`THE FLOP' HAT-TRICKS EVERTON 
Daily Mirror-Wednesday 1 April, 1964
By Ken Jones
WBA 4, Everton 2 
FOOTBALL fortune turned upside-down for tiny Mickey Fudge as he smashed Everton further away from the League title at the Hawthorns yesterday.  Only a day earlier 18-year-old Fudge had flopped in a vital reserve team match.  He had missed goal after goal as Albion's reserves lost 1-0 to Aston Villa—and muffed their chance of topping the Central League table.  Yet he crushed mighty Everton -the champions bidding to retain their title—with a great hat-trick.  And now Everton are still a point behind leaders Liverpool, who have two games in hand.  Fudge wasn't, on the programme. He came in at inside left as a last-minute change because centre forward John Kaye was unfit.  He said afterwards: "I feel great. The only other time I managed to score in the first team was, against Spurs, so it seems I save all my goal-poaching for the big clubs. 
Third 
"When that third goal went in, I could hardly believe it.  "I did not know I was playing in the game until ninety minutes before the kick-off.  "I watched my brother-in-law play in a charity match between Walsall and Darlington in the morning.  "I was going to take the wife to watch the Everton match in the afternoon.  "But when I got home, I found the reserve trainer waiting for me. He drove me to the ground and the boss told me I was in the team."  After an opening ten minutes when they played the kind of controlled football that could have earned them a vital win. Everton were out of it. 
Equaliser 
Left back Graham Williams shot Albion ahead with a seventh-minute free kick—then Everton powered back for inside left Roy Vernon to weave through for the equaliser.  That was almost the last we saw of Everton power and determination.  Fudge's first two goals-right on half-time and in the sixty-second minute — followed glaring errors by the Everton defence.  Left winger Clive Clark broke clear past right back Sandy Brown to cross the ball for the first—and left back Mick Meagan was at fault when right winger Ken Foggo supplied the pass for the second.  In the seventy-seventh minute Fudge lobbed in his hat-trick after a counterthrust move following Everton pressure.  Nine minutes from the end Vernon, who had his name taken earlier for arguing with the referee,  got one back for Everton with a half-hit shot from the edge of the area. 

EVERTON’S CHANCES TUMBLE AT THE HAWTHORNS
The Liverpool Daily Post-Wednesday, April 1, 1964
TOOK TOO LONG TO INFUSE FIGHTING FURY INTO THE GAME
WEST BROMW ALBION 4 EVERTON 2
By Horace Yates
Everton’s championship chances took a nasty tumble at the Hawthorns yesterday.  Their failure enable Liverpool to retain the lead in the First Division title race by a point with two games still in hand.  Although this reverse is a set back it is not the end of the road yet for Everton.  The superstitiously minded will not have lost night of the fact that this was Everton’s first League defeat of the year and it came in the thirteenth match.  Superstition, however, made no contribution to the reverse, for Everton were clearly second best.  The match was a triumph for Mick Fudge the eighteen-year-old inside-forward West Brom had to introduce at the last minute because of an injury to Kaye.  Not easily will he forget Easter’s of this year.  On Monday he played with West Brom Reserves and yesterday came the opportunity to snatch glory with a hat-trick which completely sank Everton.  It was his first senior game this year and only his tenth in all. 
DYING EXPRESSION
One wondered why Everton took so long to infuse the fighting fury they reserved for the closing stages when their position was already impossible.  True they snatched a goal back and Young headed against the bar, but it was a dying expression of desperation with little or no chance of succeeding.  Everton failed to open out the game in a way which might have served them to better purpose.  Young seldom entered into the picture and a much more progressive Temple had to seek out much of his own opportunity.  Patently Everton were relying on the big guns of their firing line, Pickering and Vernon to do the damage.  Hard though they tried and twice though Vernon scored, the Albion half-backs were too strong to give rise to real hopes of a major break-through.  Kay, back after his attack of tonsillitis, always seemed to be the one man who could fire Everton into the necessary life to overcome West Brom’s solid defence.
TAKEN IN STRIDE
He got himself into trouble with the crowd for one tackle on Fenton and they gave him so peace for the rest of the match.  Fortunately, Kay’s temperament is such that demonstrations of this type are taken in his stride.  If every man in the Everton team could have claimed to have put as much effort and enterprise into his work as did Kay a happier story might have been available.  West Brom were fast and dangerous on both wings so that Meagan and Brown received a severe testing, and Meagan, in particular, found lack of pace a handicap.  Late in the game a tactical switch put Gabriel into the forward line with Stevens operating at half back.  The Scot enthused much more life and thrust into the line and had it been made earlier before irretrievable damage had been done it might have proved a strategic triumph.  Vernon’s return was welcome for Everton.  In addition, ton his two goals he was always looking for an opportunity and even if he failed, he at least tried to give Pickering some sort of service.  The centre forward failed lamentably with one late chance when trying to hook the ball into the net from a few yards out and completely miskicked.  Vernon in his first match after completing a period of suspension was booked again by the referee.  It appeared that he had argued with the official after a free kick had bene awarded against Labone, but Vernon told me that all he had sought to do was to obtain an answer from the referee as to whether the kick was direct or indirect. 
REGAN EARLY
Everton’s troubles began early for they were a goal down in seven minutes through full back Williams.  From a free kick he hit a tremendous drive into the corner of the net with Rankin completely beaten.  Everton, to have any chance at all, had to strike back quickly and this they did for within four minutes Vernon equalised.  He took up the ball ten yards inside the West Brom half, beat three men one after the other and contrived a shooting position from which he hit a terrific drive into goal.  It was on the stroke of half time that Albion went into the lead again.  Clark’s advantage in speed showed up in a race down the wing to collect a pass from Simpson.  His centre was headed on by Fenton and Fudge who inside footed the ball home.  Jackson was the distributor-in-chief of the West Brom attack.  When he pushed the ball forward with an invitation to Foggo to run for if the winger had yards to spare in speed over Meagan and his centre was converted by Fudge as Rankin came out in 62 minutes.
READY APPRECIATION
Twelve minutes from the end Everton’s fate was sealed when Simpson passed forward to Fudge who lobbed the ball over the outcoming Rankin for a goal which showed the youngster’s ready appreciation of the situation.  It was after this crippling blow that Everton mounted their rally.  Vernon snatched back a goal in 82 minutes after Temple had tried in vain to find a shooting space through the crowded goalmouth.  He crossed the ball to Vernon who hit it first time and Potter never had a chance.  Gabriel’s best work for Everton came after he had moved up into the attack for defensively, he had suffered a costly and disappointing day.  Labone could not be saddled with much of the responsibility for the defensive gaps in the Everton defence.  West Bromwich Albion; Potter; Howe, Williams (G); Fraser, Jones, Simpson; Foggo, Jackson, Fenton, Fudge, Clark.  Everton; Rankin; Brown, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Young, Stevens, Pickering, Vernon, Temple.  Attendance 25,000.  Referee; Mr. B.S. Setchell (Luton). 

LIVERPOOL NEED ONLY 7 POINTS FOR TITLE
The Liverpool Echo and Evening Express- Wednesday, April 1, 1964
By Horace Yates
Everton’s 4-2 failure at West Brom yesterday not only halted the top of the table see-saw with Liverpool, but might well have ended it.  By winning their remaining four games they can muster a total of only 57 points, as can Manchester United, which leaves Liverpool with the task of scoring a maximum of seven points in six games to assure them of the Championship.  Everton’s unbeaten run this year obviously had to be terminated one day- and it was, at the thirteenth time of asking.  Unlucky? Oh no! Everton would be the last to complain that they were not beaten by an obviously superior team on the day’s play.  Liverpool have also to visit the Hawthorns and if they take warning from Everton’s experience they will be forearmed for what will be a mighty battle.  This West Brom team are a very able, fast-moving and hard-striking outfit.  When I asked manager Harry Catterick how he regarded his club as championship proposition at this stage, he replied; “we have bene written off about six times already, I expect this will now be the seventh, but we shall just keep on pegging away match by match and see what happens then.”  Present for a last-minute assessment of Tony Kay and Fred Pickering in relation to international selection was England team manager Alf Ramsey.  If Kay needed a super performance in this match to clinch his place then I shall not be surprised if he is omitted.  Not that he played badly.  On the contrary, considering that this was his first match after tonsillitis, he was splendid. 
MIS-KICKED
Not everybody in the side defended with the skill and determination of Kay and almost exclusively he was responsible for the forward prompting from the rear.  At every stage it seemed that if any one man could galvanise Everton into life, it would be Kay.  In the event, it was too much, even for Kay.  If Pickering had a chance before West Brom, I think it probably disintegrated in this encounter.  Only Vernon appeared to realise that Pickering packs a scoring punch for he seemed most concerned to   give the leader his head.  Unfortunately opportunities for Pickering were few and far between, and when he was presented with the ideal chance, a few yards out of goal, he mis-kicked in an effort to hook the ball home.  This was almost a replica of his falling in the opening minutes of his debut game at Goodison Park, so that it would appear that Pickering has not yet fully mastered the art of the hook.  Young hit the crossbar with a header in the closing minutes.  It was his only effort of any note, for his contributions to this contest were limited in the extreme.  Temple, similarly was not overburdened with opportunity, but he showed a far greater willingness to rove in he did not always fire it with the deadliness now expected of him.
GABRIEL SWITCH
Everton’s best forward formation was struck late in the game when Gabriel exchanged positions with Stevens.  Immediately there was more life and challenge about the attack and surprisingly enough more defensive quality at half-back.  Gabriel has come through a hard and unlucky season in the way of injury and in my view it is now that events are taking their toll.  His tackles are not biting as they normally do and he was positionally at fault on several vital occasions.  Not many players can boast a hat-trick in opposition to Gabriel, but yesterday, 18-years-old Mick Fudge, playing in only his tenth League game and with only one previous goal to his name, hit three past Rankin.  This can sometimes happen in face of the sternest defence, but on this occasion it is difficult indeed to exonerate Gabriel from a share of responsibility.  West Brom were alive and more dangerous on the wings than Everton.  Both Foggo and Clark were speedy raiders who often extended Meagan and Brown to the full.  Brown coped more successfully than Meagan, whose lack of pace placed him at a severe disadvantage.  His task was not made any easier by the precise manner in which Jackson and Simpson so meticulously placed their passes ideally for the wingers to run on to with a flying start.
TWO GOALS
A moment of indecisiveness by Labone possibly contribution to the scoring of Fudge’s first goal (West Brom’s second), but I do not include the centre half among the biggest sinners by any means.  For Vernon this might have been considered quite a pleasing come-back after suspension, for he blazed away for both Everton goals.  Unfortunately, the one blot came in an incident in the first half when he was booked after a clash with the referee.  It followed the award of a free kick just outside the penalty area, Vernon tells me that all he sought to do was discover from the referee whether the kick was direct or indirect.  One might have thought that was his right as skipper, but the referee disagreed and Vernon’s persistence put another black mark against his name.  West Bromwich opened the scoring in seven minutes with a free kick by Williams.  How cheering a sign it was to find Everton hitting back with a Vernon equaliser in 11 minutes, a goal for which the credit belonged to the scorer.  He took the ball past three defenders on his way to the penalty area and then finished with the perfect shot.
DEFLECTED
Not until a minute before the interval did West Brom take the late again.  This time Clarke was too fast for Brown and his centre was deflected by Fenton with Labone in no man’s land, for Fudge to tap the ball into goal.  I joined with the Everton players in suspecting offside, but those in authority did not agree.  The game slipped further away from Everton in 62 minutes when Foggo outpaced Meagan and crossed the ball to Fudge in front of goal.  Although Rankin came out intelligently, Fudge juggled the ball away from him and shot into goal.  Twelve minutes from the end Fudge paid tribute to a beautiful through pass by Simpson to lob the ball over the advancing Rankin’s head.  With Gabriel in the attack, he helped Temple to an infield jinking run, which ended with a pass to Vernon and a cracking shot into the net in 82 minutes. 

