COULD BE END OF EVERTON'S TITLE CHASE
Liverpool Daily Post- Monday, April 1, 1963
SHEFFIELD UNITED 2, EVERTON 1
By Michael Charters
Everton's championship hopes took another jolt at Bramall Lane on Saturday when United deservedly beat them in rather a disappointing game with the general play being in keeping with the shock of Everton dropping both points. United forwards always showed more threat than Everton whose attack only produced their usual form in the last ten minutes. The best feature of Everton's play was their defence, but the forwards generally were ineffective and never troubled Hodgkinson, until their last desperate rally to try to salvage a point. This was not championship form by Everton. They never revealed at any stage the football that we know they possess and by comparison with the cool methodical United they were definitely second best. The few successes on the Everton side were defensive because they could not be faulted against constant pressure from the clever home forwards who moved the ball excellently in midfield and whose only weakness was in rather inaccurate finishing.
WELL HELD
One could say little in favour of the Everton forwards, Morrissey and Scott were well held on the wings and Vernon was unable to make any progress in midfield. We saw little of Young and Stevens was mainly occupied in helping out in defence. I thought Kay and Labone, both played excellently while West, although he could be faulted over the first goal, made two brilliant second half saves from Pace. United's defence with Joe Shaw in superb form, kept the upper hand throughout. Shaw's reading of the play was immaculate and time and again he intercepted Everton passes just when the Everton forwards looked like making a breakthrough. He was excellently helped by his full backs while Richardson and Summers played strongly and well in defence and attack. The best home forward was Hodgson, who crowned a fine display with a brilliant goal which proved the winner and Allchurch aslo did well on the right. United had to wait until the 71st minute to score their first goal after they had been on top for most of the game. There was some fortune to it, but they deserved to be ahead. Summers sent the ball high into the goalmouth where West running out, seemed to misjudge his punch and the ball dropped at the feet of Allchurch only ten yards out. The winger, in the inside left position, swung round and hit the ball first time and it seemed to strike an Everton defender before entering the net just inside the upright. After 80 minutes Hodgson made the game safe with his fine run and shot under West's diving body and then Everton's forwards brightened up for the first time. Hodkinson cleared a couple of dangerous shots and then, three minutes from the end, Scott found the net with a good shot 12 yards following a right wing corner. Everton's rally had come too, late, however, and it may well be that this defeat could signal the end of their chase for the title. Sheffield Utd;- Hodgkinson; Coldwell, Shaw (G.); Richardson, Shaw (J.), Summers; Allchurch, Wagstaff, Pace, Hodson, Hartle. Everton; West; Parker, Thomson; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Referee; Mr. G.W. Grundy (Grimsby). Attendance; 21,839.
EVERTON AT VILLA
Everton travel to Villa Park today with the knowledge that they are six points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur, and even if they have two games in hand, the brake to recent failure will have to be firmly applied to-night if title ambitions are not to disappear. No team was announced last night, but the choice must give manager Harry Catterick, food for thought. This can be no rubber stamp affair, although injuries may restrict his range.

BINGHAM WAS BRILLIANT FOR EVERTON
Liverpool Daily Post- Monday, April 1, 1963
EVERTON RES 4, MANCHESTER C RES 2
A brilliant display by Bingham helped Everton Reserves to an easy victory in this Central League game at Goodison Park, over a Manchester City Reserves side which lacked forward strength. Bingham did not score but his endless flow of precision centres from the right wing gave the City defence no rest and Everton took a 4-0lead without much trouble. Wignall got the first goal after a goalmouth scramble; Hurst two more after goalkeeper Fleet twice pushed the ball to his feet and full back Plenderleith turned the ball into his own net trying to stop a Wignall shot. City got two goals late on through Hayes and Almson but the Everton defence, with the ex-Liverpool schoolboy Harcombe successfully making his senior debut, never lost their grip.

EVERTON FAIL AGAIN IN OFF-FORM SHOW
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Monday 01 April 1963
By Michael Charters
Everton are now in the middle of a three-week spell in which re-arranged games mean they play five out or six games away from home. They lost at Arsenal last Tuesday, lost again at Sheffield United 2-1 on Saturday, and are at Aston Villa to-night. After their home game against Blackburn Rovers next Saturday, they are away again next week to Liverpool and Blackpool. Unless they can pick up some points from this unfortunate run of away fixtures, their hopes of winning the League championship must fade. They still have 12 matches to play and the First Division table this morning sees them third, six points behind Spurs with two games in hand, and ever two points behind Leicester with one game in hand.
Thus, they still have a quarter of their fixtures to play so the title race is not over yet by a long way but, basically, they will have to play much better than they did at Bramall Lane on Saturday if they are to threaten Spurs at the top. Their performance against Sheffield United was one of their most disappointing displays of the season. There were weaknesses at many places although the defence generally came through a hard game with what credit the team did earn. Even here there was hesitation at full back where Thomson could not fathom the wiles of the clever Allchurch for most of the game, and Parker was not too happy either against the more pedestrian Hartle on the left wing. But West and Labone played splendidly, even though it was ironic that between them they made a slight error which United turned into the first goal. Kay was Everton's best player, giving a controlled exhibition of mature play in which he seemed to find plenty of time on the heavy surface to make his tackle and then decide where to put his pass. He set up many attacks which faded against the dominance of the United defenders. Gabriel, not quite so convincing as usual, still played well as did Stevens, who carried out his mopping-up role in midfield with his consistent level of performance. However he seems to have lost all confidence in his shooting and is over-worried when chance gives him a scoring opening. He cannot put his shots anywhere near the target.
FORWARDS WEAK
Everton's man weakness lay elsewhere in the forwards. Apart from the last ten minutes, when they rallied after being two goals down the attack was too easily dispossessed and too delicate altogether for the excellent positional play of the United defence. Scott and Morrissey were played out of the game by Graham Shaw (a great full back exhibition here) and the veteran Coldwell. With the wingers hardly contributing anything, Everton persisted in the midfield thrust and here Vernon and Young found Joe Shaw and company too good for them. Vernon, again, was right out of touch. Several times, Young made what seemed to be the lethal pass in the right direction for Vernon, but it was the cool Joe Shaw who intercepted almost inevitably. Shaw's reading of Everton intentions was so perfect that he was in position to take the ball as it was about to leave an Everton player's boot. With Kay, he was the outstanding performer of the day. Summers and Richardson at wing half were vital members of the smooth United attacking plan and the home side looked neater and more methodical than Everton for 90 per cent, of the game. They moved the ball exceptionally well in midfield and their only real failing was in poor finish.
BUSY WEST
Allchurch and inside left Hodgson were their best forwards, and although Pace made at least three fine scoring attempts he found West making equally fines saves. Hodgkinson had hardly anything to do in the United goal in the first half, but West was busy at the other end and had one slice of luck when a long lob from Hodgson struck the crossbar. In the early part of the second half, United were even more impressive but looked as though their weak shooting was going to let them down. Pace's header was stopped on the line by West but then (71 minutes) came the first goal – a streaky sport of effort but they certainly deserved to be in front. Summers banged a long, high cross into the heart of the goalmouth which I thought was essentially West's property. As the goalkeeper came out, Labone leapt to try to head away, and impeded West sufficiently so that hi attempt punch only landed the ball a few yards away. Allchurch in the inside left position, turned and hit the ball for goal quickly, and his shot struck Labone to be deflected just inside the upright. After 80 minutes, Gabriel lost possession in midfield and Summers pushed the ball through to Hodgson, who raced 20 yards through a gap as wide as a main road, swerved past Parker almost impudently as the back moved in from the wing, and then hit a fine shot under the diving body of West. Everton's forwards suddenly woke up then. Hodgkinson, unemployed till then, saved twice bravely from Young, and Scott scored three minutes from the end following a corner. But the rally was too late and they had lost to the better team. This was far from championship form by Everton, and the forwards must find greater penetration and thrust down the middle if they are to overhaul Spurs and Leicester. The game was hard fought, clean, and particularly well refereed by a new man in the middle, Mr. G.W. Grundy, of Grimsby. On this showing he could become one of the best known officials in the game.

EVERTON UNCHANGED AT VILLA TO-NIGHT
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Monday 01 April 1963
RUN OF AWAY FIXTURES
Everton play an unchanged side at Birmingham to-night against Aston Villa, their third successive away fixture. Brian Harris and Mick Meagan are still injured. Everton; West; Parker, Thomson; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey.
Following their 4-0 defeat at Blackpool on Friday Aston Villa made four changes. Goalkeeper Sidebottom steps down with a slight injury so Gavan comes in for his second League game. Another defensive change is the substitution of Briggs for Fraser at right back. Manager Joe Mercer has already announced his intention of giving as many of his young reserves a chance because of the congested fixture list, but Fraser has not been showing the form expected of him. Thomson and Baker form a new right wing. This will be the latter's first game on the wing for Villa. Aston Villa; - Gavan; Briggs, Aitken; Crowe, Sleeuwenhock, Deakin, Baker, Thomson, Douglas, Wosnam, Burrows.

INJURY-HIT VILLA BATTLE HARD, BUT…
Liverpool Daily Post –Tuesday, April 2, 1963
EVERTON GET ON TITLE TRAIL AGAIN
RETURN TO FOMR OF VERNON AND YOUNG A FACTOR
ASTON VILLA 0, EVERTON 2
By Michael Charters
Everton's vital win at Villa Park last night was due to two factors – the return to form of Vernon add Young for Everton and the fact that Villa had left half Deakin a useless passenger on the left wing for fifty-five minutes of the game. Deakin was hurt when he turned to go for the ball pulling a thigh muscle, and when he returned after treatment he went to the wing and was virtually out of the game. Up to the point of his injury Everton and Villa had been evenly matched in a game of great excitement, first class entertainment and some superb individual play. Everton were several hundred per cent improved on their disappointing display at Sheffield United and deserved to win, although Villa must be given, every credit for fighting so hard and so well with only ten men for so long in the game. Everton's forwards, with the exception of Scott, who has yet to find his form, were a revelation after the innocuous performance at Bramell Lane and Young's brilliant artistry brought appreciate applause from the home crowd. He gave Sleeuwenhoek a grueling time when the ball was on the ground and it was fitting that he should give Everton the lead with an excellent headed goal just after half-time, Vernon too displayed his old fire and dash in midfield. Behind them Kay and Gabriel were excellent, but Labone was troubled throughout by Dougan and every time the ball was in the air anywhere near Everton's goalmouth it was inevitable that Dougan go it. Labone's slips and errors were unusual for him but there is no doubt that clever Dougan gave Labone one of the most difficult games of his life. The game began in fast and furious style and continued throughout for the 90 minutes so that this was one of the better matches of the season. Within the first 5 minutes Gavan, playing only his second League game, made two superb saves from Young and Vernon and then Villa took over. Bobby Thomson fouled West after the goalkeeper had caught a high cross and the Everton man played on although he seemed to me to be dazed. His handling in the first half was not too secure, but the usually recovered at the second attempt. He was lucky when Baker hit the bar after he had punched the ball out and then Labone made an error in trying to head away a low ball, missed it completely and Dougan smashed the ball towards goal from close range only to see it strike West on the knee and bounce away for a corner.
ACROBATIC CLEARANCE
Villa were moving well at this stage with Woosnam spreading the ball about intelligently and George Thomson giving the lively Baker far too much room on the right. Baker's series of centres had Labone worried and there were several goalmouth scrambles with Everton's defence at full pressure, but on the half hour Villa had a let off when Morrissey lobbed the ball over Gavan but Crowe managed with an acrobatic double clearance to save on the line. Just before half-time Labone failed again, to allow Burrow's a clear run to goal, and Labone pulled the winger back by clutching at his shirt. This was the signal for a burst of slow handclapping and feet stamping by the crowd against Labone and this was repeated at the end when the teams left – no doubt they had still remembered the Burrows incident. Everton restarted brilliantly and from a great left wing move Young beat Gavan with a fine header from Morrissey's centre. Young made another good header a moment or so later which Gavan saved and then produced a superb bit of artistry by the corner flag before sending the ball across goal where Morrissey missed a glorious chance by shooting over.
TOOK CONTROL
Everton had taken control now with Villa laboring a bit under the strain of Deakin's injury, Kay went off for a few moments to have a cut on his face attended to and returned with blood staining his white shirt and completed the game with his usual excellence. Villa had the ball in the net after 70 minutes through Burrows, but the referee, who handled the game excellently, awarded a foul against Dougan, who had impeded Labone when he made the pass to Burrows. A minute later Vernon took a headed pass from Morrissey to beat Gavan with another header and this time the referee allowed the goal, but changed his mind when he saw the linesman had his flag up for offside against Morrissey – the correct decision in my opinion. Ten minutes from the end Young set the seal on one of his finest performances by beating four Villa men as he cut in from the wing and hit a tremendous shot which the excellent Gavan turned over the bar at full stretch. A minute from the end from a free kick just outside the penalty area. Vernon touched the ball to one side for Gabriel to hammer an unstoppable shot into the top right hand corner of the net. Aston Villa; Gavan; Bripos, Aitkens; Crowe, Sleeuweehoak, Deakin, Baker, Thomson (R.), Dougan, Woosnam, Burrows. Everton; West; Parker, Thomson (G.); Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Referee; Mr. C.A.R. Woan (Berkshire).

AWAY DRAW FOR EVERTON RESERVES
Liverpool Daily Post- Tuesday, April 2, 1963
NEWCASTLE RESERVES 0, EVERTON RESERVES 0
George Heslop, who distinguished himself on many occasions for Newcastle United before he was transferred to Everton thirteen months ago, returned to Tyneside yesterday and played handsomely. The game generally was devoid of class and character and the occasional cleverness of left winger Veall plus the intelligent probing of centre forward Wignall in attack and robust work in defence were the only commendable features of Everton.

YOUNG INSPIRES EVERTON TO TOP CLASS DISPLAY
Liverpool Echo& Evening Express - Tuesday 02 April 1963
By Michael Charters
Everton raised their game out of all recognition from the disappointment of last Saturday to emerge clear 2-0 winners of a grand match at Aston Villa last night. If they had good fortune in that Villa played with virtually 10 men for nearly an hour, it must equally be said that Everton played like a side worthy of challenging for the championship and the vital points came from a first-class team display sparkling in places with individual brilliance. The side was unrecognizable from the disjointed outfit of the Sheffield United game. The most marked difference was in attack where Vernon and Young played with tremendous skill and dash by contrast to the innocuous performance of two days earlier. Vernon recaptured his old form of fighting through tackles, making ground at top speed and distributing the ball well. But the great display of the night came from Young, whose contribution to the fine entertainment of a thrilling game was described by manager Harry Catterick as; "One of the finest centre forwards exhibitions I have ever seen."
ARTISTRY
Young's artistry is the delight of the Goodison crowd. He doesn't show it often away from home. Last night, however, he gave a display of genius and ran young Sleeuwenhook ragged. He beat him in the air, never failed to beat him on the ground, and had the appreciative Villa crowd applauding loudly at some of his exquisite touches. He scored a goal, made numerous openings for others, missed just one chance and could have had a hat-trick but for brilliant saves by Villa goalkeeper Gavan, playing only his second League game. With Stevens also having a fine game, and Morrissey excellent on the wing the attack moved with skill and often brilliant approach work. Only Scott did not attain the level of the others, for full back Aitken had a first class game and kept the winger subdued. Behind them Kay and Gabriel were in top form, moving through a hard match with precision work of a high order. We have come to expect this level of performance from them, and they are undoubtedly the backbone of the team, rarely failing to give their all. For example, Kay took a heavy tumble in the second half and was helped off with blood streaming from a cut over his left eye. He was back within a couple of minutes, his white shirt stained with blood, and played on to the end as though nothing had happened. He had three stitches inserted in the cut afterwards.
WEST'S PART
Another Everton hero was West, who took a terrific blow on the head from the elbow of Villa's Bobby Thomson after only six minutes. West was dazed for the rest of the first half and suffered from double vision for a timer, but still made excellent saves from Dougan and Thomson. He recovered after the interval, played perfectly, but went home with a colossal headacre. While they were at full strength, Villa matched Everton move for move with Woosnam spreading the ball about accurately, and Baker and Dougan always dangerous. But after Deakin's injury they gradually fell away and for most of the second half Everton were well on top. Two incidents led to the crowd booing and slow handclapping the referee and Everton. Just before half time Labone made a hash of a simple clearance in midfield and allowed Burrows to take the ball from him and set off for goal with a clear run. Labone stopped him by pulling his jersey and the crowd let Labone know what they thought of him in no uncertain fashion. Then midway through the second half Villa made a fine attack up the middle and Dougan headed the ball to one side, where Burrows lashed it into the net. The referee had blown for a foul by Dougan on Kay before the ball had reached Burrows, but the crowd was extremely displeased. A minute later Vernon headed the ball past Gavan rom another header by Morrissey and the referee allowed the goal. But a linesman had signaled Morrissey offside and the referee changed his decision, I thought Mr. Woan was excellent, but the crowd did not agree. Gavan made numerous excellent saves, two from Vernon and Young in the opening minute being as spectacular as they were brilliant. He is a youngster to remember but he had no chance with Everton's two goals. The first, three minutes after the interval, came from a superb move, the ball going from Scott to Vernon and on to Morrissey, whose perfectly placed centre was headed by Young down and past the goalkeeper. Morrissey missed two excellent chances later, both laid on by Young but Everton clinched it with a goal in the last minute. Then followed a free kick just outside the penalty box which Vernon touched a yard one side and Gabriel hammered an unstoppable shot past Gavan.

EVERTON WATCH BACKS WHO WANT MOVE
Liverpool Echo& Evening Express - Wednesday 03 April 1963
NEW SCOUT AT SCOTS GAME
PATRICK-CELTIC
By Leslie Edwards
Everton's newly appointed Midland's scout, 70-years-old former Derby Country manager, Harry Storer, had an important mission in Scotland last night. He saw the League game between Patrick Thistle and Celtic at Farhill. Two backs, one on either side, who have told their clubs they want a move, may well have been under his notice. They are 23-years-old Sandy Brown, of Partick a left-back whose transfer request has yet to be considered, and 25-years-old Duncan Mackay, right back of Glasgow Celtic who are said to want 25,000 pounds for his services. Brown is a Falkirk man and was a cobbler until he took up the game full-time about two season ago, Patrick transferred some weeks ago their reserve left-back, Thomson, to Liverpool. They are particularly well of for defenders and now they are out of the Cup it is almost certain they will grant Brown's request for a move.

SCOTT'S THROAT TROUBLE
Liverpool Daily Post- Thursday, April 4, 1963
EVERTON SEEK SPECIALIST'S ADVICE
By Horace Yates
Everton Football Club are so concerned about the recurring throat trouble suffered by the Scottish international winger Alex Scott 40,000 pounds signing from Glasgow Rangers in February that they have considered; advisable to call in a specialist in an effort to get to the root of the trouble. To a limited extent Scott has complained of a throat disorder ever since he came to Merseyside and it flared up, to a new peak last Tuesday when he was ordered to bed on the team's arrival in London for their match at Highbury with Arsenal. A doctor then diagnosed 'flu, and the symptoms receded sufficiently during the next few days for Scott to be able to play at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United last Saturday and again at Villa Park on Monday.
SYMPTONS RECCUR
Now he symptoms are back again and Mr. Harry Catterick the Everton manager decided yesterday that the best available advice should be sought in an effort to counter the inconvenience the upset is cause to the player. I understand that originally it was suggested that tonsillitis might be the explanation, but this does now now find official favour and an explanation is urgently sought. Although naturally it is hoped that Scott will be fit enough to turn out against Blackburn Rovers at Goodison Park on Saturday, a protective query must at this juncture be placed against his name. Scott has been singularly unfortunate since trying his fortunes on Merseyside. An ankle injury, received in training, put him out of the home game with Wolves, after he had made his debut at Leicester. Back he came for the home match with Nottingham Forest and then he had to take another enforced rest because he was ineligible for the F.A Cup competition. As Everton were defeated at West Ham he must wait until next season for an effort to taste English cup-tie football. He played at Ipswich and in the Manchester City home game. Then followed the Arsenal disappointment followed by two League outings at Sheffield and Villa. To date therefore he has not played in more than two consecutive League games.
LOST CAPS?
From his personal point of view, his absence from the Arsenal game may have been most serious for all the pointers were to his inclusion in Scotland's team to oppose England at Wembley on Saturday had he been able to convince Mr. Ian McColl the Scottish team manager who journeyed specialty to Highbury to see him of the worthiness of his form. It may be remembered that Mr. Catterick had the toughest fight of his career to win Scott's signature in face of the hottest possible rivalry from Mr. Bill Nicholas, the Tottenham Hotspur chief. The winger notched his first League goal for his club at Sheffield last Saturday. With the record of the "derby" games due at Anfield on Monday Everton are more than over anxious that Scott will be available. While Everton have not been as badly hit by injuries, sickness this season as in some previous seasons recently, it is a fact that at the present time, in addition to Scott, they have Mick Meagan and Brian Harris so receiving specialists treatment. Meagan has strained stomach muscles and his progress has not been as rapid as was hoped. There is little doubt that his absence from the left back position is being severely fell, for in his absence seven goals have been conceded in the last five games, including the tragic quartet at Highbury. Brian Harris although out of the side since Tony Kay look over on January 30 was the automatic replacement in either of the wing half position in case of trouble. He has knee ligament injury.

WHY LOOK FOR A SCAPEGOAT?
Liverpool Daily Post- Friday, April 5 1963
EVERTON TONY KAY IS NO £55,000 FLOP
TIME WILL JUSTIFY THE CLUB FAITH IN A BRAVE LITTLE BATTLER
By Horace Yates
Is Tony Kay, Everton's left half signing from Sheffield Wednesday, a £55,000 flop? That is what has been suggested in some quarters and it has found expression, too, in some of the letters I have received from readers this week. I have not the slightest doubt as to the answer I would give to such a query, it would be, "No, no, a thousand times no." the critics find ammunition for their conclusion from the fact that since Kay replaced Brian Harris in the Everton side, they have lost at Leicester, drawn at home to Wolves, lost at West Ham in the Cup-tie, and at Arsenal and Sheffield United- three League defeats an a Cup reverse in a matter of ten matches. Nobody needs reminding that such is not the form of would-be League champions, but to put the spotlight on one man, and hold him responsible for the slide is grossly unfair, and entirely unmerited. Kay is certainly not the cause of the slump, rather would I say it has happened in spite of him, I would hate to convey the impression that I am pro-Kay and anti-Harris, for that is not remotely that position, Harris has had as many compliments from me as from almost any critic, but I shared the Everton view when Kay was brought that they had succeeded in replacing a first class player with one who is even better.
EAGER BEAVER
Time, I think, will justify that view. There is not a more eager beaver in the side than this restless bundle of energy, who does not know the meaning of the word quit and from whom these unfair criticisms will roll like water of a duck's back. At times, maybe, Kay could be called somewhat over-exuberant but surely it is not difficult to think of greater shortcomings than that. After all, there was nothing very much wrong with the Everton defence which held West Ham to a penalty goal conceded by a multitude of spectators to have been one of the harshest decisions on record. To have been beaten at Leicester, may have been a disappointment, but like West Ham they have shown what a tough proposition they are. The Arsenal set-back came primarily, though two goalkeeping errors by Gordon West, plus possibly a mistaken sense of duty by both Jimmy Gabriel and Tony Kay. It was because they saw their full backs so heavily pressed by the strong raiding Arsenal wingers that they went back to lend a hand, and in so doing probably allowed Eastham and Strong more latitude than they could afford, and again at Sheffield I understand, it was far earlier to find less satisfactory performers than Kay. The forwards too, have hardly played their part as well as we have a right to expect during these disappointing days and immediately they showed signs of regaining some of their mislaid zest, Everton achieved a great victory at Aston Villa which by any standards was a meritorious performance. My advice would be0let us stop picking on Kay, let us stop looking for an individual scapegoat and get on with the task of repairing the damage. It is hardly wise to write off Everton at this stage, severe blows though the loss of recent points have been for a glance at the League table is all that is needed to show that over a quarter of the season still remains, and all sorts of thing may happen between now and the end of the programme. Some of those criticizing loudest now, will undoubtedly be cheering on top note if Everton conclude with a conquering burst to take them to their goal.

EVERTON'S ROY VERNON SAYS-
Liverpool Daily Post- Friday, April 5, 1963
VILLA PARK POINTS WERE LIKE A TONIC
The two points Everton earned at Villa Park on Monday were like a tonic after a nervous breakdown. None of us needed any reminding just how import this match was, neither did we require that time was no longer on our side and that the dangerous slide which had developed had to be halted if we were not to squander all the work we have put in during the season. At the risk of being wrong I take liberty to prophesy that this could mark the turn in our fortunes and that from now on starting with the home game with Blackburn Rovers tomorrow. Tottenham will know that Everton are still very much in the League title race. I am glad of the selection of my friend Bryan Douglas of Blackburn, for international honours for two reasons. Firstly because I believe he is entitled to another international cap, and secondly because he will be at Wembley he cannot be at Goodison to oppose Everton. Without Douglas, I think Blackburn are like chips without fish! We have an old score to settle with Rovers my old club, for they interrupted our run when we were at their ground, through the medium of a last-minute penalty kick. That is one reason, but more important still – we need the points!
THAT DERBY CLASH
In expressing the hope that we are about to start on a new run of successes I realize that on Monday we have to travel to Anfield and I would only be dodging the issue if I did not admit straight away that this is regarded as the most difficult of our remaining fixtures. Who will win? Who can say? Liverpool are playing better now than they were when last we met, but these "derby" games have a habit of bringing out the best in us, and all I will forecast is that it will be a terrific game, with the only disappointed people being those who were unable to get a ticket. There is so little between us, these days that whichever side has that little bit of luck, could find it deciding the issue, I think it is our turn to have that this time round. Tottenham will be watching this game with even more interest than they did that at Highbury when Arsenal did them a good turn by beating us. This will be the first experience of a Merseyside "derby" at Anfield for Tony Kay, Alex Scott and Gordon West, but Gordon has played against Liverpool at Goodison and I don't suppose these matches are very much different to Tony than the Sheffield in which he has figured so often or the Glasgow battles with which Alex is so familiar. I don't think the game will be any different from the rest in that the first goal, whichever side gets it, may be very important. I would like to wish the Liverpool boys the best of luck in the international match at Wembley and assure them that no matter what may happen there, we will help to give them a warm reception on Monday. At the same time, I would also like to add that I hope this will not be their last view of Wembley this season.
GREAT EXHIBITION
It is my belief that the winners of the Leicester-Liverpool semi-final will be this season's Cup winners and I anticipate that the team the victors will oppose in the final will be Manchester United. No matter what they may do in the League, this United side, packed full of genuine talent are capable of rising to the big occasion and that should carry them to Wembley. In some ways it is a pity Liverpool and Leicester have to meet in the semi-final for I think a clash between the two could have produced the greatest Wembley final for years. I would like to pay tribute to the great display by Alex Young at Villa Park, for I cannot remember a better exhibition of centre forward play during my stay at Everton. Derek Douglas, on the other side, was little inferior, so that the displays of the two helped to highlight this keen match. In conclusion, please let me say that just as Ayala came up from behind to snatch the Grand National verdict on the post, so I hope Everton will come racing through to bring great joy to our club and supporters.

