The Mersey Millionaires: Everton' incredible class of 1963

Thursday, 13 September, 2018 14comments | Jump to most recent

At the Those Football Times website, Paul McParlan chronicles Harry Catterick's first success at Everton, winning the Football League Championship in 1963.

Everton's title win was treated with grudging respect by many commentators outside the city, who labelled Catterick's side as the “Cheque Book Champions” with insinuations that they had used the financial resources of John Moores to buy the league. Everton spent in the region of £290,000 to assemble their side but other clubs – namely Manchester United and Tottenham – had spent £115,000 and £99,999 on Denis Law and Jimmy Greaves alone, failing to reinforce other areas of their teams.

With the maximum wage now abolished and the transfer market in England having been reformed with players no longer bound by the retain and transfer system, the Football League had been revolutionised. Quickly, the big city sides with their wealthy backers would dominate the honours. Everton were merely the trendsetters.

» Read the full article at These Football Times

Reader Comments (14)

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Alan J Thompson
1 Posted 13/09/2018 at 15:59:40

And was it 1959 or 1960 that Man Utd set a British record in signing Albert Quixall from Sheff Wed for 30K.
Anyone remember the Daily Mirror competition where you had to pick a team that didn't exceed One Million in total transfer fees?

Brian Harrison
2 Posted 13/09/2018 at 16:26:47

Alan

If my memory serves me correctly, I think Manchester United paid Sheffield Wednesday 㿙,000 for Albert Quixall in 1958. He was one of the first signings that they made after the Munich air disaster.

I think it would have been Jimmy Murphy the assistant manager to Matt Busby that signed him, as Matt spent a long time recovering from his injuries.

Steve Ferns
3 Posted 13/09/2018 at 16:29:42

Pick a team that doesn't exceed a million pounds in total transfer fees with the current generation! Are there any other 㿨,000 Seamus Colemans out there?

Ian Burns
4 Posted 13/09/2018 at 16:46:31

1963 - how I remember that first title I witnessed with the final 4-1 beating of Fulham at Goodison. We were the Millionaires Club, being an Evertonian in Liverpool in the '60s was a magical time. I can close my eyes with a gin to hand and relive many fond memories â€“including the occasion footy one!

Then we WERE a big club.

Alasdair Mackay
5 Posted 13/09/2018 at 17:47:05

Steve (#3),

That sounds like a fun exercise. I bet you could do it if you looked for youth team players that are still playing at their first club â€“ people like Mark Noble at West Ham.

Might give that a go.

Steve Ferns
6 Posted 13/09/2018 at 17:57:44

That's cheating though Alasdair. Try to do it using bargain signings like Coleman.

Alan J Thompson
7 Posted 13/09/2018 at 18:14:41

You're probably right, Brian, as I can still recall the photo of him with a big quiff hairstyle on the News.

Steve, my first signing was always Terry Hennessey (Nottm Forest), a bargain for I think 㿊k, or I'm stuck at that figure, and free transfers don't count.

How much did Vardy cost Leicester?

Tony Heron
8 Posted 13/09/2018 at 18:50:53

Ian @ 4. Ah yes, I remember it well!! If memory serves, this was the winter of the Big Freeze which resulted in the season being extended due to so many games being postponed. One of the things I remember about that Fulham game was Tony Kay following Johnny Haynes everywhere and not giving him a kick (of the ball, that is!!).

John Keating
9 Posted 13/09/2018 at 19:25:11

Ian (#4),

A great day, Ian. At the start of the game, I was at the Park End of Goodison Road, half-time I was still there but had been down to the Gwladys Street end via the crowd! Think I did another couple of lengths of Goodison Road by the full-time whistle.

Used to love seeing the half-time scores put up against the letters on the Bullens Road wall... I just loved everything about that period. The City was alive and buzzing, we had Young and Vernon. The only blot really was getting rid of Bobby Collins.

Great days and a great team.

David Israel
10 Posted 14/09/2018 at 02:19:13

That match against Fulham was my first-ever at Goodison Park. Not bad for a start, was it?

Brian Murray
11 Posted 14/09/2018 at 02:43:51

My older bro, John Murray, was the mascot all that season. Roy Vernon looked after him, letting him walk from the dressing room onto the pitch. We have photos of him with the players on the lap of honour. Great memories.

Shame Everton don't do dynasties and carry on domination. Same in 1969-70.

Dave Abrahams
12 Posted 14/09/2018 at 17:25:10

Brian (2), yes you are correct, Quixall was signed early in the 1958-59 season, I remember the day as I went to Sheffield to see Liverpool, with a couple of Liverpool mates, to see them get beat (2-0) by Sheffield Utd in an evening kick-off. I don't remember what the weather was like but it was a lovely night!!!

By the way, it was a Second Division game.

Laurie Hartley
13 Posted 15/09/2018 at 04:42:18

After reading the full article, I find it very difficult not to break my "new season's resolution" about not banging on about being an Evertonian in the '60s.

Suffice it to say, I wish I could put our new owner, manager, team, and our young fans into a time machine and take them back to Goodison for that 1-0 win against Spurs in 1963. If you were there, you know what I mean.

Ray Short
14 Posted 25/09/2018 at 11:17:09

Tony at 8, my memory of the day is that I went shopping in town for a shirt and then got the bus from outside St George's Hall, so standing in the Paddock with my crumpled bag under my arm, not happy with some of Tony Kay's tackles on Haynes (a bit unnecessary for the best footballing team on earth!) but most of all I remember, and it still gives me goose pimples as I write, just one sound at the end of the game: "Champions!!!" rolling like thunder around the ground. COYB

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