DEAN TESIMONIAL
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Thursday April 2, 1964
By Leslie Edwards
If the League championship trophy is transferred from Goodison Park to Anfield it might make the trip ceremonially when not too many people are around!  It would be fitting if at Dixie Dean's Testimonial match next Tuesday with England and Scotland teams composed of Everton and Liverpool players making the attractions Everton were to display for the benefit of all fans the trophy they mean to keep or the one they may have to hand over to their neighbours in a few weeks' time. It would be a nice gesture.  What with vital League games at both grounds and this extra-curriculum exhibition of football arts in aid of Dean-I think it will be one of the most artistic games we've seen for years the season could not be closing more eventfully, more excitingly. Fans of both clubs await, with impatience, the announcement of which players perform, and where, for Scotland and England on an occasion which should attract a near capacity house to Goodison Park. 

EVERTON’S ROY VERNON SAYS…
Liverpool Daily Post-Friday, April 3, 1964
DO NOT WRITE EVERTON OFF JUST YET!
No one regrets more than I having to admit that our Championship hopes took a heavy blow at West Brom on Tuesday.  We always appreciated that it would be a difficult hurdle to overcome, but with Tony Kay back we were thinking at least in terms of a draw.  Let me admit at the outset that we were beaten by a worthier side.  still, I am not among those who are prepared he write off Everton’s chances of keeping the title.  There had been many a slip in similar circumstances and, although Liverpool have matches in hand, they must still win them to beat off Everton and Manchester United.  It would be sheer bias to pretend that the odds have not now shifted in their favour after a magnificent Easter weekend which gave them six valuable points.  Frankly, I had not counted on this happening.
THE SHAKER
I admit I saw possibilities of them beating Tottenham Hotspur twice, for at white Hart Lane we had been somewhat surprised at the way the fire had gone from the once glorious Spurs’ combination but that win at Leicester was the shaker.  If one match more than any other should prove decisive in the title races, I think it will be found to have been the Filbert Street game.  I have heard it said that Liverpool were fortunate that the match was at Leicester and not at Anfield.  Frankly such a thought had not crossed my mind, but I can see the logic of the argument.  Leicester, at home, do not adopt the stifling defensive tactics which have so often been the downfall of Liverpool.  At Leicester, the open up much more and against a team so fit, fast and fiery as Liverpool they took chances which led to their downfall.  Still, congratulations Liverpool on a fine win.  After all it was more than we managed to do on the same ground!
TICKETS GOING WELL
There is just a possibility that the fate of the Championship rests on Liverpool’s last game of the season we might hear the result in Australia for we leave on our tour immediately after our concluding game against West Ham United at Goodison on April 25.  Liverpool’s match is on April 29.  I am looking forward to Tuesday’s testimonial game for Dixie Dean at our ground.  There looks like being a big crowd, for tickets are going well.  The passing of the years has not dimmed in any way the awe in which Dean was held.  Whenever great goals are scored by Everton there is always somebody likely to bob up and say “Ay, but you should have seen the way Dean did it.”  I don’t think the teams have yet been finalised, but I did hear that two managers who were players in Dean’s days have offered to turn out if there is need of their services.  What is more I think they are serious too!  It should be a great night.
GREAT FIGHT IN STOKE
The advance of Chelsea has been one of the most remarkable events of the season.  There now appears to be more than a likelihood that they can finish the season as London’s top team.  Who would have thought they could have outstripped Spurs at the start of the season? What a great fight there is likely to be at Stamford Bridge on April 18 when we are Chelsea’s visitors.  Chelsea will be desperately keen on the points to enable them to obtain a position which will qualify their players for talent money, and we hope that points for the title will still be a matter of great concern to us. We all realise that we cannot afford another set-back and, what is more, we don’t intend to suffer one despite that Chelsea hurdle.  Our next home game with Wolves will see Liverpool’s former player Jimmy Melia in opposition to us.  Still training with Liverpool I don’t expect he will make our task any the easier, for he will still be playing for his old club!

EVERTON AT STOKE
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Friday, April 3, 1964
By Leslie Edwards
Stoke City, where Everton are due, can play a decisive part in the championship. They are not completely safe from relegation and have to meet the three top clubs, at Stoke, between now and the end of the season.  Everton will be as all-out as the teams at Anfield to get the points which would keep them ‘on the fringe of the championship; indeed if United lose - at Anfield, Everton will be the only side with chances of pipping them.  Everton will be without Alex Young, whose recall came over Easter after the disappointing Everton show against West Bromwich. Young played on Monday in the return match in the Midlands but at outside right. Nowthat Scott is fit to resume Young is left out. Fans who travelled to see the match at West Bromwich felt that Young had done little to ensure his retention of first team status. Another change in the Everton side brings in Harris in place of Mick Meagan at left back. 
Alec Scott returns to the Everton team for the visit to Stoke with Alex Young being dropped.  Brian Harris is at left back for the injured Mick Meagan.  Bill Asprey, recovered from a strained leg muscle, returns at right back to the exclusion of Eddie Stuart in Stoke City’s only team change.  Stoke City; Leslie; Asprey, Allen; Palmer, Kinnell, Skeels; Dobing, Viollet, Ritchie, McIlroy, Bebbington. Everton; Rankin; Brown, Harris; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Vernon, Temple.
Centre forward Fred Pickering has asked for a personal hearing when the F.A. Disciplinary Committee consider his case.  He was “booked” for the third time during the Blackburn-Everton game on March 14. 
DEAN BENEFIT
Teams have now been announced for the Bill Dean testimonial match at Goodison Park next Tuesday night, between English and Scottish players from our two senior clubs.  “Old man out” is Welshman Roy Vernon –a place has been found for him among the Scots.  Liverpool players Hunt, Milne and Thompson are not available.  Hunt and Milne have to join the England party before the international at Hampden Park a week tomorrow, and Thompson is in the England Under-23 side against France in Paris next Wednesday.  The teams are;- England.- Rankin; Byrne, Moran; Harris, Labone, Kay; Callaghan, Stevens, Pickering, Temple, Morrissey.  Scotland.- Lawrence; Brown, Thomson; Gabriel, Yeats, Stevenson; Scott, St. John, Young, Vernon, Wallace. 

VERNON STILL SKIPPER
Liverpool Daily Post-Saturday, April 4, 1964
By Horace Yates
Roy Vernon is still Everton’s captain and will remain so at least until the end of the season.  All manager Harry Catterick would say about the position yesterday was, “Vernon will captain the side at Stoke and as far as I am concerned will be skipper for the rest of the season.  I can see no reason for any change.”  After the West Brom booking incident, however, it was obvious that Vernon considered that the interests of himself and the club would be best served by a change in skipper.  The position as I understand it is that yesterday there was a conference between the manager, Vernon, kay and Gabriel on the captaincy position.  Possibly the feeling of the players, who still want Vernon to lead them, was decisive in leaving the position unchanged.  I have not had an opportunity of speaking to Vernon, but my impression is that this will be his last season as skipper.  Unless I am greatly mistaken.  Everton will open up next season under a new leader. Everton’s championship aspirations now rest as much or even more with their rivals. 