MATT WOODS HERE AGAIN
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Friday 05 April 1963
By Leslie Edwards
Everton return to Goodison Park after three successive away games, the last of which, at Villa, went far towards rehabilitating them in the eyes of rather disappointed supporters. I heard of one man who was prepared last week to offer 25-1 against Everton winning the championship this season. The alacrity with which he was taken up caused him to change his mind quickly . . . I would say the odds were more in keeping with Liverpool's chances. Following their Villa win and the emergence of Young is his best form; Everton's League chances are undeniable. We shall know more about them when they have played Blackburn Rovers (minus Douglas) to-morrow and Liverpool, at Anfield, on Monday night. The first Derby game this season produced a draw. It could be that Monday's match might be the shape of a fixture to come—Cup holders v. League champions! Blackburn, without Douglas, are much less to be feared. They are a workmanlike side, but not an inspiring one. If Everton can recapture their pre-Ice Age inspiration they should win readily, but if Else, a goalkeeper who has just found his best form plays as well to-morrow as he did in mid-week against Burnley (he almost held them single-handed) they will have a hard time beating him. Matt Woods. War horse supreme and still one of the daintiest and fairest of centre half-backs, comes back to his old club on a second lease of football life. What a good buy he was when he left Goodison for Ewood in the Cliff Britton era! The Blackburn half-back line, with England, of Wales. on the left, and Clayton, formerly of England, on the right looks as though it could make life difficult for Everton forwards who have not played well as a line, for some weeks, until they sparkled at Villa.
GERMAN TOURISTS
Aachen - Richterich, a German youth football club touring this country, have two games at Everton's, training ground. Bellefield on Monday. Liverpool Schoolboys junior XI meet the Germans' junior team at 4.15 and at 5.20 the Everton Youth XI play the German club's seniors. Liverpool Boys will play their Lancashire Schools' Cup semi-final against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road on May 6. 1 In the Dimmer (Merseyside) Cup semi-final Liverpool visit Chester, but the date and venue have not yet been fixed.

EVERTON TEAM IS UNCHANGED
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Friday April 5 1963
BLACKBURN AT GOODISON
SCOTT FIT
By Leslie Edwards
Everton have chosen the side which won at Villa in midweek for the important game against Blackburn Rovers at Goodison Park tomorrow. Scott who has had throat trouble is all right again; Thomson maintains his place at left back as deputy for the still-inured Meagan. Blackburn bring in Ferguson at outside right. He takes the place of Douglas, who is playing for England against Scotland at Wembley. This is the only change. Ferguson was the regular outside right – Douglas playing inside left- until he lost his place after a 3-1 defeat against Arsenal a fortnight ago. He is a former Accrington Stanley forward. Everton; West; Parker, Thomson; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Blackburn; Else; Bray, Newton; Clayton, Woods, England; Ferguson, McEvoy, Pickering, Byrom, Harrison.

PLENTY OF PRESSURE – BUT NO GOALS FOR EVERTON
Liverpool Echo& Evening Express - Saturday 06 April 1963
EVERTON 0 BLACKBURN 0
By Michael Charters

Everton; West; Parker, Thomson; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Blackburn Rovers; Else; Bray, Newton; Clayton, Woods, England, Ferguson, McEvoy, Pickering, Byrom, Harrison. Referee; Mr. J.E.Carr (Sheffield). Everton captain Roy Vernon playing against his old club, was making the 250th League appearance today. Everton played with the advantage of a strong wind in the first half. The wind was very troublesome, but in Everton's first attack Young raced on to a Scott pass, dispossessed Newton, and his shot from close range struck Else on the knee and went for a corner. Following a free kick McEvoy put the ball through nicely for Byrom, who went between Parker, and Labone but shot just over the bar. Everton could not get their passes moving accurately and the game was mainly based in midfield with both teams sparring for an opening.
DISALLOWED
After 12 minutes the referee disallowed what seemed a good goal for Everton, calling play back for a foul by Woods on Young and seeming to ignore the advantage rule. The ball went off Wood's head and through to Vernon, who best Else with a great shot, but play was brought back for an Everton free kick. A minute later Woods blatantly handled the ball to prevent Vernon going through again, and the crowd was very displeased at these two incidents. Ferguson went past Thomson nicely and from his centre Pickering got in a shot which West saved easily. Pickering blazed the ball over from another good chance. Events were going against Everton. It seemed to me that Bray clearly handled the ball from Morrissey's corner by the referee only awarded another flag kick. Fouls by Vernon on Harrison and Bray on Morrissey did not escape the referee, but the game continued to be mediocre with neither side managing to produce a worthwhile attack.
OFFSIDE TACTICS
Blackburn's offside tactics were not improving the flow of the game but were certainly effective, even if they annoyed the crowd, Everton were having more of the play, but without looking impressive. Everton's best chance came on the half hour with Young sending Scott away. From the centre Vernon hit a quick shot just over the bar.
SUPERB RUN
Vernon brought some class to the game with a superb run in which he swayed his way through half a dozen Blackburn men. When he tried to chip the ball into the far corner of the net, however, he put too much strength in his shot and Young, trying to head the ball back, put it straight at Else. Vernon next produced a clever volley from a pass by Gabriel, but the ball went straight to Else, who saved at the second attempt. Everton had dominated the game for the past 15 minutes. From a corner by Scott the ball moved out to Kay, who tried a shot from 20 yards, but it went over the bar. Stevens went close with a good header from Thomson's centre but generally the crowd, chilled by the wind, had little to warm them up. Gabriel and Kay were trying hard but there was little response from the forwards so far as finishing was concerned. It had been a dull first half with Everton at no time showing anything near their best form. Half-time.- Everton nil, Blackburn Rovers nil. On the resumption Young sent Scott away with a good pass but the winger put his centre to Clayton. In fact, Scott was having a poor game.
SPOKEN TO
Two shots by Young and Stevens rebounded off Blackburn defenders, but so far in the second half it was still the wind that was winning. Byrom, Blackburn's best forward, was spoken to by the referee for fouls on Gabriel and Kay within a minute. Everton were playing with a good deal of desperation in an attempt for a leading goal and although they pressed the Blackburn defence hard for minutes on end, their tactics were not good. They kept the ball in the air too much and against players of the size of Woods, etc., that was false reasoning. Kay and Bray were involved in a tackle that looked more like a wrestling hold and the referee awarded a foul against the Everton player, with Vernon showing some petulance at the award. Blackburn's first shot for half an hour came from Harrison after he had cut in from the wing –a long effort which swung away well wide. The crowd in the stand were stamping their feet in what could only have been disappointment at Everton's play. Parker cleverly showed the way to beat the offside trap by taking the ball through on how own and from his centre Vernon's header went straight to the well-positioned Else.
BEST SHOT
Parker came up again to join his attack and hit one of the best shots of the day just over the top, Everton's pressure was continuous and heavy, but their finishing was poor. Another brilliant Vernon dash brought some much needed polish to the proceedings, Else was a little fortunate to save his final swerving shot one handed.
EASY CHANCE
Vernon missed the easiest chance of the game after young had swept down the left wing, cut inside Woods, and centred. The ball bounced right for the incoming Vernon who hit Else on the body with the ball from less than six yards range. Again Vernon had the ball in the net, but the referee disallowed it for a foul by the Everton skipper on Clayton as he was running through. Some peculiar decisions by Mr. Carr had the crowd jeering and booing. Stevens went very close to getting the goal so many thousands were wishing would come. His angled shot was just deflected inches wide of the far post.
FLASH OF HOPE
With only a few minutes left for play the Everton tempo had slackened. They raised a brief flash of hope that they could score when Gabriel tried a shot from 25 yards but it went wide of the far post.
FLASH OF HOPE
With only a few minutes left for play the Everton tempo had slackened. They raised a brief flash of hope that they could score when Gabriel tried a shot from 25 yards but it went wide.
NO PENALTY
In a last desperate Everton attack it seemed to me that Clayton had handled in the penalty area, but Mr. Carr, who decisions had annoyed the crowd so much, would have none of it. As the referee left the pitch he was booed and some orange peel and rolled up bundles of newspapers were thrown at him. Final; Everton nil, Blackburn nil. Official attendance; 39,690.
Lancashire League
• Tranmere A 2, Everton A 2
• Tranmere B 1, Everton B 3

VITAL DAYS AHEAD FOR EVERTON
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Saturday 06 April 1963
By Alex Young
Those two away matches next week- at Anfield and Blackpool are vital ones for Everton and extremely testing for our outside left, John Morrissey, who (all being well so far as injuries are concerned) plays against both England full backs within the space of six days. On Monday, John is opposed by Liverpool's Gerry Byrne, while on Saturday he will be faced by Jimmy Armfield, of Blackpool. However, this tough task is well within his capabilities, and to emphasize the point may I remind you that when he opened Gerry earlier in the season, John helped himself to a goal. Incidentally, no one was more delighted than John with the news that Jimmy Melia was playing for England for he is one of Jimmy's greatest fans. Colleagues at Anfield until earlier this season, these two have been great friends since their school days. Like Jimmy, John played for England as a schoolboy. I am told that Jimmy is the first Liverpool boy ever to play for England Schoolboys and then England, the way John's playing he could become the second! From February 9, to April 8 is quite a time to wait, but I have a feeling that Monday's evening match against Liverpool, at Anfield will have been well worth waiting for. For us at Goodison, with our sights fixed on the First Division championship, it is probably one of the most important "Derby" games ever. Today's home game against Blackburn marked the start of an important period so far as our title hopes are concerned, with six matches being played within 14 days; the last of them a most vital one against our main rivals, Tottenham, at Goodison Park.
NO MISTAKE
We badly need to take two points from the meeting with Liverpool, and I think we shall. The Anfield side were fortunate in my view, to take a point at Goodison Park earlier in the season, with their equalizing goal coming in the last minute. This time we'll make no mistake. Whatever the result, however, I'm sure this is going to be a top class match. Looking back on the events of the past few weeks, I must say that I don't think Everton have been getting a fair crack of the whip from some critics. Last Monday we completed a programme of five League games within a fortnight, four of them away from home. True we dropped four points out of these 10, but with reasonable luck I think we might have claimed eight of nine and not six. We played well at Ipswich, Arsenal and Villa, but badly for most of the game against Sheffield United. At Villa and Ipswich we gained clear cut wins, while most people admit that a draw would have been a fairer result in the game at Arsenal, and my own view is that with reasonable fortune we could have won. Against Sheffield United last week-end, we came into our own in the last 15 minutes and might easily have snatched a point.
SHAW SUCCESS
One of the successes of the Sheffield side, I thought was centre half Joe Shaw, whose reading of the play and positional sense was quite uncanny at times. Some disagreed over the merit of our performance against Aston Villa, on Monday, but my personal opinion is that the Everton team played every bit as impressively as they had done at Arsenal and Ipswich. An injury to wing half Alan Deakin, handicapped Villa, but this accident was result of Deakin over-stretching when attempting a tackle and not of any unfair play on our part, as I have seen suggested. There was no bodily contact between Deakin and any other player. The Villa fans naturally got upset when what they thought was a perfectly good goal by Harry Burrows was disallowed, but the referee had whistled for a foul on Tony Kay well before the shot was made. Gordon West, too, received a nasty knock during the first half, but despite this played brilliantly. Two of his saves from low shots by Derek Dougan were exceptionally good. Dougan was another who played well. The 6 foot 3 inches tall Irishman likes to receive the ball in the air, and the more Villa played to Dougan in this way, the more impressive they looked. Man of the match so far as Villa were concerned was goalkeeper Gavan. Playing in only his second League match, Gavan showed exceptional promise. But for him we could have doubled our score, and might even have trebled it. How interesting to see Stoke playing such a prominent part in the Second Division championship battle this season. When Stanley Matthews joined the Potteries club, chances of him stepping out to play in a First Division match at Goodison Park seemed remote indeed. It just shows in football, you can never tell which way the ball will bounce (if you will pardon the phrase).

LEEDS UTD RES V EVERTON RES
Liverpool Echo& Evening Express - Saturday 06 April 1963
Leeds United Reserves;- Sprake; Wright, Mason; Greenough, Goodwin, Madeley; Middlemass, Lormier, Johnson, Peyton, Hawksby. Everton Res; Dunlop; Parnell, Sharples; Jarvis, Heslop, Harris; Bingham, Rees, Wignall, Hurst, Temple. Referee; Mr. W. Nowill (Sheffield). The swirling wind troubled the players in the opening stages, but Everton, making better use of the ball, soon had the home defence in trouble. A centre by Temple was tipped over for a corner and a Wignall lob almost caught the Leeds 'keeper napping. At the other end Dunlop was confident with two stinging shots from Peyton. Although Everton were having most of the game, they were unable to penetrate the home defence. Everton seemed to lose their sparkle and Dunlop was frequently in action. When Rees broke away he held on too long and was repossessed while Wignall twice ran off-side, when things looked promising. Rees missed a great opportunity when he fluffed his shot from two yards out. Half-time.- Leeds United Res, nil, Everton Res nil.

MORE SKILL AND LESS PETULANCE MIGHT HELP EVERTON
Liverpool Daily Post- Monday, April 8, 1963
EVERTON 0, BLACKBURN ROVERS 0
If one or two of Everton's stars showed more skill and a little less petulance on occasions, there might still be a chance of winning the First Division championship. They will have to start to-night, because after Saturday's home flop they can scarcely afford to drop a single point over the next four fixtures, three away. There will be a variety of reasons offered why Everton did not beat Blackburn Rovers – bare ground; the strong wind and light ball; two controversial decisions and some unlucky finishing. Conditions I grant, were difficult for a swirling wind can ruin the brightest ideas, and Mr. Carr's decisions challenged so much by the crowd that he was pelted with orange peel and paper as he left the pitch.
NO URGENCY
Even allowing for all this, it would be much more acceptable if one could detect a sense of real urgency in Everton's play and inspiration from quarters one is entitled to look for it. Instead at times we are getting petulance and niggling tactics if things are not going right and if the decisions of the referee are not popular. Mr. Carr was the centre of controversy twice and each time it meant Everton did not yet a goal. The first was after 12 minutes when Woods fouled Young as the centre forward flicked the ball forward for Vernon to score, and the other, late in the second half, when again Vernon put the ball into the net after Clayton had fallen. The only complaint against Mr. Carr on the first occasion was that he did not apply the advantage rule, but as the offence by Woods happened near the centre circle the decision had to be made promptly and unfortunately for Everton it went against them.
REFEREE RIGHT
When Clayton went down, Mr. Carr blew for an infringement against Vernon and I think he was right in that the Everton man, not with any vicious intent, was the cause of the Blackburn captain finishing on the ground. Vernon was perhaps entitled to feel put out that neither of his shots counted, but there was another time when he banged the ball down in anger after Mr. Carr had properly penalized Kay for a foul. Kay and Byrom clashed (twice in the second half and both were spoken to by the referee, who was always firm in his decisions, but if the warning in each case was justified it seems a pity that a player of Kay's calbre should allow himself to get involved. Kay, I feel, still has to prove himself at Goodison Park in the sense that team success has dwindled since he arrived. Although it may not go down too well and with the more rabid followers of Everton the fact has to be faced that the incoming of Kay and Scott for Harris and Bingham has not maintained the club at the head of the First Division, a position they did hold. There is still time for them to re-establish that placing, but I am not convinced that in changing a winning side, Everton strengthened it.
SYMPATHY FOR VERNON
Of course, frustration grows when supporters realize that in matches like Saturday's, Everton should have won comfortably in spite of the conditions, those two decisions and Blackburn's second half defensive policy. The chances were there and one feels sympathy for Vernon because he contributed three great pieces of work and was foiled rather fortunately by goalkeeper Else, but he should have scored the last time when Young laid on the pass, for he was only six of seven yards out when he shot. Blackburn were forced on the defensive for nearly all the second half. Everton, however, could not take their chances and in that sense beat Blackburn's defensive curtain, but great displays came from Clayton, Woods and England. For Everton, I though Parker, Labone, Gabriel, Young and Morrissey did best. West had nothing much to do, Thomson was jittery, Stevens worked hard, but Scott had a poor day. Still Everton should have won and can blame only themselves for failure to get two vital points. Blackburn defended stubbornly, but the experience and skill in this Everton side should not have permitted them to get away with a point. Everton; West; Parker, Thomson; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Blackburn Rovers; Else; Bray, Newton; Clayton, Woods, England; Ferguson, McEvoy, Pickering, Byrom, Harrison. Referee; Mr. J.E. Carr (Sheffield). Attendance 39,690.

LEEDS UNITED RESERVES 0 EVERTON RESERVES 0
Liverpool Daily Post- Monday, April 8, 1963
This Central League game started at a cracking pace with the home defence at full stretch for lengthy periods. It only seemed a matter of time before the goals came for the visitors and then the Everton forward line lost all its rhythm and became progressively more ragged. Chances were missed with exasperating regularity and all the forwards could be faulted for missing at least one chance. It was a disappointing match but no blame can be attached to the visiting defence in which Helsop, Sharples and Parnell were outstanding.

INCONSISTENT EVERTON DROP VITAL HOME POINT
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Monday 08 April 1963
By Michael Charters
Referee J.E. Carr was the most unpopular man in Liverpool on Saturday because he disallowed Everton two "goals" against Blackburn Rovers and the incensed crowd also thought he should have awarded Everton two penalties. There was a mild demonstration when he left the field at the end, some orange peel and newspapers being thrown in his general direction but he disappeared down the tunnel with a smile and a "don't worry" gesture to a police officer at his side. I wo0nder how much of the crowd's displeasure was engendered not so much by Mr. Carr's decisions but the disappointing display of the Everton players, who dropped this so valuable home point in a goalless draw? I thought Mr. Carr's verdict in both "goals" incidents were correct; his refusal of the penalty awards must be accepted as accurate because either he or a linesman was placed to judge whether there had been handling or not. Vernon, playing against his old club and making his 250th League appearance, was concerned in both the boo-raising decisions. In the first half, he slammed the ball past Else but Mr. Carr had already blown for a foul by Woods on Young as the ball slid through to Vernon off Woods' head. He might have used the advantage rule, but the whistle had gone before Vernon gathered the ball. Other players had stopped awaiting the free kick. Then, in the second half, Vernon went chasing after a pass, shadowed by Clayton. He plainly tripped Clayton before gaining possession and beating Else. Vernon and others on the Everton side showed considerable petulance at some of Mr. Carr's decisions and the Everton captain was fortunate not to be "booked" for hurling the ball down in disgust after the referee had given a free kick against Kay, who was tangled with Bray in a tackle reminiscent of a wrestling hold. These discordant incidents were the main talking points of a drab game in which the only winner was the troublesome high wind, which tested the players' control to the full. There were too many mistakes for any sustained movements so that the game was full of stop-go football. Blackburn gave purely a defensive display and Everton attacked for fully 90 per cent, of the game. Woods, Clayton and Newton particularly were brilliant defensively and covered Else so well that the goalkeeper was only tested once- again from Vernon. Vernon twice produced those exciting, accelerating runs of his down the middle to reveal much – needed touches of class in this mediocre game. After the first, he chipped the ball too far past the post for Young to make anything of it; from the second, he delivered a great swerving shot which Else saved one-handed. That apart, Else watched a series of Everton shots and headers go wide or high, or straight to his arms because his co-defenders hustled and bustled about, throwing Everton off their stride by an effective offside gambit which Everton's forwards fell for time and again. Once, and once only, did the trap fail. Then it took Parker, one of the few successes on the Everton side, to bring the ball through on his own instead of passing it. As he went past Newton, he turned the whole Blackburn defence and his accurate centre was headed by Vernon straight at Else. West, in Everton's goal, had only one save to make early in the game from Pickering for the Blackburn side seemed content to pack their defence. The only time one saw anything of the visiting forwards was when they were on retrieving missions aiding their own hard- worked defenders. They all played calmly and deliberately, in contrast to the rather frustrated over-anxious display of the Everton team. The game was rather similar to the goalless draw against Wolves a few weeks ago at Goodison and, coming so soon after their poor game at Sheffield United, points to the fact that until Everton can find some poise and composure to raise their game when events are going against them, they will suffer more disappointments similar to Saturday. Having seen them do so well at Villa a week ago, I can only say that they are consistent in their inconsistency –up one game, down the next. It is not championship form.
LABONE STARS
It was good to see Labone finding his form and feet again. He had a faultless match, never extended, never worried, and Parker was also excellent. Thomson could not find control of the ball in the difficult, windy conditions and the few Blackburn threats which might have brought a shock result usually stemmed from his side of the field. Gabriel vied with Clayton as the best wing half- and that is high praise for the former England captain did a great job in shadowing Vernon out of the game for most of the time, and tried hard, but without success, to get his forwards going with constructive approach work. Morrissey was Everton's best forward, with Young also working hard and unceasingly to try to make openings. He did succeed, too, but he finishing was just not there. Scott had a nightmare match and is right out of touch with his game. Newton tackled and covered him out of the match. Everton's pressure in the second half was heavy and persistent. How the crowd urged them on to get a goal, but they did not look as though they would score if they had played for an extra hour. No doubt, many Everton supporters will blame the referee for this disappointing game, I agree that Mr. Carr is not the best in the business but the blame really lay in Everton's poor forward display.

LANDMARK DESTROYED IN CITY WAREHOUSE BLAZE
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Monday 08 April 1963
85 FIREMEN FIGHT FLAMES FOR THREE HOURS
THREAT TO FLATS
Eighty-five firemen, watched by hundreds of shoppers and Everton supporters returning from the match at Goodison Park with Blackburn Rovers, fought a warehouse fire in Woodstock Street, off Scotland Road on Saturday. The fire destroyed the warehouse of Conolly Keiller and Whitburn, sack and bag merchants. After receiving the first call at 4.6 p.m, the firemen fought the fire until 7 p.m, before bringing it under control. Scotland Road was closed to traffic and traffic was diverted via side streets to Great Homer Street and Vauxhall Road. Destroyed in the fire was a city landmark, a 100 feet high tower which was once a windmill, only the shell of which remains. This will probably have to be demolished, on safety grounds, Mr. J. Bennett deputy city building surveyor, said yesterday. The remainder of the warehouse, five storeys high, was badly damaged. Shops on the ground floor were also damaged.
A BEACON
Corporations flats in Woodstock gardens were also threatened, as the wind whipped the flames in the tower into what Mr. Frank Taylor, the city's new chief fire officer, described as "a beacon." Mr. J. Bennett said that yesterday one lane of Scotland Road was closed to traffic, but it was reopened during the evening, Woodstock Street will be closed until the shell has been made safe. Work on removing coping stones which had become dislodged, started early yesterday. About 70 people, 55 of them women, were employed at the warehouse and a director , Mr. Alan Whitburn, son of the managing director, Mr. J. H. Whitburn, told the Echo; "We shall have to lay off the staff for the time being, but we shall try to start up again as soon as possible." "We managed to get some of our records out of the safe," he added. He said that he estimated the damage as between 60,000 and 70,000 pounds, which did not include the building, which did not belong to them.

EVERTON MAKE ONE CHANGE
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Monday 08 April 1963
ST. JOHN IS DOUBTFUL
DERBY GAME
Fifty-seven thousand fans who have been waiting patiently for the Liverpool v. Everton match- their tickets for this all-ticket match must have nearly burned holes in their pockets! – will be at Anfield to-night for the return "Derby" when last the sides met at Goodison Part, the score was 2-2. All gates, it is hoped will be open by 5.30. the kick-off times is 7.30. It is doubtful whether Liverpool's Scottish International centre forward, Ian St. John, will be fit. He received a kick on the calf in the match against West Ham and the injury bothered him again on Saturday in the game at Wembley.
STANDING BY
Arrowsmith, who has had a busy season with the Liverpool Central league side, will take his place if necessary. He is a sizeable boy with a great heart. He has been a free scorer, in the Reserve side. On his senior debut at Middlesbrough lasts season he scored two goals, both disallowed. Liverpool; Lawrence; Byrom, Moran; Milne, Yeats, Stevenson; Callaghan, Hunt, St. John, or Arrowsmith, Melia, Lewis. Everton have one change – Meagan returns at left-back to the exclusion of Thomson, Meagan damaged stomach muscles three weeks ago and the injury was slow to respond to treatment. Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey.

