savaged, which is old retrospectives show the same clips over and over again. But I digress.

Fortunately, and more by luck than judgement, the Wednesday Play episode The Golden Vision is one of the few broadcasts of that programme which has survived. Also the opening game on MOTD of the 1967-68 season, Everton v Man U, has survived and was broadcast on ESPN a few years ago. I was most pleased to get a copy of it. The cameras were on the Goodison Road side in those days, and only one match was featured, which means there is about 45 mins of highlights. I was at the game with my dad. Alex scored as we battered Man U 3-1.

I'm so glad my formative Blue years happened when we were great !

A true legend ala Davy Hickson. Two different styles but both revered like no others.
Still watch The Golden Vision now and again which is timeless.
That forward line of the 1962 team was just magic, The duo of Young and Vernon didn't weigh more than 10lbs.beteween them but they cut through opposition defences like a knife through butter. A golden age indeed.
Cant wait for the DVD release.

Alex was my hero - and Vernon it must be said, they complemented each other brilliantly.
When he signed for us I was shocked that he jumped so early !
Whether it was Alex Scott, Morrissey or Temple he would be up before the ball left their feet !!
Of course as soon as he jumped the centre half would automatically go with him.
Defying the Laws of Nature Young would just hover for a few minutes, have a look around from that lofty height, watch the centre half have at least 5 other jumps, then bullet straight in the net !! Brilliant
Great on the ground running with the ball very hard to catch and knock off the ball.
They all tried to take him out but he was a bit like Messi - just seemed to bounce off.
It was said that Moores used to go in the changing room before the game and ask if he was feeling ok, if so would there be any chance of turning it on !
Truly how much would Alex Young and Roy Vernon go for nowadays ????i

Watching the clips on YouTube could we have a new golden vision on our hands if only for a season in the form of the Catalan wonder kid ?

Gerry Quinn-I've heard about that Standen one before I've got a feeling I may have known some of the lads you went the match with. Would you have been amongst the lads who used to write our songs then? Would recall our Holy ground once more song?

No, David, sadly not. I left the song writing to 2 lads called Lennon and McCartney, but neither of them followed football as such!

alex youngs headed goal against spurs 62/63 season . He outjumped their big centre half I think it was tony marchi, about 12 or 15 yards from the gladwys st goal it sent 60 odd thousand fans ecstatic; we knew we would be champions then.

Gerry Quinn 181 the goalie for burnley in cup game was not adam blacklaw but jim thompson alex s cousin coyb.

As somebody said on the trailer, he was a man who was ahead of his time in the way he played the centre forward game. He to me always looked older than his Earth years to match. A messenger without a doubt.

Superb interview & story Michael, has to be one of the best ToffeeWeb pieces, bar none! Must be allergies in the air, as my eyes are still watering.....

Ah, Alex (Alec) Young, a true genius with the ball, I attempted a few of the Golden Vision's tricks, when I played; failed miserably, of course, but the odd one or two worked & I swear I could hear the Goodison Roar!!

Gerry Quinn, spot on as usual mate, or we are both delusional... I think it was the first goal against Burnley (in the FA Cup replay??), that Alex scored on the near post. The one thing I recall was the height he reached, before depositing the ball past his cousin indeed, Adam Blacklaw!

So many great Alex Young memories indeed, from THAT goal against Spurs, at Goodison Park in the 1962-63 Championship Season, to the hat-trick against Sheff Wed in a 5-1 thumping around 1965, although my main thoughts are still seeing him, 'ghost' past players, like he was above the turf.... he was mercurial, brilliant, sensational.... truly a legend in my eyes!!

He really was a Golden Vision - perhaps we shall never see his equal.

Ray Atherton 273 You are correct re: the Burnley G/K, it was indeed Thomson in goal, but wasn't it Harry Thomson, or has the 46 years done a number on me head...........again?? I remember him being rather small in height too, around 5'9"or thereabouts, but leapt around like a salmon!!

Tommy 286 you are correct his name was Harry . When I sent thread I realised it wasnt jim

From Wiki:

Adam Blacklaw, Scottish, played 318 games as goalkeeper for Burnley, 1956-67

Henry Thomson, Scottish, played 117 games, 1959-69

Now you've got me, I would have sworn it was Adam Blacklaw

Ray, you are totally correct....found this...scroll half way down the page, even a photo of it

http://www.sportsignings.com/YOUNG1.htm

His name was Henry "Harry" Thomson.