BLUES’ LATE REVIVAL IN VAIN FOR STOKE SHOCKS
Liverpool Football Echo & Evening Express- Saturday, April 4, 1964
STOKE 3, EVERTON 2
By Jack Rowe

Stoke City.- Leslie; Asprey, Allan; Palmer, Kinnell, Skeels; Dobing, Viollet, Ritchie, McInroy, Bebbington.  Everton; Rankin; Brown, Harris; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Vernon, Temple.  Referee; Mr. E.T. Jennings (Stourbridge).  The game had a dramatic Everton the centre forward’s start for in the first tackle, shot was blocked.  Vernon stubbed his foot and then, while he was limping around, Stevens, from Kay’s pass, failed with a great chance because he tried to beat the extra man instead of shooting first time.  Stoke’s first threat was contained comfortably by Labone and there was much more danger when Viollet and Bebbington got together but Brown deflected the winger’s cross for a corner.  The pitch, a little slippery was responsible for the occasional mistake, but neither side showed much precision in their passing until Vernon found Pickering.  The centre forward, however, slipped as he tried to dribble round Kinnell.  Scott’s first chance of centring brought a poor one and so far the Everton attack was making heavy weather of it.  Indeed, Stoke might have gone ahead when Dobing beat Harris cleverly and then only half-hit his shot, which did not reach Rankin.
HEADLONG DIVE
Allen, however, did Stoke a good turn when he made a tackle on Scott and in Everton’s next attack Stevens deflected Kay’s shot so late that Leslie had to dive head-long by the post to stop it going in.  A long ball down the Stoke left looked dangerous until Brown turned it back to Rankin and then Vernon was hurt again but carried on without the trainer’s attention.  Vernon was responsible for a clever piece of work, but there was no menace to Stoke because Stevens could not collect the pass, and it was cleared easily by Kinsell.  Temple’s endeavour got Everton a corner, but nothing came of it, and then Stoke really should have gone in front when after Bebbington had pulled the ball back, Dobing shot so powerfully that although Rankin’s save was a good one he could not hold the ball, and it went to Viollet, about six yards out.
SIX-YARDS MISS
With the goalkeeper stranded, the Stoke inside man somehow put the ball outside when it looked much simpler to put it into the net.  Certainly whatever luck there was it was with Everton for in the next minute Stoke missed an even better chance.  Allen made a run of fully 60 yards before turning the ball inside to Ritchie who missed it completely again from no more than six yards out.  This could not continue, and Stoke got a goal in 24 minutes when Palmer slipped the ball through to Ritchie.  When he flicked it to one side Violette pushed it into the net as Everton appealed forlornly for offside.  These few minutes had seen Stoke in completely devastating form, and the Everton defence had looked very rocky.  Tet Everton should have been level for when Scott made a lot of ground down the left wing, his lob fell right to Pickering’s foot, in front of goal, but the centre forward hit no sort of shot, and Leslie had the easiest of tasks in saving.  The Everton defence was again all at sea when Stoke went two up, in 25 minutes, for Bebbington was lying in the clear when McIlroy chipped the ball to him, and although Rankin came out, he had no chance of cutting off the winger’s lob which sailed into the net.  At this point, Stoke were going through almost at will, and Palmer made another long run, in which he beat four men before passing to Ritchie.  Fortunately for Everton the centre forward’s shot was blocked. Pickering brought some relief with a dash down the wing, but spoiled it all by a shocking pass, and the way in which Everton were struggling was illustrated by Gabriel’s attempt to find Scott, the ball going straight to a Stoke player when there was all the time in the world to make the pass accurately.  Stoke were faster in action, and in thinking and their forwards continued to have the Everton defence on the collar almost every time they moved down, especially Bebbington, who had the beating of Brown for pace.  Everton were nearly three down when palmer, who was prompting his attack brilliantly, left Ritchie in the clear but the centre forward’s shot missed the bat by inches.  Vernon was the one Everton forward who looked like achieving anything and he gave Pickering another chance, but again the shot lacked power.  Everton’s best shot of the half was produced by Temple and Leslie made a fine dive to save.  There was no doubt that Stoke had always been the more potent and menacing outfit.
Half-time; Stoke City 2, Everton nil.
Apart from the opening 10 minutes or so Everton had not looked a team, and that wing half command we had earlier this season was just not there.  It was the same when the second half started, and straight away Stoke were on the attack, with Gabriel conceding a corner rather than risk a Ritchie shot.  I thought Stoke had missed some easy chances in the first half, but none of them compared with that achieved by Pickering as Everton found some attacking spirit.  From no more than three yards out and unmarked, he missed a shot completely, but fortunately for him he scored in 57 minutes.  When the ball was chipped forward, Pickering nipped in as the Stoke defence showed some hesitation and slammed it into the net.  So Everton had everything to fight for now, and if Stevens had been able to keep control of a Vernon pass, he might have got the equaliser.  Palmer’s run and shot which just missed the angle, was one of the best things of the game, and even though Everton were showing more fight, they were still unable to match the Potteries men for speed in the pass. 
PLEA FOR PENALTY
There were signs of desperation about Everton now, for they were not making a lot of telling progress, in spite of some midfield prettiness.  It was Stoke who nearly scored when Dobing’s low cross evaded everybody and, when Viollet went headlong, their appeals for a penalty were ignored.  I will say this of Pickering, he kept battling away, and in this half was the chief cause of concern to the Stoke defence. 
PENALTY MISS
In 81 minutes Stoke failed with a penalty, Viollet shooting so close to Rankin that the goalkeeper was able to dive the save.  The kick was awarded when the referee decided that Kay had tripped Dobing. Within a minute of this Everton were level in this fantastic game.  They got a free-kick, half-way inside the Stoke half, and when Kay put this into the goal area.  Gabriel outjumped everybody and headed into the net.  In the last minute Bebbington left Brown trailing and, cutting inside, scored a great goal to put Stoke ahead again.  Final; Stoke City 3, Everton 2. 

I’LL NEVER FORGET THAT GOODISON RECEPTION
Liverpool Football Echo & Evening Express-Saturday, April 8, 1964
By Alex Young
Everton's match against Blackpool produced two points to put us on top of the table until Liverpool's second victory over Spurs enabled them to pass us once more.  Like most people. I regarded Easter as the most testing time for those clubs with League championship hopes. With two out of three home games compared to two out of three away matches for our closest rivals. I had thought we must be favourites to lead after the holidays, particularly as we appeared to have easier fixtures. The results show that there is no such thing as an easy fixture at this time of the season. The remarkable thing about the Blackpool game was that all our goals were scored with headers (Fred Pickering knocked himself cold with his first one and was concussed for quite time afterwards). For me, however, the game will always be memorable for the reception which I received from our supporters when coming on to the field. This was unforgettable. During my career I have always tried my hardest for I happen to be playing. Sometimes you play well, and sometimes you are disappointed with yourself and know that you have disappointed your supporters but to receive the sort of welcome which was mine on Saturday more than makes up for all the disappointing times which all games players inevitably experience.
MY THANKS
I am fortunate in having this column through which I can tell our supporters how grateful lam for their demonstration. Apart from thanking them in print, I shall also endeavour to thank them in a more practical manner by continuing to do my best on the field.  The match against West Bromwich on Good Friday told us that we should have a hard game on Tuesday and it did not lie.  Obviously, the outstanding feature was the hat-trick by young Mick Fudge, a boy of whom I had not previously heard.  He certainly had a good game, but it obviously would be impossible for anybody to forecast stardom for him on the strength of seeing him only once.  However, he had a great game against us and his three goals were extremely well taken. The last of  them, when he slipped the ball past Mick Meagan, ran lobbed it on the half volley over Andy Rankin's head as he came out, was a brilliant bit of work of which any player would have been proud.  Naturally we were disappointed at the result and dropping two points when we could ill afford to do so, but we have not lost heart.  It was, you must remember, our first League defeat since December 28.  The longer you go with the unbeaten tag, the harder it becomes.  You know that the run must end sometime, but for us this was certainly a most inconvenient time for it to happen.  However, we have not given up and will not do so. We have been written off several times for the championship and have each time bounced back into the picture but one cannot help wondering what the picture would have been like at the top of the table if we had not had misfortunes through injuries.
A FRIEND 
If it does transpire that our bid for the championship in successive years ends in failure, I hope that nobody will accuse me of sour grapes by this bit of conjecture, because this is not the case. I am sure that the same thought will enter the minds of not only our own supporters, but of all who are interested in football and who have any knowledge of the changes which have been forced upon us by these injuries.  I must admit that, if we fail, then the most likely successors to the title at the moment are our friends from over the way, and if you cannot have something yourself then it is better that it goes to a friend than a stranger.  Quite apart from this, it would mean that the honour would be retained in the city which houses the finest band of football supporters in the country. As such they deserve everything which the Merseyside clubs can bring them. Now that the teams for the Scotland - England match have been named, my idea is that my own country will be strong enough to win once more.  However, it is a real pleasure to offer congratulations to Roger Hunt and Gordon Milne on again being selected for England, even though I consider they will be on the losing side! 

