Harry Catterick: The Untold Story of a Football Great

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No doubt the people behind the latest stunt will get their laughs from the “lolz” generation and Spurs, with a hefty fine on the cards, will be accused of not getting the joke. The Everton connection would always come in useful: “It put me in good stead wherever I went – people would say, ‘Oh, you played for Everton’ as they were one of the top sides – Everton were the glory side in Liverpool.” The antagonistic clash of dispositions between rivals from the dugout is certainly not a new phenomenon, although the mischievous stoking of the coals by outside influences does seem to be of a greater prevalence these days. The following season saw some changes in the Blues’ ranks, as Harvey cemented his place, Tommy Wright came through to replace Alex Parker and Sandy Brown came in to play everywhere. Here was a man who had spent 14 years at Goodison as a player, 12 as manager plus two as a “consultant” and who had created, arguably, one of the finest post-war teams to grace English football pitches, yet he had not been given recognition in the form of a biography.

Sunderland were granted league status in 1890 – the first new team to be admitted, replacing Stoke City – and they soon reached the top. After taking a season to acclimatise, Watson's side won three titles in four years. The first championship saw them win all 13 of their home games, a campaign during which they also recorded 13 wins on the bounce. In their second title season, they were the first team to score 100 goals in a campaign, 43 more than second-placed Preston. They also made the FA Cup semi-finals in 1892 and 1895.He is buried in the graveyard of St Anne's Church, St Anne's-on-the-Sea, Lancashire after a funeral held there six days after his death. His gravestone bears the Everton motto, "Nil satis nisi optimum".

He had five good seasons at Everton and two more at Crewe Alexandra before taking on the club’s managerial role. He then managed Rochdale and Sheffield Wednesday until in 1961 he took charge of Everton, leading to the club’s most successful decade: the Division One title in 1963 and 1970 and the FA Cup in 1966. Ball, Kendall and Harvey may have grabbed the headlines, but the manager had crafted a well-balanced side, considered by football purists to be one of the finest seen on English soil.

The legendary Tottenham manager might have won more trophies than any other manager that decade – but one of his contemporaries won more matches and collected more top flight points than any other. And he’s always overlooked. Centre half and captain Brian Labone was among the Everton players of the era to suggest that some of the performances delivered by the developing side between 1967 and ’69 were as good as any in the Championship season. With England World Cup winner Alan Ball joining a line up of rising stars such as Joe Royle, John Hurst and Jimmy Husband and with new signing Howard Kendall, 1968 saw Everton in Wembley once more. This time however their hopes were dashed when West Brom took the Cup in extra time. The striker – who was the first major football talent from sub-Saharan Africa to shine on the big stage having been born in the then Portuguese colony of Mozambique – netted 41 goals in 64 internationals and enjoyed a phenomenal scoring rate at club level with Benfica, plundering 473 goals in 440 matches for the Lisbon giants, with whom he won 11 domestic titles and the 1962 European Cup. Eusebio never forgot his exploits at Goodison Park though and when returning to Everton's home for a Europa League match in November 2009, he said: “Sorry, I don’t speak good English. But today for me, for my family, it’s a good day, for Benfica to play here. This stadium for me is the best stadium in my playing life.”