Don't get too upset about him being called a god, Ged. At that time, the rivalry between us and the Red Jessies was fierce and close. It was often said that they had their Saint [John] but we had our God because we worshipped him. So no religious offence intended but that's how he was viewed by many of us.

The centre half he outjumped when we beat Spurs was, I think, called Norman but can't remember whether that was his first name or his last. He also outjumped Bill Lawrie, their goalie and the beast Dave Mackay. Fabulous goal.

It was dead funny when he scored against his cousin. Alex would often run to the front of the box and head it backwards to the back of the 6 yard box. His cousin was waiting for it, he outsmarted Alex, or so he thought. He stood at the rear post and Alex just flicked it into the empty net. Brilliant!

That 3-1 match against Man Utd is on YouTube. Just have a look how he left world class defenders on their backsides as he waltzed past them!

I too am looking forward to this CD, What a player... what a team!

What a fuckin' player. Moysie would never have played him. (joke......sort of).

Me Dad loved him. Always said the two greatest Everton players he'd seen where called Alex. Parker and Young. He wasn't wrong often.

I'm slightly too young to remember these times (though dad took me as a toddler) but this is my Everton along with the stories of Dixie, Lawton, Mercer, Ted Sager et al

Hope the younger fans see the difference, history to you - fair enough - but not all of us.

This is hard core, royal blue, born in the city, choc-a-bloc scared of nowt Goodison, winners of style and renown - this is the real Everton FC.

No wonder I get a trifle miffed with the hollow empty shell version of today.

Jim Lloyd, the Spurs defender was, I think, Maurice Norman with Bill Brown in goal. Young remains the best player I've ever seen, certainly in respect of the amount of enjoyment he provided.

Thanks Ray. Don't know where I got the Lawrie from, I'll have to lay off the real ale! Totally agree with your comments and it was worth the entrance fee just to see Alex play. The fact that we had a great team as well was just fantastic. Great days. Colin, Barry: good posts.

ps: I love the cartoon, it portrays exactly, the level of intelligence of the one who designed our latest badge. I thought the good doctor's comments were right on the button about our previous badge.

Jim 306, Ray 318,

Good Morning, fellow Blues.

I still say Toni Marchi was centre half for Spurs. Maurice Norman was their established c/h England International he could have been injured.

Do you remember the Spurs game in the early 60s when their captain Danny Blanchflower was on a television advert about Welgar's Shredded Wheat a fan run on the pitch before kick-off and handed him a box (presume it was empty) fun days.

Great days indeed, Jim, a team that ranks alongside the 1980s sides for the flair that players like Young brought to the team, but still second best to the 69-70 side! Although there are some that will no doubt argue...

Do you remember Bill Brown as the goalie who claimed a dart had been thrown at him from the Gwladys St end which resulted in the half-moon shaped barriers that were installed at either end?

My dad worked for many years in the fruit and veg market in Queen Square. It was a bit of a hub for the players who might drop into town after training, and for many of the groups and singers who were around in the 60s.

A few days before the 68 Cup Final, Bally and The Vision were wandering through, dad had a chat with them and told them he would be at Wembley on Saturday with his two lads. He told them he wanted to get a new tie for the match, amber and blue of course, but he wasn't too sure about the shade of the amber as he had only see us play in that kit a couple of times. Our two superstars were most anxious the colour should be correct, so they strolled dad down to George Henry Lee's, found just the right tie (blue with amber spots), paid for it and thanked him for his support.

Alan Ball and Alex Young. Classy in every sense.

Ray, Jim, profuse apologies, it was indeed Marchi at centre-half as you can see from the footage in this link to THAT goal that Young scored. Norman was the center half when we beat Spurs by the same score in the following October, the Young match being in the April. Enjoy the link.

http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist/ITN/1963/04/20/FS200463014/?v=0

I was at The Spurs game and have a little write-up in The Good Doctor's book on The Golden Vision. I ran onto the pitch at the end and kissed Alex Young's boot... told my Mum I would never wash my face ever again. I was only 45 at the time (that bit's a joke – I was about 14)

Great days, going up to Goodison at around 12:00, talking about every player and acting out shots and headers. It's Great To Be A Blue -- always was and always is.

Ray A, well I bloody never!! Thanks for pointing it out and I stand corrected. All this time I thought it was Norman. I cut the pic out of the Sunda express and got a painting of it stuck on the Art Class wall and I still couldn't remember Machi!!