EVERTON RES V BLACKPOOL RES
Liverpool Football Echo & Evening Express-Saturday, April 4, 1964
Everton Res; West; Parnell, Darcy; Clark, Heslop, Rees, Shaw, Harvey, Hurst, Humphreys, Morrissey.
Blackpool Res;- Taylor; Prentice, Thompson; Marsland, James, Durie, Hill, Parry, Andrews, Fisher, Cooper,.  Referee; Mr. a Johnson (Birmingham).  Everton were first to attack, Shaw put a strong shot, which Taylor saved.  Everton were having slightly the better of the game.  An Everton free kick had to be taken three times.  On the second occasion the ball went into the net.  This seemed to upset both teams, and Parnell and outside left Cooper were having a few words on occasions.  Everton nearly took the lead when a centre from Shaw went to Harvey, but Taylor made a lovely save.  Everton gradually got on top.  Taylor saved one point-blank drive from Harvey and pushed a Humphreys effort over the bar.  Shaw was full enthusiasm but found that Thompson and Durie were not easily outwitted.  Half-time; Everton Reserves nil, Blackpool Reserves nil. 

EVERTON A TEAM WITHOUT STEAM DESPITE PULLING BACK TWO GOALS
Liverpool Daily Post-Monday April 6, 1964
STOKE CITY 3, EVERTON 2
By Jack Rowe
Everton were a team without steam.  Take away the first twenty minutes or so and a spell in the second half and for the rest it was difficult to imagine that here were the champions, making a last-ditch defence of their title.  There was no rest or drive for nearly three parts of the game and the most amazing feature was that with eight minutes left they had levelled the score at 2-2 and were actually in with a chance of snatching what would have been sensational victory.  If that had happened the Stoke people would have said they could not have been unluckier to lose and I would have agreed with them, because Everton sort of sneaked on terms rather than got there by as full-blooded battle.
NO GLORY
True their did better in the second half but did not convince me as being a side capable of taking the game by the scuff of the neck and wrestling glory from near chaos.  In the end Stoke just got there, with a wonderful last-minute goal from young left winger Bebbington, who flashed past brown like a sprinter leaving a miler, cut inside and hit the ball into the top corner of the net.  Everton might claim it was hard to lose in this way after they had pulled back two goals, but this does not alter the fact that of the two teams it was Stoke who deserved to win.  Stoke had no one but themselves to blame that they almost had success snatched from them because a minute before Gabriel headed Everton level in 82 minutes, they were awarded a penalty when referee Jennings judged that Kay had fouled outside right Dobing.  Kay was entitled too feel put out by the decision because the offence did not seem to warrant a penalty, but Viollet threw away the best chance of the let by putting the ball so close to Rankin that the goalkeeper saved.  From then until the finish, it was drama with Gabriel’s goal, Pickering nearly getting another and Bebbington’s great winner, which exposed Brown’s speed limitations.  The way Everton opened suggested they were going to go through without much trouble for the football was good.  Kay and Vernon were chipping the ball invitingly and Stoke looked set for a defensive struggle.  They might have won if Stevens had scored in the first minute, as he should have done, but even this miss did not look important in the general pattern.  It became important because for twelve minutes mid-way through the half Stoke, switching to attack with speedy accurate passes, began to rip the Everton defence to shreds until it reached a point when I have not seen them, for two seasons at least, so bewildered and bothered.  Incredibly Stoke were able to go through as they liked.  Brown and Harris were left standing, while Gabriel and kay could make no stopping contribution and Labone and Rankin had to put up a last barrier. 
GOLDEN CHANCES
They could not last out and before Viollet (24 minutes) and Bebbington (29 minutes) were able almost to score as they liked.  Voilett and Ritchie had failed with golden chances.  Everton claimed that Violet was offside when he scored, but it looked all right to me, but whether he was or not, Everton were fortunate to go in at half time only two down.  McInroy, Viollet, Dobing and Bebbington, beautifully prompted by right half Palmer, had shown them the value of the quick pass and the quick resection.  Where Everton had kept it close and often delayed with great spirit in the second half-scored in 57 minutes from a half chance, after failing with an open goal from three yards out and it gave Everton heart.  Stoke flagged a little, but I still could not see Everton saving the game.  That they came within an ace of doing so was due to Voillet’s miss from the spot and Gabriel’s major contributions to the match.  Of the Everton defence, Kay, early on, Labone, who had to do a lot of covering and Rankin alone came out with credit, while in attack Vernon, in spite of a couple of knocks was the chief menace in the first half and Pickering in the second.  Scott blossomed twice, Temple too often ran himself into trouble, while Stevens was ineffective.  Everton needed the calming influence of a ball player like McInroy.  Stoke had another good player in Allen and Asprey and when Bebbington scored the third, it gave us the deserved result if the wrong one for Everton. Stoke City; Leslie; Asprey, Allen; Palmer, Kinnell, Skeels; Dobing, Viollet, Ritchie, McInroy, Bebbington.  Everton; Rankin; Brown, Harris; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Vernon, Kay, Scott.  Referee Mr. E.T. Jennings (Stournridges).  Attendance 35,315.

EVERTON RES 0, BLACKPOOL RES 1
Liverpool Daily Post-Monday, April 6, 1964
Everton Reserves had plenty of chances but failed to take them and an opportunist goal by centre forward Andrews at 53 minutes gained Blackpool Reserves the points.  The home side were perhaps a shade unlucky, a flying header by Shaw hit the bar and Hurst had a shot diverted just outside the post, but with the former kept in check by the experienced Durie there was little bite from the rest of the forwards.  The first half was mainly dull mid-field play, and it was not until the last 20 minutes that the game livened up and the home side threw everything into attack.  Blackpool however had that important goal, and their defence was sound. 

EVERTON RALLIED WELL BUT TITLE LOOK WAS MISSING
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Monday, April 6, 1964
By Jack Rowe
It was touch on Everton, in some respects, to lose 3-2 in the last minute at Stoke on Saturday after they had managed to get to 2-2, but there would be few at the Victoria Ground who could really begrudge the home side their victory.  It was remarkable match in many ways, because only for about 20 minutes of it did Everton look like a side one associates with championships.  For the rest it was Stoke who did the captivating, with their speed on the ball and more especially their speed to the pass.  When they led 2-0 at half time as a result of a devastating 12 minutes period they were worthy of the lead, and it was really amazing that with barely eight left Everton managed to be on terms.  The most fantastic point about it all was that a minute before Everton did get level.  Stoke had actually failed with a penalty, Viollet shooting almost straight at Rankin, when a ball into the net would have left no doubt about the final outcome.  That the penalty was hardly warranted, does not matter, because Stoke were within an ace of throwing away the two points when Viollet made his hash of the job.  Down went Everton and from Kay’s free kick Gabriel did something to lift what had bene for him a mediocre performance to some standard, by heading in and making it 2-2.  Just when we were thinking that Everton were going to get a point, fortunate though it would have been, along came little left winger Bebbington with a storming goal, with a minute left.  Bebbington did what he had done for most of the afternoon, left Brown for speed and cutting inside, he beat Rankin with a glorious left foot shot into the top corner of the net, a goal which brought hordes of youngsters onto the pitch in admiration.  For the opening 20 minutes of the match it had seemed that Everton might get control for they were in command in midfield and moving the ball nicely and coolly even though Stevens had missed a glorious opportunity within a minute of the start.  But suddenly Stoke struck.  They moved the ball about and whatever composure the Everton defence had suddenly vanished and in the space of 12 minutes, not only did Stoke score twice, but Viollet and Ritchie missed chances which could not by any stretch of imagination be called difficult.  Viollet opened the score in 24 minutes with the Everton defence all at sea, and before Bebbington made it 2-0 five minutes later, with a lob after McIIroy had put him through, the Goodison Park defenders had been shorn of their confidence and often left floundering.  That Stoke were not more ahead at half time was due in much degree to luck, because the Everton defencelooked so ill-equipped to deal with speedy attacks, especially from the wings. Never did Brown and Harris look capable of taking charge, and of Gabriel and Kay it can only be said that they flourished in spasms, while Labone was given a real testing by Ritchie, who, cumbersome though he often is, can never be disregarded.  In attack, Everton were too slow in reaction and too slow moving the ball and only Vernon in the first half, showed any zest.  When the second half started it was the same story, and although Everton did find more spirit, one could not visualise them doing anything to keep that faint championship hope going, Pickering, whose chief virtue was his willingness to battle in the second half, missed a sitter from no more than three yards out before scoring in the 57th minute. He took the chance well on that occasion, darting in when for the first time there was some indecision in the Stoke defence.  Then came the drama of the 81st and 82nd minutes, and when Gabriel’s header went into the net.  Stoke must have wondered how it was that they had lost their grip on a game, which had seemed so complete. 
POTENT OLD STAGERS
Indeed, if it had not been for Leslie’s diving save from Pickering, Everton might have gone in front but in the finish along came Bebbington with a goal which by its execution alone, deserved to win any match.  Stole may have one or two old stagers in the forward line, but they are still very vital and potent, especially Dobing and McIIroy, while Bebbington, part from his two goals, showed his value as a raider.  Palmer was the power behind and he had a fine match while left-back Allen was generally too much for Scott, although the wingers did not get a lot of support.  Stevens made no impact at all on the match especially after his first-minute miss.  Everton, by comparison with Stoke, often looked stale and the truth is that once Stoke found their strength in attack Everton did not stand out as being capable of doing anything about it, although they did come from behind to get level.  That was probably the most remarkable feature of all! 

