Materazzi looks back on his spell with Everton

Here's the Match Report compiliation posted on ToffeeWeb from that day, long long ago now, it seems.

I thought Steve Bickerton's report (remember him?) was particularly animated. The whole match was littered with refereeing errors, and Marco really got shafted.

As images say more than a thousand words, you can find the highlights of that match here:

Nice one, Joeri. Thanks for putting up that link,

The second goal by Super Kev was especially nice to see again. The determination to finish at close quarters under almost blanket defending.

Game sounds really exciting... maybe it was hearing a real crowd!

I was at the game, towards the Street End, I had no idea what a shocking decision that red card was.

I’m pleased Dave Watson got the retaliation in first on Huckerby the previous season.

I remember the game and was in the Park End. It was clear at the time Materazzi made no contact for that red, but he did have a habit of going in with both feet at the time. Beautifully mugged off by Huckerby.
I think he would have made a great CB if he'd stayed, as he showed in the World Cup a few years later.

After watching some games from the '90s and early '00s, it seems we used to play with more urgency and (I hate this managerial speak) intensity back then.

I wonder if pass completion % was a big thing back then? Players seem more interested in this than actually winning a game!

Marco Materazzi was very unlucky with that red. Huckerby should've got an Oscar for that dive!

Materazzi... his time at Everton kinda mirrored Bilic. Decent defender with significant temperament issues. Both saw multiple reds in their seasons.

Everton seemed like home for both but that a familiar tale, taking in strays who need rehabilitation.

If Carlo's considered approach doesn't work, I'd like Bilic to have a go. A strong personality with a hint of madness that could get this place going.

Great article.

I can barely remember a game that happened a month ago but I remember that vividly. Terrible dive by Huckerby. If Pires, Ginola etc had done that...

Materazzi was a fine centre half. A bit raw back then but had a very good career, of course picking up a World Cup winners medal. Dacourt was also a good signing that same year (I think). A shame we only hung on to both for a year.

I was obsessed with transfers as a school boy. Remember a headline in one of the red-tops "Oui Dacourt" when he signed. Very exciting signing along with Matterazi and Bakayoko. I used to scour the papers and teletext for stats and information (along with the Rothman's Guide). I haven't changed. Always waiting for next summer. That will be my epitaph.

John Pierce,

Funny thing too: both Bilic and Materazzi were portrayed as World Cup villains for dastardly deeds against France in getting Laurent Blanc sent off (Bilic, fake head butt dive in 98 semi-final) and Materazzi (actual headbutt from Zidane in 2006).

I thought the 2006 World Cup final summed up Materazzi perfectly, his brilliance and his dark side, he was a hero but also a villain, always somehow at the centre of attention though.

Robert @10, you'll be unsurprised to hear I was exactly the same! I still remember when a friend first showed me NewsNow and it revolutionized my transfer scouring. Still on it 20 times a day!

Jim, didn’t we sign Nyarko around then or did he join with Gravesen?

I was probably the only person in the world taken in by an April Fools front cover transfer exclusive with Ian Rush in an Everton shirt in 1987.

Shoot and Match were the go-to for transfer rumours back then. They were never true, although after about 6 years of transfer exclusives, Pat Nevin did join Everton.

Kieran, I was desperate for Bilic to work out. Fresh from the World Cup, that Croatian team was dynamite.

I was up in the North-East at the time and got to see him first hand at Newcastle. I was deeply underwhelmed. He got two yellows and both could have been red. He couldn't stay on his feet, every challenge was on a knife-edge. He was all over the place.

Materazzi was so similar, just zero discipline and thought everything could be done with brut force. Of course, the charismatic force of personality was there but actually I never rated either because both lacked judgment.

Fast forward 20 years later and their reincarnation appeared; Funes Mori. Lots of personality but ultimately an over physical defender who lacked a brain.

All three in retrospect benefited from their personality but, laid bare, I'm not sure they were very good?!

Kieran, count me in the club mate too. I was a paper boy and used to read all the new editions of Shoot etc. on my round. That picture haunts me to this day.

I have had a profound dislike for Rush because of it. He joined Newcastle and got the winner at the Gwladys Street end in the FA Cup I think. Listen closely I'm the one behind the goal giving him dog's abuse. Some along the lines of ‘yer big red-nosed twat' and so on.