Mind you, I was at the game and the roar that greet Alex's goal was absolutely deafening.

Ray R. I'd have to differ with your view of the 69-70 but what a great choice to be able to make! Many thanks Ray for the link if I can sort out how to enter that link you've given I'll be right on it!

George McKane you lucky sod!!. Too right mate, you'd get in the ground at the latest 1 o'clock and savour the match to come. Great days and great team.

I remember standing about 10 rows back from the corner flag and saw Alex leap like a salmon to head the ball. He just hung there and as the ball was about to make contact with his head the crowd surged forward and down I went.

It was apparently a fantastic goal but I never saw it although I has within 50 yards of the damn thing. I did see many more of his goals and great performances though.

Just to add some more confusion to the Spurs defender involved in Alex Young's headed goal in April 1963, I have looked at the lineups in a couple of places and yes Tony Marchi was center-half for Spurs instead of the normal No 5, Maurice Norman. I could not see from the footage, nor could I get audio, who Young outjumped.

However, I have seen the picture of the goal in lots of places, but just can't put my hands on it now, but my memory is that in some of these pictures there is clearly a Spurs No 4 in the picture who is not Danny Blanchflower. It was in fact the reserve right-half John Smith who had been brought from West Ham a couple of seasons before.

So if anybody has the picture then they can see whether Smith was just watching or whether he was actually jumping with Young. So it was either Marchi or Smith!

Jim, we'll have to disagree about the merits of the 62-63 and 69-70 sides; out of interest, what in your opinion is the best side?

Graham (#411), according to the 11 v 11 stats site this was the Spurs line up for the game; hope it helps:

Goalkeeper: Bill Brown
Full back: Peter Baker
Left back: Ron Henry
Left half: Dave Mackay
Wing half: Tony Marchi
Outside left: Terry Dyson
Forward: Bobby Smith
Winger: Cliff Jones
Inside forward: Jimmy Greaves
Inside forward: John Smith
Inside forward: John White

Spurs had a great team those days. Bit like Leeds of the late 60s could play and kick!

Very difficult to say who were the best team – 63 or 70. I think the 70 team was more of a "team". The 63 team had fantastic individual players.

Really hard that one.

Ray 359 you mentioned the next octobers game against spurs. What another cracking goal in the gladwys st. end, a 25/30 yarder from the underrated Derek Temple. Jim 339 you wondered where the Lawrie name came from about the spurs goalie well there was a Lawrie Leslie who was west ham keeper.Keep on the real ale Jim.

Ray A.

"Underrated Derek Temple". How true! Fast, direct and with a tremendous shot, Temple was an excellent winger, inside forward and occasional centre forward for us. But I remember my old feller saying "If a hairy chested full back comes near him he's not interested". Along with Morrissey he seldom gets the plaudits he deserved. Wembley 66?

Alex was a great player on his day but just not consistent enough, Alan Ball was in a different class. At his best, I would say he was world class and even Colin Harvey said the same.

Ray A. :) A few scoops of real ale tonight is onthe menu!! I think that Lawrie bloke was some Scottish actor.

Ray R. If I'm remotely Compus Mentis when I get back in, that sounds some fun and I'll put mine down.

I totally agree about Derek Temple. Thunderous shot and underrated. Wembley 66 is like a great, lovely, recurring dream. Except I dropped me rucksack with our bottles of brown!! :)

I have always thought that Derek's goal in the 66 Cup Final was desperately under-rated. He took the ball forward and was faced with a dilemma about what to do, take it round Springett, chip him, whatever. Instead he was calmness personified, took a few yards then cracked a shot into the side of the net. Then turned round and ran calmly back for the kick off.

I was fortunate enough to be at the match. I met Derek recently, and told him he had made a 10 year old boy very happy that day. He laughed, and said he had made himself very happy!

There is probably a separate thread to be made about Johnny Morrisey, for my money the player who was part of a magnificent Quartet, of which only the Holy Trinity is recognised.

Well Ray R, I'm back from a convivial couple of hours nattering and I'll (with a slight bit of cheating. Before I start though, I'd like to make a space for a wonderful player who would have made another great Evertonian. My respects to John White of Spurs, killed while playing golf. A lovely footballer who I'd loved to have seen playing for us.