THIS WAS A MOST VALUABLE POINT FOR EVERTON
Liverpool Daily Post- Tuesday, April 9, 1963
ST. JOHN FAILS DRAMATIC FITNESS TEST JUST BEFOR THE KICK-OFF
LIVERPOOL 0, EVERTON 0
If ever a match was destined to be a draw this was it. While there were occasions when the forwards did get through to make a shot it almost seemed as though the only way to make any real breach would have been with a machine gun. The defences on both side were magnificent and although errors were natural in a game as tense and tight as this, covering was so sound that no vital damage was done. It was typical of the Merseyside football fans that a game could continue for ninety minutes without a goal and yet have a Cup Final atmosphere from beginning to end. Both sides will maintain that they had the edge and came nearer to winning the game, but in truth there was so very little in it that it could be quibbling to quarrel with the verdict. On parade Everton had forwards to the value of £157,000 (Young £42,000 Scott £40,000, Vernon, £35,000, Stevens £25,000 and Morrissey £15,000) and while admittedly the Liverpool line by comparisons was really bargain basement with a total expenditure of £11,000 (Lewis £10,000 and Arrowsmith £1,000), but wonderfully talented for all that it was a real feather in the cap of those willing and accomplished defenders that the game ends das it began – goalless. This was a most valuable point for Everton in their struggle to come back into the championship reckoning. Both games have now ended in a draw so that the question for the spectators as to which is the better side remains wide open. There was high drama at Anfield even before the game began, for the crowd roared as they saw St. John on to the field in training kit for a fitness test. He was accompanied by manager Bill Shankly and trainer Bob Paisley, but when it was all over it was thumbs down from Mr. Shankly. Obviously the Liverpool manager preferred a fit reserve to a star whose fitness was a doubt. For all that even after the announcement that Arrowsmith would lead the Liverpool attack the crowd took up their song." When the Saints go marching in." There was trouble at the Anfield Road end of the ground and the crowd over-flowed on to the itch behind the goal. The police declined to allow them to stay there and so several hundred spectators were led out of the ground before the team appeared.
BELOW THIS FIGURE
The crowd was officially returned at 56,000 so that it is now certain that Anfield's comfortable limit must be something below the figure, I doubt if anyone in the huge crowd was dissatisfied in any way with their entertainment for while it is said that it is goals that make football excitement these teams showed themselves capable of providing it with only near misses as the highlights. Were fouls it looks as though these are inevitable in Derby clashes of this type when so much is at stake and yet there was never at any time anything really vicious. There was no keener duel in the match than that between Gerry Byrne and Johnny Morrissey and yet they are the best of friends off the field. Neither spared the other anything in their battles for possession and their tussle made thoroughly interesting entertainment with honours even. Liverpudlians no doubt will claim that if Ian St. John had been able to play instead of Arrowsmith he would have made the difference. That remains problematical for looking back on the whole game I cannot recall a finer shot than that hit by the young Liverpool leader in 17 minutes. Playing towards the Kop end he made a wonderful effort and West only reached it at full stretch. As it fell Hunt dashed in trying to finish the movement with a goal, but again West was alive to the situation and leapt on the ball. There was nothing finer in the goalkeeping line all night even though Lawrence crept into the picture in the last minute when he leapt across goal to pull down a Vernon shot which was screaming towards the net.
TREMENDOUS FORM
Melia was the Liverpool ideas man, but he was given the minimum of time and room in which to work for the tackling by both Kay and Gabriel was often instantaneous with Melia's receipt of the ball and so the England inside forward collects great credit from his achievement, more limited though they were than usual. What a good thing it was for Everton that! Meagan was able to report fit for he had a wonderful steadying influence on the defence and controlled Callaghan extremely well. Labone too was in tremendous form and never looked likely to make a mistake although Arrowsmith persisted to the end in an effort to shake the Everton centre half but without result. It is difficult to fault any of the defenders in this mighty battle, but if anything Milne and Stevenson achieved more in the attacking build up even tough Kay and Gabriel were always quick to race up into the attack when opportunity presented itself. Parker could look back with the greatest satisfaction on the outcome of his duel with Lewis and the fact that Scott hardly posed any danger as a raider leaves Moran with a satisfactory performance. Vernon began in great style and was ploughing through the middle in something like his old style when brought down by Moran only five yards outside the penalty area, Gabriel could not find a way through with his shot. Tension mounted as the game progressed and we found Byrne penalized for a foul on Morrissey and Morrissey in trouble for his treatment of Melia and one felt that it might have been advantageous at this stage after only 20 minutes play if the referee had clamped down. Fortunately these little flare-ups never really got out of hand and indeed the referee showed considerable leniency in declining to penalize what looked like offences from time to time. There came a real thrill in 20 minutes when Yeats went out to deal with Scott and as the winger skipped inside the penalty area Yeats swept at the ball and down went Scott. There were loud appeals for a penalty but the referee decided there had been no offence. In his efforts to avoid Labone, Arrowsmith, often wandered out to the wing and he won full marks for a brilliant cross which had Everton flying the distress signals until Meagan turned the ball over the by-line. Everton came back into the picture immediately after the interval when Kay steered the ball through the defence and Milne, believing that it would pass out of play, took no action until Morrissey brought the ball back and crossed it perfectly to Young. The centre forward could not have been more ideally placed and yet hit his shot wide.
OUT OF PLAY
Only after the ball had gone wide did the referee appease the nerves of the Liverpool supporters by indicating that the ball had been out of play in any event. As the game progressed it seemed more and more certain that only an accident or a penalty kick might produce a score. Maybe that was why the crowd chanted Moran, Moran, after Gabriel had been penalized for a foul on Lewis. Moran came up as though he might be brought into the proceedings but Stevenson ignored him and lobbed the ball into the goalmouth where the blanket cover saw it to safety. When next Everton were penalized Moran did come up for the free kick and Yeats also advanced to lend his height to the assault. Yeats headed the ball to Hunt who scooped it over the top. I thought one of the best chances of the game fell to Hunt in 65minutes and Hunt was the man who looked more capable possibly than anyone else of preventing this score sheet from remaining blank. Arrowsmith brought a ball under control beautifully and pushed it inside to Hunt with all the assurance of a man accustomed to playing in such tension. Hunt was too hurried and hit the ball first time with the result that he never got hold of it properly and Everton escaped. Because mistaken by Yeats were so few the one he made to give Young a chance lingers in the memory, Young did not make the most of his chance however and fired directly at Lawrence. The goalkeeper could only knock the ball down but had plenty of time to complete the clearance. It was a sign of the acceptance of the grip posed by the defences that Kay tried a long shot from more than 30 yards range. He was right on target but it was like shelling peas to Lawrence who pulled down the ball easily and cleared. There was a momentary thrill when Moran's clearance kick struck Stevens and rebounded to Scott. Fortunately for Liverpool, Yeats was there to clear, but this seemed the sort of incident which could open up a defence where more subtle moves had failed Liverpool; Lawrence; Byrne, Moran; Milne, Yeats, Stevenson; Callaghan, Hunt, Arrowsmith, Melia, Lewis. Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Referee; Mr. L. Callaghan (Merthyr Tydfil). Attendance 56,060.

EVERTOR SCORE 13
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Tuesday 09 April 1963
Aachen's young amateurs were completely engulfed by a storm of 13 goals by the Everton Youth XI, the German's first stay in Liverpool, their first stay in Liverpool, at Bellefield, yesterday. Eleven of these goals came in the second half, six of them in a nine minutes spell of utter humiliation for the German team. Star of the Everton side, with four goals to his credit, was dashing left winger Tommy Roberts, who opened the scoring in the ninth minute. There was similar football artistry in the Junior (Under 15) match played earlier, when Aachen lost 4- 0 to a fine Liverpool junior city team. Liverpool's inside forwards, Gick and Rigby, were the main victory schemers, scoring three goals between them.

ACLASSIC GOALLESS 'DERBY'
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Tuesday 09 April 1963
By Leslie Edwards
Ninety minutes —of exhibition football; no goals, never a dull moment; the ideal goalless draw; that was the long-awaited Liverpool v. Everton "Derby "at Anfield last night. Everyone who saw it (the attendance was given as 56,060, but hundreds, many youngsters, were ushered out into the street before a ball was kicked!) must have gone away enthralled by a contest which showed our city sides as among the finest in Britain. I never saw a "Derby" which reflected more credit on the teams for sustained effort: for skill at tremendous speed, or one which reflected less credit on the two sets of fans... Is it necessary to particularize when chanting and name players who have done nothing wrong on the night? Is it necessary for the factions—roughly divided into the Kop and the others at the other end—to revile each other with " under the arm" chants' Let us have chanting and saints marching by all means, but let us not start a fashion for hitting at people before they've put a foot wrong. The players of both sides deserved better from their supporters. They gave a first-class exhibition unequalled for interest in my experience. They fought fairly and hard for every ball: there were times when enthusiasm out-ran good sense (there always are) but broadly speaking these two sides set out to make it a grand game of football. They succeeded beyond my hopes and beyond the hopes, I imagine, of the man who appealed "Let's cut out the rough stuff."
Difficult to fault
The result was that we had entertainment in the match's every facet: glorious football with the ball speeding about the dry dusty pitch in chains of accurate passes. Football which lacked only bite in the finish. No one held the ball for long; lightning reflexes, mainly by both defences, meant that we had no goals, but would that every match could interest us as this did. It had everything except goals and was none the worse because the issue remained unresolved. Indeed, what better verdict ? It would be difficult to start to fault either side. There was so much good from both. Referee Callaghan took a
Quiet, firm grip of things from the beginning. Just as well, perhaps, but I always had the impression that instructions had been given behind scenes that this was to be a sporting game and not one with local rivals knocking lumps oft each other. If that were so then the decision was wise. The spectators made Anfleld a cauldron of excitement and partisanship. That the players were not tainted by this too-fierce, rabid partisanship was a good thing. I give them full marks for setting out to make a fair game of it and for succeeding so completely there was not a soul who could complain that the football had not been sparkling and wholly satisfying. The defences were superb, no less. Labone has rarely played better and neither has Yeats whose fore-head must be bruised this morning from the many solid contacts it made with the ball in the air. There was great goalkeeping, too, perhaps the best moment coming when Lawrence not only got his hands to a fierce Vernon drive in the final minutes, but held the ball. There may have been better matches at Anfield this season, but if there have been I have not seen them. It was a result which satisfied both clubs, both sets of followers. Liverpool, so rarely dropping a home point, had honour vindicated. They played magnificently : Everton having earned a point at the ground of the club whose only defeat for months has been at the hands of Leicester City, would go away well content with their half-share. Not many clubs do so well against a Liverpool at peak form, if missing the experience of St. John. The near capacity crowd were treated to a fitness test for this player half an hour before the game and after it the announcement was made that young Arrowsmith would lead the line. He did just that: showing good sense in what could have developed into a pitched battle and lacking only the nip and zip which further experience can bring.
All the arts
A more impressive contest one could scarcely imagine. It had all the arts; speed such as we get normally only in spells. It pulsated. There was never a moment when the ball was not flying, with astonishing accuracy, about the field in sustained movement of the sort we get only occasionally in run-of-the-mill matches. This was a classic; worthy of a Wembley setting. What a pity the critics of our sides could not have been present to see how cleanly and well our domestic battle can be fought. But if they had I suspect they would still have had some harsh things to say about people on the terraces whose thoughtless and unfair taunting ofthis player and that was the night's only blot. Apart from the great work of Yeats and Labone and the fine goalkeeping, there was some tremendously good stuff from Callaghan, from Meagan (once he got his land legs) and from young Gordon Milne, whose play, sedate and studied was well-suited to a game played sportingly and in the true spirit of soccer. I wouldn't criticize any player except those who forgot themselves temporarily and produced moments of tension where none should have been. You know these players as well as I do. The great majority played the match with admirable poise and good sense and took their tumbles and tussles with grace. This despite the fact that the teams had not entered the arena side by side as traditionally. The reason presumably was because so many spectators were going out through their subway there wasn't room to send them on in file…
Highlights
To refresh your memory (and mine), here are the highlights: Gabriel started with a reverse header so high West did well to leap to it to prevent an own goal; Lawrence came out to crowd out a menacing Vernon shot; West saved, and held the ball at the second attempt, from Arrowsmith's first shot on target. Stevens next hit one almost straight at Lawrence, who held the ball safely. Lewis shot wide from a peach of a pass by Hunt, who has rarely "killed" the ball quicker or more effectively or played better. The one great contentious moment followed. Did Yeats bring down Vernon in the box? My view was that Vernon's burst of speed must have taken him through if he hadn't been brought down from behind. The referee said "No penalty!" If it was a penalty in my book it wasn't in his, and that was the decision which counted. Referee Callaghan ruled, rather late, that the bill had been out of play at the Kop end when Morrissey had beaten Byrne. Yeats hooked one almost off Vernon's chest and Vernon did a Matt Barrass (on the ground) until an Everton attack and goal were imminent. The crowd were not slow to take note of his quick recovery. A Melia cross shot, half-held, went on for a corner: Moran left a chink of space and time for Young, and Lawrence was quick to turn the ball for a corner off the face of an upright. From a free-kick, Hunt screwed a shot over the bar, then hit one wide from a clever nod by Arrowsmith. The battle raged and Young, finding Yeats' long legs too short, for once, by a fraction of an ich, was quick to shoot and disappointed to see Lawrence make the save. Callaghan fired one down a fine angle, but West was ready and waiting; Lawrence then made his wonder catch off Vernon. They can repeat this at any time and find us all there, sure of value for money. The final act was tasteless. While all players congratulated each other (and with good cause) half the crowd produced a standing ovation and the other half came up with the final blast of senseless Jeering. A pity, because it two teams deserved full credit from everyone present, they were Liverpool and Everton last night.
HUNDREDS LEFT BEFORE MATCH STARTED
Spectators Were Crushed At Anfield "Derby"
Many hundredsof ticket holding spectators had to leave Anfield football ground last night before the start of the Liverpool and Everton Derby match because of crushing due to the crowded conditions. Among them were many youths and girls who were alarmed by the size of the crowd. The spectators were led out of the ground by police officers who had to act very firmly in scene cases to get them to leave. Mr. T. V. Williams,chairman of Liverpool Football Club, said to-day: "Some spectators went on to the ground and the police escorted them off as no-one is allowed on the playing pitch and the ordinary Liverpool supporter knows this. Some were later offered later offered ticket for the Spion Kop where there was plenty of room and some accepted while others, refused "According to the police, five people were injured. Two were treated on the ground by members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and the other three went to Walton Hospital, but were not admitted.
56,000 CROWD
Most of the crushing and swaying by spectators was at the Anfield Road end of the ground. The official attendance for the all-ticket game, which resulted in a goalless draw, was 56,000. Three-line traffic was in operation to enable the Mersey Tunnel to cope with the rush of vehicles, which started shortly after 6 p.m. "It was one of the busiest periods we have known for traffic from Birkenhead into Liverpool," a Mersey Tunnel spokesman. No difficulties were encountered after the game and traffic flowed smoothly.

REQUEST GRANTED
Liverpool Daily Post- Tuesday, April 9, 1963
EVERTON'S THOMSON CAN GO
By Horace Yates
George Thomson, Everton's Scottish left back, is available for transfer at his own request. The dramatic circumstances leading to this decision were announced by manager Harry Catterick yesterday, just before the start of the "derby" game at Anfield. Apparently as soon as Thomson heard the Everton team announcement and the fact that Meagan had replaced him at left back, he made an immediate application to Mr. Catterick for a transfer. He got his answer with the minimum of delay. Thomson had played 73 League games for Everton since coming to Goodison with Alex Young from Hearts in 1960. Everton paid £55,000 for the two players it being property assumed that Thomson's fee was £13,000. He made his English League debut at Highbury in November 1960. Thomson was a regular member of the side at the opening of this season, playing in the first thirteen matches but having lost his place he came back only when Meagan, dropped out with strained stomach muscles and played in the six games preceding the "derby" match.

NOW HE'S PUTTING THE BUBBLE TOGETHER
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Wednesday 10 April 1963
By Leslie Edwards
If Southampton reach Wembley—less likely things have happened—it will be partly due to the fine centre-forward play of Liverpool lad, George Kirby. He didn't score against Forest, but he did lead the assault which took his side from 0-3 down to 3-3 in the initial tie. How ironic it would be if this one-time Everton and Plymouth Argyle player not only appeared in the Cup final, but thrust himself into prominence as a possible England leader. In the days when he played at Goodison Park Ian Buchan was team manager. Just before the Everton floodlights were switched on for the first time the club were going great guns in the First Division. As I remember it, they were top having played ten matches and looked like staying there. Kirby, following Dave Hickson, looked the centre-forward complete. A man in the Dean mould, with plenty of fire and heading ability. After one of his particularly good games I said "George, if you keep this going there's no telling how far you'll go. You might even play for England!" Though he was delighted at such praise he took it with reservation. You see.' he said. "I just don't know how I do it. I'm sure I shan't be able to keep this up. I just do what comes naturally, but I'm afraid that my success can't last." Everton's next away match was at Newcastle. It was notable for an awful foul by Scoular on Tom Eglington; it 'as notable for Kirby's inability to do anything right; even the simplest of centre-forward chores. As he climbed into the coach afterwards he said: "See what I mean. The bubble's burst I said it would" And he was right. He played a few more indifferent first team games and then disappeared into the reserve side. Harry Catterick took him to Sheffield, but he didn't stay long. He had some success at Plymouth. Now in his short career at Southampton he seems to be making' it at last. (More power to his head and feet …

POOR ATTENDANCE
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Wednesday 10 April 1963
LESS THAN 100 WATCH GOODISON RESERVE MATCH
By Leslie Edwards
It was scarcely worthwhile opening the gates at Goodison Park to admit an attendance at the start of to-day's match between Everton Reserves and Newcastle United Reserves of fewer than 100 Reserves of fewer than 100. Everton Res;- Dunlop; Parnell, Sharples; Jarvis, Heslop, Harris; Bingham, Rees, Wignall, Temple, Veall. Newcastle United Res;- Mitchell; Craig, Butler; Chapman, Mancur, Turner; Hughes, Donoghue, Watkins, O'Neill, Tuchy. Referee Mr. D.W.G. Brady (Rotherham). Rees took a perfect pass from Sharples for the first shot, a hard one which Mitchell knocked up before saving at the second attempt. Then Hughes, once of Chester, opened the Everton defence and seemed certain to score, but Dunlop made a good save. Temple scored through the ruck with a ball which just found the inside of the post but the referee had seen an infringement earlier so the score did not count. Rees was off the field with an injury for two minutes and no sooner had he returned than Chapman and Wignall damaged their heads in collision. Wignall recovered but Chapman had to go off for further attention. Half-time; Everton res nil, Newcastle United Res nil.

MORRISSEY DOUBT
Liverpool Daily Post- Thursday, April 11, 1963
By Horace Yates
Everton due at Blackpool on Saturday are still unable to say with certainty whether Johnny Morrissey will be fit. He received an ankle injury in one of his clashes with Gerry Byrne on Monday and is under treatment. Manager Harry Catterick said last night. "There must be a doubt about Morrissey's fitness." There has so far been no response to the announcement that left back George Thomson is available for transfer. Of course, this is hardly the best time of the year for a player to find a new club.

LESLIE EDWARDS NOTES
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Thursday 11 April 1963
SORE HEADS, SORE BODIES
Everton have no game tomorrow, but play Blackpool away on Saturday; Birmingham at home, on Monday and at Birmingham on Tuesday. All going well it could be that Everton will emerge top of the table after the holidays but they will need to finish better than they have in most of their last five or six matches. If they have injuries –few clubs don't over a busy holiday programme –they are probably better placed than their neighbours to bridge the gap of gaps. Everton's on paper, is by far easier programme. It usually happens that Easter sorts out many of the championship and relegation problems and became most clubs have an extra mid-week game this time the situation should be fairly clear by the time the dust of Easter battles has settled. As expected many of the unfortunates who missed the "Derby" game after queueing in bitter old for hours to secure tickets feel very sore.
Mr. W. Smith (1 Dyke Street, Liverpool 6) writes; "How can clubs hope to attract supporters of the future when they allow incidents such as happened on Monday? Crowds of boys were marshalled from the Kemlyn Road, side and escorted out of the ground via the players' subway. There was no cause for such action. Surely legally these supporters are entitled to a refund of their money? As the father of a very disillusioned son it will be a long time before he'll be convinced that a three shilling ticket nursed proudly for months is a sure way of entrance to Anfield."
Mr. A. Nelson (69 Buttermere Road, Liverpool 16) goes further; "What nonsense the Liverpool chairman talks when he blames people at the Anfield Road end for invading the pitch. On behalf o his club he must accept the blame for over-crowding. "I guarantee if he had been in this particular section he would have been first over the wall. I tried to stand and watch the game for one hour and fifty minutes, I was pushed from pillar to post. Even at the interval there was no respite. No others sweated harder than I did. It took me all my time to breathe. "Has the Liverpool Chairman ever had continual pressure on all sides of his body, with people trampling on his feet? Has he ever been afraid to fall among the crowd knowing that if he did he might never get up again? "What should have been an enjoyable evening was ruined by the ground conditions. Mr. Williams can change places with me anytimes he likes. Until he does Anfield has lost a customer. "
Other letters on the same topic.-
"We were pulled out of the crowd and directed to where we thought there was more room. Without reason we were just ushered straight out of the ground;- F.D. Gell, 45 Osborne Road, Liverpool 13…
"We queued for three hours in bitter cold to get our tickets; arrived early and were soon being pulled out of the crowd. Part of the blame lies with the club. If they sell 57,000 surely all who pay are entitled to see the match? "I thought arriving early would secure a good vantage point. On Monday the late-comers were best served and we did not even see the teams enter the arena. Thi is the sort of thing which tends to make one feel like changing one's colours.- Miss G. Dickman, 25 Rice Lane, Walton.
NO EXPLANATION, NO REUND
"I protest at the treatment of my son. He left home at 4.40 p.m, to go to the match and was admitted into Kemlyn Road terraces at 5.40 after waiting for one hour and forty minutes. Then he was pulled out of the crowd and shown the exit door before the match began. No explanation was given and no money was refunded for a ticket for which he had queued two hours. The ticket had been burning a hole in his pocket since the game was postponed last February. My boy feels he has had a raw deal; I am disgusted at his treatment –H. Russby, 19 Anzio Road, Huyton.
Mr. G.G. Thompson, Everton F.C, Supporters club says; Mr. Williams is quoted as saying 'Some spectators went on to the ground and the police escorted them off as no one is allowed on the playing pitch and the ordinary Liverpool supporter knows this. "Either we are to assume that the spectators concerned were extra-ordinary Liverpool supporters or that they were Everton supporters. If the latter than I have never seen so many Everton fans wearing Liverpool colours. Come off it Mr. Williams! As the Echo so rightly put it, the only thing which marred the evening was the rabid fans, of both sides, who saw fit to cat-call and jeer some of the players, even before a ball had been kicked. I have been watching football for more than 40 years and in my memory this was the most even and sportingly contested 'Derby' I have ever seen. Other correspondence is from people who disagree with my assessment of the "Derby" game. They say it was not enthralling, not as good as I made it out to be. O leave 57,000 people to judge for themselves. It would seen that the regular follower o Everton and Liverpool was more than satisfied with the play; with the result and with the play in general.
I confess I am puzzled to know what more people want…
That art conceals art must be lost on many who see first-class football only rarely. Maybe they wanted the ball booted about the field haphazardly. They couldn't have had a more classic exhibition of art at speed than our two clubs provided.

EVERTON WAIT
Liverpool Echo& Evening Express - Thursday 11 April 1963
MORRISSEY DOUBT FOR BLACKPOOL GAME
Everton will not decide upon their outside left until just before Saturday's game at Blackpool. John Morrissey is under treatment for a leg injury and either Derek Temple or Ray Veall will deputise should Morrissey not be fit. Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey or Temple or Veall. With right winger Les Lea recovered from the leg injury he sustained against Leicester City, Blackpool name an unchanged team. Blackpool;- Waiters; Armfield, Martin; McPhee, Gratrix, Durie; Lea, Quinn, Charnley, Crawford, Parry.

4,000 MILE- TRIP – TO SEE CUP MATCH
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Thursday 11 April 1963
Merseyside soccer fans are keen, but there can be few more enthusiastic than a 77-years –old Liverpool-born man who has just made a 4,000 mile trip from Canada to see Liverpool's F.A Cup semi-final against Leicester City at Sheffield later this month. He is retired engineer Mr. Stan Brimer, from Hamilton, Ontario who arrived in Liverpool this morning abroad the 23,000 ton Cunard liner Carinrthia, from Halifax and New York. But there's only one thing worrying Mr. Brimer at the moment. He hasn't got a ticket for the big match.
LAST TIME
Mr. Brimer, who emigrated to Canada 53 years ago, will be staying with his brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. James Laurie, of 8, Denebank Road, Anfield. Mr. Laurie is a keen soccer fan too, but supports the team on the other side of the Park. He was on Everton's books at one time, but if he can get a ticket for the semi-final he will be cheering Liverpool on at Sheffield as well.

WEST NAM INCIDENTS
Liverpool Echo & Evening express - Thursday 11 April 1963
An FA. Disciplinary Committee has considered the referees report on misconduct by spectators during the West Ham v. Everton Cup match on March 16. The decided: "The attention of West Ham be drawn to their responsibility to take all necessary steps to maintain order at its matches. Having considered the evidence submitted, the Committee, while noting the incidents, is satisfied that reasonable Precautions were taken by the club and that no further action is necessary."

EVERTON BRING HOME EASTER PRESENT FROM BLACKPOOL
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Saturday 13 April 1963
BLACKPOOL 1 EVERTON 2
By Jack Rowe

Blackpool; Waiters; Armfield, Martin; McPhee, Gratrix, Durie, Lee, Quinn, Charnley, Crawford, Parry. Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Referee; Mr. K. Dougall (Bolton). Everton were unchanged against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road. Heavy pre-match rain left the pitch sticky and tricky. West, playing against his old club, captained Everton and lost the toss, but it was the Goodison Park side who moved in first with Vernon and Young almost forcing a way through. The difficulties of a skidding ball was soon illustrated when West did well to clutch a left wing corner. As the rain began to fall again Everton went ahead in five minutes with a goal from Young, but the chief contributors were Scott and a mistake by Gratrix, the Blackpool half back, when Stevens tried to slip the winger away his pass carried too much power, but Gratrix lost possession under Scott's challenge and the Everton man went on to the Blackpool area, drew waiters from his goal and then put the ball to on side for Young to walk it into the net. The referee looked to his linesman but in spite of Blackpool appeals for offside against Young, the goal stood. The next time Scott got the ball he almost broke through again, and was stopped at the last second by Martin. Stevens in the next minute, trying a first-timer, slewed it well outside. Blackpool moved quite nicely at times especially down the right, and a couple of centres from Lea, low and skidding took Labone all his time to get away.
DIVING SAVE
Blackpool did most of the pressing at this point, with West diving to save well from Parry. Then Charnley got up to Quinn's free kick and nodded it down for the goalkeeper to again make a safe catch. A Vernon shot which travelled outside was Everton's only response for some minutes and as the sun came out Quinn celebrated with a drive from the penalty line edge, which went straight to West. With the Everton wing halves not getting a grip, Blackpool were receiving a lot of attacking latitude, and a couple of high centres from Lea were dangerous especially with a man of Charnley's height around. Blackpool should have got level when Lea raced past Meagan and put the ball into the middle, where Crawford hit it against Labone and then put the rebound wide from little more than six yards out. Scott had looked as well as any Everton attacker so far but the forward line was not moving with cohesion. In fact there seemed to be quite a bit of tenseness about Everton's play. When Kay did provide a lovely pass, Morrissey slipped. On this pitch players of both sides were having difficulty in keeping their feet.
FAR FROM HAPPY
Blackpool were getting most of the possession in midfield and Everton looked a far from happy side, particularly when Lea got the ball because he was fast and menacing. The Blackpool goal had an escape when a long pass found Young on his own on the left. From the cross. Stevens brought the ball down and then shot but Waiters managed to turn the ball for a corner. Blackpool were suffering in front of goal and to this point there had been nothing better in the game than Crawford's volley from a right wing centre. It was well for Everton that West did not have to move to make the save for a yard to either side must have meant a goal. Everton were showing signs of team work without being really convincing. They nearly got a second goal when Kay's long shot was flicked on by Young, the ball travelling just over. The game boiled up when, after Vernon had been penalized for a foul on McPhee, Young cleverly beat Gratrix and was through on his own when McPhee brought him down quite deliberately from behind. The referee admonished the Blackpool man before awarding a free kick just outside the penalty area and as it happened Blackpool did not escape for Everton went two up. Vernon took the kick and tapped it to one side for Scott to fire low through the barrier of players and just inside the post, Waiters diving but having no chance. Half-time.- Blackpool nil, Everton 2. Armfield came tearing through when the second half started and his final pass to Quinn was a beauty, but Labone saw the danger, and was across very quickly to stop further progress by the Blackpool man. Although Labone had occasionally been beaten by Charnley in the air, he was playing quite solidly otherwise. Blackpool, although still providing the bulk of the pressure were not getting near to West. Young tried a burst which was stopped by Gratrix, and from the clearance Blackpool swept away and Parry, after nicely clipping the ball up and over, lashed it wildly into the crowd.
NO FINISH
Kay was much more on the scene this half and a couple of his passes were first class. It was still Blackpool, though, who were the attacking force but there was no finish. Crawford once kicking over the ball from a Parry centre. A couple of centres from Scott were taken and cleared by Waiters but this was not a particularly exciting match, especially as the Everton policy now was for Gabriel to the back and not lend aid in attack. Scott was having quite a good outing, and one run and shot from him was the best thing for some time.
AMAZING SAVE
Everton will never have a more amazing save than that which Parker made to stop Crawford scoring. Parry pulled the ball back from the byeline for Crawford to hit it calmly from somewhere near the penalty spot. West was beaten, but Parker somehow got to the line. The ball struck him and fell dead for West to pick up and clear. It was a poor match now by any standard for Everton seemed happy with their lead and Blackpool were offering little in the way of effective challenge. Crawdford emerged from a crowd of plyers with the ball, but still Blackpool could not take their chances. This time the inside forward shot straight at West from about 10 yards out. When Blackpool did get a goal in the last minute, it came out of the blue. Following a free kick on the left. West punched the ball out and when Quinn returned it in along the floor it seemed to go through Labone's legs and was deflected into the corner of the net. Final; Blackpool 1, Everton 2. Official attendance; 27, 842.
Lancashire League
Everton "B" 2, Manchester City "B" 1.

