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Everton

Top 60 Everton Players: #58 Tony Kay

November 18, 2009
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Top 60 Everton Players: #58 Tony Kay

Tony Kay (1962-64) 57 appearances, 4 goals Tony Kay was Britain’s most expensive footballer when Everton swooped for him in 1962, paying a British record £60,000 for the red-headed wing half. Ponderous players attempting a midfield filibuster were greeted by Kay’s menacing physicality as well as his abundant skill. Harry Catterick, a shrewd judge of talent, clearly had big plans for Kay – plans that sadly never fully blossomed.   That Kay is instead remembered for becoming embroiled in a betting scandal during his time at Sheffield Wednesday and being banned from football for life is one of Everton’s biggest tragedies. Capped once by England, Kay resembles Everton’s major “what...

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Top 60 Everton Players: #59 DUNCAN FERGUSON

November 16, 2009
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Top 60 Everton Players: #59 DUNCAN FERGUSON

#59. Duncan Ferguson (1994-98, 2000-06) 273 appearances, 72 goals As misunderstood as Boo Radley, as Blue as they come, and unsurprisingly the No 1 choice for this season’s induction into Gwladys Street’s Hall Of Fame. Ferguson may not be the most glorious Toffee ever but peer over the journalistic wall of words and you have the perfect talisman for late 1990s Everton. Fans projected all their angst onto this Scottish totem, who was blighted by injury, brimming with anger, a fan amongst players and, when the mood took him, an unplayable striker. A nearly man who was underrated on the floor and wonderful in the air – most memorably...

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It's amazing what happens when things are taken out of context‏

November 16, 2009
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It's amazing what happens when things are taken out of context‏

The excruciating thing is that they both did exactly the same strange neck dance. Their actions before were different, the games themselves were utterly different, but the spasmodic neck move was the same. In both cases it was a dance borne from emotion shaved to the bone, they both looked like fish, slapping about on the deck, writhing for oxygen. For a split second Michael Thomas and Victor Anichebe share the same space, and then go their separate ways.

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INJURY BLUES: Three steps forward, one step back?

November 10, 2009
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Finally, some positive news on Phil Neville, Leon Osman and Steven Pienaar; physio Mick ‘Basil’ Rathbone reports in his excellent blog that all three are making “rapid progress.” Tim Howard though has withdrawn from the USA squad with what Everton describe as “damaged fibres on the underside of his foot.” The USA easily qualified for the World Cup and are scheduled to play friendlies in Slovakia on Saturday and Denmark the following Wednesday. Howard has, without question, been our player of the season so far, turning in a string of consistently brilliant performances between the sticks, pulling off some stunning saves and doing his best to marshal our Jagielka-less...

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KING LOUIS & DAN-THE-MAN SINK THE HAMMERS

November 8, 2009
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WEST HAM UNITED 1 – EVERTON 2 Gate: 32,466. Ref: Alan Wiley. As expected, David Moyes started with a 4-5-1 formation. Louis Saha and Johnny Heitinga came in for Yakubu and the suspended Bilyaletdinov. A big surprise for anyone who saw Hibbert’s poor performance against Benfica was that he retained his place. We assume Lucas Neill is not fully fit or David Moyes is trying to preserve Hibbert’s shaky confidence, rather like a driver encouraged to get back behind the wheel after a nasty car crash. Robert Green made his 100th consecutive appearance for the Hammers while Spector and Zavon Hines –...

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CAN WE KEEP OUR HEADS AT THE BOLEYN GROUND?

November 7, 2009
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Lucas Neill returns to the club he skippered tomorrow when we face West Ham who are undefeated in their last four games, the most recent of which was last Wednesday’s impressive 2-1 home victory over Villa. Keeper Robert Green will make his 100th consecutive appearance for the club, his 99th having been marked by a penalty save from Ashley Young. Ilunga and Carlton Cole have hamstring problems so Zola has put Spector and Zavon Hines on standby. Diniyar Bilyaletdinov starts his three match suspension, Steven Pienaar is allegedly close enough to face a fitness test, but Leon Osman remains sidelined with a chipped ankle bone, while we hope Louis...

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JAGS & VIC: More bad news

November 7, 2009
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Apparently it always comes in threes…bad news that is. Thus following the disclosure that Mikel Arteta has had to undergo a third – albeit minor – operation come reports that our best defender, Phil Jagielka, has had a second operation on his knee and Victor Anichebe has had a setback in his recovery. It had seemed that Jags was recovering well, that a return to full training was imminent and he was targeting a return to first-team action before Christmas. However, David Moyes has revealed that the player suffered a tear in his meniscus – the cartilage in his knee – and has had an operation to repair it....

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Tony Cascarino – King of the Kneejerkers

November 6, 2009
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Tony Cascarino – King of the Kneejerkers

It happens after every defeat, sometimes it even happens during a game, and today the kneejerkers are out in force. They are bolstered by Times writer and former footballer Tony Cascarino, whose particular knee-jerk comes with a twist. He thinks Moyes should leave us. Everton currently sit in 13th place in the Premier League – but only seven points from the Top Four. We dropped out of the Carling Cup – a result I don’t particularly care about and we lost to Benfica in Portugal with Tony Hibbert playing as center half – but those two results have been a reflex hammer to some. Mr Cascarino says: “Yes, there...

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MOYES WANTS ‘OLD FIRM’ IN PREMIER LEAGUE

November 6, 2009
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David Moyes has backed Bolton chairman Phil Gartside’s proposal that the EPL be divided into two tiers – each of 18 teams – as a way of accommodating Celtic and Rangers. Moyes said “I’d like to see it because I’m a Scotsman and I think it would be great to see Celtic and Rangers initially in league two.” He went on “TV would be interested, media would be interested and the crowds at every ground in the country would increase.” The plan is scheduled to be discussed by Premier League clubs next week. In the past the big four have not supported the idea and it has failed to...

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BENFICA SIMPLY TOO GOOD FOR SHACKLED BLUES

November 6, 2009
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EVERTON 0 – BENFICA 2 (Saviola 63, Cardozo 76) Gate: 30,790 Ref: Said Ennjimi (F) Watching games like this, with half a team missing, is not good for the constitution. A lively and determined first 30 minutes from Everton, during which presentable scoring opportunities were missed, first by Fellaini and then Yakubu, was followed by the visitors from Lisbon gradually gaining in confidence and control. After a shaky start they rattled the woodwork at the Gwladys Street end twice and spurned further clear chances after the break before a neat finish from Saviola finally opened the flood-gates. Late on the dread was that defeat might turn into another rout....

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New Premier League season kicks-off the weekend of 18/19 August. Next seasons fixtures will be announced mid-June

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