THE GREATEST CENTRE FORWARD OF THEM ALL
Liverpool Daily Post-Tuesday, April 7, 1964
By Ian Hargreaves
To-night the people of Merseyside join forces in a common tribute to one of the greatest centre forwards who ever headed a football, William Ralph (Dixie) Dean, a man who has enjoyed the rare distinction of becoming a legend in his own lifetime.  It is just 40 years since Dean, a promising lad of 17, was transferred from Tranmere Rovers to Everton for the then substantial fee 0of £3,000.  Within three years he had broken the League record with 60 goals in a season, won a championship medal, and gained the first of 16 international caps for England.  Now, after a career that brought him every honour in the game as well as more than 360 goals, 22 of them for his country, he is content to savour his memories and rejoice in the knowledge that, after shedding three and a half stone in the last 18 months, he is still fitter than most of his contemporaries. 
ONE-CLUB MAN
“I never wanted to play for anyone but Everton,” he told me.  “Even before I’d seen the team or the ground, they were my idols. I went to Tranmere from Pensby boys’ team because I thought it might help that ambition-and it did.  “Anfield was my favourite ground though- I’d have done six months any time to play there, I loved to watch the ball smacking the back of the Liverpool net!  “Once I hit three in the first five minutes and Elisha Scott (the goalkeeper) was so upset he threw his cap on the ground and stamped on it.  But that didn’t stop us going out together in the evening.”  Training was a bit different then.  “I trained a lot at Birkenhead Park Rugby Club in my younger days- yes I played rugger too -but mostly I kept fit playing golf. I got down to scratch in my prime and used to play as many as three rounds a day.” 
HEADING GENIUS
Old timers still recall Dean’s heading prowess with awe, and claim he was the only man who could sell a dummy in the air.  How did he acquire such skill?  “It was just a natural gift,” he explained.  “If you were to dribble a ball down the wing now, I could tell you where it was going the moment you kicked it -and I could tell you exactly where I’d put it, too.  “I played head tennis for hours with Tom Lawton trying to show him what I meant, but he never quite caught on.  It doesn’t matter how high you get -it’s all a matter of timing and anticipation.
OLD FRIENDS
Early this season, I saw Everton play Inter-Milan on T.V, Alex Scott put over a centre and I jumped from my chair before I could stop myself and knocked a chair tankard over. I reckon I’d have had two goals in that game.”  Although all-action footballer who gave everything he had, Dean is proud of the fact that he never so much as had his name taken despite a long career as a marked man. 
15 OPERATIONS
“I always played hard but fair, he said.  “I had fifteen operations at one time or another, but I got over them all.  The only time a referee ever spoke to me was during a game at Old Trafford against Manchester United. I’d score five goals in the first half and Lol Harper came over to me and said, “Have a peppermint son, you must be running out of energy.”  Dean’s greatest moment? “Well, I’ll always remember that 60th goal at Goodison,” he admitted, “but my first game against Scotland at Hampden was a bit of an occasion too.  “I got two goals and after the first there was such consulate silence, I thought I must have been offside or something.  You’d never believe 134,000 people could be so still. “I remember a game we played against France in Paris too, Sam Weaver took a throw-in and everyone clustered round him except me.  The goalie and I were all alone in the penalty area.  You should have seen the man throw it was like a free kick.  Well, he threw- and I scored.  The French learned after that.”  A great admirer of Everton chairman John Moores – “He played amateur soccer himself until he was forty-one, you know “- Dean sees little football himself these days but is as enthusiastic about the game as ever.  “I hope matt Busby’s on Tuesday” he said, wistfully.  “He was a wonderful player and I’d like to see him again.  Bill Shankley too, I’ll never forget how he found the time to attend Jimmy Dunn’s funeral even though Liverpool had a game the same day.  He’s a really fine person, and so is Bill Liddell -I wish he was playing.”  I’d doubt they’ll all be their to-night for what should be a real gala occasion.  For as one Liverpudlian who has brought a ticket even though he will not be able to attend in person, pointed out to me “Dean’s” not just an old Everton player -he belongs to the city of Liverpool.” 

DEAN WILL ELAD THEM OUT SIDE BY SIDE
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express, Tuesday, April 7, 1964
By Leslie Edwards
It has taken the Everton club 25 years to arrange a testimonial game for the greatest player who ever appeared in their colours—the legendary William Ralph Dean, rated by most experts as the finest centre forward of all time. Explanations for such a delay after Dean finished his playing career need not be given now, but it is unique in football history that a club should stage a benefit match for one of their players a quarter of a century after he last kicked a ball for them.  That the game is being played at Goodison Park to-night (7.30) is due to Everton chairman John Moores for deciding that Dean should have this testimonial. There has been a lot of talk through the years that Everton should do something tangible for their wonderful servant, but it took Mr. Moores to produce some action. Mr. Moores has also helped Dean in other directions and all Evertonians feel that the right thing is being done at last.  Manager Harry Catterick, too, has been busy with the actual match arrangements and he has come up with the best possible solution for a game out of the ordinary, rather than trying to conjure something up between an Everton team and a collection of stars of the recent past. By inter-mixing the current Everton and Liverpool teams, English and Scottish with one Welshman easing his way into the Scots line-up, he has achieved an interesting, even fascinating, duel. The ready response of the Liverpool club, through their chairman Tom Williams, and manager Bill Shankly, to help Everton and Bill Dean, also calls for congratulation for their friendly reaction to the idea.  Mr. Catterick tells me that Bill Dean will once again appear on the pitch he graced for so many years, in the decade from 1926 to 1936 or so. It is planned that he will lead both teams out, side by side, greet every playerpersonally in a midfield line-up, and also kick-off. I only hope that the match attracts a really big crowd to pay their tribute via the turnstiles and also vocally when Dean comes out of the players’ tunnel. 
A GOAL SCORING MACHINE
At the time of writing, it was not certain that Liverpool’s Ian St. John or Ronnie Moran would be fit to play.  Liverpool have offered Chris Lawler as substitute defender, so the teams will be; England; Rankin; Byrne, Moran or Lawler; Kay, Labone, Harris; Callighan, Stevens, Pickering, Temple, Morrissey.  Scotland; Lawrence; Brown, Thomson; Gabriel, Yeats, Stevenson; Scott, St. John, or A.N. Other, Young, Vernon, Wallace.  Substitutes will be available, but it is hoped they are not needed. 
Dean is just a name to the younger football supporters of to-day.  To the older ones, whose soccer affection was based on Goodison Park, and to many thousands who watched football before the war throughout the country, he was a legend, a goals coring machine and a personality in his own right perhaps unequalled in the history of the game.  Without doubt, he was the greatest header of a ball ever seen.  He had a faultless, and incredible, sense of timing in the air and his positional sense for crosses from either wing often bordered on the uncanny.  He could also wallop the ball into the net with either foot, and had the strength physically to carry the battle in attack however tough the going.  “Give it to Dixie” was the cry in the thirties –and he responded with goals galore.  Born in Birkenhead, he played for Birkenhead Boys before joining his first professional club, Tranmere Rovers.  My brother played in the same boys’ team as Dean, and one of his goals stories about Dean concerns that fabulous heading ability in those days.  Birkenhead’s outside left then was Ellis Rimmer, another Birkonian who moved from Tranmere to Sheffield Wednesday and became an international.  Even as a youngster, Rimmer could hit the ball with terrific force with his left foot and his centres were more like shots than the usual cross.  Whenever my brother went up to head a Rimmer rocket, he was dizzy for minutes afterwards; Dean used to time them, flick them here and there (usually into the net) and never turned a hair. 
A STANDARD NICKNAME
Dean’s nickname, which he disliked, because standard for every Dean who served in the Forces during the war.  Just like every Miller became “Dusty” every Dean became “Dixie.” Such was the fame of the man who won every major honour in football when he was with Everton- First and Second Division Championship medals, F.A. Cup winners’ medal, and 16 international caps in the days when many fewer internationals were played than at present.  He broke Steve Bloomer’s goal-scoring record of 352 goals, then the English record, and went on to 379 altogether before he retired.  That has been surpassed by Arthur Rowley, the Shrewsbury player-manager, who, at the start of this season was on the 427 mark. He scored these in 547 games; Dean reached his in 437.  Dean’s greatest feat, of course, was to score 60 goals in season 1927-28 when he was 2o years old.  It is doubtful if this record will ever be approached, let alone beaten, by a First Division player.  Altogether, that season, he scored 100 goals, an incredible number, made up as follows; League 60, F.A.Cup-ties, 3; Internationals, 11 (five games); Inter-League games, 6 (four against Irish League, two against Scottish League; international trial games, 8 (two games)(, Blackpool Hospital Cup 5, Fleetwood Disaster match 4; Everton tour 3.  He scored his 60t League goals from 39 appearances, made up with a five, a four, five three’s, fourteen two’s and eight singles.  In other words, he failed to score in ten league games that season, but scored 60 in the other 29.  Throughout his career he scored 37 hat-tricks. 
LAST GAME GOAL
He made his debut for Everton at Arsenal on March 21, 1925 and his last League game for the club was against Birmingham at Goodison Park on December 11, 1927.  Subsequently, he played in a friendly at Halifax on February 12, 1938 and his final game in Everton’s blue was against South Liverpool in the semi-final of the Liverpool Senior Cup at Holly Park on March 9, 1928, two days before his transfer to Notts County.  Everton won 4-1 that day, and Dean scored the final goal.  He ended his Everton playing career doing what came naturally for him –scoring goals.  Dean was a legend, part of the Everton scene for so long that it was regrettable they ever let him go to another League club.  It would have been much more fitting had he ended his career as Billy Liddell did with Liverpool, but that is all forgotten now. We may never see the likes of Dean again on a football field-the very personification of the go-getting centre forward whose solo job is to score goals, and this he did with matchless regularity.  To-night’s testimonial is Merseyside’s chance to pay tribute to her great footballing son.  A pictorial tribute to Bill Dean, highlighting his career, will appear in the Echo on sale specially at the match to-night. 