'DERBY' DRAW WAS FAIR RESULT
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Saturday, April 13 1963
PAT ACROSS THE PAGE TO OLD PAL
By Alex Young
It is goals that count in football, and so a goalless draw is usually regarded as a dull, uninteresting affair. There have been two games involving Everton this season which have given this idea a severe knocking--at White Hart Lane, in December, and Anfield, earlier this week. The Tottenham - Everton and Liverpool-Everton encounters were both brimful of excitement, with defenders taking the honours but the forwards keeping in the game sufficiently to suggest that they were capable of snatching a vital goal and clinching the Issue. There are probably a few rabid Evertonians and Liverpudlians who will frown at the Idea of anybody from Goodison Park or Anfield handing out anything like a compliment to a member of the opposing camp, but this week I am going to reach across the page and pat my old " enemy," former Army pal, and now Echo colleague, Ron Yeats, on the back. Ron had a couple of lucky moments at Anfield on Monday, firstly when he tackled Roy Vernon from behind as he was shaping up to beat Tommy Lawrence, and later when he slipped, left me in possession, but unfortunately was not made to pay in full for his error; but taking the game as a whole I think he played exceptionally well. Reflecting in as friendly and unbiased manner as is possible on any "derby"encounter, a draw was the fairest result. If we had been awarded that penalty when Roy Vernon was brought down, however, then there might have been a vastly different story. LABONE DISPLAY
If an England selector were present at Anfield on Monday, then I am sure he would have felt like kicking himself and his colleagues for omitting Brian Labone from the team against Scotland. He would have noted, too, that if England are to make a change at wing half, then Tony Kay is the man they are looking for to fill the vacancy. Following Eric Caldow's unfortunate injury at Wembley, Scotland should have no difficulty in finding a replacement for later internationals this season. Jimmy Gabriel is playing as well as he ever has right now and the way he subdued England's new inside left, Jimmy Melia, is clear testimony of this. When a forward is trying to get back into scoring mood after a lean spell all kinds of things seem to go wrong, and Roy Vernon s experiences against Blackburn, at Goodison Park, last Saturday, illustrated this. Roy scored what appeared to be two perfectly good goals, but both were disallowed, a free kick being given for Everton in one instance and against us in the other. Blackburn's defence gave a good display although there were times when I thought they had a little more than their fair share of luck. Had the ball been running for and not against us in the last three or four weeks, I think that Everton, instead of struggling to keep contact with Leicester and Tottenham, might be looking back at these two and feeling more confident.
INDIFFERENT
The great thing from our point of view, I feel is that during this spell of indifferent form - what else can you call it when the critics have been writing off our championship chances one match, and then putting us back as contenders after the next - that we have kept reasonably close to Tottenham and Leicester. Maybe at times we have deserved to be nicknamed the Yo-yos rather than the Toffees, but the fact remains that these two main rivals have not been able to turn our poor spell to any great advantage and, when one looks at things this way, then our recent luck may not be quite as bad as it appears. I pointed out a few weeks ago that this season's First Division championship would probably see the survival of the fittest. Everton have, I feel, passed through a storm and weathered it well; the time of strain for Tottenham (still in the European Cup Winners' Cup) and Leicester (in the F.A. Cup) may be just round the corner. At the start of the season my crystal ball forecast was that Manchester United and Liverpool were " outsiders " to watch in the fight for honours: a fortnight ago I said that Scotland would beat England, but the score would be close. For many months now the crystal ball has been predicting that Everton would be champions- I've still got faith in it.
TOUGH DEBUT
Being a Scot, I was naturally delighted at my country's fine victory against the odds at Wembley last week-end. My congratulations to the players who kept the home international championship north of the border and that of course, includes Ian St. John. What a pity Ian was not able to play in either "Derby "this season. His deputy on Monday, Alf Arrowsmith, nearly got on the score sheet, for it took a superb save by Gordon West to stop him. There must surely be no tougher First Division debut than in an Everton - Liverpool match. With four games in eight days, there is not really much time to think about next Saturday's match at Goodison against the mighty Spurs. This looks like being a real classic, with a capacity crowd helping to provide that atmosphere which really "makes"the big occasion. Last week-end our young reserve forward, Keith Webber, joined Brighton. I am sure Keith will do well in Third Division football, so joining the former Everton players whose names appear regularly In the headlines on Third and Fourth Division match reports, but his departure leaves a gap in our ten-pin bowling line up which will be hard to fill. Lastly, a thought for the week-end. .Teams playing in Cup Finals sometimes have to change their colours. If Liverpool meet Southampton at Wembley, which set of supporters change their signature tune!

EVERTON RES V. STOKE RES
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Saturday, April 13 1963
Everton Res;- Dunlop; Harker, Parnell; Jarvis, Heslop, Sharples, Shaw, Tyrer, Wignall, Hurst, Veall. Stoke City;- Sherratt; Ward, Wilson; Flowers, Bloor, Philpott; Westlake, Tyrer, Matthews (G), Soraggat, Murrey. Referee- Mr. F. Lassey (Blackburn). Both sides were slow settling down and play remained scrappy for the first 20 minutes. Defences were well on top and the ball was being booted back and forth with no real attempt at positioning. If anything Everton were slightly the more dangerous, shots from Sharples and Wignall passing over the crossbar but goalkeeper Sherratt was not really troubled. Dunlop had little to do except for a 30 yard drive by right half Flowers which was followed by a ground shot from Tyler that skimmed the upright. The nearest thing to a goal in the first half came from Stoke's inside left. Spraggat. He picked a ball up on the left wing, beat Harker and lifted the ball over the oncoming Dunlop, but it went out past the far post. Half-time; Everton Res nil, Stoke Res nil.

WAY TO THE TOP MAY BE OPENED IN 48 HOURS
Liverpool Daily Post- Monday, April 15, 1963
BLACKPOOL 1, EVERTON 2
By Jack Rowe
I'll say this for Everton. There was no petulance at Bloomfield Road on Saturday, but unfortunately there was also little of the skill they have produced in earlier games this season. At no time did they look a commanding side, nor did the attack move with the fluency it should and for the first 30 minutes at least there was a look about the defence which did not fill me with confidence.
IMPORTANT WIN
In spite of all this, the fact that Everton won away is of considerable importance and does a lot to minimizethe disappointment about a side not playing with the poise expected from a team which has the championship within its grasp. There was tenseness and anxiety about this performance and I wonder how much of this was due to Liverpool's tremendous success over Spurs. I don't suppose it is easy for a team to see their rivals in a football-made city suddenly open up a title way for them without being conscious of their own responsibility and the fear of being told… "You let the city down." Therefore, any less than a victory was unthinkable and the fact that it came might ease the tension and give Everton new confidence to find their true form, if they can take three points from to-day and tomorrow it will amplify this effect because the road to the title will be clearer. Everton's determination to win was illustrated by their second half tactics, after they had taken a 2-0 interval lead.
BLANKET DEFENCE
They have been on the receiving end this season of what is known as blanket defensive methods and they handed out a dose of it to Blackpool with Gabriel and Kay lying well back and the inside forwards covering the middle. It paid off, even if the game suffered as a spectacle but I am not going to blame Everton for that. They are as entitled as any other team to hang on to what they have and it is up to forwards to effect a break-through. Blackpool did not have that sort of craft, yet ironically they were not without chances in either half and Everton had a great stroke of fortune when parker racing in to cover, got to the line to take a Crawford shot on his body when everyone else had been beaten. Earlier Crawford had shot straight at West when through but apart from those moments and one at the Blackpool end when Scott slashed in a shot which Waiters saved expertly, the second half was dull, with Everton content to wait for the whistle and two points. The first half was a little better because Everton had to attack, although it took Gabriel and Kay, especially the left half, quite a bit to get into the match. Not until towards half-time did Everton begin to get more of a defensive grip and when Scott got the second goal a minute before the interval. It was plain that Blackpool had lost their stream. The match was not without its tough incidents, and McPhee and Vernon were involved in one contentious clash with the Blackpool man just as much to blame, but Mr. Dagnall was a good referee and imposed his will on the rest of the game. It was this incident which led to Everton's second goal, for just after it Young beat Gratrix who was always shaky and practically gave away the first goal, and was through with only Waiters to beat when McPhee hacked him down from behind. This was just outside the penalty area and after Mr. Dagnall had warned McPhee, Vernon pushed the free kick aside for Scott to hit a low shot inside the post and into the net. Young scored the first in five minutes when Scott was allowed by Gratrix to take over a too strong Stevens' pass and square the ball to the unmarked centre forward who was able to walk it into the net.
OFFSIDE APPEAL
Blackpool suggested Young was offside, but I thought he was behind the ball when Scott made the pass. Quinn's goal in 89 minutes came when West half punched out Durie's free kick and the scorer's shot went into the net off Labone. Scott was Everton's best forward. He looked direct and capable and the rest of the attack did not play to him enough. The defence looked firm in the second half with Labone always solid and Meagan recovering to snuff out the threat of Lea. I hope the team can get a big enough morale booster in the next 48 hours to enable it to find its old class and composure. Blackpool; Waiters; Armfield, Martin; McPhee, Gratrix, Durie; Lea, Quinn, Charnley, Crawford, Parry. Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Referee; Mr. K. Dagnell (Bolton). Attendance 27,842

EVERTON RES 1, STOKE RES 1
Liverpool Daily Post- Monday, April 15, 1963
Two goals in the last ten minutes were the only redeeming feature of a dull Central League holiday game between Everton Reserves and Stoke Reserves at Goodison Park on Saturday. In the first half all that could be said was that both sides kicked the ball hard upfield and hoped for the best. After the interval there was some improvement with Everton's outside right Shaw, giving goalkeeper Sherratt a few anxious moments and an advancing Dunlop was lucky when centre forward Spragett lofted the ball over his head just wide of the post. Tyrer got Everton's goal at 80 minutes when he went through n his own from the right and Matthews (G.) converted a Westlake corner following a defensive error.

DEFENSIVE PLAN MADE EVERTON WIN CERTAIN
Liverpool Echo & Evening Echo - Monday 15 April 1963
By Jack Rowe
The best thing that could be said about Everton's 2-1 victory at Blackpool is that the two points it brought keeps them well in the championship struggle and was what everyone in Liverpool expected them to do. It was far from being a good match especially in the second half when Everton, after taking a 2-0 lead at half time were clearly intent on hanging on to what they had. Everton themselves have had experience of defensive tactics against them this season and they know the problem it can present and at Bloomfield Road on Saturday they adopted it in the second half. It meant, of course, that Everton did not show as a real attacking force because Gabriel and Kay stayed back, but it is perhaps difficult to offer any criticism of this method because Everton are out on a limb at the moment and every point is vital if they are to get that title. But defensive methods are there to be beaten and Blackpool just did not have the craft to do it, and it was not until the last minute that they were able to get a scratchy goal. As an entertainment the second half was a complete loss and, frankly, the first half had not been much better because Everton are showing some signs of tenseness, so that their play is not flowing smoothly and effectively.
CHANCES SCORNED
Indeed, they are fortunate in some respects that Blackpool had no one in the forward line who could finish, because the home side had good chances before half-time and scorned them all. Outside right Lea had thebeating of Meagan in the first half and provided enough crosses to give the rest of the Everton defence a lot of anxiety but when the shots were made they were either straight at West or well off the target. Everton's defence took some little time to settle down for early on neither Gabriel nor Kay could put the clamp on Quinn and Crawford while Charnley began by beating Labone in the air. Later Gabriel and Kay got on top while Labone made no mistakes and Meagan was very cool in the second half so that all in all Blackpool were crushed out of the game. Crawford had one good opportunity in the second half but apart from this,a shot from Lea and a similar attempt at the other end from Scott the play was pretty lifeless and it was a relief to hear the final whistle.
SCOTT'S BEST
Everton were given a great start with a goal in five minutes from Young with Scott, who had probably his best game since joining the club, having a big part. The man really responsible, however, was Blackpool centre, half Gratrix who failed to cut off a pass from Stevens so that Scott was able to move on, draw Waiters out of his goal, and then put the ball squarely in front of Young for the Everton centre forward to prod it into the net. Blackpool asked for offside but Young appeared to be behind the ball when Scott crossed it and this was the view of the linesman who kept his flag down. Blackpool had a little more of the attacking play in the first half but gradually Everton got a grip and almost on half time went two up when Scott scored.
FOUND A GAP
Young had beaten Gratrix and was bursting through when he was palpably brought down by McPhee and from the free-kick Vernon tapped the ball to one side for Scott to find a gap in the barrier of players and beat Waiters with a low shot. Just before this McPhee and Vernon had clashed with the free-kick going against the Everton man, but Mr. Dagnall took such a poor view at McPhee's offence on Young that he took out his notebook to the Blackpool player. Quinn's goal in the last minute for Blackpool—his shot going into the net off Labone after West had failed to get In a clean punch, to a Durie free-kick, came too late to rive Blackpool any chance of saving the game and. in any event, hardly compensated for a dreary second half. Inevitably we did not see, Everton as we know they can, play, but if other teams regard it as their right to put up a defensive front there can be no criticism of a policy was designed to make sure of these two points for the Goodison Park side.

BIRMINGHAM PUT DAMPER ON EVERTON TITLE HOPES
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Monday 15 April 1963
BLUES NEVER LOOKED LIKE CHAMPIONS
EVERTON 2, BIRMINGHAM 2
By Leslie Edwards
Everton; - West; Parker, Meagan; Harris (B), Gabriel,Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Birmingham; - Scholfield; Rushton, Green; Hennessey, Smith, Board; Hellewell, Bloomfield, Harris (J), Leek, Auld. Referee; Mr. H. Webb (Leeds). Everton made surprising last-minute changes, owing to a shoulder injury to Labone at Blackpool on Saturday. Gabriel moved into the centre-half vacancy, and Brian Harris returned at right-half. Birmingham included two former Evertonians -Jimmy Harris and the Welsh Under-23 full-back. Colin Green, Wrexham boy. Everton won the toss and kicked into the Park goal. Scott opened confidently, linking up with Kay and Morrissey for Kay to produce a fine cross-shot which Schofield pulled down in first-class style.
NICK OF TIME
Beard intervened in the nick of time after Stevens and Young had opened up the play, then a long through-pass by Auld, meant for Leek, found a safe resting place in the arms of West. A strong Morrissey header from a good centre by Vernon passed across the face of the goal, and when Jimmy Harris rounded his name-sake, who slipped, it was West's turn to watch the ball travel out of play. A superlative piece of close dribbling by Hennessey, at the expense of Vernon and Stevens, was followed by a bit of touchline jugglery by Young but he inadvertently handled. Jimmy Harris got the Everton defence going the wrong way before putting in Bloomfield, whose pass to Auld was not properly used. In Birmingham's best attack so far, Hellawell left Meagan behind for speed, but Auld again failed to shoot accurately after the ball had been put to him on a plate.
SURPRISE SHOT
Jimmy Harris was in form, and from one of his moves Hellawell crashed in a surprise shot which West saved confidently. The Birmingham attack was still on top, with Hellawell's speed troubling Meagan, but the winger mis-hit a left-foot volley after Harris and Bloomfield had done the spadework. The big Birmingham defence were usually masters in the air, but each Everton winger in turn should have scored after Vernon had cut the ball back from the goalline, first to Scott, whose badly-hit shot made a perfect scoring chance for Morrissey, only for that player to balloon the ball yards over, A great left-foot shot by Vernon was finely saved by Schofield at the expense of a corner, then there were appeals for a penalty against Hennessey. When he got his body in line with a big shot by Vernon. These were turned down, and ironically Everton went in front a moment later. Scott centred low and Young, diving, steered the ball is at 27 minutes. West palmed away a dangerous centre by Auld, Schofield saved grandly from Vernon, and Scott outpaced Green, only for Schofield to make a brilliant flying catch.
GLORIOUS RUN
A glorious run by Auld gave both Bloomfield and Hellawell a chance but each made a hash of it. Vernon made one praise-worthy hooked volley from a centre from Scott, who was giving Green an anxious time. Schofield made a thrilling leap to save after an intended clearance had rebounded dangerously, but Birmingham were still in the game, and only a deflection prevented Leek from making it 1-1. When Hellawell again cut sharply through the Everton defence. West saved from Jimmy Harris. Birmingham equalised when Hellawell, again too fast for Meagan, speddown the goal-line and pulled the ball back for what seemed a certainty for Auld. He allowed the ball to pass, and Bloomfield. Apparently surprised at being left with a sitter, almost missed chance, but finally steered the ball just inside the post. Half – time.-Everton 1, Birmingham 1. Morrissey now dropped back to try and help Meagan deal with Hellawell. Vernon was having an undistinguished match, and the crowd were not slow to notice it. Jimmy Harris was brought down heavily by Gabriel, and it wasn't long before Hellawellwas getting the Everton defence in a tangle again.
TEMPERS FRAY
Birmingham survived another penalty appeal, this time for hands against Auld, and tempers began to fray. Everton were now scratching about, with the lurking fear of Hellawell's pace. Jimmy Harris twice out-speeded Gabriel, and Hellawell's header was almost there from one of his centres. Smith, at centre-half for Birmingham, was master in the air, and, with Everton missing their way with vital passes, the situation did not look promising. Morrissey could not judge the pace of some excellent passes by Kay. Leek made a header which touched the Everton bar, but had been given off-side. Auld made a glorious run and pulled the ball back square and when West lost his gripLeek looked all over a scorer, but lost possession.
SMITH INJURED
Smith and Green collided heavily, and the former needed attention before resuming. A centre by Parker gave Vernon a point-blank opening, but the gallant Schofield made yet another fine save almost on his knees. From a throw-in, Jimmy Harris worked his way down the line and West collected a toe-ended shot only at the second attempt. Then Vernon, from a pass from Scott, hit a dipping shot just over the bar. Again West picked up a centre at the second attempt —this time from Hellawell, with Jimmy Harris in dangerous attendance. Everton had now disintegrated and there were some slow handclaps for them. Then they went behind at 69 minutes, Auld had gone to inside-right to cut the ball back, and Leek got up well to nod it downwards and well out of West's reach. Green hooked away a delayed centre by Morrissey, then Hellawell intervened to prevent Morrissey scoring from the resultant corner.
34 GAMES AGO
The same, now rather rough, was stopped for a further injury, thistime to Beard. As a matter of interest, Everton's last home League defeat was on September 6, 1961, by Manchester City 34 game: ago, including to-day's. Everton drew level at 77 minutes through their speedman Scott. Heoutdistanced Green over yards and hit the ball right-footed, at a fairly fine angle, to level the scores. Schofield knocked up a big shot by Scott, caught the ball as it fell, and was then on the receiving end of a challenge from both Morrissey and Gabriel. The referee rightly gave Birmingham a free kick. Green saved on the goal- line, heading the ball for a corner from a header by Young after Morrissey had centred with Schofield out of position. It was a rousing finish, with Everton having only a few minutes to redeem themselves completely. Kay tried a long right-foot cross-shot to clinch it, but was wide by a few yards. Auld had a chance to put Birmingham back in front, but shot straight at the goalkeeper. Gabriel headed, on to the Birmingham bar, and, lying on the ground, tried to score as the ball came back to him. Gabriel went to right half and Brian Harris was operating in the centre but Birmingham gave everything away-except that vital third goal. Final. — Everton 2, Birmingham 2.

CABLES AND MANAGER PART
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Monday 15 April 1963
Prescot Cables have parted company with their manager Cecil Wyles - by mutual consent. Formerly with Everton and Southport as an inside forward, this was Mr. Wyles first season with Prescot. After losing their seven previous games for a goal tally of 6-27. Cables came back to form with a vengeance on Friday and Saturday when they slapped Netherfield 6-2 and Marine 3-0, Runcorn still pursue their championship course in spite of those two successive defeats. On Saturday they cruised home to a 4-0 win over Oswestry (now virtually doomed to seek re-election) with Foster, Moss, Daly and Fry all being on the target.

THE CHAMPION TOUCH STILL ELUDES EVERTON
Liverpool Daily Post- Tuesday, April 16, 1963
LABONE ABSENCE NEARLY SEES HISTORY REPEATED
EVERTON 2, BIRMINGHAM CITY 2
By Horace Yates
Well, Everton, this will not do at all! Admittedly Birmingham City may be fighting for their First Division lives, but potential champions should be capable of something better than the sort of desperate football which is unnecessarily making life very much harder for themselves and unless they can recapture the easy flow and rhythm of earlier displays they might well become only champions disappointers. It might have been worse for had not Birmingham suddenly gone right back into their shell when leading 2-1 in the second half, that home immunity from defeat might well have been ended, but City are no masters of the art of blanket defence and they encouraged Everton to hit back with almost everybody up. Labone was absent with a shoulder injury and was very badly missed. Do you remember the last occasion he was marked absent? Let me remind you. It was on September 6, 1961 and if that date does not ring a bell, I need only add that this was the last time Everton were beaten at home in any League game. History might well have repeated itself! First, there was Gabriel at centre half and while he did well up to a point, there was not the solid impact that Labone makes on a game and undoubtedly the less of his attacking power was a sacrifice Everton could not afford to make. So it was after Birmingham had gone into a 2-1 lead, the switch was made to place Brian Harris at centre half and Gabriel in his true position. It was a strategical move amply justified by events for even though the normal smooth running was not completely restored, with so many men below par the mighty power of Gabriel was reflected in the Everton advance and certainly they came much nearer earning victory under the wing half's promptings. The announcement of Harris's inclusion had produced a mighty cheer all round the ground, for it was his first appearance with the seniors since Kay took over at the end of January. It was denied the fairy tale ending however for Harris could not grasp the opportunity to pose a selection problem. Nothing will convince Everton that they should not have had a penalty almost immediately before Scott's goal, and Vernon pressed his claim for a handling offences by Auld most strongly, without success.
GREEN SAVES
Then there was the exciting spectacle of Morrissey beating the goalkeeper Scholfield to a ball on the bye-line, yards out of goal and chipping it across for Young to head towards the net. On the line, up went Colin Green to save in remarkable fashion and help him to forget the responsibility he undoubtedly shared for making it possible for Scott to score the equalizer. Green is the former Everton player, who won something of a reputation as the club mascot at the outset of his career for not until his tenth game with the seniors did he figure on the losing side. For good measure there was the sight of Gabriel lifting the ball accurately over Scholfield's head but hardly accurately enough to bring it under the crossbar, instead of slap up against it. Undoubtedly, Everton are spluttering and gasping with the end in sight, mainly because the inside trio are not combining and finishing as they did in more thrilling, pleasanter days. Young salvaged something of his reputation by magnificently scoring Everton's opening goal in 26 minutes. Scott made the offering after beating off Green's tackle, but it still required a terrific effort from the centre forward to reach the ball with his head before Rushton bowled him over. He made the contact, however, and scored cleverly.
IMPROVED SCOTT
Without a doubt this was one of Scott's better games and it was just as well, for the crowd could not help admiring the high speed progress made by Hellawell, on Birmingham's right wing, as he so often left Meagan floundering in the slip stream. If Birmingham had a match winner, here he was and their wisdom in neglecting to make use of this powerful weapon once they were ahead is very much open to question. I gather from Birmingham contacts that not always is Hellawell in this devastating mood, but he left such an impression that, disappointed though they were in the result, the crowd sportingly applauded him off the field at the end. It was Hellawell, who helped to bring about the equalizer. Off he went on a shattering spurt to the corner flag, to cross the ball hard and low. The quick thinking Jimmy Harris allowed the ball to pass between his legs to the better placed Bloomfield who steered it home in 44 minutes. Inevitably we found Hellawell pushing the ball forward for Auld to square it, this time high across goal, and Leek out-jumped the defence to head downwards past West in 68 minutes. Everton were only behind for nine minutes but what an eternity it seemed before Scott beat Green beautifully on the edge of the penalty area and hit a magnificent low shot to give Scholfield no chance of saving, desperate dive though he made. Everything Kay attempted may not have come off quite so precisely as he would have liked, but much of his work was superb, so much so that he gave his critics no room to build up any sort of argument. Kay has not found a ready acceptance at Goodison, but it is not easy to see what more he must do to silence all of them. Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Harris (B), Gabriel, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Birmingham City; Scholfield; Rushton, Green; Hennessey, Smith; Beard, Hellawell, Bloomfield, Harris (J.), Leek, Auld. Referee; Mr. H. Webb (Leeds). Attendance 50,222.

LABONE OUT OF TO-DAY'S MATCH
Liverpool Daily Post- Tuesday, April 16, 1963
By Horace Yates
Everton's England international centre half, Brian Labone, who missed yesterday's home game with Birmingham because of a shoulder injury received at Blackpool, will stand down again today and I understand the official view is that there is no certainty he will be available for the vital match with Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park on Saturday. Mr. Harry Catterick, the Everton manager, said last night he would not name his side for to-day's return game at St. Andrew's until possibly after arrival in Birmingham. Labone has a wonderfully consistent playing record since gaining a regular place in the side in the home game with Fulham on September5, 1959. In that season an injured ankle kept him out for five successive matches and he had to stand down for two further games later on, but he was an ever-present in season 1960-61 and missed only a single game last season. Yesterday was the first time he had been marked absent this season, so that Labone has played to seventy-six consecutive Cup and League games, and in all has played in 156 first team matches.

