Misfits, Mysteries and Nearly-Men – Rodrigol

These little excursions into the haunted wing of the Everton ex-players is a lovely diversion from other things.

That I should write that on a football forum would be odd in other times.

I take your point Chris, about his career, I was honestly thinking more in the terms of, “if life is a journey” then this fella has probably lived a bit more than most.

Such a shame his career was ruined in that way.

Oh, I forgot to thank Mick Davies for suggesting Rodrigo.

The other recurring theme I'm seeing in so many of these footballer bios is the horrendous impact of serious injury. It just seems so prevalent.

I guess with the nature of the sport it is inevitable but, as a serious chicken-shit myself, probably more by good luck than good judgement, the thought of sustaining such potentially career-ending injuries seems to be taken for granted almost as a right of passage.

I guess it's a bit like serious rock climbers who presumably accept without too much thought the risk of instant and painful death if they should make a mistake?

The lad had actually suffered a knee injury not long before the loan move from Botafogo to Everton, and you have to wonder just how strong his knee was, and should it have been caught in the medical?

And paying a £1.25M fee for a one-season loan... wasn't that an awful lot of money to risk back then?

The bloke who did that operation was working in our local butchers down the road, until they just closed down.

The fact that he had had an operation surely would have led to caution and vigilance in his medical. But given the subsequent diagnosis and surgery you can maybe see how good the medical science was.

Moyes must have fancied him and it could have turned out much better – a proto-Seamus deal?

Good point about the injuries Michael, because I never even saw what Chris was alluding to, possibly because like you say, its something we just to assume to be part of their job.

One player I can think of is George Thomson. Came with Alex Young from Hearts. He was ok, skillful on the ball but slow. Mick Meagan replaced him.

Years after the events, Alex was asked about George and he replied that he’d love to know where Thomson was because he was owed money by him.

He went to Brentford in 63/64, not sure after that.

Could be a story to be told

Another name I'd suggest Is David Smallman - I think we signed him from Wrexham and I remember him scoring a cracker at the Gwladys St End but don't remember who it was against. I think an injury did for him but not sure about that. Would love to know what happened to him.

He had a good career with Brentford but I believe George fell on hard times after his football career ended which could explain why Alex Young never got his money back. Records say George died in 2007.

I doubt Alex ever got his cash back by the sound of it.

It was the bit that’s missing I was curious about.

I always remember his sliding tackle was completely different from Alex Parker, whose sliding tackle was a thing of beauty, side on so he could steal the ball, and get up and pass it. George went in flat on his arse, not a thing of beauty.

Funny the things you remember.

I am sure I can remember one of our great players of the time saying that Kevin lacked the bottle needed to get through times of difficulty. Huge shame; the way he dwelt on the ball while Inchy got into space for his diving header vs Man Utd showed confidence and maturity – he could have been very good.

Another one was Rob 'the Pole' Warzycha, was brilliant until he learned English and was instructed what to do.

Stay safe and well everyone.

Suddenly, for no reason I can remember, he faded and was sold (Birmingham?). Great skill, strong, good pace and had a decent brain too. He could have been so good!

Shaw only played three first team games for Everton, away to Blackburn and West Brom and home to Arsenal. I saw him mainly in the reserves and he only had one move, and that was to push the ball past his marker and dash after it, it didn't take his opponents long to suss him out.

Hi Dave mk 2, {32] three of the most frustrating players I have seen at Goodison were all left wingers, Gary Jones, Peter Beagrie, and James McFadden, all outside left's. As you say, Jones had skill in abundance, but I felt there were times when [like the other two] he would hang on to the ball, but as I've acknowledged on this site more than once "We can go to the same match, and see a different game".

Gary Jones was what you say: frustrating, held the ball for too long, and inconsistent, but had everything to be a great player. Why he did not become one, I would love to know because he faded quite quickly.

Said it was good to strengthen the knee. Honest boss.

For other mystery men I second Li Weifeng and add to that;

Ibrahim Said, Eddy Bosnar and Anton Peterlin.

Before that, it was the odd scuffle, but that day was like a scene from a Western.

That was all he did in the game and he faded away after half-a-dozen or so appearances and never made an impact in the lower leagues.

I always wondered if the pressure of being our first black player was too much or maybe he couldn't handle the abuse that black players got in those dreadful days. Another who could have been great!

Cliff was mid-1970s, I think.

You were right first time – it was the Masonic, now called The Lodge (geddit?). Gary Jones had it for a while and then, I seem to remember, he moved to another boozer off Rathbone Road.

As for David Smallman (Chris #27), I seem to recall that he turned down a move the previous season due to potential injury doubts and then came to us with much promise.

I recall the Sheffield Utd goal (the game I prefer to forget) and there was a buzz about him which never fulfilled itself. Did he go back to Wrexham?

BTW – wasn't that the season Carlisle got relegated with Everton being the only team they beat home and away?

League title duly presented to Mordor on a silver plate.

Another winger who ended up running a boozer (opposite the Cathedral on Upper Parly).

I think you are right about the racial abuse affecting his confidence – that and having Gordon Lee as a manager!

What a character she was. I spent a few “Mad Mondays” in there.

‘Gloria ‘ended up serving in the Sefton, behind Clayton Square. If we’re talking about the same person.

Hey Babe Take aWalk On The Wildside.

You mean the Gladray. The pub I'm thinking of was further down towards the river and was called the St James (it's now converted into apartments).

Cliff may have picked up a few tricks from Gloria but tending the bar wouldn't have been one of them!

John, (48), yes I recall all of them, Joe Harris a right winger who played a few games in the second division, Albert Harris was a goalkeeper and George Cummins an Irish International ( Eire) inside left who went to Luton, I liked George, a good ball player and dribbler, he came back to live in Liverpool and played for a couple of clubs in the Sunday League and worked on the sites.

Ray Minshull, who played in Liverpool’s post war title winning team, was Everton’s youth development officer and he told me he would the training sessions at Bellefield and the player who stood out in every session was Ross Jack, but he couldn’t reproduce that form in actual games, I think we’ve got three or four of those type of players on the books now.

It was the second successive FA Cup tie I saw at the ground as, for some reason, I had taken myself off as an 11-year-old to watch Southport's 2nd Round game against Runcorn.

It was a forgettable game, but I recall it being very cold, and also remember reaching into my pocket for some sweets during the 2nd half only to discover that the hand of the man standing behind me was already there. Fortunately it was my anorak, not my kecks!

Be thankful you hadn't gone to Anfield – it would have been a rolled-up copy of the Echo!

Peter, I bet that fella who had his hand in your pocket was wearing a white mac, it was always a give away, Liverpudlians, every one of them.