MERSEYSIDE CROWDS PAY GENEROUS TRIBUTE TO A MEMORY
Liverpool Daily Post-Wednesday, April 8, 1964
36,870 DEAN FANS PROVIDE £7,000 TESTIMONIAL
TACKLING BARRED BY MEN WHO REALISE SEASON IS NOT YET OVER
ENGLAND 1, SCOTLAND 3
(Merseyside Players)
By Horace Yates
Football crowds, so we are told, are notoriously fickle, that a player can be a hero to-day and almost forgotten to-morrow, but this was not the experience at Everton’s Goodison Park last night when 36,870 spectators paid a £7,000 tribute to Dixie Dean.  Dean, including the never-to-be-forgotten sixty in a season, played his last game for the club on December 11, 1937, against Birmingham.  Clearly in that event an appreciable portion of the vast assembly were paying tribute to a legend rather than a memory for when the rotund figure, of slow step and balding pate led out the teams, preparatory to kicking off, it was probably the first sight so many of them have ever had of the men who is so much a part of Everton history.  This belated testimonial to one of the greatest names in football’s history helped to underline an oft-repeated claim that Merseyside football crowds, for all the criticism they endure from time to time, have no rivals for their warm-hearted appreciation of the men who have made their moments of soccer glory.  Compare the figures if you like with those provided by the hero worshippers of Billy Liddell at Anfield.  In that match, on September 21, 1960, 38,789 said a golden farewell to the Scot, but in that case, here was a player who had hardly shaken the Anfield soil from his boots.  Dean on the other hand had not been seen for nearly twenty-seven years.  As he left the field Dean waved to a wildly enthusiastic crowd and as he made his way down the steps gave them the boxer’s salute.  Those, and there are many, who have accused Everton in the past of being remiss in not suitably marking Dean’s connection with the club, can now rest content. 
GIGANTIC THANK YOU
This was a gigantic thank-you, fit even for a Dixie Dean, whose like we may never see again.  With Liverpool on top of the League table and five matches still to play in their challenge for the title, and Everton in third place and still hoping, with these fixtures left, it was hardly surprising that the accent last night should be on exhibition football, with tackles almost completely non-existent.  Injuries had to be avoided at all costs-and mercifully they were.  In fact, almost the only risk anyone ran was in injuring himself by falling over.  With very few exceptions it was as friendly and restrained as that, but we did see some clever football.  If the actual play proved anything it was that highly skilled football alone is no substitute for the real thing.  Competitive bite is sometimes described which it passes to the extreme, but without the vigour, challenge and urgently, football is simply not football.  Realising that this outing was inevitably a pass and run affair, the crowd fastened on to the least sign of rivalry like hungry men at the sight of a meal. A Yeats-Pickering duel in real earnest is what they would have liked to have seen.  Instead, they had only the substitute of the odd bodily but the friendliest of friendly clashes between the two.  Despite the disguise of a blue jersey for Yeats, a strangely unbecoming sight, the Scottish players skipper was still the wolf in Everton clothing.  When he was penalised for the first of only three or four fouls in the match, and then again later on the Everton crowd really let themselves go.  “Off, off, off,” they chanted, but there was almost a twinkle behind the exhortation.  This was a night on which reds and blues were all friends.  There was laughter in the stand when a wag shouted, “Why, they know each other by name,” as the players called for the ball.
STILL AN IDOL
They even booed Brian Labone because he had the effrontery to charge -ever so gently -Alex Young, who is still an idol beyond compare in Everton eyes.  Occasionally he lit up the match with clever jinking runs, just a sample from his abundant repertoire, and only he earned a name-chant from his worshippers.  How uncharacteristic it was the see demon tacklers of the like of Tony Kay Gerry Byrne beating a constant retreat before an oncoming opponent, when their very nature must have been urging them to do a duty which to them is second nature.  Still, that was the pattern everywhere.  In such circumstances criticism is out of the question.  The match was arranged for a purpose and that purpose was gloriously achieved.  Moran stood down from the England side and Lawler deputised while Hill replaced Vernon, Graham came in for Young at centre forward and Young moved to inside right in place of St. John for the Blues.  Maybe because the Scottish side included more reserves, they always looked the more thrustful combination and the score was a fair reflection of howe the run of play went.  Pickering was given an early chance to score with a header and when his direction was completely awry, it earned a comment from a Dean admirer “You would never have seen Dixie do that.”  Only the goalkeepers, it seemed had to approach close to normality for both Rankin and Lawrence were forced to make creditable saves.
SHEER DEVILMENT
Not until 28 minutes had gone were we treated to the first score.  Stevenson whose passes throughout were a thing of beauty and unrivalled accuracy, found Hill, whose pass left Graham with the easy task of side-footing a goal.  Stevens raised hopes of an equaliser from 30 yards range, a magnificent shot, brilliantly tipped over the bar by Lawrence.  Soon after the interval Yeats followed Labone’s wondering excursions and only loud laughter, no sympathy, greeted his fate as Kay upset him out of sheer devilment, when the centre half had scoring designs.  Just when it appeared that England would never score, they got a break with a free kick barely outside the penalty area for hands.  Pity it had not been inside the area, for then we might have seen whether or not manager Bill Shankly was joking when he said he would take the penalty kicks for both sides.  With the players retiring accommodatingly, Pickering lashed the ball through, and Lawrence never had a chance (64 minutes).  We saw Stevens miss the chance of a lifetime in front of goal, but nobody worried not even Stevens, I should imagine.  There was the spectacle of Stevenson trying to back-heel a goal before the Liverpool half-back accepted an offering from Young, while in the centre forward position (72 minutes).  Callaghan joined the firing line and almost cleared the stand with a terrific, ballooned affair and when it appeared that the ration of goals had been reached, Young hit the angle with a shot which rebounded for Wallace to score.  Still, we can forgive scorers like Graham and Wallace.  After all, they are not first teamers!  English players; - Rankin; Byrne, Lawler; Harris, Labone, Kay; Callaghan, Stevens, Pickering, Temple, Morrissey.  Scottish Players; Lawrence; Brown, Thomson; Gabriel, Yeats, Stevenson; Scott, Young, Graham, Hill, Wallace.  Referee; Mr. L.W. Faulkner (Liverpool).  Attendance 36,870.  

GREAT TRIBUTE TO BILL DEAN 
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Wednesday, April 8, 1964
By Michael; Charters
A night of memories at Goodison Park, of nostalgia and sentiment, and a heart-stirring moment when the fans greeted Everton's greatest-ever player. Bill Dean, as he led the players on for his testimonial match. Where else, in this country, would a crowd nearing 40,000 turn up towards the end of a season to watch an exhibition match for a player who last appeared for the club more than 25 years ago? Of course, the player they were honouring was exceptional—so was the gate.  The actual figure was 36,870 and the receipts would total between £6,000 and £7,000. Everton chairman, Mr. John Moores, the leading figure behind the Dean benefit, who thought it right that the game should be staged for a man who is still a legend wherever the name Everton is mentioned, has arranged to put this money into trust for Dean.  It was a magnificent tribute for Bill Dean. I wonder just what percentage of the crowd actually saw the finest centre forward of all time play?  Whatever it was, they and the younger supporters who know him only by reputation, clapped and cheered him every step of the way from the players' tunnel to the centre spot at the head of the English and Scottish players of Everton and Liverpool.  The most memorable, ovation was still to come, however. After Dean had kicked off, he walked off alone waving to the crowd, and I suspect there were tears in his eyes as every person in the crowd sounded their appreciation with prolonged applause and cheers. 
EXHIBITION 
This was Dean's night, and there were times when the match itself became something of an anti-climax, almost an afterthought.  The players played to exhibition rules little- tackling, no real challenges for possession, but keeping the ball moving so that there were few delays with the ball out of play.  There was much to admire in the artistry and ball skill permitted to be deployed under the circumstances. The players seemed to enjoy themselves and in the second half the crowd did as the game became more exciting.  The Scottish players won 3-1 and their delicate pattern weaving was delightful to see.  I would have liked, personally to have seen more shooting, but the idea seemed to be to walk the ball into the net.  The Gabriel-Yeats-Stevenson half back combination in the Scots side was a particular feature, while in front of them Young and Hill, the Irishman who crept in through the injury of Welshman Vernon, brought roars of delight from the crowd with their deft touches and ball distribution.  Two bright Liverpool youngsters, Wallace and Graham, scored two of the Scots goals, with Stevenson the other. 
COMPETITIVE
When Pickering equalised for the English players with a thundering free kick, just on the hour, the game became a little more competitive as each side went out for a leading goal.  But the Scots always had the edge, with Rankin bringing off some superlative saves.  In the English team, Morrissey had the right idea by indulging in a friendly happy-spirited duel with his team-mate Brown, at right back.  This was one of the most entertaining features of the match.  Afterwards, Bill Dean, with Mr. Moores and the Everton and Liverpool managers, Harry Catterick and Bill Shankley, went into the players’ dressing rooms for a champagne celebration.  The players deserved it for their major part in making Dean’s might so notable. 