ALL SET FOR THE GAME OF THE SEASON
Liverpool Echo - Tuesday 16 April 1963
With Leslie Edwards
People who saw Everton and Birmingham fight a nail-biting finish, at 2-2, yesterday at Goodison Park went away wondering whether Everton can survive with a point against the same opposition, in Birmingham, to-day. Though Everton had by far the greater number of chances, Birmingham also missed quite a quota and may not, today, be on the receiving end of so many doubtful offside signals from a linesman who "saw red" (Birmingham had to change their colours) at the slightest provocation. As the second of Everton's holiday games yesterday's was always interesting, always entertaining, but home followers wanted more than that. They wanted the victory which would have enabled their side to go into battle against Tottenham at Goodison Park on Saturday on better than ever terms. Of all the fixtures remaining this one will do most to settle whether Everton or Spurs are going to take the title. Spurs' 7-2 complement against Liverpool yesterday proves that far from being a spent force they are coming back to their best. It is to be hoped that Brian Labone, who missed yesterday's game through a shoulder damaged at Blackpool, will be ready for Saturday. Well as Jimmy Gabriel deputized, up to a point, he could not help appearing a bit strange in the new position. Both Birmingham goals were of the sort which looked as though a top-class, regular centre-half would have had the situation covered. Gabriel did his best service when reverting close to the end to his normal attacking role at right half back, with Brian Harris taking over in the centre Everton then came close more than once to retrieving themselves completely.
BAR TENDERS
Gabriel nodded one on to the bar and nearly succeeded in shooting the rebound home, despite the fact that he was on his back! Young, too, nodded one on to the bar when Scholfield, for once, was not at home on his goal-line. It was an exceptionally thrilling finish to what seemed destined, until thirteen minutes from the end, to be Everton's fist League defeat at home in 34 matches- since September 6, 1961 to be precise. Birmingham, soon a goal down, had rallied to draw level on the interval and had shocked their opponents, and us, with a headed goal by Leek at 69 minutes. Scott, scoring in his second successive game (and the provider of the centre from which Young had done a Stubbins dive to head his team into the lead) had his best home game to date. He had the legs of Young Green, the young Welsh boy and former Everton back, just as Hellawell, on the Birmingham right, always had the edge for pace on Meagan. The little Irishman was as good as ever in his use of the ball, but there was no doubt that Hellawell became the special danger man of the Birmingham attack. For a time after Young had put Everton in front the crowd were content, believing that ore goals would follow. A sizeable and well-ordered defence, backed by a quick, courageous goalkeeper, and having the man of the match, Hennessey of Wales, at right half back, saw to it that was the end of Everton's gallop or a long time. Everton forwards played progressively worse and worse and Birmingham's better and better. It came as no surprise when Hellawell produced the chance from which Bloomfield made it 1-1 right on the interval.
RARE SPARKLE
The scorer deserves little enough credit since he missed the chance at the first time of asking and scored with a "grubber" just inside the post a second later, Auld came to inside-right to dig up the ball from which Leek headed Birmingham into the lead. Though Everton battled hard and with enthusiasm to wipe out the indignity of defeat which would have virtually killed their championship chances, Birmingham looked like taking both points ill all-out defnce when Scott brushing past Green scored with a right-foot shot down a none-too-promising angle. This may have been Scholfield's only serious mistake. From that moment, with Gabriel reverting to his usual position, Everton started to look good again. They were a little unlucky, but so were Birmingham in the matter of the many hair-line offside decisions given against them. Their big defence was at an advantage in the air and Smith, centre half-back and captain, got through an enormous amount of work. Jimmy Harris, whose return came coincidentally with that of his Everton namesake, did not often play better for his old than he did yesterday. He linked the wings well. If there had been more forthright, confident finishing from Birmingham early in the game Everton's position would have been even more difficult. The Everton captain, Vernon was seen in a minor key; so too was Young except for a sparkle here and there. Everton did not impress as potential champions, particularly in relation to the table position of their opponents. But at this stage of the season most of the sides who want victories get them and Birmingham came much closer than most of us anticipated when they were ahead 2-1, with only 13 minutes left. I they play nearly as well today in the return game they should move further from the relegation zone, in which event it would be the more imperative for Everton to win that game of the season on their own pitch on Saturday.

ROY VERNON HITS LATE WINNER
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Tuesday 16 April 1963
EVERTON FAIL TO IMPRESS AGAINST 10-MEN BIRMINGHAM
GABRIEL AND LEEK BOTH 'BOOKED" BY THE REFEREE
By Michael Charters
Everton put up a most disappointing display in their vital League game at St. Andrews to-day - but thanks to a Roy Vernon goal after 80 minutes they brought home two points that could prove invaluable in their fight for the League championships. It was a contentious match in that Everton wing half Gabriel had his name taken, a fate that later befell Birmingham inside left Leek. Birmingham's deputy centre half, Watts—Smith could not take his place in the line-up to-day due to injury—damaged a knee midway through the first half, and though he kept reappearing on the pitch he finally went off for good just after the interval. Everton also fielded a substitute centre half, Heslop making his League debut, and he was one of the few Everton successes.
HESLOP'S LEAGUE DEBUT
Birmingham City; - Scholfield; Rushton, Green; Hennessey, Watts, Beard, Hellawell, Bloomfield, Harris (J), Leek, Auld. Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Heslop, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Referee; Mr. P. Phodes (York).
Both teams made a change at centre half for the return game at Birmingham to-day. Everton brought in George Heslop to make his debut in the first team. Heslop, while with Newcastle United played in the Second Division. For Birmingham, Watts moved from wing half to centre half in place of the injured Smith. First incident came when Schofield attempted to punch away a cross from Scott and pushed the ball against Watts fortunately picking up the rebound. Everton were playing attractive football in the early stages, working the ball cleverly in midfield but without getting through for a shot. The new boy Heslop made some good headed clearances and altogether the team was moving brightly.
GOALMOUTH SCRAMBLE
In one scramble in the Birmingham goalmouth Scott, Stevens and Kay all had shots charged down with the home defence looking anything but happy. Everton were playing with much more polish than Birmingham and from a corner by Morrissey, Gabriel moved up to head just over the bar. The first Birmingham attack for some minutes brought a long centre by Hennessey which Harris, yards away from the upright, could only head wide. Watts saved his side with a brilliant interception after Young had sent Stevens through, the centre half turning quickly to whip the ball away from Stevens toes. The referee quite rightly spoke to Bloomfield and Vernon after they had been engaged in a pushing match in midfield in a struggle for the ball. The game now was mainly in midfield with Everton still showing the better ideas, and Birmingham making little or no impression on the Everton defence.
UNDER CONTROL
Although Everton's approach work was attractive, with Young spreading the ball about well, their finish was almost non-existent. Birmingham's main method of attack was the hefty boot into the middle where Heslop had Harris under control in the air. Watts injured his left knee in making a rugged tackle on Young from which Everton gained a free kick. After treatment on the pitch Watts was carried off by the trainer and seemed to be in considerable pain. Heslop was playing so well now that it was fair to say he was the best Everton player. He dispossessed Harris near the centre circle and sent Scott away with a fine pass but when the winger pushed the ball inside to Stevens, the shot from the inside man was yards over the bar. Watts came back after four minutes with a strapping below his left knee and resumed at centre half. Then we had both trainers on the pitch after Scott and Green had a collision of heads, both players going down as though they had been k.o.'d. They recovered after a stoppage of a couple of minutes. Everton were playing pretty but power-puff football. They were outclassing Birmingham in midfield and in their constructive play generally, but there was no finish and Scholfield had not had a save to make. Gabriel had has name taken after an incident with Harris in which both players aimed kicks at each other, with the referee seeing the last one from Gabriel and not the first from Harris. Birmingham produced their first shot of the game after 38 minutes- a long effort from Beard which West turned over the bar brilliantly.
CARRIED OFF
Now came further tragedy for Birmingham as Watts, in trying to turn quickly, fell heavily and had to be carried off on a stretcher. This came six minutes before the interval and there was no doubt that the Birmingham centre half had seriously damaged his previously injured knee in playing on. Birmingham moved Hennessey to centre half and Bloomfield back from the forwards to wing half. Everton certainly had every encouragement now to win this vital game for they were playing against ten men, but although they were dominating the game, could not produce any snap in finish at all. Despite their mid - field mediocrity it was Birmingham who came nearer than Everton to opening the score. From a left wing corner the ball came to Hellawell who stabled it forward and West had to make a good save. Just before half time, Vernon, who had had a conspicuously poor first half, collected a lucky rebound off Hennestey and hit a wonderful shot which Schofield saved brilliantly. This was Everton's first shot of any note, and it cameduring injury time before the interval. Next to have his name taken was Leek for a particularly vicious foul on Scott. This game, quiet for so long, was bursting into life in spells but in rather an unfortunate way.
Half-time.—Birmingham nil. Everton nil. The news from the dressing rooms at half time was that Watts had a badly twisted knee. Amazingly the game had only been in progress a minute when Watts came limping back on to the field and took up the outside left position. Watts was making us all look a bit silly because he had only been on the pitch a minute when he went off again, presumably for good. Everton had not found any more punch during the interval and their attacking methods still lacked any sign of urgency. Stevens put a shot wide after a corner and then Morrissey tamely lobbed the ball into Schofield's arms from another corner. The Everton forwards and wing halves, although having most of the play, were far too labored with their passing, thus giving the strong Birmingham defence ample time to re-group and cover. Then Harris cleverly lobbed the ball over Heslop's head to beat him for the first time and raced on with a fine chance but delayed his shot so that parker was able to come across and make a first rate tackle and interception. Everton's lack of thrust in the middle was amazing when one considers what a win today could do to their title chances. At times they were playing almost as though the game had no special significance, and against ten men at that. Finally, Kay burst through to show his forwards the way, but was off balance in the act of shooting and put the ball straight at Scholfield. Stevens made a good effort, heading just wide from a cross by Parker, who was one of Everton's successes in this rather disappointing display. Gabriel moved up for most Everton corners of free kicks and once he headed straight at Scholfield from a free kick by Meagan.
BEST FORWARD
Scott. Everton's best forward by far, produced panic in the Birmingham goalmouth with one cross which Hennessey mis-headed towards his own net only for Rushton to appear and head it up again and by this time Schofield had regained ground to push the ball over the bar. From the corner Birmingham did not clear the ball first time, a shot from Kay rebounding on a defender into the air then a header by Young striking the upright. Leek hit a long shot wide and the referee gave a corner indicating that the ball had flicked off Gabriel. From Hellawell's kick West looked, none too safe in trying to punch the ball away and Everton were relieved when Auld shot high over the bar. Kay was being booed by the crowd every time he touched the ball following a foul on Bloomfield. Everton showed bad tactical sense in not giving Scott the ball more frequently. He was the only forward who had shown any drive or sense of urgency for Morrissey could do nothing against Rushton on the other side and the inside trio did not seem to have a shot between them. It was all Everton so far as attacking went and the nearest they had come to scoring was when Gabriel's centre beat the defence and Stevens headed the ball in for Young to make another header only to see Schofield in perfect position to save.
FINE KAY PASS
Kay finally provided a defence splitting pass to Vernon whose angled shot wascomfortably saved by Schofield. Vernon might well have done better to pass to the unmarked Young on the far side of the goal. Birmingham had everyone back in defence bar Harris so that the penalty area was heavily crowded but Everton had had so much of the play that their lack of penetration was proving a great disappointment. Vernon once broke away down the left after a mistake by Rushton, but foolishly banged the ball hard across the face of goal when a placed pass must have brought an opening for either Stevens orYoung. With ten minutes to go Everton at last scored through Vernon. Kay burst through on the left and lobbed the ball across from the by-line and with Hennessey failing to clear properly with his head, the ball came through to VERNON, whose first time shot found the corner of the net Final. Birmingham C 0, Everton 1.

STILL THIRD, NO SIGN OF URGENCY
Liverpool Daily Post- Friday, April 17, 1963
VERNON GOAL EVERTON FACE SAVER
BIRMINGHAM'S TEN YIELD ONLY TEN MINUTES FROM END OF ONE-SIDED GAME
BIRMINGHAM CITY 0, EVERTON 1
By Michael Charters
Everton, through a Vernon goal ten minutes from the end, beat Birmingham at St. Andrew's yesterday and drew level on points with Spurs, from the same number of games, but remain in third place because of a slightly inferior goal average. Leicester City lead the League, one point ahead, but from one game more than the rivals. If Everton had failed to take both points I should think they would be kicking themselves this morning. Considering they were playing against a side struggling to retain their First Division status and handicapped by having only ten men for fifty minutes, Everton's performance was disappoint ting, to say the least. There were times when the forwards showed such a lack of urgency that one would have thought there was no special significance to this match. The great thing for Everton was that by taking five points from their Easter matches they gained ground, for the clubs above them could manage only three each.
PODER PUFF STUFF
Everton played attractively in midfield, but it was powder puff stuff. Only Scott showed a sense of purpose in the attack for the inside trio could hardly manage a shot between them – Vernon's only real contribution being the shot which brought the winning goal. Morrissey had a very poor day. With centre-half Watts off the field for so long with an injured left knee Birmingham packed their defence in the second half leaving only Harris up field, and played as though they realized they had little chance of scoring. West did not have a save to make in the second half. Despite this, the Everton forwards should have done better. Young and Vernon could make little of some strong tackling and Stevens best efforts were in midfield. Gabriel and Kay did not put their passes through quickly enough to turn the Birmingham defence and Everton's approach work was very much slow motion, and made little headway when near the Birmingham penalty area, where the game was based for most of the 90 minutes.
HELSOP SPLENDID
Replacing the injured Labone was former Newcastle player George Heslop, making his senior debut for Everton. He had a splendid match and controlled Jimmy Harris comfortably being particularly good in the air. Everton's best player, was Parker and Meagan did exceptionally well against the speedy Hellawell , who was given little chance to do damage. Apart from a header over the bar by Gabriel early on and a Watts interception to prevent Stevens scoring, the game plodded quietly along until the twenty-sixth minute when Watts injured his left knee, in making a fierce tackle on Young, for which Everton were given a free kick. It was ironic that this should mean, ultimately that Birmingham would be down to ten men, for after Watts had been off the field for four minutes, having treatment, he returned and then fell awkwardly, shortly before the interval, to be carried off on a stretcher. He returned on the left wing, a few seconds after the second half had started, but within a minute, limped off again. The first shot of any note came from Beard – a thirty-yard effort, which West turned over the bar brilliantly and shortly before that. Gabriel and Harris engaged in a petty bout of kicking. Harris started it, but when the referee saw the incident, he could only note Gabriel's final retaliation, with the result that the Everton player had his name taken. Just before half-time, the ball bounced off Rennessey to the right spot for Vernon, who cracked in a fine shot which Scholfield saved excellently.
LEEK BOOKED
The closing incident of a mediocre first half was when Leek had his name taken for a foul on Scott. The second half, with Birmingham defending [particularly good, was a forty-five minute story of Everton pressure, but their finishing was dreadful. Scholfield, although quite busy, had no difficulty and the closest Everton came to scoring was when Young headed against the upright. Scholfield made easy saves from Young, Vernon, and Stevens, who could not place their shots or headers with any accuracy until finally in 80 minutes Everton got a vital goal. Kay brought the ball through beating Rushton cleverly and lobbing the ball across. Hennessey attempted to head away, but the ball skidded off his head to Vernon who hit a right foot shot from eighteen yards into the corner of the net. That was it and Morrissey, who will wish to forget this game, had a final chance to make the score more in keeping with Everton's superiority, but shot straight at Scholfield. Everton's forwards never played with the drive and penetration one expects to see from possible champions. Here was a golden opportunity to score a bagful of goals, but the attack never looked like achieving it at any stage. Birmingham City;- Scholfield; Rushton, Green; Hennessey, Watts, Beard; Hellawell, Bloomfield, Harris (J.), Leek, Auld. Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Heslop, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Referee; Mr. P. Rhodes (York). Attendance 29,668

STAGE SET FOR MATCH OF SEASON AT GOODISON
Liverpool Echo - Wednesday 17 April 1963
By Michael Charters
Everton collected five Easter points from their three games without playing really well in any of them. This line of thought makes one conjecture just what their hold on the championship might have been had their form recently been similar to their displays of the pre-Christmas era. As it is, without playing with the conviction of a championship side, they have a wonderful chance, having picked up two extra points over Easter from Tottenham and Leicester, who are still above them in the League table. The position now is that Leicester's win yesterday over Manchester United gave them a one point lead over Tottenham and Everton, with Spurs having one-tenth of a goal better average than Everton to keep second place. The stage is set now for what could be the game of this season or many other seasons, when Tottenham visit Goodison on Saturday. Everton's one-goal victory at Birmingham yesterday was hard fought and they really struggled and made very heavy weather of beating a side which is fighting hard to stay in the First Division and in addition were depleted to 10 men for 50 minutes of the match.
LACK OF FINISH
Everton's performance was similar to so many others recently – the defence strong and the forwards playing polished football in midfield, but showing an alarming lack of finish. The game yesterday showed Everton as much the more polished side at every stage of the game and had they not been able to beat this 10-man Birmingham they could well have looked back on the match and almost kicked themselves for throwing away the chance of victory. They will never have an easier match because Birmingham went onto the defensive after they lost their centre half Watts in the first half and Everton's domination of the game from that point was so pronounced. West did not have a save to make throughout the second half. But the alarming lack of finish was shown by the fact that both West and the Birmingham goalkeeper, Scholfield, had only one decent save each throughout the game- both in the first half. West's point saver was a flying leap to prevent a 30 yard drive from wing half Beard entering the net, and shortly before half time, Vernon connected with the ball on the half volley and Scholfield flung himself across goal to turn the ball away.
SLOW MOTION
In the second half, with Everton playing almost slow motion football but commanding the play throughout, Scholfield was much more busy without ever being extended. He saved comfortably from Everton's inside forwards, who could not get direction or pace to their scoring efforts, and it looked as though Everton were not going to win when they should have made the game safe so much earlier. Ten minutes from the end, however, Vernon stepped in with the vital goal. Kay burst through on the left, showing some of the drive with which he had dominated the second half, centred from the goal line and the ball slipped off the head of Hennessey and straight to Vernon whose shot from the edge of the penalty area was in the net before Scholfield could move. The first half was notable only for the two saves I have mentioned and the fact that the referee and the trainers were quite busy. It was ironic that the cause of Birmingham losing Watts was a foul tackle by the centre half on Young. Watts twisted his left knee, Everton were given a free kick, and the centre half limped back into the game after treatment on the touchline. But four minutes before half-time. Watts fell heavily in turning for the ball and this time was carried off on a stretcher. Although surprisingly, he reappeared for a few seconds in the start of the second half he limped away again for good. There was one unsavoury scene which ended with Gabriel having his name taken by the referee-and he wasn't really the start of the trouble. It was an isolated incident with Jimmy Harris and Gabriel having a minor kicking duel at each other. The referee saw Gabriel's retaliation, but did not see the kick by Harris which started it.
NAME TAKEN
Then the Birmingham inside forward, Leek, had his name taken for a particularly vicious tackle on Scott. Scott, incidentally, was Everton's best forward. He showed the sense of urgency which the inside forwards lacked. Morrissey was employed in a defensive role to help Meagan to stop the threat of Birmingham's right winger, Hellawell, who had caused so much trouble in the match at Goodison. Between them they succeeded in keeping Hellawell very quiet, but it did mean that Morrissey made little constructive contribution to Everton's attacking play. Gabriel and Kay, with an overwhelming majority of possession, kept pushing the ball through to their forwards and found it coming back to them just as quickly. It was lethargic exhibition by the Everton inside men, who failed to cash in on such a fine service of the ball from the men behind them. One of the successes of the game was George Heslop, making his first team debut in place of the injured Labone at centre half. He played splendidly, being particularly good in the air, and without trying to do anything clever. He simply got on with the job and played Harris out of the game, except for one incident when the former Everton player broke through but was brilliantly tackled by Parker, Everton's best player.

LIVERPOOL BEST PAID
Liverpool Echo - Thursday 18 April 1963
By Leslie Edwards
Liverpool are the best-paid team in the country. Their earnings recently have been round the £160 per week mark. Their crowd bonus system is almost the same as Everton's but it starts at a lower figure. No wonder the mouth of such famous old players as Billy Liddell, Phil Taylor, W. H. Jones and company water when they hear of such sums paid weekly—more by far than they received per month! That players are getting what they are worth—and when you consider the last Wembley receipts were £76,000 they are not getting more—is all to the good. I deplore the continuance of letters from fans who maintain that tickets for important matches are being sold, at "black" prices, and that many of these tickets come from sources close to players—not necessarily those taking part in the game. If Brian Labone's damaged shoulder—a dislocation was suspected—does not mend in time for the return game v.Tottenham at Goodison Part on Saturday, it is likely that Heslop, who came to Everton from Newcastle two seasons ago, will get his second chance to prove his right to be Brian's legitimate deputy. The selection of Jimmy Gabriel as centre half for the game against Birmingham, here, on Monday, was due to the fact that he had played in this position for Dundee for nearly 18 months prior to signing for manager John Carey. It was thought that Brian Harris would snap back quickly into first team duty. The Everton manager did not want to put Heslop in for the first time for a vital home game. He took a chance at Birmingham on Tuesday and Heslop played well. He is strong, able and, in his Newcastle days, served the ball up beautifully for the forwards.
Whichever way you distribute tickets you won't please everyone. Here is Mr. R. Prescott. 79 Sunbeam Road, Liverpool 13, on the Liverpool system "I see Liverpool F.C. are alone amongst the semi-finalists in their unfair methods of distributing ground tickets. How many supporters are able to attend the ground at 4 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. I wonder? Having for three season had 'tokens in every official programme, I am beginning to think that if I collect enough I may became a director of the club, when all I want is a semi-final ticket."

64,000 TICKETS SOLD FOR SPURS GAME
Liverpool Echo - Thursday 18 April 1963
Some Still Left
AT GOODISON
BY Leslie Edwards
Everton have already sold 64,000 tickets for the championship-laden League game against Tottenham - Hotspur, atGoodison Park Saturday. Some ground tickets remain. They will be sold all day to-morrow until 7.30 p.m. from the inquiry office. Goodison Road, near the main club entrance. If all these tickets are not sold the residue will be disposed of at certain turnstiles on match day. The Everton club asksspectators to take their places in good time. The tendency for all-ticket games is for everyone to arrive at the last moment and this leads to congestion and delay. Liverpool have not announced a team for their to-night against Nottingham Fores t, at Anfield. Jones will remain at right back in place of the injured Byrne: the attack will be chosen from five, plus reserve centre forward, Arrowsmith.

BOY FOR ALEX
Liverpool Echo - Thursday 18 April 1963
Mrs. Alex Parker, wife of Everton's Scottish international full back, has given birth to a son in a Liverpool nursing home. The boy, to be named Tony, is their first child.

ROY VERNON SAYS…
Liverpool Daily Post- Friday, April 19 1963
WE WILL BRING THAT TROPHY TO GOODISON
If we took notice of everybody with comments to spare about Everton's chances of winning the First Division championship we would be feeling very much like a yo-yo. First we have no chance, then we are favourites and then we have missed our chance-so it goes on. Fortunately, we are able to assess the position for ourselves and I'll tell you why I think we will bring that trophy to Goodison this season. First and foremost there is the concrete fact that I don't think our remaining fixtures are any harder, to put the position at its worst than these of our competitors. There is also the fact that we have taken five points from the three Easter games at a time when nobody needs to remind us that we have been playing below our best form. I believe we have weathered the worst of the storm because we are beginning to feel able to live with the tension that is inevitable in a situation such as this. If it affects us then it will affect our rivals as well. We are all human. I honestly think the reason we have not been moving with our usual poise in the last few games is not due to our not trying but because we are all trying too hard. It is all very natural. We don't set out to try so hard that we cannot do ourselves justice. It is just that we each feel a big responsibility, and you can take it from me that while Liverpool are fighting their way towards Wembley every match we are playing nowadays is like a Cup-tie.
BEST FOR WEEKS
Every club, great and small are out to overthrow us. It is their one fleeting chance of glory. Look at Birmingham I was told that the game they played against us at Goodison Park was the best form, they have shown for weeks and in the return match the complete dedication of the side, even though weakened throughout the second half, took even their own supporters by storm. I don't pretend that when I saw my shot hit the back of the Birmingham net, I was not the happiest man on the pitch. It was a feeling as much of relief as of elation, for I have been pulling my heart out in all our matches trying to give a lead but only those who have played know how difficult it is when the tide is running against you, to be able to do yourself justice. Nobody needs to tell me that I have been below par, I know it as well as the next man but here's hoping that the Birmingham goal will have smashed the hoodoo and that for the big occasion tomorrow and to the end of the season you will see the football you are accustomed to and which you are entitled to expect. The chips are definitely down against Spurs, I may be wrong in my belief that whichever side wins this match will take the championship, but look at it as you will, it must exercise a vital hearing on events. With all my fingers crossed I hope that we shall come roaring back to form and if we sweep Spurs out of the picture it could be much calmer sailing to our goal. I have an idea that this will be a classic encounter for both sides can scale the heights and there is one thing in our favour – Spurs will go all out to try to beat us by football. And that will suit us. There has been an awful lot of the negative type of football in some recent matches. It will be like a breath of fresh air to play in a match which is likely to be decided on true merit. I am not overlooking the fact that Leicester City are still very much in the picture. Quite honestly, if they win the title in view of their fixtures and Cup ambitions then what can we do but hail them as worthy champions? It is being said that Everton have not looked like a championship side even though winning lately, but those comments will die a natural death once the true Everton takes over again. We are not allowing the thought of failure to enter into our calculations, if such a thing is possible I would say that the players are actually keener to win through than the supporters are to see them do it, rabid enthusiasts though they are. Now, to the end of the season, it is a case of one for all and all for one club – Everton. Let me appeal to our great following to back us to the hilt, roar us on and home, for your cheers do help. If there are shortcomings, try to overlook them and put your full weight behind us. Together we can do it and what a proud day that will be for Everton and their fans.