Absolutely abhor him.

Robert and Sam. I was and am exactly the same. Always scoured Teletext and went straight to the daily & Sunday gossip columns in the newspapers.

From a kid, I used to spend every single day thinking about which players we could sign to improve. As a 13-year-old I even considered writing a letter to Howard Kendall (2nd time round) on what players could sign lol. I thought every Evertonian did that but judging by some responses on TW to player links I'm not sure that is the case at least not to the same level.

I actually had high hopes that summer, as I'm sure most Evertonian's did when we bought Materazzi, Dacourt, Collins and Unsworth. Was pretty gutted when the bottom fell out of it when we had to sell Dunc etc cos Peter Johnson lost a load of money on his failed oven chip venture.

Robert #10, or you could opt for "The Ultimate Transfer Window."

I could then add you to my list of World's Funniest Epitaphs, which includes "Here Lies an Atheist: All Dressed Up and No Place to Go", "We Finally Found a Place to Park in Georgetown", "Damn It's Dark Down Here", and Mel Blanc's tombstone, "That's All Folks!"

Mike - my favourite is Spike Milligan "I told you I was ill".

Sam & Gavin. I'm delighted to have found you. Both as tragically sad as I am.

John Pierce

You're absolutely right. I forgot about Fumes Mori but he was cut from the same cloth. Yeah, I was excited about Bilic too even though he was bizarrely signed in that period “between managers”. He pissed me off after missing all year at Everton then playing for Croatia. Then he retired at Everton and suddenly came back at Hadjuk Split!

On Rush, yeah I hated him. As a man, I always preferred John Aldridge though I met his Dad once and he spent an hour lamenting the fact his son was never as good as “Rushie”.

Gavin Johnson 17

I DID write Howard Kendall II a letter urging him to sign Tony Philliskirk from Bolton and Czech Republic player Ivan Hazel. Howard, wisely, didn't follow my advice or personally reply but someone at Everton sent me a signed photo of Kevin Ratcliffe, and weirdly a photo copy of an autographed picture of Graeme Sharp. That was the end of my scouting career.

Rob, I was too, still am, it's a sickness that never leaves you. :) Maybe because I live with my head in the clouds, not too focused on what could have been but dreaming of what we could become. A trap I have fallen into with Everton my whole life!

Gavin 17 - I remember feeling really optimistic that summer as well I was really excited about Bakayoko, what a let down that was. I loved Dacourt!

That's a great story, Kieran. I wish I'd have sent the letter now. A 13-year-old me would have been made up to get a signed Kevin Ratcliffe photo, lol!

Steve – Yes, Bakayoko sounded decent at the time. Wasn't he meant to be the next George Weah?! – lol!

I remember the season had started when we bought him cos I remember reading the newspaper when I was back at university. He was useless. I think I saw his first goal at Goodison against Saints.

In the days before YouTube, I remember watching Montpellier one game and Bakayoko dribbled round what seemed like the whole side and scored.

Next season, he joined us. I remember telling all the kopites he was going to win us the league. Oh how they laughed! Oh how I cried! Still hurts now!

Gavin 24,

I was at that game too, behind the goal. When he scored, there was a loud cheer followed by what seemed like an even louder shout from an old guy of “About bloody time!”

Bakayoko was kind of a smaller Paulo Wanchope only Wanchope's mazy seemingly uncontrolled runs resulted in goals.

Kieran & Steve, for how bad Bakayoko was ,I actually made a few quid on him the following season when he scored the first goal against Man Utd in Champions League fixture when he was at Marseille.

John #16, I don't know if you know the story, but Gordon Lee was looking at both Rush and Sharp, and could've signed both, but plumped for Sharpy.

Over 10 years ago, I met Rush in Singapore, and asked him if he was aware of the interest in him at the time, and he said he was. I then asked the hypothetical question if Lee had signed both, would he have struck up a good partnership with Sharpy?

His reply was short. "You can never tell." He paused. "But we'd have won everything".

I remember Bakayoko scoring a 25-yard thunderbolt vs Southampton, that was also the winning goal. There have been worse strikers at Goodison, even Madar wasn't as bad as everyone makes out. It's just in the few occasions we get a top level striker they leave.