EVERTON AUSTRALIAN TOUR NAMES SURPRISE
Liverpool Daily Post- Thursday, April 9, 1964
ALEX YOUNG NOT INCLUDED
STILL A CHANCE HE MAY BE ALLOTED ONE OF THE THREE VACANCIES
By Horace Yates
Alex Young, Everton’s Scottish international centre forward, still awaiting a reply from the board to his request for a transfer, was not included in a provisional list of fifteen players, announced yesterday, to tour Australia at the close of the season.  I understand that three more names are required to complete the party.  Possibly the blanks will be filled in when England’s tour team requirements are known.  Almost certainly Tony Kay and Fred Pickering will be required for the national party, so that Young may still gain inclusion.  Much of course, may depend on the events of the next few days.  If it is decided to accede to his request for a move, it is unlikely that his name would be added to the list.  If, on the other hand, the request were to be refused or should Young reconsider the position and withdraw his application, there is always the chance that one of the vacancies could be given to him.  He is one of those who has been measured for the special club still in light blue.  The position of the directors in resolving the Young problem is far from easy, but if Young has firmly made up his mind that his future would look more promising elsewhere, he may get his way.
CHANCE FOR PARKER?
Alex Parker will no doubt be keeping his fingers crossed that all goes well in his comeback efforts after his dreadful run of bad luck, for if he can satisfy manager Harry Catterick that he will be fit enough to play his part on such a tour, this might be considered the ideal way of easing him back into action in readiness for next season.  Parker’s progress I am told, has been very satisfactory.  Even the most easy-going games, such as the Billy Dean testimonial, apparently carry their dangers for yesterday Fred Pickering, the £75,000 centre forward, was under treatment for an injury received to his knee on Tuesday night.  Curiously enough over at Anfield Ron Yeats, the Liverpool centre half, and Pickering’s immediate opponent, in the game, also required attention for a knock on the thigh.  So little concern was felt at the Yeats’ knock that he was able to travel the Scotland yesterday to join the international party.  Pickering missed training at Goodison, as also did Roy Vernon.  The bruised heel Vernon was nursing in the League game at Stoke with the result that it is still quite sore.  That was why he stepped out of the international match.  Everton’s immediate worries do not end there however, for Brian Harris reported that he is an influenza victim, which Mick Meagan has not resumed training yet following a strained muscle.  If Meagan and Harris are both unfit for Saturday, Mr. Catterick’s powers of organisation will be put to a new test, but yesterday he took a realistic view when he said.  “It is much too early to express any opinion as to the question of availability for Saturday.” 

A SCHOOL’S DREAM COMES TRUE
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Thursday, April 9, 1964
By Leslie Edwards
Remember Everton's schoolboy fan, 13-Years- old John West from Hemel Hempstead, about whom I wrote some weeks ago? The odd thing about him was that he followed Everton in all their London games despite the fact that he had never set foot in Liverpool or Goodison Park. When Everton play Chelsea, at Stamford Bridge, on Saturday week he'll be in his usual spot on the terraces with even greater regard for Everton blue because through the kindness of an Everton supporter who lives at Moreton, Wirral, he's at last seen his favourite team in action on their own pitch 
Mr. F. Howse, of Meadowbrook Road, Moreton, explains how it came about:  "I thought you and your readers might like to know that I took the matter a stage further after reading your story of young John West and wrote to the boy's parents suggesting it would be nice if the lad could come and stay with me over Easter so that I could show him Goodison Park and two home matches.  "I never thought they would agree, but I received a letter from them saying that they would let him come here. The boy was due at Lime Street at 2.30 on Good Friday, but missed his train at London and so was unable to see the match against West Bromwich. Maybe this was all to the good!  "He did see the game against Blackpool and had his dreams fulfilled. Not only that, he had his photograph taken outside the ground with the Everton Chairman, Mr. Moores, who arranged for him to get some of the players' autographs.  "The boy returned home after a most interesting weekend. He told me he had received a large number of letters from Everton fans, also programmes. &c. He would have liked to have visited them during his stay but was unable to and said he hoped to reply to them all in time." 
Like this  . . .  ? 
What does it feel like to be an Evertonian amid so many cock-a-hoop Liverpudlians" I wouldn't know, but Michael Shankland of 287 Walton Breck Road does! He says: — “Possibly never before has Liverpool been such a schizophrenic city. Without exception one is red or blue: one wears a huge beaming grin or a look of shifty embarrassment; one buys the rounds or cries in one's beer in the corner.  "So, blue and shifty with embarrassment, I sit in a corner crying in my beer and penning this heart-cry (no mean feat in itself). Creditors-to-be are leering their wide grins at me from behind celebration whiskies, waiting like vultures for me to concede defeat, the war-chant of Liver-pule  rises hysterically from the billiard-room and even Nellie, my favourite barmaid, has turned her coat and is raking in outrageous tips from the Liverpool fans she used to chivvy when Everton rode high last season.  " An old friend is weaving unsteadily from the bar" and luck, Mike, but yer still in the Lancashire Cup, la"  “At this he is convulsed with rolling, silent laughter and he retreats in a further paroxism of mirth at my threatening gesture with a Guinness bottle. I've never felt so lonely. But wait, a grey-faced apparition in a blue-and-white scarf is sitting opposite me, eyes red-rimmed and blood-shot—that colour again  "I rise carefully and stagger through a gauntlet of points-and-games-in-hand and goal averages. At last I come face to face with my fellow-sufferer. I reach out a hand and touch …the wall mirror.  Panic seizes me, I realise I’m alone in a pub full of Liverpudlians. “The gloating chants thunder in my ears, I’m surrounded by a sea of red scarves and berry smiles.  I run to the door longing for the clear, blue sky.” Happy Easter!” mocks a voice.  “Who be an Evertonian now?”

YOUNG IS LIKELY TO LEAVE CLUB
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Thursday, April 9, 1964
CHELSEA AND VILLA NAMED
TOUR DOUBT
By Leslie Edwards
Alex Young, the Everton centre-forward, who made a request for transfer immediate following the signing of Fred Pickering from Blackburn Rovers is likely to be told soon that he is free to move.  The board has not met to discuss his plea, but when it does members are likely to argue the folly of keeping a dissatisfied player.  Young was fined by the club recently- a disciplinary measure for not attending for treatment.  The player’s absence came during the three-day racing festival in March, at Aintree.  Everton are plainly not anxious to release Young until the First Division championship, in which they are still interested, is settled.  Time and again in the past, the Everton club have said that they were not prepared to retain dissatisfied players Young’s case., it seems will be no exception. 
AN IDOL
Whether Young finds a place in the Everton team on Saturday against Wolves at Goodison Park is open to doubt Vernon and Pickering are both receiving attention for knocks.  It is not known either whether Young will be in the Everton party to tour Australia in the close season.  My guess is that he will have joined another club by then.  Aston Villa have always had interest in him as an outside-right, but Chelsea are very keen to get him and may well succeed.  As an idol of the crowd at Goodison Park Young plainly feels dissatisfied that he cannot command a first-team place and the rift between him and authority is therefore a pretty wide one. 
WOLVES HAVE TEAM DOUBTS
INSIDE TRIO PROBLEM
Wolves, who have only won two games this year, have no injury problems for Saturday’s game against Everton at Goodison but manager Stan Cullis has several selection difficulties.  Paramount is the formation of his inside forward trio.  Both Jimmy Melia and Peter Broadbent, who played against Sheffield Wednesday, are basically the same type of player.  On their performance against Wednesday, there is a drastic need to reorganise.  Another problem is the loss of form of captain, Ron Flowers.  Wolves may enter the market for West Bromwich Albion’s transfer-listed right back, Don Howe, who lives in Wolverhampton. 

EVERTON’S ROY VERNON SAYS…
Liverpool Daily Post-Friday, April 10, 1964
GET READY FOR A NEW MERSEY SOUND
Although I was unable to take part in the testimonial game to Dixie Dean at Goodison Park on Tuesday, it is a night I will never forget.  I don’t think I was born when Dean said his playing farewell to Everton, but I have heard so much about him since I came to Merseyside that I almost I had met him.  One paths have crossed at various sporting events from time to time.  What a character he is; He can entertain any party with a host of football yarns.  If ever a Merseyside player deserved well of his fans, I think it is agreed on all sides that player is Dixie Dean.  To me it was quite fantastic that at the tail-end of a season over 36,000 should attend a match which they knew in advance could never be more than an exhibition game.
ALL FOR DIXIE
Obviously, it was the object rather than the event that was the attraction, for while I quite enjoyed the exchanges on the field, behind it all was the thought that it was all for Dixie.  During the course of a playing career, players in successful sides receive presents and souvenirs of various kinds, but I guarantee that when these who took part in the game bring out their presentation electric razors, they will think of the night they received them- and why.  There have been occasions when I have been particularly pleased with a goal I might have scored, a regular boost to any drooping morale, but there is non chance around Goodison of getting swollen headed about scoring accomplishments, for inevitably there is always somebody about who will be every ready to say, “Aye, but you should have seen the way Dixie used to score them.”  It is remarkable we don’t hate the sound of his name, for we are constantly reminded that there will never be another Dean.  From what I have heard of his exploits, however, there seems to be no arguing.  There never will
WELL, DONE, FANS
I don’t think there is another soccer centre in the country where the crowds would have turned out in their thousands for such a game.  Goodness me, it would need an advanced stage of the F.A. Cup to create so much interest in a lot of places.  Well done, Merseyside.  You deserve a pat on the back! It now seems certain that my period of skipper of Everton F.C which has lasted since Bobby Collins was transferred to Leeds United, will come to an end with the ending of the season.  I have enjoyed skippering the side and I shall always recall these days as a great honour.  After all we won the Championship last season and while some extraordinary things may have to occur for us to keep it, we have put up a wonderful performance.  Liverpool had broken into a great winning spell just at the right moment but if you examine the records, I don’t think anyone will be left in very much doubt that Everton have been the team of the year despite those defeats at West Brom and Stoke. It was a mix of the leeway we were gallantly trying to make up the one defeat- at the Hawthorns-virtually put us out of the Championship race.  I think it better for the club and myself that I should now hand over the reins.
FULLEST LOYALTY
I have no idea who Mr. Catterick will nominate in my fullest loyalty just as I have enjoyed the complete backing of every member of the side.  Time will show whether or not my belief is well founded that I can be of greater service to Everton in the future as just another player rather than as skipper.  Some there are who think there is very little to the job of skippering a side, but there can be more stuff than sometimes meets the eye, I have learned by my experiences.  I have after known the Liverpool supporters to be more restrained.  They are keeping very quiet about possibilities just now, in case, I suppose there is a slip up at the last minute.  They will make up for last minute.  They will make up for lost time the moment their victory is assured.  We have all heard of the Mersey sound.  There’ll be a new one if Liverpool do become champions! 