DON'T UNDERESTIMATE TOTTENHAM
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Friday 19 April 1963
With Leslie Edwards
Everton or Tottenham? Well, we shall have a better idea of who will finish League champions at 4.40 p.m. to-morrow—unless of course, the result is a draw. That seems most unlikely in view of Spurs' recent matches, notably the swing from 2-5 at Anfield to 7-2 against the same opponents at White Hart Lane. I rate Tottenham as still the best side in Britain, even without Danny Blanchflower. Their football in the first half at Anfield was stupendous. It was all done with ease and grace that made everything look absurdly easy. Spurs' penchant for committing the tackler and then slipping the ball away at the last second showed them to be artists at drawing defenders. This should be the game of the season, with piquancy added because Alex Scott, the man now just coming to his game on the Everton right, was the subject not long ago of a tug o' war between Messrs. Catterick and Nicholson. Whichever side wins should go on to take the championship. Everton are capable of succeeding, but let no one under-estimate their task. With Greaves, possibly the greatest positional player we have seen for generations, at peak form it would pay the home team to deal with him as clubs had to deal with Matthews in his heyday - detail someone to hurry and harry him and try, if possible, to cut off his supply of ammunition. I don't think there will be any purely defensive gambits from either side; that is why the scoring may be free. This fixture has been a long time arriving - most of the tickets for it were sold months ago - and now it is here the contingencies surrounding it make it all-compelling. That Spurs can be shaken and shocked out of their balanced stride was proved at Anfield. Everton will be all out, backed by a near capacity crowd, to prove that anything their neighbours can do they do better . The club ask everyone to come as early as they can because congestion and delay is inevitable when everyone arrives at the last moment. The wish of everyone present, I am sure, will be that this will be a fair, sporting test of which team is best qualified to be honoured as champions. With five points out of the last six Everton may well earn that distinction.

CATTERICK ASSESSES TITLE PROSPECTS
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Friday 19 April 1963
TEN POINTS WILL DO IT
LABONE BACK
By Leslie Edwards
Everton manager, Harry Catterick said today; "I reckon we are ten points away from winning the championship. There are six more games to play- four of them at home- and if we get ten points from them then I think no one will catch us. "You will see, therefore, that there is a long way to go even if we beat Tottenham tomorrow. This could be a match spoiled by the extreme tension of the occasion." Brian Labone who has missed two matches through a shoulder injury is fit again.
TOTTENHAM DOUBTS
Late fitness tests will decide whether England men Norman and Smith return to Spurs side. They travel with the eleven who trounced Liverpool 7-2 at White Hart Lane on Monday. Scottish International Mackay is also under treatment. Although manager Nicholson is not committing himself as to the likely team, it is probable that neither Norman nor Smith will play. Norman is the more doubtful because of injury, but young Saul did so well as leader against Liverpool that he may be retained. Mackay is still determined to play but much depends on Norman's fitness whether he is pressed into service or rested in view of Spurs European Cup Winners Cup-tie in Belgrade next Wednesday. Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Tottenham (from); brown; Baker, Henry; Smith (J.), Marchie, Norman, Mackay; Jones, White, Saul, Smith, Greaves, Dyson.

ALL-TICKET CROWD OF 72,000 WILL SEE GAME
Liverpool Daily Post- Saturday, April 20 1963
VICTORY TODAY WILL BRING LEAGUE TITLE
GOODISON'S ATTENDANCE FIGURING ARE SOARING TO THE MILLION MARK
By Horace Yates
Time was and not so long ago at that, when the League was regarded as the poor relation of the Cup final, but now that the championship unlocks the golden gate to European attraction it has become something more than another Cup for the sideboard and today at Goodison Park, the two principal contestants get to grips in a match which might well exercise a vital effect on the outcome of this point struggle, Mr. Bill Dickenson, the Everton secretary told me last night that the match is a complete sell-out with the exception of a handful of boys' pen tickets, so that 72,000 very lucky people will see the match of the day. So that the lads, still without tickets, may have an opportunity of being in on a game which might well provide them with football topics for weeks to come, it has been arranged to open a special "pay at the gate" turnstile for them, and it will remain open so long as there are tickets left. In the last two days the outstanding 8,000 ground tickets have been disposed of, and no doubt there will be those with hard luck stories to tell of how they nearly got a ticket for the big game. The best wish I could bestow on the capacity crowd is that the play and excitement will measure up to that provided when Tottenham were at Anfield last week – and I see no reason whatever why it should not. We hear talk of tension and the importance of the occasion, but goodness me here we have the highest paid footballers in the land, despite a fleeting one week challenge by Liverpool, men accustomed to vast crowds and stirring games, I am not one of those who believes the importance of this clash will spoil it. On the contrary, it could make it! Tottenham will play football. Make no mistake about that. They realize that their strongest weapon is in the incisive attacking game at which they excel, and surely that should suit the Everton copy book as well. If the accent throughout is placed on skill and enterprise instead of the sort of negative stuff with which lesser teams seek to measure up to their opponents then how can it fall to be the match of matches? In some Everton hearts there is an unspoken fear that their team goes into the contest with the disadvantage of knowing that they are struggling and finding normal form hard to reproduce. Surely this is their big opportunity to come bounding back. If they have the will they have the men and in the belief that the hour will find them measuring up to all demands. I make bold to predict that not only will Everton beat Tottenham, but that this tonic for such it must be will send them storming on to a triumphant finale that will sweep up the Championship. While the result of this clash may not necessarily be decisive it will undoubtedly be very important and the psychological boost provided could be all important. Everton must go into this test boldly and optimistically, with all guns firing and who knows, instead of it being a Jimmy Greaves joy day as it was at White Hart Lane last Monday, why not a Roy Vernon revel?
EYES ON SCOTT
Alex Scott is coming nicely to hand and with Tottenham weaker at back than they will care to admit. Scott might well join Morrissey in a triumphant fling. Spurs manager Bill Nicholson, would not have entered into such strenuous competition with Harry Catterick got the signing of Scott had he not considered that his efforts would be well worthy of the toll. No one will be keener to justify Mr. Nicholson's opinion than Scott and the fact that he is coming nicely to hand, improving with every game creates one of the many exciting possibilities about the battle. Cliff Jones too, is a superb artist and unless I am very far off target a spectacular exhibition of wing play is assured. Everton will short-cut their worries by making the fullest use of their wings and the game will certainly be the better for it. No matter whether it is Smith of Saul at centre forward, who is to say that Everton will be at any disadvantage by comparison? Alex Young has experienced his had times as well as good, but he is working like a Trojan just now and this is just the sort of tussle in which he could excel. His seven goals in the last eleven matches represents his most consistent scoring sequence of the season and the half-backs must find the time and opportunity to free themselves from defensive responsibilities sufficiently to give this much criticized forward line a chance to regain its stripes. Labone will lock up the middle, I have no fears in this direction and Everton must be the stronger for his return, just as Spurs will be, if it is found possible to recall Norman, but of these two rivals for the England No.5 shirt it is Labone who would get my vote.
SIMILARLY GIFTED
Mackay and Gabriel are to a large extent similarly gifted with power and polish and I consider that the gulf between Kay and Marchi is very much greater and more than restores any slight edge Mackay may claim. Everton have not always been completely happy about their backs, but their combination is less likely to cause concern than are the Tottenham pair. White has recently lost some of his magic and like Stevens will be trying to make up lost ground. The first goal is always valuable and possibly seldom more so than it will be today but if Everton can control Greaves and this is no easy matter, then that Goodison roar should really come into its own. If these contestants have time to spare a thought for Leicester City and their possibilities it must be the joyful one that the Cup semi-finalists close their season today so far as Filbert Street is concerned. All their other games are away from home. If as it appears then, we shall be seeing the champions this afternoon, I see no reason why they should not be Everton. Come what may it is a certainly that over one million spectators will have passed through the Goodison Park turnstiles for League games by the end of the season. This in itself is a tribute to the entertainment they have served up. According to say figures including a provisional 72,000 for to day's game the aggregate is 915,586, giving an average of 50,865- and there are three home games still to come. Even in a soccer crazy city such as Liverpool attendances such as that could not have been sustained by other than top grade entertainment, I should say the Merseyside crowds have already won their championship. Now we look to Everton to follow suit., Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Tottenham Hotspur; Brown; Baker, Henry; (from) Smith J, Marchi, Norman, Mackay; (from) Jones, White, Saul, Smith R, Greaves, Dyson.

GAME OF THE SEASON- AND EVERTON CAN WIN
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Saturday 20 April 1963
By Leslie Edwards
This, for Everton and Tottenham, is the match of the season. Tottenham have faced many similar ones in the past few years but Everton, not having enjoyed a First Division championship win since before the War, have rarely had a match since then on which so much depends. Talk about a meeting of the Gladiators ! It's a game made all the more compelling because until the Easter holidays Everton looked as though they were letting their chances slip. Five points out of six, four of them coming from away games, altered all that and now they face the acid test on their own ground. No wonder every seat in the stands: every spot on the terracing will be filled. Goodison Park should look a picture, especially if the sun shines. It Everton come out with victory I don't see whatis to stop them finishing top. Their expensive Ranger, Scott, troubledby a persistent "throat " has found his real game at a most opportune time. Having won at Villa and at Birmingham (where most of the loyalists thoughtthey must lose) Everton have stuch there game again opportunely. So, incidentally have their opponents who more than wiped out the indignity of defeat by 5-2 at Anfield with that solid 7-2 revenge score-line on their own ground a few days later.
FAST AND CLEVER
Tottenham will delight Everton fans. They are out to play football all the time; they are sporting, clever, fast, enterprising. If they weren't they could not have survived, as they have, the many assaults made on them by teams anxious to take them down a peg. If they play this out-of-this-world football they showed us in the first half at Anfield. Everton's task is going to be a very tough one indeed. But can they strike such magnificent form again? I never saw better football even from the Magyars. That Tottenham can be shaken: that their defence, usually so poised and well balanced, can be taken out of its stride was demonstrated at Anfield. Will Everton find the inspiration for the occasion to do this If they don't they will be missing the boat to the biggest way.
SHADOW FOR GREAVES
It is to be hoped that both sides are at full strength. That would be an ideal test of which is better fitted to be champions. I assume. of course, that the excellent Leicester City side whom I tipped as likely champions after their game against Everton early in the season, are going to concentrate more on the Cup than anything else. Whether Everton will detail someone to "police" Greaves, the most dangerous forward in contemporary football, is to be seen, I wouldn't be surprised if he had a shadow for the whole of the 90 minutes. The difficulty arising out of that situation is, of course, that others become better placed to act as strikers. I think Everton will win, but this is their toughest game for seasons.
Big Match Line-Up
Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Tottenham Hotspur; Brown; Baker, Henry; (from) Smith (J.), Marchi, Norman, Mackay; Jones, White, Saul or Smith (R.), Greaves, Dyson.

GOODISON ROARS FOR A FAMOUS VICTORY
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Saturday 20 April 1963
SPURS HAVE ALL THE LUCK IN GOODISON CLASH
EVERTON 1, TOTTENHAM 0
By Michael Charters

Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Tottenham Hotspur; Brown; Baker, Henry; Smith (J.), Marchie, Mackay; Jones, White, Smith (R.), Geaves, Dyson. Referee.- Mr. E. Crawford (Doncaster). Spurs won the toss and chose to kick the Stanley Park goal in the first half. Meagan cleverly broke up an early Spurs attack and with the help of Stevens and Morrissey sent Young away down the left wing. Young beat Marchi cleverly and from his centre John Smith turned the ball over for a corner. Kay made ground well and put a fine cross to Vernon who mistimed his shot and pulled the ball yards wide from a good opening. There was a moment of panic in the Everton defence with Labone failing to clear first time, but West came way out of the goal to pick up and clear.
GREAVES' SHADOW
Gabriel shadowed Greaves wherever the Tottenham danger man went, while Kay had a roving commission. From deep in defence Spurs moved the ball beautifully downfield with White chipping across a fine pass to Jones, whose left footed shot went straight to West. Bobby Smith was only a fraction off collecting a cross from Baker and in these early stages it was Spurs who were the more dangerous side. Everton suddenly brought the crowd alight with an equally good move which saw Vernon chip the ball over John Smith's head, and his centre to Young was carried by the wind out of reach of Brown who was lucky to see the ball strike the cross-bar and go over.
VERNON OFF TARGET
Brown had to come far out of the goal to take the ball from Vernon who was chasing a great pass by Stevens. Vernon wasted a free kick after Greaves had handled from 10 yards outside the Sours penalty area. Vernon's kick was yards off the target. Brilliant work by Bobby Smith who beat Labone easily, made a great opening for Greaves, who took the ball through and with only West to beat mishit his shot from 12 yards, and sent the ball rolling weakly past the post. But Everton made things shine again for their crowd with a lovely goal by Young after 16 minutes. Meagan cleared down the left with Kay pushing the ball over to Vernon, who was on the wing. His cross to the centre of the goal was met perfectly by Young who rose above Marchi and headed the ball into the net.
"EV-ER-TON!"
The "Ev-er-ton" chant was in fully cry after this goal which had followed so closely on the miss by Greaves. This was fast exciting football with the game fully living up to its prematch build-up. Young was having a great game particularly with his distribution, but he nearly got another goal when he brilliantly chipped the ball towards the far post and Brown had to leap backwards to turn the ball away with Mackay pulling it wide for a corner. It was Young again who came nearest to increasing Everton's lead, Scott's centre was misheaded by Henry right to Young who swung a foot at the ball when it was knee high, and put it over the bar from six yards. Then Vernon tried to lob a clever shot just inside the upright, but Brown dived across and saved brilliantly. Everton were now playing with considerable drive, using the ball quickly and well. Kay was having a great game, breaking up attacks and sending a stream of passes through to his forwards.
GREAVES HEADER
It had been all Everton for the past 10 minutes and Spurs were defending hard against some Everton play as good as we have seen this season. In a rare Tottenham attack West did well to smother a close-range header from Greaves who had moved through to the right position to take Bobby Smith's pass. Vernon was very much the striker in the Everton front line making a series of top-speed breaks down the middle. From a pass by Stevens the ball ran awkwardly for him close to the goal, and the referee did not miss his handling of the ball.
LUCKY ESCAPE
Spurs were very lucky and Everton desperately unlucky in a fantastic series of incidents in their goalmouth. Morrissey's shot beat Brown, but hit the upright, bouncing out to Stevens whose shot hit the other upright, with Henry turning it away for a corner when it looked as though the ball was about to bounce over the line. The first half ended with Everton attacking and the crowd thoroughly pleased with their side after they played some of their best football o the season for the preceding 30 minutes. They were very unlucky not to be three goals in front.
Half-time;- Everton 1, Tottenham nil.
Spurs had the advantage of the wind in the second half. From the kick-off Jones tried a surprised volley as he ran in to a cross from Dyson, and the ball was only a yard wide. From the goal kick Everton went away, and Scott beat Henry and when he pulled the ball back towards Vernon Marchi dived and turned it away – with his hands according to Vernon –but the referee said no.
BRAVE SAVE
Then brown had to make two attempts to save a strong shot from Young with the ball being moved rapidly to the other end, and West making a comfortable save from Bobby Smith. Vernon missed a great chance. From Meagan's free-kick on the left Young headed the ball forward, and Vernon seemed so surprised at the gift opening that he completely miskicked- the ball ran away from him and when he finally tried to turn it over the line Brown was there to make a brave save. Then Young missed another chance just as good. This time a pass from Kay beat the Spurs defence and the ball went across to the unmarked Vernon, who turned the ball parallel to the goal line and Young failed to get a touch to it. The Everton forwards had made more chances in this game than they had in the previous six matches. But they were missing them, too, and had they been 4-0 in front now it would have been only what they deserved. The way the luck was going against Everton from the point of view of scoring was fantastic. They were faster and better than the Spurs at every stage now.
LUCKY SPURS
Vernon beat Brown with a beautifully judged chip out, the ball hitting the upright and coming straight out to Morrissey whose shot hit the unsuspecting Marchi and was cleared. At times the Spurs defence was being turned and harried into a shambles by the Everton forwards who were at their best. Came another chance for Everton – and how they were missing them! Meagan put a perfect pass upfield to Stevens, and with the Spurs defence completely spread-eagled Stevens took the ball on and passed to the unmarked Vernon, who delayed his shot just long enough for Brown to cover and make a first class flying save.
A CHAMPION SHOW
Everton has had some criticism in the past few weeks but whatever the result of this match they were certainly playing like champions now. After this tremendous 15-minute spell by Everton the forwards ran out of stream for a time, and no wonder. Spurs moved on to the attack and the Everton defence did not look too happy. West failed to clear cleanly on a couple of occasions and his handling was very suspect.
ANXIOUS MOMENTS
There were some anxious moments among the Everton defence when the Spurs, outplayed for so long, started to come back. Considering the swirling difficult wind this game had been a great one. Scott appeared on the left wing to make a fine run down to the goal line before turning the ball back to Morrissey who looked more tired than the rest, and he just did not seem to have the strength to get his shot in. Everton were back on the attack again now, but without the pace and snap of their earlier play. It had just been a question of them putting so much into it that a good many of them had run out of stream. Scott seemed to be stronger than most, facing the wind, which was almost gale force at times, and he came through with Vernon to try a left foot shot which he put straight at Brown. The whole of the Everton team had played well but the half backs should singled out for special mention, and Young and Vernon in the forward line.
WEST TO RESCUE
There was an anxious moment late on when Bobby Smith, who had been well held by Labone most of the game, managed to get in one shot and West had to fling himself forward as the ball spun off Meagan. There were tremendous scenes of enthusiasm as the players left the pitch, with Everton completely worthy of what could prove a famous victory. If they had taken their chances they could have won by five clear goals, and they were certainly that much better than Tottenham on the day. Final; Everton 1, Tottenham nil; Official attendance 67,650.
Lancashire League
Everton B 1, Blackpool B 1.

ASTON VILLA RES V EVERTON RES
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Saturday 20 April 1963
Aston Villa Res;- Simms; Wright, Briggs; Parker, Horne, Fellows; Cronin, MacEwan, Trevour, Lee, Fentott. Everton Res;- Dunlop; Harcombe, Thomson; Jarvis, Heslop, Harris; Bingham, Rees, Wignall, Hurst, Temple. Referee – Mr. W.R. Nowill (Sheffield). Villa went ahead after only five minutes play when good work down the left wing gave Lee a clear opening and he left Dunlop no chance with a hard low drive. The advantage was short lived for three minutes later a brilliant run down Everton's left wing by Temple ended with his centre being driven home first time by Rees. A corner to Villa nearly brought another goal, but Lee's header grazed the crossbar. Then a good drive by Fenton was brilliantly saved by Dunlop, who dived across his goal and was just able to palm the ball round for a corner. In the next Everton attack Wignall fired high over the bar from a good position. After a good spell of pressure by Villa forwards. Everton always quick to turn defence into attack, broke through on the left and Rees netted Temple's short centre.
L'POOL A V EVERTON A
Everton attacked strongly and the Liverpool defence was fully extended. Harvey and Tyler scored for Everton. Half-time; Liverpool A nil, Liverpool A 2.

CHANCE TO WIPE OUT CUP DEFEAT
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Saturday 20 April 1963
By Alex Young
Five points from three matches made the Easter holiday a happy one for Everton, and that fine second half rally by Liverpool against Tottenham, on Good Friday, added to our joy. Whatever the result of this afternoon's encounter with Tottenham at Goodson Park, the First Division championship must still be considered wide open. Right at the start of the season I tipped Everton, if absent Tottenham, as the result of this season's title race and my opinions have not altered since then. You can't find complete agreement in the Everton camp as to who are our most dangerous rivals, but while I have great respect for the all-round teamwork of Leicester, Tottenham are the side I most fear. Looking ahead, it is strange that next week while Liverpool's thoughts will be fixed on beating Leicester and booking a dressing room at Wembley on May 25, we at Everton will be striving to improve our chances of pulling off the second leg of the "Merseyside double" at the expense of two teams already knocked out of this season's Cup competition by the Anfield side. West Ham United need no introduced to Merseyside fans, for a victory for Everton at Upton Park next Saturday will not only be a great spur to our title hopes but will also help to wipe out a certain advantage which Liverpool fans now have in arguments with their Everton counter-parts. That West Ham spoiled our Cup chances for this season is still a sore point with the Everton players and we will be on our toes to ensure that they don't do the same to our League hopes.
REVENGE HOPE
The other club knocked out of the Cup by Liverpool are Arsenal, visitors to Goodison Park on Wednesday evening. This promises to be an exciting match, for we are still smarting under that unlucky 4-3 beating we took at Highbury not so long ago. Here, as at West Ham, we are doubly anxious to gain revenge. Arsenal really hit top form for our visit and if they do likewise on Wednesday, then Goodison fans are in for a treat. As long as the final score indicates an Everton win, then we will all be satisfied. By next Saturday evening, with our eight day treble against London clubs completed, we shall have played a game more than Leicester and Tottenham. The need to gain full points and press home this advantage is therefore obvious. Looking back to last Saturday at Blackpool, I thought that despite the fact that the Seasiders had the advantage territorially during the second half, our 2-1 victory waswell deserved. For the first 45 minutes we played well and at the interval might been leading 4-0 instead of 2-0. Alex Scott had a good game, scoring a goal himself and laying one right on a plate for yours truly. Blackpool protested that my goal was scored from an offside position, but as I was behind the ball all the time that Alex was in passion was quite impossible, session was quite impossible.
UNSELFISH
Alex obviously realized this, too, for he could have gone on to beat goalkeeper Walters himself had he not realized that I was in a slightly better position,so he pushed the ball across tome. This was a most sporting and unselfish gesture and no one was more pleased than I when Alex managed to get his name on the scoring sheet alittle later. Easter Monday's home draw with Birmingham was disappointing, but I feel that our recent struggles in matches at Goodison Park can in some way be attributed to the fact that visiting teams have adopted defensive roles. A long unbeaten run is very nice, but when it starts attracting a lot of publicly it can be something of a burden as opponent after opponent makes an extra special effort to end it. I don't want to be-little Birmingham's performance in any way, however, for they played extremely well; so well in fact that I am prepared to stick my neck right out and forecast that they will still be playing First Division football next season. The side has plentyof spirit and ability and it took some thoughtful tactical planning by Mr. Catterick to keep them in check and lay the foundations of a victory when we met again at St. Andrews on Tuesday afternoon.
HESLOP DEBUT
Unfortunately, Birmingham had to play with 10 men for more than half the match, but even before centre half John Watts was injured these tactics had given us command of the situation. An assortment of posts, the crossbar and defenders' bodies stopped us w inning far more easily than we did. Congratulations to reserve centre half, George Heslop, who made a fine League debut at Birmingham. George has waited some time for a chance to show what he can do, and hegrabbed it with hand, completely dominating the centre of the field and playing Jimmy Harris out of the game. It was bad luck that Injury prevented Brian Labone from playing in either game against Birmingham, and at Goodison Park on Monday, Jimmy Gabriel was called on to play at centre half, with Brian Harris taking Jimmy's normal position. This move surprised some Everton fans, but it should not have done for I have pointed without before that while Dundee Jimmy quite often played at centre half, doing so well that Scotland present pivot, Ian Ure, had to bide his time in the reserves. There have been a couple of letters this week obviously from fans across the Park) disagreeing with the views I expressed last week about Tony Kay. In a nutshell, I stand by my opinion—there isn't a better English-born wing half in football to-day. Lastly, may I and all the Everton players wish Liverpool the best of fortune in their semi-final against Leicester next Saturday.