Anyway, including my bit of cheating, the team of the sixties for me would be:

West,
Parker, Wilson, Gabriel Labone, Kay,
Ball, Vernon, Young, Collins and Tommy Ring.

Mind you we could have one Hell of a subs bench!" The sixties were a great time for Everton fans and we had many great players but for me, one man stood out like a beacon of all what a great footballer should be... and I hope you agree Ray, that man was Alex Young. Not that I'm biased at all.

Ahhhhhhhhh the 1966 FA Cup Final, what memories indeed Peter, after a 33 year wait (mind boggling for a club like Everton IMHO) We had not conceded a goal either in the previous rounds, including a thrice played tie against Man City, whom we managed to beat eventually 2-0 in the 1/4 finals (at Wolves was it?)

After we had beaten Sunderland (h) Bedford (a) & Coventry (h) all 3-0, I was shocked we did not beat City by the same score, another easy tie in the semi final against the other Manchester outfit, saw us 'cruise' into the final, thanks to a bobbled shot by Colin Harvey 1-0......Wembley here we come!!

I was very fortunate enough to have seen all the previous games and no way was I going to miss the final either, I think I got my ticket through the voucher system we had back then!! I have always said I was 15, but in actuality I was only 14, the other lads were all older that lived in the neighbourhood of Walton around 17 or 18!

Most Evertonians were talking about us winning the cup without conceding a goal, prior to the game, that bubble was truly popped after only 4 mins or so, by Jim McCalliog?!? I was still supremely confident, I knew it was going to be our year, but when David Ford scored just before the hour mark, a lot of Blue noses dropped their heads, I told them all it would be okay, cos our name was on the trophy, within a few minutes Mike Trebilcock pulled a goal back, renewed optimism spread amongst the Evertonians in the stadium, around 5 minutes later, Wembley erupted when Trebilcock scored again to make it 2-2, then came the infamous pitch invasion of the one & only Eddie Cavanagh...........brilliant it was, leaving bizzies in his wake, until finally he ran out of steam & was rugby tackled! I recall Labby & Westy telling the cockney cops to go easy with him!!

Within ten minutes, the fairy tale was complete, when Derek (Shirley) Temple netted that glorious 3rd goal past Ron Springett, after a mistake by Gerry Young?!? The rest is a blur, although for some reason I had everyone that was around me, patting my back or hugging me, cos of my unending belief in that we would win the cup! The 1984 & 1995 FA Cup wins were awesome too, but there was something very special about the '66 victory..............I thank God, that I am an Evertonian!!

Jim, I agree entirely, Young was in a class of his own. If only we'd had the TV cameras at Goodison in the same numbers as we have today, then all the lads who weren't privileged enough to have witnessed these great players in the flesh, so to speak, could enjoy and marvel at their abilities. As for a 60's side....that's as difficult as any question on Everton could be. Reading through your choices it's hard to argue against any of them, Collins, sold far too soon, Ring, a great loss to the game, as was Kay, jailed and banned for far less than Grobbelaar's crime, but I would probably go with,

West, Parker, Labone, Kay, Wilson, Kendall, Ball, Collins and Harvey, Vernon and Young.

As you say, John White was a super player and would have fitted in well at Everton, as would Alan Gilzean who we almost signed but for some reason he went to Spurs. Cliff Jones, and Greaves ,too, as good a finisher as I've seen, in fact Spurs had some great players and were similar in many respects to ourselves in those days.

Right, I'm off to bed, golf in the morning, I'll no doubt raise an eye upwards to White at some point....

Nice post Ray!

PS, I wouldn't argue too much with your choice. We were so lucky...and I agree with your comments on Spurs. A great club with a fine footballing tradition. I don't think we were ever give the due we deserved for producing some great teams in that period.. Say Hello To John.

You can always count on Dr Everton to keep his hero Alex Young's flame burning. I remember him telling me about this documentary (what seems like) years ago and I thought it had been shelved.

I love the trailer and can't wait to see it in its entirety – he and his team at Tabacula must have scoured the earth to find the footage and get the input to put this together.

What we forget so easily is the time, effort and money the Good Doctor pours into our club one way or another: The Everton Collection which he virtually handed over to the fans, at a fraction of its worth.

The founder of the first Former Players' Foundation in the world – now taken on by almost every club – and the OBE he received last year as a nod to that... how refreshing that his great work has finally been acknowledged internationally.

