Everton Independent Research Data
PLAYER-MANAGER FOR BOOTLE F.C.
July 14, 1950. The Evening Express
Former Everton Star Appointment
By Pilot (Don Kendall)
Bootle-Football Club are expanding in a big way, and in their endeavour fully to establish themselves, they have appointed Mr. Alex Stevenson player-manager for the 1950-51 team. Mr. Stevenson recently ended 16 years service with the Everton F.C., whom he served so faithfully as a player and last season as assistant trainer. He played regularly for Ireland for many years, joined Everton from Glasgow Rangers, and his knowledge of football is bound to stand Bootle in good stead. He is a conscientious worker and his desire is to develop young talent. Alex received several offers, of appointments following the severance of his ties with Everton including an attractive offer from the South Liverpool club. “I feel,” said Mr. Stevenson, “that the progressive Bootle club offers me tremendous opportunities in my first managerial for they have a good ground and plenty of promising youngsters whom I hope to make into a successful team to reward the enthusiasm being shown in Bootle.
EVERTON PLAYERS REPORT
July 24, 1950. The Liverpool Echo
Jack Hedley, Down with Tonsillitis,
Awaits Decision on Bogota Trip
Ranger’s Notes
Close-season holidays over, professional footballers are now getting back into training for the coming season in increasing numbers. By Wednesday practically all the registered players of the 92 clubs of the Football League will be in harness again, Everton’s players reported for duty this morning and were welcomed by Chairman W.R. Williams and Manager Cliff Britton. The club has a staff of 28 full-time and three part-time professional’s with which to face the new season. In a few brief words, Mr. Williams expressed his pleasure at seeing the players again, and wished them the best of luck and freedom from injuries in the coming winter. “I trust we shall all be as happy and carefree on the last Saturday of the season as we are this morning “he added. Mr. Britton spoke in similar vein, and then the lads donned heavy sweaters and trousers and set out for the first task of the day, a few miles of road work to loosen up their muscles and prepare for the harder work to come later. A notable absentee was Jack Hedley, who was missing for two reasons. One was that he is laid up with tonsillitis and the other that his position following that ill-fated adventure along with Roy Paul to Bogota is still in the air. Hedley has not yet been re-signed. Old-stagers who have severed their connection with the club since last season included Tommy Jones, now player-coach to Pwllheli; Alex Stevenson just appointed to a similar position with Bootle and Norman Greenhalgh, Corr and T.S Jones are still on the open-to-transfer list, and have not yet fixed up with a fresh club.
Some Newcomers
Newcomers to the Goodison Park staff, compared with the end of last season are Sutherland, an 18-years-old full back from Cork; Hamilton, a 23-year-old outside right from the Scottish junior club, Bellshill, and Harris, formerly Marine’s outside right. The last-named is on a two month trial, McNamara, who figured fairly frequently on the wing in the Central League side with much success last season, is now a fully fledged full-time professional. In addition to the full-time staff Everton have three part-time professionals in Dunlop (goalkeeper), Rankin (Full back), and Melville (half-back), who did not report this morning. They do their training in the evenings. Four registered players are in the Forces. These are Fletcher, (full back), Wood and Tansey (half-backs) and Lewis, the young Welsh centre forward who was recommended to the club by Tommy Jones.
Burnett in Full Training
George Burnett has made a good recovery after his cartilage operation two months ago, and got right into training today with the rest of the players. While it remains to be seen how his knee stands up to it, there is no reason to anticipate that he will be anything but completely fit by the time the season begins. He has been doing light training and remedial exercises for the past week. Charlie Leyfield, trainer to the Welsh F.A and formerly with Wrexham, who is now Everton’s assistant trainer and coach, was there along with Harry Cooke to meet the players. Workmen are still in possession of the home dressing rooms, where extensive alterations are in progress for the establishment of the latest type of treatment room, which will incorporate all the most modern electrical and other appliances to promote fitness. When completed, in time for the start of the season, it will be one of the best equipped rooms of its kind in the country.