KAY SILENCES HIS CRITICS – AND SPURS
Liverpool Daily Post- Monday, April 22, 1963
NOW IT'S FULL SPEED AHEAD TO THE TITLE
EVERTON GAIN TOP PLACE AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP IT
EVERTON 1, TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0
By Horace Yates
With the League title balanced precariously on the knife edge, I make bold to forecast that the championship crown will be Everton's. Manager Harry Catterick will endorse that view only with the proviso that 8 points are obtained from the remaining five games. He could be right, of course, but the Spurs- crushing Everton on Saturday can whip through their remaining games, with only the visit to West 11 a.m posing a query, and I cannot think the Upton Park side will repeat their Cup victory. One point from West Ham, with victory in the rest, and it matters not what fate has in store for Leicester City or Tottenham in this final gallop. Of on the other hand, Leicester in addition to the Cup responsibilities, were to wind up the season with four victories, all on opponents' grounds, to complete their last and pip on the post faltering rivals, who could deny the rich merit of their performance. Now however, the worst is over so far as Everton are concerned in my humble opinion. They have regained their freedom of movement their class is reasserting itself. They are devoting their entire energies to the playing of pure football and formerly hesitant are uncertain no longer. At least these were the observation prompted by their so emphatic superiority over Spurs. Had this been a 5-2 repeat of the Anfield game, nobody could have grumbled, least of all Spurs. There is no reason now why they should slide or even hesitate. The road is wide open and I expect to see them cruise majestically and safely home. It may be asked. "Why such confidence, bolstered only by a single goal triumph? Yet anyone who saw the match friend or foe alike, will I believe, admit that Everton were no less than three or even four goals the superiors of their opponents and that cruel ill-luck rather than any lack of good management, prevented the score line from recording the fact.
OH JIMMY
There were nasty moments admittedly as there must always be when a team of the capabilities of Tottenham, are in opposition. What for example might have happened of Greaves the man who only days previously had blasted Liverpool with a four-goal fusillade, and not unworthily panicked into a rash shot, after Smith had spilt the defence wide open with a back-heeled pass into the clear possibly his best contribution of the entire match! Greaves should have beaten West with ease, and yet he placed the ball outside, from the closest range. This before a goal had been scored and with Everton distinctly second best as they struggled initially to match up to a Spur side, threatening to take the match into their keeping. An almost unprecedented pre-match appeal to the crowd over the loudspeakers to keep up the encouragement, "even if things are not going quite right," had produced a worthy response but only when Vernon drifted past Henry and floated a magnificent dropping shot over Brown and on top of the bar, had things promised to go right prior to that Greaves miss. Slowly but quite decisively, the Tottenham edge was worn down, they were forced into the role of second best, and seemingly were powerless to half the revival of a side finding its feet and confidence with every passing minute. In this transformation Everton owed a tremendous debt to the way in which their half back line stood fast and to Vernon raiding with all his old enthusiasm, even if his shooting was at times uncharacteristic. What matter if he did miss so often? The main thing is that he is shooting again. Gabriel and menace there may have been from Greaves with a display that placed him head and shoulders on the day above Mackay, the man claimed by the Scottish selectors to be that country's best.
KAY ABOVE ALL
Labone, from an unusually hesitant beginning, dominated Smith until he ceased to present any sort of threat, but towering above them all, not in stature, but in spirit, ability enterprise and example, was the ginger-headed Kay. I suggest the last has been heard of any sniping there may have been against this pocket battleship. Kay was the man who taught Everton beyond doubt that not only were Tottenham fallible, but that here was the chance to prove it- and prove it they did. White never came into the reckoning at all for he hardly had an earthily chance of making anything of the technically faultless tackling of the remorseless Kay, who was always a move head, with the situation so completely in hand that his masterly suggested an almost casual supremacy. He had the pace and timing to halt movements in their tracks and decide at leisure where best his pass could be employed. More than anyone he was alive to possibilities for he was quick to realize that Vernon was finding the open spaces, surprisingly left repeatedly by Tottenham and it was Kay's feeding of his skipper that helped Vernon to come right out of the shell into which so much of his talents have been hidden in many disappointing frustrating games. Here was Kay, surrounded by international talent, and capping them all. Not once was he guilty of an unseemly action, or anything remotely approaching an unworthy deed, and the inevitable result was that his class outshone anything else on view.
ENGLAND CLASS
Surely a Kay in this form is not only Everton's answer to their moment of trial, but the solution too, to an England problem so terribly acute. The crowd were not slow to react to his brilliance, and although I maintain that Kay had done enough and more in previous outings to stop the critics in their tracks, here was the piece de resistance, the crowning vindication of a signing which has converted strength in the position to well nigh invincibility. No doubt those correspondents who have so regularly taken the trouble to criticize me for backing Kay will not give up the flight willingly, but their search for ammunition must now be embarrassing to a degree! Alex Young, a controlled fighting fury, is another reason why I believe Everton's troubles are behind them. Here is a player of almost unrivalled potential one of the most skilful controllers of a ball in the game with the ability to out leap in the air rivals towering inches above him, but not always has he demonstrated his arts convincingly. Slowly over the last few games. Young has shaken off whatever it was that was preventing him from realizing his vast potential and undoubtedly class, but he gave Marchi a regular nightmare of an afternoon. Whether Norman would have fared better is problematical, Young in this mood, and that is what Everton demand to the season's end, is a weapon of rare and decisive strength. Stevens too a shadow of himself in so many games of late, joined in the revelry and so it was that unbreakable in every link down the centre of the field, they crushed the Spurs almost beyond recognition.
WINGERS IN SUBJECTION
The anticipated display of winging wizardy hardly emerged as had been hoped, but Scott, the most deceptive mover in football surely, with that easy loping run of his which does not appear speedy until you notice opponents trailing in the rear, was the best of the four. Jones was hardly ever seen, a fact which in no way belies the magnificence of Meagan after an uncertain opening and Parker was never found wanting. West's handling caused some concern on occasion, but with such ample and willing support, only the most grievous error would have been embarrassing. The match, as events turned out, was won in 17 minutes and I was Kay who opened up possibilities for Vernon. There are not many players in the game who can pin-point long distance passes with more devastating accuracy than the Welshman, and here was the perfect example of his art. Up and across went the ball, dropping invitingly in front of goal, just far enough out to put Brown in two minds. Marchi had momentarily handed over the policing of Young to Smith (J.) and the Scot, more than a foot higher than his opponent in the air nodded Vernon's centre beyond Brown into goal. Young almost took a page from the Vernon copybook when he chipped the ball over Brown on another occasion and the goalkeeper miraculously finger-tipped it to safely when it seemed he must be beaten. When Scott crossed a pass Young stabbed a shot over the bar from close range, no sort of tribute to Scott's precision and it was 38 minutes before Spurs threatened to get on terms. Again it was Greaves, who most surprisingly headed straight to West from Bobby Smith's header. On the stroke of half time Everton were denied a goal in the most remarkable fashion. Morrissey rarely registering hit a fierce shot against a post and out came the ball, for Stevens to prod it back, for a seemingly certain goal. Most creditably, at full stretch Brown dived across and touched the ball on to the post and out to safety.
CLEAR PENALTY
It was a case of lucky Spurs, almost immediately after the resumption when Marchi leapt sideways to meet a Scott shot and blatantly handled in the area. Hoe on earth this was missed by the referee I simply cannot tell, but a fellow scribe from London, turned to me and said. "It's remarkable how Marchi gets away with that sort of thing. He did it twice against Liverpool and escaped detection." Still there it was, and yet no one worried unduly, for goals it seemed had to come against a thoroughly cowed side. Young and Vernon were separated from goals by inches. Vernon chipped over Brown and the ball struck a post to rebound to Morrissey, whose shot was charged down. So it went on, with Everton undisputed masters of everything save the woodwork, and yet so frustratingly far from emphasizing their clear superiority. A remainder that a game is never lost until it has fully run its course came in eighty nine minutes when Bobby Smith whipped the ball round Labone and then found himself floored, in what was a most dangerous situation, for with Smith on his feet the odds were on an equalizer. I admit I thought the referee was most charitable to decide there had been no offence, but if ever two wrongs made a right, here it was bearing in mind that inexplicable decision over Everton's disallowed penalty. As a spectacle the first half was incomparably the better and yet the game was so full of interest that there was always the promise that every minute could produce a vital thrust and I doubt if the vast crowd were other than thoroughly entertained. Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Tottenham Hotspur; Brown; Baker, Henry; Smith, Marchi, Mackay; Jones, White, Smith (R.), Greaves, Dyson. Referee; Mr. E. Crawford, (Doncaster). Attendance 67,650.

TEMPLE WAS ARCHITECT OF VICTORY
Liverpool Daily Post- Monday April 22 1963
ASTON VILLA RESERVES 2, EVERTON RESERVES 4
Everton Reserves, much more thrustful in their forward play, fully deserved their win, in this Central League game at Villa Park on Saturday. Chief architect in their success was Temple, on the left wing, who repeatedly cut through the tough Villa defence and found Rees always alert to the chances created for him. Everton were in arrears after only 5 minutes when Lee scored an opportunist goal but Rees wiped this out 3 minutes later, when he hit a Temple cross first time into the net. Using the wings to greater advantage Everton overcame the muddy conditions better, and after some brilliant saves by Dunlop, defence turned to speedy attack and Rees gave them a half time lead, again rounding off Temple's good work. Wignall scored with a good header 5 minutes after the interval, but Trevis nullified this with a good goal 3 minutes later. Then 2 minutes from the end Rees was brought down by goalkeeper Simms and Wignall scored from the penalty spot.

THE GAME THAT LIVED UP TO ITS LABEL
Liverpool Echo - Monday 22 April 1963
By Leslie Edwards
Tottenham not-so-hotspur! That was "the way of it at Goodison Park where Everton, now fractional leaders of the First Division, won by a goal to nil. Sixty-seven thousand people, many of whom must have feared that the tension of this vital League match might spoil it, went away delighted with the football in difficult conditions; satisfied that Everton's championship claims are legitimate and sorry only that the margin of a goal gave no hint of the hammering Tottenham had to take. They might have been beaten four or five-nil. It wasn't their fault they weren't. The crux of the match, for them, came early when centre-forward Smith, with a choice pass to Greaves, made a hole in the Everton defence through which the little man danced to find himself not more than six yards out with only West ahead. He slid the ball wide of the goalkeeper and wide, by inches, of the upright! If Tottenham had taken this chance how different the story might have been. Or would it? For that one remarkably easy chance missed Everton could parade, for their part, half a dozen moments when they seemed likely to score. Vernon, whose shooting never matched the fire and directness of his general play, missed two chances within a minute in the second half. Morrissey with a full-blooded shot had smacked the ball hard against a post and Stevens, finding the rebound coming conveniently to his feet, had steered the ball slowly towards the goal line only to see Henry turn it away as it struck the post. These were the main, but not the only times Everton had the Spurs defence all but beaten. Brown had to show courage and a sure anticipation of the flight of the ball to make saves, the best perhaps his one-handed turning of Vernon's hard, close-in shot in the second-half. When the end came (fittingly after the game's one real
"Incident" Tottenham retired, I thought, like a team who realized that, on the day, they were very much second best and lucky to escape lightly. It is a long time since Everton played so well.
Everton dictators
Tottenham, usually dictators of the football scene, were forced to leave that role to Everton. I don't say that Spurs were not more polished, artistic. The occasional bursts of applause from ' enemy' supporters proved that they were, but they were finally run off their feet on a heavy, grassless pitch which the strong wind (with Everton initially) made even more formidable as test of stamina. Were we wrong to discern on both sides towards the end an exhaustion of certain players and an inclination not to want the ball at any price? I think not. This was the measure of the effort of both teams. The game was a sustained, non-stop serial of fine football: hair's breadth Everton misses and general excitement. When the goal came, after sixteen minutes (Tottenham's best sixteen of the match) the applause literally shook the place. I'll swear the Press box moved inches up and down from the reverberations of the din. Vernon, almost at outside left, clipped the ball high, right-footed, to make it hang in the wind and offer Young a meagre chance of heading a goal. Brown left his line and never leaped to challenge the Everton centre-forward, with that remarkable propensity of his for jumping half his own height Young soared over his one opponent, John Smith, edged the ball, almost gently, high over the line. If he never scores again he will always be remembered for this historic score. The goal should have been followed by several more by Everton. Their finishing was not so much ineffective as out of luck. Their attack, so much better as a line than Spurs', were much the more dangerous; faster and better together.
Jones well held
Everton were also the better at half back. Here I thought Spurs would hold an advantage. In the event it was Kay and Gabriel who played brilliantly and commanded the field, and Mackay and John Smith not only failed in defence, but made blunders when they tried to use the ball. Labone started shakily, kicking right round the ball with no opponent near, but he settled down well to help complete his side's outstandingly good department. It was incredible that Jones, one of the speediest and most menacing wingers in the game, should have such an undistinguished time against Meagan. Spurs never gave their Welsh winger passes of the sort that could have enabled him to leave Meagan behind. The Everton back used the ball magnificently. It is significant that nearly all his colleagues are prepared to leave him in possession when he comes up-field to engineer an attack. His long through balls were placed to fine effect. Possessed of the ball, the Tottenham defence moved it up-field with such certainty they looked more like an international than club side. The crowd appreciated the beauty of their play, but they also noticed. I suspect, the too frequent failure of the same defence when being dummied out of position by Everton forwards or left behind for speed. This latter was Scott's forte. He had another fine game and is at last starting to fit into the Everton picture. But it was Gabriel and Kay (and both, mercifully, purely on football alone) who were the men behind the triumph. Kay is cheeky and makes his passes with aplomb—and all the time in the world to spare. Gabriel's power, when others were flagging, shows what a strong, inspiring player he can be—and referee Crawford, who didn't make the mistake of giving us too much whistle !—never had to reach to his back pocket for his notebook for either of these Everton half backs.
Anxious finish
Everton had one or two frights close to the end, because on top though they were there was only a goal in it and one mistake could cost them a point. West twice misjudged centres from the left; his best save had come in the first half when he smothered at close range the header with which Greaves could have atoned for his earlier mistake. I liked Tottenham's style—never the big punt, always the chain-link of sustained passes which broke down unluckily on occasion or at the feet of Everton defenders who had " read ' the play cleverly. Marchi is one of football's gentlemen; Dyson, whose jockey father used to be a page-boy at the old State Restaurant, was the one player whose fire and enthusiasm might have spilled over and made the game contentious. He gave Parker a difficult afternoon, but with Greaves not at his best and Smith out-headed and out-generaled for the most part by Labone, the Tottenham attack was not impressive. It was, nevertheless, lucky for Everton that when Smith at last beat Labone and strode off towards goal he was brought down from behind with no free-kick to mark the offence. But it would have been an injustice if Spurs had snatched a goal and a point. That they were capable of doing it was never lost on the huge crowd and for that reason the final 20 minutes were agonizing, doubly so in view of the way Everton had failed with chances to consolidate their lead not once, but two or three times. This was a game which lived up to its label. How good it would have been if that wind had not made control of the ball so difficult is anyone's guess. If we could see football like this every week a city stadium holding 150,000 would be a sheer necessity.

EVERTON ARE UNCHANGED
Liverpool Echo - Tuesday 23 April 1963
VITAL HOME GAME TOMORROW
By Leslie Edwards
Everton top of the First Division on goal average, can take a more solid lead if they beat Arsenal at Goodison Park tomorrow evening. The side which beat Spurs on Saturday virtually selected itself for this further vital game against London opposition. Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey.

ON, EVERTON, ON
Liverpool Daily Post- Wednesday, April 24 1963
By Horace Yates
From Anfield and their preparation we switch to Goodison Park and Everton's home game with Arsenal this evening (kick-off 7.30). Only injury could have persuaded manager Harry Catterick to have considered any sort of team changes and happily everybody is perfectly fit. With the Tottenham match behind them, convincingly won, any sort of tension that might have crept in should have been eliminated and I look to the prospective champions to atone adequately for the costly slips that were made at Highbury a few weeks ago. Some of Everton's football in this match was top class but they paid dearly for their mistakes. The form against Spurs should be more than adequate to cope with the Londoners. I cannot see either Strong or Eastham being given the latitude enjoyed at Highbury. The menace of winger MacLeod is well known. He is the real danger, but I should think plans have been made to offset this, without the need for Gabriel and Kay to devote as much attention to other players responsibilities. Just now Everton occupy leading place on goal average only. What thrill and progress there will be if after to-night's match Everton are two point's out in front of Leicester, from only the same number of games. Everton –the chance is yours. Don't dare let us down! Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey.

ARSENAL BRING ON ICE AGE MEMORY
Liverpool Echo - Wednesday 24 April 1963
By Leslie Edwards
Way back on Boxing Day, 1962 (it seems a thousand years and an Ice Age ago) we were preparing to go to Goodison Park, remember, when the sky became full of snow and we started to have doubts whether the match would be on. Optimistically many thought "Give it an hour or two and it will clear." We weren't to know this was to be the first of many fixtures we shouldn't see on the due date at Goodison Park or any other venue. And now, with Everton top of the table (as they were that day with 34 points from 23 matches) the wheel turns full circle and the game takes on an importance it could never have had mid-way through the season. Tonight at Goodison Park we hope to see Everton take two further steps (with a point from each) toward the League title they have not won since pre-War days. Manager Catterick's side picked up from Tottenham two of the 10 points he maintains they must have to total 60 points and clinch the title by the end of the season. Two more tonight would enable them to go to West Ham on Saturday confident they could reverse the score when the sides met in that contentious Cup-tie a few weeks ago. So Everton's hopes are bound inextricable with tilts against London sides. I don't see why Billy Wright's Arsenal, coached by the former Everton man Leslie Shannon, should have sufficient power to surprise their opponents, though that Birmingham game over Easter shook us more than somewhat and was forgotten only when the team rehabilitated itself against Spurs. Arsenal, beaten in the Cup by Liverpool, will be all out to give their London neighbours a hand in the League battler; so I suppose will West Ham. But Everton playing with the urgency which characterized them against Spurs may finish less unluckily, in which event Arsenal could be on the receiving end of a hammering. Yet I rate Arsenal as tougher opponent, in a sense, than Spurs; just as Liverpool found it easier to beat Spurs than Manchester United. It looks like being a hard and eventful match and one which can go far towards helping Everton to the target which seems within their range.

A BADLY DAMAGED SHOULDER
Liverpool Daily Post – Thursday, April 25 1963
WEST LIKELY TO MISS ALL REMAINING GAMES
EVERTON ALLOW AARSENAL TO WORRY THEM OUT OF NORMAL STYLE
EVERTON 1, ARESNAL 1
Everton's loss of a valuable point in the match with Arsenal at Goodison Park last night was only part of the story, for manager Harry Catterick revealed after the game that a shoulder injury received by goalkeeper Gordon West in a collision with Alan Kirton, the Arsenal outside left, is likely to keep him out of action in all the remaining matches. Mr. Catterick said; "West has a badly damaged scapula and it was nothing short of amazing that he was able to play through the rest of the game." He will have an X-ray examination to-day. Everton have only four matches remaining, each of them vital to their hopes of carrying of the First Division championship. They now lead the table by a single point from Leicester City and are three points better off than Tottenham Hotspur, who have a game in hand. They are fortunate in having Albert Dunlop available to take over, for he has the experience and ability to see Everton through this new trail West, signed in April, 1962 has missed only one game so far curiously enough against West Ham United on April 12, 1962 for Everton are due to play at West Ham on Saturday.
A MISTAKE
How wrong we were to assume that Everton are now poised for a fairly straight forward run in the League title Arsenal showed the way of it last night by vigorously contesting every inch and in a battle of furious intensity they could hardly have infused more fight had they themselves been despair for honours. That they were faithful emissaries for their Tottenham Hotspur neighbours, who may still be principal challengers, was undoubted. This was a match which had been looked upon as likely to yield both points, and in consequence disappointment was acute. It was a storm-tossed game, with far too much body checking and niggling misdemeanors to be wholly enjoyable, but if Arsenal's intention was to throw Everton out of their stride, they succeeded. To Arsenal I give every possible credit for their wholehearted endeavour and their will to deny Everton victory. Their courage and dedication to duty were alike magnificent and had they accomplished their objective with somewhat less contention, praise for them must have been unstinted.
PLAYERS BOOKED
I admit to being taken completely by surprise at the shape the game took, for at Highbury a few weeks ago, both teams gave a magnificent display of football, with hardly an incident worthy of adverse comment. As it was, in this match McCullough and Stevens had their names taken by the referee, Stevens for removing the ball and replacing it a few yards further back after Barnwell had placed it for a free kick. Considering other opportunities he had for exercising a chastening influence, I can only say it was surprising that the referee should consider that this was the opportunity to clamp down. Everton I suppose had only themselves to blame for dropping a point for they undoubtedly allow Arsenal to disrupt the easy football flow with which they had set out to exercise their will. Everything seemed to be going according to plan when in seven minutes Everton were a goal ahead. It was from Morrissey's cross that Stevens nodded down the ball to Vernon. With the minimum of time to kill it, Vernon hit a low shot beyond McClelland and as the picture was then set, this promised to be only the first of several. Everton were playing well at this stage and optimism was high. I thought the turning point in the match came after 22 minutes when West, the Everton goalkeeper, leapt in the air to take a high ball. He got both hands to it when Skirton collided with him, while the goalkeeper was still airborne and down he went. Minutes appeared to pass before trainer Eggleston had revived and treated him sufficiently for West to continue. So concerned was the trainer for the player's welfare that he stayed on behind the goal for quite a time. As play unfolded it became more and more apparent that West had severely damaged a shoulder for to the interval he took no further goal kicks and when the ball was in the air about his goal, he used his one good arm to punch clear rather than attempt to gather. This set the crowd demonstrating against Skirton every time the winger was in possession and visibly the temperature crept up. Arsenal were perfectly entitled to adopt their rigid man for man marking, particularly when Strong put them on terms in 29 minutes with a spectacular goal, for a draw away from home against the leading club, to make their haul three points out of four, was obviously a very desirable target at which to aim. McLeod from whom I had expected the greatest threat to Everton was nothing like the menace he had been at Highbury, but he it was who sent the ball across to Strong. With his back to goal Strong could hardly be said to be well placed, but quick as thought he sent it beyond West with a superb overhead kick. Lucky? Maybe for the had no sight of his target, but he could hardly have placed it better had he been left with only the goalkeeper to beat and facing goal. Everton try as they would could make nothing at the enthusiastic defence, and once they were reduced to more or less individual sorties and high lobs into goal as their chief weapons they were half way to handling a point to Arsenal.
VERNON'S MISS
Vernon had started out in most impressive fashion. This looked as though it was going to become one of his old time special performances. He had hard lines when he lobbed the ball over. McClelland and cleared the cross bar as well, but when his one great opportunity came to spike the Arsenal guns, he failed. There were only twelve minutes left and Everton were hardly earning any sort of sight of the Arsenal goal. Then as defence was concentrated more and more infield Everton sought to bring Scott, for so long neglected into the game. He found Vernon expected with an accurate pass, right in front of goal. By way of a change Vernon had been given as unexpected breathing space, and in trying to pull the ball clear of McClelland beyond any hope of recovery, he dragged it outside the post as well. This was the last real opportunity to come Everton's way, although five minutes earlier Scott had again dominated the scene with a run and shot which was heading for goal, when Brown kicked clear only a yard or so from the goal line. Everton do themselves a disservice when they forsake their normal style of football for less rewarding ideas, no matter how great the temptation. They must learn that constructive endeavour is their strength and go all out to play football all the time, even when opponents tempt them to do otherwise. Everton; West; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Morrissey. Arsenal; McClelland; Magill, Clarke; Barnwell, Brown, McCullough; McLeod, Strong, Baker, Eastham, Skirton. Referee; Mr. L.Y Tirebuck (Halifax). Attendance; 56,034.

PRAISE THE COURAGE OF GORDON WEST…
Liverpool Echo - Thursday 25 April 1963
By Leslie Edwards
But for a courageous performance by their goalkeeper, Gordon West, who played the whole of the second-half after having pain-killing injections for what is feared to be a serious shoulder injury, Everton might well have surrendered both points to Arsenal, at Goodison Park last night. The accident happened after 19 minutes. Eastham's free-kick was floating into the goalmouth when Skirton and the goalkeeper collided and West was thrown violently to the ground. The game was stopped for three minutes while he received attention. After such a crunching fall the miracle was that he was able to continue. Arsenal were kept waiting on the field some minutes as a result of an over-prolonged interval during which West was receiving further attention, including injections. His save from Eastham mid-way through the second-half when he had to go far from goal to cut off a lobbed shot early, in its flight was received with scant applause! Everton now face the prospect of being without West for the final four matches from which, if Mr. Catterick's ambition is to be realised, the team must take seven points. The game at West Ham, on Saturday, thus becomes as important to Everton as Liverpool's tie against Leicester. The West Ham game is the crux. Defeat there would almost certainly mean that Everton gill not finish as champions. Ironically, only a few days ago Mr. Catterick was saying that Everton were well enough off for goalkeepers for twenty years! The reserve team skipper. Dunlop, is a ready-made deputy if, as seems inevitable. West cannot appear again this season. There are other up-and-coming goalkeepers on the books of whom the manager thinks highly, so what would normally have been a crippling blow may not be so serious after all. At the interval, following the accident to West and some other full-blooded combat in the outfield Arsenal had drawn level at 1-1 and the crowd was as angry with them as with the referee. Mr. Tirebuck, who whatever his failings may have been could certainly not he accused of being a " homer"
RECKLESS TACKLING
The whistling and jeering was continued when Arsenal reappeared but better sense was shown by most players in the second half and as the further the game went the more likely Arsenal were to go ahead, the crowd, 56,000, seemed content in the end that a draw was equitable. The demonstrations against visiting side and the referee as the teams left at the finish was mild and gave the impression that many considered 1-1 a reasonable verdict. Rarely have I seen such recklessness as was shown last night. At one point Mr. Tirebuck intervened physically between McCulloch and Stevens. He took the names of two players saw most of the foul tackling which went on and missed. I thought, only the occasional two-footed lunge of the sort that could not only put an opponent in hospital but finish his career completely. It was a difficult match to handle and Mr. Tirebuch did his job fearlessly, fairly. Arsenal proved bigger and better than Tottenham as a fighting force. Their extra inches—most of their defence are big men—meant that whenever the ball was in the air near goal Everton were at a disadvantage. Nevertheless Stevens and Vernon both missed easy chances of the sort which must be snapped up, every time, if a side is going to win the championship. In the early part of the match Everton, ball on the turf, almost swept Arsenal off the pitch. When Stevens nodded the ball across to Vernon and the Welshman hit a waspish shot, right foot, without a moment's delay Everton went in front after seven minutes and we seemed destined for a gala performance with Arsenal nowhere. Two great shots, both of them just beating the bar, by Barnwell, jerked some of our complacence. At 28 minutes McLeod out-paced Meagan and cut the ball back over-square in the direction of Strong, It made a difficult chance and Strong, back to goal, had to produce an acrobatic over-head shot to find the net, the ball crossing the line after striking an upright.
EMBARRASSING MARKING…
The pace was tremendous and Arsenal's chivvying and chasing of Everton men in possession always a great embarrassment, but Everton continued to create chances. Scott, Vernon (with hard hit shot and lob) and Stevens and Kay all had first-half chances but the score at the interval was 1-1. McClelland, a good and quick goalkeeper got his body in the way of a shot a third time early in the second half, this time after Stevens had picked up his punch away, and Scott's shot was turned for a corner, almost on the line by Brown, but Everton seemed to fizzle out from this point. Kay's wonderful defensive finesses, which the crowd appreciated fully were later spoiled by over-fierce tackling (some of which did not connect) which caused even home spectators to gasp…
After Vernon's final miss- a pity because his general play was so enthusiastic and good- right back Magill stopped the general exodus of anxious spectators temporarily at the finish with two shots, the first crowded out and the second beating the far post by a yard. On this showing Arsenal are on the way back. Size means something in contemporary football and they have it. Eastham had some brilliant moments not least when he was skipping dainty over a series of lunges by opponents. Some of his passes were so sharp and unexpected the recipients' missed the ball and the boat. Everton worked hard enough to have gained both points, but their failure to take opportunity was a salient fault. While it persists they must be prepared to lose home points to sides like Birmingham and Arsenal. As was to be expected Young's artistic style did not suit the prevailing mood of the game which sometimes bordered on the almost brutal. Nevertheless, this part, it was enthralling football and as hard a game as Everton will get. That Arsenal have taken three points out of four from Everton this season indicates that they are not the back number many make them out to be; their defensive cover is a tribute to both Manager Billy Wright and coach, Leslie Shannon, both of whom came in at one time last night for some ribbing people on the terraces below…

WEST IS OUT FOR REST OF SEASON
Liverpool Echo - Thursday 25 April 1963
X-RAY ON SHOULDER
By Leslie Edwards
An X-ray examination today revealed that Everton's goalkeeper, Gordon West, has not fractured a bone but that there is severe damage to the shoulder blade. This should clear up in two to three weeks, but means that West will not be fit in time to play again for Everton this season. Commenting on West's injury in last night's League match against Arsenal, at Goodison Park, Everton manager, Mr. Harry Catterick, said to-day; "He is a very brave boy. The specialist did not want him to go out for the second half, but Gordon said; "We need the points- I'm going." "He had practically no sleep last night through pain once the effects of the injection at half-time wore off. Considering he was in such difficulty I thought he did very well for us and our defence covered him splendidly."
VITAL MATCH
It is almost certain that Dunlop, the Everton reserve goalkeeper, will take West's place in the vital championship match at West Ham on Saturday. It is understood that some big bets have been made by London fans on Tottenham to win the League championship. Everton lead the table, at the moment, by one point. They have four games (two at home) to play. One of their home games is against another London Club Fulham.