The Hall of Fame dinners at the Adelphi – massive fund raisers for our Former Players who were down and out and completely off the radar. What a shame it takes handouts and donations from the hard-pressed fans to support our retired legends and not a penny from the current millionaires...

The unending support and positivity he lends to our club, his wit and knowledge, his compassion and his pioneering spirit – spreading the name and reputation of our magnificent club around the globe.

What a relief to hear both him and Mrs France also detest our new 'badge' – we are not alone!

This man is blue to the bone and it's my pleasure to count myself as one of his friends.

Thanks David, you're a true gentleman. I'll light a candle at the Cathedral on Thursday for Dave Hickson on your behalf as I promised.

Truly great memories. What a great article!
Maybe we all over react a little because we have been through a long drought since the mid-eighties without a great squad however for us early sixties fans that team was equalled only by the great Spurs at that time.
Catterick was an underrated manager and maybe because he replaced the popular Johnny Carey who layed the groundwork for that side before the famous Taxi ride. However the Ball, Kendall and Harvey combination was all his doing in the latter half of the decade.
Football has changed a lot since then with teams adopting the keep possession trait for long periods effectively reducing the excitement level of most games.
Ideally us older fans where brought up on the old 5 forward premise which saw more attacking play and it may be argued that certain players of that era wouldn't be so much of a factor these days but I maintain that players like Young,Best,Marsh,Mackenzie and Gazza would always succeed as we only have to look at what Messi does.
Still the memories of those great players will always be with us and we have to be thankful we were part of it. Thanks guys!

Peter Mills #511 better make that Holy Quintet then...Tommy Jackson

In those early 60s games me and a mate would hitchike to the London matches Cardiff, who were then in the 1st division and Ipswich. The everton team stayed at the Waldorf hotel but they changed hotel to Baileys hotel in Gloucester road, so we went there on the morning of the West Ham match which we won 2-0. We knew most of the players and the great Alex Young and Roy Vernon, who were close mates asked us to have a walk around the shops with them, what an absolute thrill for 2 sixteen year olds. That game only about 3 weeks after getting ko'd of fa cup at Upton park 1963. Roy Vernon had a column in the daily post and in it he said he wanted to see red sh beat leicester in semi final I challenged roy (a great character) he said I hope they get hammered. True heroes.

After reading the comments about Alex, who was my favourite player at the time (Did we call him Alex or Alec?), I was prompted to view the YouTube clip of the Everton v Man United match from 1967.

Even though I was at the game, I'd forgotten how young most of the Everton team were – there were 6 players 21 or under, all of them playing at the top of their ability.

Joe Royle at 18 was a revelation, full of confidence and skill on the ball. Howard Kendall, Colin Harvey, both 21, breaking up attacks and rampaging forward. Dependable John Hurst, only 19. Tommy Wright, 21, so under-rated, but not by Evertonians, and the peerless Alan Ball, also 21 and all over the place as usual.

But getting back to Alec (Alex?) Young, The other thing that struck me was the sight of him tackling back at full back and on more than one occasion dispossessing George Best. Also he would make himself available to receive the ball from Gordon West in the right back position. Critics have often labelled him a 'fancy dan' or 'lightweight', but this match highlighted his ability to ride rough tackles and shield the ball with his body.

A great player, a unique player, who never received the acclaim his talent deserved, except of course from the thousands of Evertonians who saw him. (We can't all be wrong!)

Wish I was around at the time to see him. What a player, from what I hear...

I can't wait to see video.

When I think of my perfect Goodison moment, I'm in the old paddock at our "spec", my season ticket cost £4-5 shillings and Young and Vernon were in their pomp. Never was it better, Ball Kendall and Harvey were a better team, so was the eighties team, but Young and Vernon, less than 20 stone between them and they terrified defenders like Banks, Clamp, Harris and Hunter. That is the Everton of my dreams.

When you watch "the Golden Vision" it is the ordinariness of Young's life that strikes you, his small semi, his mini. In those days the players not only belonged to us they were with us. I remember playing cricket in Walton hall Park with my mate and his older brother and a few more of their Flo Melly pals and Brian Labone(ex Flo Melly) was there playing with us and I was bowling to him and being struck all over the place. I remember getting on the 27 bus and sitting behind Chris Lawler, dressed in a suit, as he made his way to Anfield and this was when he was part of the Liverpool team that had won the League in 63-4. Football's better nowadays in so many ways, but the players are no longer really a part of the same community as the fans.