This article may have been recategorised and is therefore no longer available at this URL.

You can try to find the updated link in the article archive.

Share article:

Reader Comments (10)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer


Rick Tarleton
1 Posted 14/01/2022 at 09:27:43
A very valuable and underrated member of the 62-3 team. I remember Brian Labone saying to a few of us in the Hermitage after a bowls game, that from his point of view Dennis was a great player because he never neglected his defensive duties.
This series has been a joy to read and I've loved the insights it has given us of life for the footballers and their families in the
days when footballers were very much part of the community rather than the remote, cosmopolitan figures they have now become.
Alan J Thompson
2 Posted 14/01/2022 at 10:32:55
I do get tempted to say when footballers were people, but then think that when I started work it was on 3 pounds 10 shillings a week plus 5 x 3/- luncheon vouchers. And while my father said that Blue Funnel had a great pension scheme it did stand me in good stead throughout my working life.

I do enjoy these articles, thank you, Becky.

Dave Abrahams
3 Posted 14/01/2022 at 16:03:45
I didn’t realise until reading this lovely article that Dennis was twenty nine when he joined us andI’m very glad that he did.

Dennis was the ultimate team player, the player who did all the unselfish grafting, the man in the background doing the donkey work, that is not to belittle Dennis but to praise him, one of my favourite players who replaced another of my very favourite players, Bobby Collins, and took a lot of stick off fans for that.

Dennis persevered though and won many of those fans over with his work rate, skill and a few goals,as Nat Lofthouse said when they played together at Bolton
“ I would score a goal and get all the plaudits off the crowd while Dennis would pick himself up off the floor after doing all the spadework to create that goal.

Off the field Dennis was a well liked personality and a genuine man, a couple of fans I knew who knew all the players got a lift home on the Everton coach after an away game with two more of their mates, the coach stopped at an hotel for the players to have a drink, they stayed on the coach because they were skint, as Dennis was passing them to get off he asked if they were coming in to join the team, they explained the situation and Dennis said “ I never asked you how much you had, come in with me, then once inside he did the honours and looked after them.

Gone but never forgotten Dennis, and not just by me but by plenty of Bluenoses my age, although we are getting less and less as the years roll on.
Barry Connor
4 Posted 14/01/2022 at 16:28:30
Very enjoyable read and a valuable player for the club.
In 1962 when he joined Everton I was just 11 years old and the club house near Arrow Park into which Dennis moved was situated around the corner from where I lived with my parents. It was a young boy's dream as I was able to go around to his house and talk to him about the club. Better still, when they won the League he kindly took in a commemorative brochure that was printed by the club and got me all the players' autographs.
Even better, when he eventually moved out of the club house, Brian Labone moved in and he was just as accessible - they didn't live in security compounds in those days !
I would occasionally see Dennis boarding the 77 bus on his way to work (how times have changed !) and it surprised me how short he was - I had previously been under the impression that all professional footballers were giants ! Some of the photos accompanying the article confirm that as he is smaller than Alex Young and about the same height as Alan Ball, both of whom being termed 'pocket battleships' at the time.
Dennis Stevens
5 Posted 14/01/2022 at 17:41:02
My namesake was before my time as his first full season at the Club was my first full season on the planet :-)

These articles are always a good read, even though I've got both books!
Bill Hawker
6 Posted 14/01/2022 at 18:10:55
I absolutely love reading about Everton players and their families, especially as I didn't even know anything about Everton until the late 90's. The history of the club is fantastic. Just wish I knew more about it sooner in life.
Mike Gaynes
7 Posted 14/01/2022 at 20:26:30
Always enjoy your historical tours, Becky. Thank you.
Rick Tarleton
8 Posted 14/01/2022 at 20:53:37
Our 62-3 team, league champions and still my favourite Everton team, had a midfield that noone trifled with. Dennis, Jimmy Gabriel, Brian Harris or Tony Kay and John Morrissey took few prisoners. Creative, but as tough as you needed to be in those days when looking after yourself and your team without waiting for VAR to declare a kick was above the shin, or a tackle took man and ball and was therefore legitimate.
Dennis was part of the team when creativity was allied to physical and mental toughness. Despite being at least two stone heavier than Young or Vernon, Richarliason would have been in tears at the treatment those two received.
Tony Hill
9 Posted 14/01/2022 at 21:10:33
Rick @8, yes, my favourite Everton too. I think they had our essence, or expressed it more completely than any other of our teams. They edge out 69-70. Or 68-69, I should add.
Tony Hill
10 Posted 14/01/2022 at 21:21:22
PS another important remembrance of a fine player in this superb series. Thanks.

Add Your Comments

In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.

» Log in now

Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site.


About these ads


, placement: 'Below Article Thumbnails', target_type: 'mix' });