EVERTON'S ROY VERNON SAYS
Liverpool Daily Post- Saturday, April 26, 1963
FANS HELPED US TO BEAT TOTTENHAM
To the Everton supporters I would like to say a sincere "thank you" from the team for the magnificent encouragement you gave us is the Tottenham match last Saturday. Never let it be said that the players alone won this match. You helped us quite a lot with your terrific cheering which helped to put us on top and kept us there. It is all very well people saying that because we are all highly paid players we should be proof against the tension which goes with these big match occasions but we are only human and I defy any team in the country to say that they have not known the butterflies-in-the-tummy feeling before a big event. After all remember it is acknowledged that thorough-breds are the most highly strong of them all and so taking a line from that it may be only right to conclude that the best paid players may be a trifle tension-prone. It is only my view but I consider that charged with importance though every remaining game may be right through until the championship tussle is decided, our supporters have helped to take us over the top of the hill, and that from now on we will find it easier going. What a terrific thrill this Spurs' game was from the players point of view. There was never a dull moment. How could there possibly be against a team of the caliber of Tottenham. The slightest relaxation can so easily be fatal as we saw right to the end of the game when Bobby Smith threatened to spoil our day. I have heard it said that we were lucky that Spurs never struck the form that enabled them to beat Liverpool as handsomely but is that really fair? If Tottenham had been allowed they would have made merry against us, but our plans worked perfectly, I don't know what impression you may have had, but when I saw Alex Young head that first goal I know victory was ours.
GREAVES OFF-DAY
Now I am not pretending that the rest of the season is going to be easy. Far from it. It is an indisputable fact that every club even though they may have nothing to gain themselves, revel in the opportunity of beating a team lined up for the title. We know that and are undismayed. The chance is there very real and inviting and I don't believe we are likely to miss it. We have not gone so far, in face of many trails and upsets not to be capable of pulling out all the stops to finish in a blaze of glory. This much I can ready to concede. If we are not League champions we shall have nobody to blame but ourselves. I doubt if we will ever have a more favourable prospect. I admit quite frankly that Jimmy Greaves was the man I feared more than any other . Most people will tell you that Jimmy had a stinker of a game and I am only too happy that they are able to say that! For all that it was Greaves who gave us two of our worst moments. To see the ball at his feet or head anywhere near goal is a breath-taking moment and there were two such occasions. Subject to corrections I think we were kept from goals by the thickness of the woodwork n four occasions. Exasperating without a doubt but let's not bother putting up simmer posts. They may yet come to our rescue. Instead we will try to be a little more accurate with our shooting. I know they did not intend it as a reprimand but it was plain to hear the groans of the crowd as some of us sent shots veering nearer the corner flag than the goal, but when you have to shoot on sight without the opportunity of willing the ball this is always liable to happen. Some of the most spectacular goals ever scored have been hit first time and have rocketed into goal, but any player will tell you that such efforts are just as liable to flying the top of the stands. There is very much a hit-or-miss possibility about them, but it is a chance that has to be taken. He who hesitate is a maxim full of truth where football is concerned. I will say this for Spurs. They must have known as they trooped off Goodison Park that in all probability they have said goodbye to the championship for this season, and yet they could hardly have been more sporting in their acceptance of defeat. It is comparatively easy to be good winners but sometimes it is not quite so simple, to be good losers. Now tomorrow we tackle perhaps the toughest of our remaining fixture-at West Ham I make one promise. We will do our utmost to reverse that nasty-fasting Cup reverse, I think we can do it and if we do, even the doubters will probably be converted. In conclusion I would like, to wish Liverpool all the very best of luck in their semi-final tomorrow. That goes for all of us at Everton. I have known defeat in a Cup semi-final and only those who have can tell you just how sickening it is. My sincerest wish is that the Liverpool players are not only spared this experience but that they will go on to win the Cup. Local rivalry is forgotten at a time like this. We are all rooting for Liverpool.

THIS IS D-DAY FOR LIVERPOOL, EVERTON
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Friday 26 April 1963
By Leslie Edwards
In other circumstances...
In other circumstances the visit of Everton to West Ham would be looked forward to with great optimism; but Everton missed one of the two points they wanted from the home game against Arsenal, and now the trip to West Ham, where they have already suffered Cup defeat, becomes something of a nightmare - especially in view of the shoulder injury to goalkeeper West. I don't suggest that Everton will be vastly affected by West's absence, because Dunlop is too fine and too experienced a player to let the side down: but the fact that such a vital game is played on the ground where the last meeting of the teams was memorable, for the worst of reasons, makes It a particularly "dangerous" venue. London sides and players, better disposed to their friends at White Hart Lane and to football in the South, will need no incentive to put their best foot forward. As we saw at Anfield in the recent Cup game, West Ham's is a pretty nifty footballing foot. A great deal depends to-morrow, I think, on the referee and on his ability to get it over to the two teams that he will not tolerate more of the trouble which disfigured the Cup game. If he succeeds, Everton's chances, because they have so much talent, will be good; if he fails, I don't see them winning in what could develop into another rough house. Everton would be home and dried for the League if their acceptance of chances created had even been reasonable. They missed, in the home matches against Birmingham and Arsenal, sufficient chances to have won half a dozen games. The side which indulges itself in the luxury of not getting goals from easy positions does not win championships. The nearer they have got to the title the more tentative Everton forwards have been in their shooting. Their tally of goals recently has been meagre although they have lost rarely.

DEREK TEMPLE RECALLED
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express - Friday 26 April 1963
EVERTON OMIT MORRISSEY
By Leslie Edwards
Everton, whose goalkeeper, Gordon Wet, suffered a severe shoulder injury in the match against Arsenal on Wednesday, have two changes for the vital League game at West Ham to-morrow Dunlop, skipper of the reserve team and first-team goalkeeper for seasons until West was signed, comes in, and Derek Temple, now making a great show in the Central League side as a left winger, is preferred to Morrissey. Veall, signed from Doncaster, has usually been at outside left whenever Morrissey has been out of the team. West Ham manager, Ron Greenwood, is giving nothing away to Evert on. He announced that he would not make known his side until shortly before the match Everton; Dunlop; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Temple. Following the West Ham game Everton players will go direct to Llandudno for a few days' rest and light training. They will return to Liverpool next Tuesday.

PLEASE….
Liverpool Echo - Friday 26 April 1963
WE HOPE THEY WIN BUT –
The Echo appeals to its readers not to ring this office tomorrow for news of the semi-final. No one appreciates more than the Echo what a wonderful season the Liverpool and Everton football teams are having, or sympathizes more with the enthusiasm of their supporters, but it has to be remembered that the Echo also has to carry on with its business. On one of the recent Everton home matches our telephone was so busy with callers ringing this office that our news correspondent could not get through with their news. Please do not ring this office tomorrow for news of the semi-final.

FORWARDS MUST SNAP UP CHANCES
Liverpool Daily Post- Saturday, April 27, 1963
WEST HAM PROVIDE A VITAL TEST
By Horace Yates
Everton have their own Cup battle today. Not the glamorous F.A Competition but the lengthier and more exhausting League Championship trophy- and a visit to West Ham their fifth round F.A Cup conquerors – is a tough enough task for any team. Every point is precious. It would repair a few shattered hopes if Everton were to return from Upton Park with two points as compensation for that dropped on Wednesday against Arsenal at Goodison Park. There has been time enough to allow any bitterness and acrimony which may have been left by the last meeting in London to evaporate, and I expect to hear that the this game has been played in a keen but sporting spirit.
TEMPLE CHANCE
Everton have not made many voluntary changes this season, but manager Harry Catterick has expressed a preference for Derek Temple as left winger over Johnny Morrissey who has been struggling vainly to hit his true form to recent games. Temple's great speed and power of shot may be very useful in this new hour of Everton trial. His only previous outing this season was on February 23 when Wolves earned a goalless draw at Goodison. If history repeats itself, Temple should be in great form just now, for he showed the most exciting form of his career when playing at outside left at this stage of last season. Undoubtedly it is a blow to any team to lose their first string goalkeeper, as Everton have done with the shoulder injury to West, but not many clubs can claim to have a more experienced or abler deputy than LBERT Dunlop, hero of so many previous encounters and with 206 League outings to his name.
ONUS ON FORWARDS
Everton's record in London is not very cheering, with the point at White Hart Lane their only reward to date, but all that will be forgotten and wiped out if today brings victory – and it can if only the forward line measures up squarely to its responsibilities. West ham manager Ron Greenwood does not intend to give Everton the opportunity of making any special plans to suit the occasion, for he has declined to name his team. I don't think this will worry Mr. Catterick unduly I think he will have his own ideas. Everton; Dunlop; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Temple.

VERNON, TEMPLE GOALS WIPE OUT EARLY MISFORTUNE
Liverpool Echo - Saturday 27 April 1963
WEST HAM UNITED 1, EVERTON 2
By Jack Rowe

West Ham.- Standen; Kirkup, Burkett; Peters, Brown, Moore; Sealey, Boyce, Byrne, Hurst, Brabrook. Everton. - Dunlop; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Temple. Referee; Mr. N.A. Matthews. (Bicester). Derek Temple returned to the Everton team at outside left against West Ham today, and because of West's injury Dunlop was back in goal. Vernon's first pass to Young was a beauty, but the centre forward was slow in reacting and I think he also might have done better than lose the ball to Peters when Temple slipped it inside. The opening was fast with Everton showing nice touches, and Temple came in for the first shot which was deflected away by Brown. Brabrook indulged in some fancy work just outside the penalty area and in the end Parker conceded a corner, for which Brown came down and completely missed Brabrook's kick. Peters sent a shot high over but so far neither side were showing real forward penetration although Temple once made a fine run to beat Kirkup on the outside and his centre was taken by Standen. Moore barged into Stevens, and Everton got a free-kick. From it Gabriel pushed the ball to one side for Vernon to take it up and get in a shot, through a crowd of players, to which Standen dived and finger tipped away for a corner. A move in which all the Everton team took part ended in Stevens putting his shot straight at Standen, and immediately Sealey was at fault when he put the ball yards behind when he had plenty of time to centre. West Ham went ahead in 20 minutes with an own goal when Meagan. Brabrook made ground down the left and his low centre was turned into the net by Meagan. Rather unfortunately, because I doubt if Sealey would have reached it if the ball had gone through.
TIME TO COVER
Temple was certainly trying hard, but Everton were inclined to play it too close and too slowly when near the West Ham penalty area, so that the home defenders were having time to cover. From another free kick Gabriel and Vernon tried their earlier tactic with Vernon this time supplying the side touch, but Gabriel's shot was well off the mark. Kay nearly presented West Ham with a goal when he missed Moore's lob but, fortunately for Everton, Byrne was taken by surprise so that Labone was able to clear. A minute or so later, from a free-kick, Brown came down and headed just over. West Ham escaped when Burkett tried a back pass to Standen and Vernon beat the goalkeeper to the ball; but his shot cannoned away to safely. In the 32nd minute Everton got on terms with a fine goal by Vernon. When the ball was put through the middle. Young flicked it beautifully to one side for Vernon to race in, control it, and then beat Standen with a left foot shot to the far corner from about eight yards out. Boyce added to the excitement with a first-time shot which went no more than a foot wide.
FINE RECOVERY
Standen made a wonderful recovery to catch a Vernon corner, for he would not hold the ball at the first attempt but got it before Young could do any damage. Everton went in front in the 43rd minute with a Temple goal made by Kay and Young, Kay put Young in position beautifully and when the centre forward back-heeled the ball, Scott hit it first time so hard that Standen could not retain his grips and there was Temple on the spot to slip the ball into the net. Temple, like Kay, was playing splendidly and seconds before half-time he made a wonderful run in which he beat three men before slipping the ball across the face of an open goal with no one there to take advantage. Half-time; West Ham 1, Everton 2.
A volley shot by Kay went outside in Everton's first attack of the second half, and then Stevens was hurt and had to have the attention of the trainer. When he rec covered he was impeded again, this time by peters, Vernon fired the free-kick over. Everton were playing effectively with Young once beating three men in the penalty area and then having the ball whipped off his toe by Burkett. A shot from peters, which went well outside, was the best West Ham could offer for some time in spite of a lot of pressure. The Everton defence was playing with coolness, as Parker showed when he stopped Hurst. It cost a corner but Kay was there to make certain there was no danger, and rom his clearance Scott bored through for a shot which Standen saved at the foot of the post.
GOOD CATCH
Dunlop's catch from Sealey's cross was a good one, and Labone was on the spot to divert a dangerous looking Brabrook centre. Temple was not far off with a header before Dunlop came charging out of his goal to punch away from Brabrook. Then the Everton goalkeeper, who had not made the semblance of an error, came out to pick up from Byrne. Scott was in the penalty area and in the next minute when racing through for Kay's pass. He almost scored for his shot struck Kirkup and lofted with Standon doing well to make the catch. Young, limping and spending most of his time on the right wing was still able to make useful contributions as Everton held off a West Ham who were not showing much forward skill.
GREAT SAVES
Peters suddenly lashed in a volleyed shot from the penalty line edge and Dunlop turned it over magnificently. From the corner Brown made another of his up-field excursions to get the full force of his head to Sealey's kick, and again Dunlop dived and saved magnificently. Final; West Ham 1, Everton 2

PRESTON NORTH END A, EVERTON A
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Saturday, April 27 1963
Everton A began on top, and Williams played well from Russell and MacKenzie. Preston then settled down and some good work involving Bond and Buckley led to Dalton opening the score with a fine header. Five minutes later Russell equalized for Everton. Half-time; Preston North End A 1, Everton A 1.
Final; Preston North End A 1, Everton A 3

FIT WEST COULD HAVE SAVED GOAL
Liverpool Echo - Saturday 27 April 1963
By Alex Young
No one could have helped but admire the courage of our goalkeeper, Gordon West, in playing on with his badly damaged and painful shoulder on Wednesday evening, despite the fact that he was advised by a specialist at half -time not to return to the field. Gordon was given a painkilling injection to enable him to carry on, and this explains why we were a little late making a reappearance Luckily an X-ray examination on Thursday revealed that the bone was not broken, although the damage to the shoulder is such that Gordon is unlikely to be fit to pay before our League programme ends on May 11. Gordon's injury probably cost us a point, for had he been fully fit, I am sure he would have been able to push Geoff Strong's goal-scoring overhead kick around the post. Whatever to-days results, however, the championship is still a "perm any one from three" affair and it is better to concentrate on picking up maximum points from remaining games rather than worrying about ones dropped in the past. I thought Arsenal played exceptionally well on Wednesday and fully brought home to us the truth of that old saying about it being tough at the top. The Everton defenders, too, did a grand job, particularly in the way they prevented the Arsenal attack really testing our handicapped goalkeeper during the second half.
MEMORABLE GAME
Tottenham's visit provided a memorable match, not only because Everton won but also in the way we did it. This was a team triumph and it would be unfair, indeed almost impossible, to pick out any particular Everton players for special mention. The final score was only 1-0 in our favour, but 5-1 would, in my estimation, have been a fairer reflection of the play. Spurs dictated matters in the opening stages, but once we found our feet only one result seemed possible. Early on I formed the opinion—mainly because of the easy way we were able to get through the Tottenham defence - that this would be Everton's day, though I must admit that being only one goal ahead made the final stages more than a little nerve wracking. Spurs' goalkeeper, Bill Brown, who handled the ball immaculately, did his part in stopping us from running up a big score, although I feel there were many times when we did not have the best of luck with our shooting. . The way in which a shot from Johnny Morrissey hit the post and Dennis Stevens saw Bill Brown save his shot from the rebound was typical of many of the "breaks "we have experienced recently. There are complaints from time to time that I over emphasize Everton's misfortunes and take any lucky breaks that come our way for granted. The truth is that lately we seem to have experienced more bad luck than good, so far as shooting is concerned. GREAVES' MISS
What the outcome of last Saturday's match would have been had Jimmy Greaves not missed a reasonable scoring chance early on is a matter for speculation, personally I don't think it made any difference. The off the ball play by Greaves which made this opening was brilliant, and I think, he deserves credit for getting into position for the shot rather than criticism for missing the chance. England's triumph in the International Youth Tournament gives powerful support to the point I made in an earlier article this season that it should be unwise to write off England's chances in the 1966 World Cup competition at such an early date. It has now been shown that England's younger players arc as good as any In the world: now it is to the authorities and coaches s to see that these players are as good as any in the world; now it is up to the authorities and coaches to see that these players still hold the same position three, five and seven years hence. Obviously the right material is available. The task now is to make best use of it. After hectic weeks wiping out our backing of fixtures and also ploughing through the Easter programme, the club has decided to give us another short holiday and immediately after today's game at West Ham we are making tracks for Llandudno. Next week we have only one game, which makes quite a pleasant change, against Bolton at Goodison Park. What a player eats before a football match is very important; so, too, it would appear, is the place where he does his eating. Before the Tottenham game last Saturday, the Everton team were taken to a Southport hotel for their mid-day meal—and it was the same hotel where we had tea before the evening match against Liverpool, at Anfield recently. Others eating with us at this hotel last Saturday Were Wakefield Trinity, the team that knocked out Warrington in the semi-final of the Rugby League Challenge Cup that afternoon, and Nottingham Forest, who earned a very creditable draw against Burnley at Turf Moor. Forest also had tea at the same place on the previous Thursday before travelling to Anfield and scoring that surprise 2-0 win against Liverpool. Gives food for thought, doesn't it ?

EVERTON RES V BARNSLEY RES
Liverpool Echo - Saturday 27 April 1963
Everton Reserves; Rankin; Thomson, Sharples; Jarvis, Heslop, Harris; Bingham, Rees, Wignall, Hurst, Veall. Barnsley Reserves; Hill; Hopper, Lawton; Nicol, Senior, Bartlett; McCarthy, Smith, Milligan, Edgley, Jagger. Referee Mr. H. B Jones (Wolverhampton). A lot of early good football came from Everton, but much of it came to nought because of Barnsley's offside trap. In the first quarters of an hour the whistle went at least seven times for this reason and the Everton forwards could not get the ball into the net. Veall put across two good centres after runs down the wing, but there was nobody to apply the finishing touch, and Wignall had two headers which beat Hill only to rebound off the bar. Barnsley's only danger came from their left wing pair of Jagger and Edgley, but it was half an hour before Rankin, replacing Dunlop had his first shot to save. Barnsley came into the picture a little more, with centre forward Milligan trying hard to get the test of his team moving onto the attack, but the Everton defence, playing very coolly, was having little trouble. Bingham and Veall were swinging the ball about, but that vital first goal would just now come. Half-time; Everton Res nil, Barnsley Res nil.

WHO WILL BE SECOND TO EVERTON IN TITLE RRACE?
Liverpool Daily Post- Monday, April 29 1963
WEST HAM 1, EVERTON 2
Asks Jack Rowe
As Everton came out, led by Vernon, there was booing from a section of this West Ham crowd. When the game started and as soon as Kay and Gabriel, especially Kay touched the ball there was more booing and it was clear that the memories of the Cup visit in March, with its troubles and recriminations had not been forgotten. In this explosive atmosphere Everton had to tackle what, to me, was the crucial game of the final dash for the championship. They could have smashed their chances by re-acting as, no doubt, some would have liked, or they had to answer the challenge with calmness, poise and determination that provocation would not disturb their composure.
KAY'S EXAMPLE
Kay, I felt was the primary target for the crowd and a couple of early tackles soon provided the test. His example would decide and I am sure by knew it. From each tackle he got up, brushed his shorts and trotted away for the free kicks awarded against the offending West Ham player. There was not the slightest recrimination and from that moment the standard was set. I reckon referee Matthews would agree that he had an easy and comfortable game to handle. There was hard tackling by both sides, but there was no real roughness and even when Stevens was hurt late on, it could have been an accident. The big thing was that Everton did what they can do so well- keep playing football and not allow themselves to be shaken by taunts or crowd yells. That is why they won so completely that in the finish Kay and the team had won over the crowd to the point that applause had replaced the boos and Everton were being described as even better than the Spurs- and that from Londoners is praise worth having.
MEAGAN'S OWN GOAL
Every Everton player, at different times, played a vital role. They had to shake off the effects of Meagan's own goal in 20 minutes when he diverted a Brabrook cross into goal and the fact that they did it is an illustration of their superiority. This team work all through could not help but earn admiration and as far as Kay is concerned I regarded his display as so outstandingly brilliant that if anyone has seen, or is going to see anything better this season they are unfortunate. Apart from one error in the first half- and the ball often bounced awkwardly –he was flawless. He was the commanding figure and received superb support from Gabriel, Labone and the others when the side adopted a defensive policy in the second half. Vernon, who had done his stuff earlier with an excellent goal, and Stevens worked with great willingness and Scott and Temple, with the main attacking burden on them, never stopped trying. Both went near a third goal, which would have meant less nail-biting among the Goodison following. Young suffered from blistered feet in the second half and went to the wing, but his contribution to victory came in the first half when his use of the ball, given each time by Kay, meant two goals and one cannot overlook that.
TEMPLE MENACE
What most Everton fans were wondering was how Dunlop and Temple, thrust into the side at this white-hot period, would shape. Temple played with courage, verve and so much perseverance that he was always a menace. He scored the second goal to justify manager Catterick's decision, but there was two wonderful runs which surprised me by their pace and execution. Dunlop did not make a mistake, but even more important he made two saves which were really magnificent. Everton's defensive play and cover had shackled West Ham to a point where they were making no threatening progress. Suddenly right half Peters lashed at a dropping ball outside the penalty area and it flew like a bullet for the top corner of the net, Dunlop, so unused in the match to this kind of velocity saw it coming judged the swerve perfectly and flicked the ball for a corner. This was taken by Sealey, and centre half Brown, who had been coming up for most corners, got to it and made a downward header of power, aimed just inside the post. Again Dunlop saw it coming through the crowd of players and reacted like lightning so that Brown held his arms up almost in disbelief as his effort was saved.
WILD FINISHING
These were West Ham's only potent scoring attempts because earlier when the occasional shooting chance presented itself the finishing was wild and if Meagan had not been so unfortunate they would never have scored. This was due to the grip Everton took and I thought Parker did well against Brabrook, West Ham's biggest danger. He learned that Brabrook could beat him for speed and made the winger come to him, so that usually Brabrook tied himself in knots. Labone put Byrne under his thumb completely and the result all through was that Everton looked –and played- like champions. They all get credit for this. Everton's first goal came in 32 minutes when Kay found Young in the centre with a chipped pass. Young glided it downwards to Vernon, who controlled the ball beautifully before beating Standen with a shot to the bottom corner. Just before half-time Kay again gave Young the pass and this time the centre-forward took Brown and Burkett out of the way before back-heeling in front of the incoming Scott. The shot was hard and low so that Standen could not hold it and in nipped Temple to score. West Ham had no forwards to equal the skill which produced these goals and their best players were the half-backs with Brabrook occasionally blossoming. Ace American golfer Walter Hagan, once stepped on to the tee in an open championship and said; "I wonder who is going to be second?" No-one at Everton is likely to say that at present, but I feel that way about their championship prospects now. West Ham; Standen; Kirkup, Burkett; Peters, brown, Moore; Sealey, Boyce, Byrne, Hurst, Brabrook. Everton; Dunlop; Parker, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Temple. Referee; Mr. N.A Matthews (Bicester). Attendance 28,461.

EVERTON RES GIVE FINE DISPLAY
Liverpool Daily Post –Monday, April 29 1963
EVERTON RESERVES 2, BARNSLEY RESERVES 0
Giving one of their best displays of the season in this Central League game at Goodison Park on Saturday. Everton Reserves would have had many more goals but for Barnsley Reserves continuous offside tactics, backed by a nine-man defence. From the start Everton were on top with Bingham, Rees and Wignall continually changing positions in the attempt to break through Forty-seven minutes went by however, before that deserved goal came when a defensive error let in Veall whose centre Bingham converted. Barnsley tried to be constructive, but the home defence was sound and at eighty minutes Wignall clinched the game with an angled shot from the left. Hill having no chance to save.

EVERTON GAVE A ALL-ROUND TEAM PERFORMANCE
Liverpool Echo - Monday 29 April 1963
By Jack Rowe
Everton have had many fine performances in their chase for the championship this season but I rate the one at West Ham on Saturday, when they won 2-1, as one of the most outstanding, not solely because of the victory but because of the manner in which it was achieved. They played well and looked like champions. But on this return to a ground of so much contention and argument when they were beaten in the Cup they kept their composure and poise and concentrated on doing what is best –play football. They won after being a goal down when Meagan turned a Brabrook centre into his own net with 20 minutes gone and the recovery after such a shock was excellent because West Ham, in spite of their inability to match Everton's football skill, were always menacing. When Everton levelled in 32 minutes' they had gone about their job so coolly and methodically that one could sense success and it was certainly no more than they deserved when Temple scored the second just before half time. Temple, who, was returning to the first team after a long absence did what Manager Catterick wanted him to do, get a goal. Apart from this he had an excellent match especially in the first half, and even in the second when Everton concentrated more on defence he was always a threat to the Londoners.
DYNAMIC KAY
But the man of the match was Kay. He was dynamic in everything he did. His passes were accurate and to his great credit not once did he show dissent either by gesture or action, when there were occasional provocative moments. Indeed this is how the whole Everton side played and while there were inevitable infringements not once did the game get really contentious or referee Matthews have anything else but full control. It could have reached heat if Everton had allowed it to because when they came out they were granted by booing and in the first moments when Kay and Gabriel touched the ball they were the target of similar disapproval. Kay in particular, was the man the crowd were quick to remind about the last match, but the little red haired wing half treated it with a good humour, refused to be drawn into any retaliation when he was fouled and in the end those in the crowd who had been vociferous in their reception of him were applauding him for a really top class display which cannot go unnoticed by the England authorities.
KEPT BATTLING
If Kay set the standard then the rest of the Everton side followed his example. There was no niggling for
Anybody and what we did, have was a perfect all round team performance in which players like Gabriel. Labone and Vernon put on all their talents. Vernon, I thought, did tremendously well as a worker in the second half when Everton's chief policy was to concentrate more on defence and so did Stevens until he was the victim of a heavy tackle and was slowed up by a thigh knock. Scott and Temple were the attack men for most of the second half and they kept battling while Young did not do much after blistered feet had sent him to the right wing. But Young had given us the artistry for the goals. Each time he took a lovely pass from Kay, each time he bemused the West Ham defence, first with a head flick and then with a back heel. Vernon was there to hammer home the first chance brilliantly and when Standen could not hold Scott's power drive from the back heel Temple flashed in and the ball was in the net.
TEMPLE'S PUNCH
West Ham had no-one who could equal Everton's forward or defensive skill. Moore, Brown and Peters looked the best and in the attack Brabrook was the most dangerous in sudden bursts, but Parker' played him confidently after learning when Meagan put in his own net that he could not hope to compete with the winger when it came to speed. Temple, of course was brought in on the merit of recent reserve team performances and those who thought Manager Catterick was taking a chance at this stage of the title battle were quickly disillusioned. Temple brought punch to the attack and, on occasions cleverness so that for the moment, if an injury he sustained clears up, he cannot be discarded. Dunlop was slightly different. He was in because West was injured, but not once did he make a mistake and two saves in the second half when West Ham managed to produce a punishing like finish were magnificent. On his West Ham form Everton need have no fear about him either. Their fans also, I think, need have no fear about the destiny of the title if the side plays the last three matches like they played at Upton Park.