GOODISON PARK’S COACHING SCHEME IS BEING STEPPED UP
July 27, 1950. The Evening Express
Team of Experts Will Be Busy all Season
Mr. Cliff Britton on the Club’s Policy
By Radar
Everton manager, Mr. Cliff Britton, is stepping-up the Goodison policy of fostering and encouraging youthful talent, and every Tuesday and Thursday evening from now on throughout the coming season, the entire coaching staff of the club will be fully employed from that angle at the Everton headquarters. When one realizes that players like Moore, Burnett, Grant, Falder, Saunders, Wainwright and Catterick, to mention only a few, are products of the Everton junior nursery system, it is not surprising to hear that Mr. Britton is expanding the scheme. Said Manager Britton –“Whatever we can do to foster this ideal of sitting and encouraging youths especially, from Liverpool and District but not exclusively so, will be done. With Mr. Britton directing operations from the top level, and enthusiastic Mr. Harold Pickering in charge of the essential junior set up at Goodison, the staff, comprising trainer Harry Cooke and his new assistant Charlie Leyfield, together with Bill Borthwick, Gordon Watson and Stan Bentham, will be concentrating on the task of sorting out the hundreds of would be soccer stars who will turn up twice-weekly keeping art. I understand that there is a possibility that Ted Sagar may be joining the team of experts to advise on the whys and wherefores of the goalkeeping art. The wealth of experience these coaches can bring to bear will mean that Everton’s colt will benefit from the advice of one of the finest all-round training corps in English league football. The first batch of youngsters came under the critical eve at Goodison last night, and already seven full scale trial games have been arranged. Mr. Britton explained to me that a considerable number of young players who were recommended to Everton last season were engaged with junior teams who were running for honours. “We did not like to take them away from their own clubs at the time said Mr. Britton, “so we have not bad an opportunity of seeing them. Now that will be remedied. The Everton manager also emphasized that his club is always ready to consider applications from young players who feel they have possibilities of making the grade and that they should provide all relevant details regarding height, weight, experience, etc,” when communicating with the club. He stressed the fact, however, that rather a high standard has to be set at the start. The fullest opportunity is given to successful applications to attain that grade but naturally the number who did was limited. Trials are arranged by Mr. Pickering, who also looks after the welfare of the youngsters. Over the years he has carried out a vast amount of invaluable work for junior soccer with essential benefit to the Everton club. His efforts have been largely responsible for the rise to senior football of a number of the present first team players. Everton will run six teams in all during the coming season. There are the first and Central League sides, and the four junior teams, known as “A” “B” “C” “D.”
EVERTON AND LIVERPOOL ARE RELYING ON HOME-BRED PRODUCTS
July 31, 1950. The Liverpool Echo
Ranger’s Notes
In the pre-war days there was two diametrically opposed methods of football team-building and a third which combined the best of both. Clubs could either go for quick results by buying experienced players, save money by training their own youngsters, or strike the happy medium by doing a bit of each. Most adopted the middle course, except when the spectra of relegation loomed up and made quick results – they didn’t always come off –the only possible hope of salvation. Today, with experienced players not only at a premium, but almost unobtainable at any price, the majority of clubs are relying more than ever on home-bred products. It is not a simple solution, though. It takes a great deal of time. The average period before a teen-age youngster of real promise can be regarded as ripe for senior duty is around three years. Some make the grade a little quickly. Others, who seemed promising enough, never get beyond a certain stage of development which falls short of first-team standard, so that the time and trouble spent on them is largely wasted. At best it a chancey sort of business through Everton and Liverpool who for many years have been nursing a promising lot of youngsters, have done quite well with them. This is the time of the year when managers and coaches with eyes on future requirements spend a lot of time sifting the wheat from the chaff among the ambitious and recommended amateurs.
Both on the Job
Everton and Liverpool started their summer trials last week. Mr. Cliff Britton tells me that he has already picked out for further tests some half-dozen lads, who show promise above the ordinary Everton’s trials go on for the next fortnight. The organization of Everton’s junior is handled by Mr. Harold Pickering, under Manager Britton’s direction. During the 16 years he has been on Everton’s staff many players who have since graded the first team have passed through his hands. Among those now in the top flight who began in the lowest strata of Everton “society” are Wainwright, Burnett, Moore, Saunders, Grant, Falder, and Catterick. Included in the up-and-coming players now getting to the verge of senior consideration are Melville, Woods, Forshaw, Jones, Rankin, Lewis, and Hickson, all of whom attained Central League standard last season and have been gradually nursed through the various minor Goodison sides. Harold Pickering is more to Everton’s youngsters than the man-in-charge. He takes a personal interest in the welfare of all the boys under his control; helps them in any problems, whether concerned with football or not, and generally acts the role of an elder brother.
July 1950