EVERTON HOPES FOR SIX-POINT FINISH
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Friday, April 10, 1964
By Leslie Edwards
While Liverpool conserve their strength for the final spurt to the winning post their next game is at Burnley on Tuesday evening—Everton take on Wolves at Goodison Park to-morrow and hope to gain two of the remaining six points available to them so that they can finish the season at least breathing hard down their rivals' necks.  While those three essential Anfield points have still to be gained Everton, to name but one of the challengers, will not concede the title which many people feel Liverpool have thoroughly deserved because of their consistency and courage in the critical Easter games many thought they could not win, those games.  Mr. Hughes and all Liverpool fans are expecting the team to complete the series by winning at Burnley on Tuesday and so accounting for the runners-up at Wembley in 1962.
COINCIDENTAL
The only thing which can prevent Liverpool winning their sixth championship, says R. Leek, is a World War!  Everton, he recalls, won the title in 1915 and years of World War I followed: 24 years later, in 1939, they won the title again and the Hitler War stopped nearly all football until 1945. Twenty-four years later Everton took the championship again, so my correspondent says Liverpool fans should maybe start digging before they start celebrating!  For myself I always believe that it was Liverpool's first Cup final appearance in 1914 which triggered off the first big conflagration. What their first victory at Wembley might bring in train is beyond comprehension.  To get back to 1964 and Everton and all that. At the time of writing it is not known whether Young will be in the side to-morrow, or even whether Wolves' big-money signing from Anfield, Jim Melia, will be among the Stanley Cullis eleven.  There are two schools of thought about Young.  Everyone likes to see an artist in action, but many, I find, were pleased when the size and weight of Pickering was brought to add punch to the line.  Again, Young almost invariably plays well at Goodison Park and not so well in away fixtures when the going can be tougher. In my book he is a centre-forward or winger—nothing else. He has not the physique  to stand the racket of inside forward play though it can  be argued—and always was at Highbury—that a class  player can perform usefully in any position other than  his own.  Manager Harry Catterick, the man best placed to know "the form" at Goodison Park must make his decisions irrespective of popular acclaim. He is in a difficult position but, knowing him as I do; I cannot imagine him flinching from what he believes to be the soundest course. 
APPEALS AND DARES
People are daring me or appealing to me to print letters on Everton topics and I do so despite the fact that but for injuries in midseason this club, far from being on the outside fringe of championship challenge would be much more prominent in the picture at this stage. 
Here’s B.W.Rimmer of 14 Alfonso Road, Liverpool 4, asking whether anyone can explain (1) Why Everton brought Pickering to take the chances and then dropped one of the finest creators of chances in the business? (2) While giving Young a chance to “prove” himself in the reserves a raw youngster was played in his place? (3) Why Morrissey was dropped after playing a blinder against Armfield, resulting in the loss of two very valuable points? 
Other points from the post;-
“I am an Evertonian I find no consolation in hearing that Everton have done extremely well, despite so many unfortunate injuries.  But is it misfortune?  “Indeed is it Liverpool’s good fortune that they have sustained so few injuries? Or is there a connection in their being so superbly fit? –G. McCarten, 9 Westfield Road, Liverpool 9. 

YOUNG IS RULED OUT BY ANKLE INURY
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express –Friday, April 10, 1964
WOLVES VISIT GOODISON
By Leslie Edwards
Alex Young, chosen to play for Everton against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Goodison Park to-morrow, failed a fitness test this morning.  Manager Harry Catterick said; “He has been troubled for some weeks with a sore ankle and this was aggravated in the Dean Testimonial match on Tuesday.  “When he was tested this morning it was clear that he would be unfit for the Wolves game, for which he had been selected.”  Roy Vernon also had a fitness to-day, but decision about him will not be taken until tomorrow when it is seen whether there has been any reaction. The defence will be as at Stoke, with Harris at left-back.  The attack will be chosen from the following six; Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Vernon, Temple, Morrissey.
Everton; Rankin; Brown, Harris, Gabriel, Labone, Kay; (from) Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Vernon, Temple, Morrissey. 
WOLVES NAME 13
Wolves play an unchanged defence but name seven forwards.  Wolves; Davies; Showell, Thomson; Flowers, Woodfield, Woodruff; from; Crowe, Melia, Crawford, Broadbeat, Le Flem, Wharton, Stobart. 

WOLVES AT GOODISON
Liverpool Daily Post- Saturday, April 11, 1964
EVERTON CAN GO SECOND
By Horace Yates
Everton can take advantage of the fact that Manchester United are disengaged to-day, because of the international, by leaping over them into second place behind Liverpool.  The visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers to Goodison given Everton a first-class opportunity of closing the championship gap to a single point, although Liverpool with three matches in hand, are so strongly placed that any threat appears to be purely temporary.  In any event Everton must battle on to the end because something more than mere talent money may be involved in the final placings.  When the teams are chosen to complete in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup competition for next season, one league placing might make all the difference between recognition and being ignored. 
EUROPE PASSPORT
Both Everton and United are among the clubs who are keen to make this competition their passport to Europe.  Tottenham Hotspur may have stumped quite a lot in recent weeks, but they have not faltered so badly that they are left without a chance of pushing Everton right out of the first three.  The last two meetings between Everton and Wolves at Molineux this season and Goodison Park last season, both resulted in goalless draws.  I don’t think that sequence will be carried any further to-day, for while Wolves, despite the newly acquired promptings of former Liverpool inside forward Jimmy Melia are still somewhat goal-shy, the Everton attack has a more belligerent look.
SKILLED APPRAOCH
Those who have seen the reshaped Wolves side recently tell me that here are the makings of a team which can go a long way towards restoring some of the club’s old glory.  Gone is the emphasis on vigorous forceful football, and in its place is being found a skilled approach that is highly attractive.  Alex Young has an ankle injury which keeps him out of the side, while Vernon is to have a test this morning and the attack will be chosen from six. Everton; Rankin; Brown, Harris; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; (from) Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Vernon, Temple, Morrissey.  Wolves; Davies; Showell, Thomson; Flowers, Woodfield, Woodruff; (from) Crowe, Melia, Crawford, Broadbent, Le Flem, Wharton, Stobart. 

WOLVES SNAP BACK TO KILL EVERTON’S LEAD
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Saturday, April 11, 1964
TEMPLE SAVES POINT IN LAST MINUTE
EVERTON 3, WOLVES 3

Everton; Rankin; Brown, Harris; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Temple, Morrissey.  Wolverhampton Wanderers; Davies; Showell, Thomson; Flowers, Woodfield, Woodruff; Crowe, Melia, Crawford, Broadbent, Wharton.  Referee; Mr. D.W. Brady (Rotherham).  Roy Vernon failed a fitness test and dropped out of Everton’s team against Wolves.  Temple moved inside from the wing with Morrissey at outside left.  Everton were doing most of the early attacking and Stevens worked an opening for Gabriel who took a quick shot and Davies saved well low down.  Everton went ahead after six minutes with a fine goal from Stevens.  Brown, put the ball up the middle to Pickering who beat Woodfield cleverly and slipped the ball cross to Stevens who hit a first class shot into the corner of the net with Davies beaten all ends up.
TEMPLE’S CHANCE
Everton were inches away from a second goal within a minute.  Harris and Temple linked up well mid-field and Harris pushed the ball through for Temple who beat Davies as the goalkeeper came out, but Woodfield raced back and cleared off the line.  Next, Temple produced a shot of such terrific power from 20 yards that Davies fumbled it and the ball bounced from his chest for a corner.  From it Pickering beat Woodfield in the air and headed just wide.  It was no surprise when Everton increased their lead after 11 minutes through Pickering.  Gabriel took the ball through the middle and chipped it forward to Pickering whose first placed shot was half saved by Davies, but Pickering followed up to force the ball over the line from point blank range. 
SHOT BY GABRIEL
Pickering was playing well and he made another opening when he pushed the ball through the middle for Stevens, who failed to gather it, but the ball went to Gabriel, who shot instantly and Davies saved it.  So far we had seen very little of Melia, but following this save he got the ball from Broadbent and with a good shooting opening elected to pass to Crawford who could not gather possession.  The Everton forwards were delighting the crowd with their shooting which was prompt and powerful.  Kay came up to join the shooting ranks and with Davies making hardly any attempt to get to the ball, the wing half’s shot was only just wide.  Temple and Morrissey were doing very well and Temple made a superb run cutting inside into the penalty area and gave a great pass to Pickering.  The centre forward did not get it under control and the ball ran away from him from a wonderful opening.  Wolves got a goal back after 33 minutes through Crawford with a first class effort.  Man behind it was Melia whose inch-perfect through pass to Broadbent enabled the inside man to chip it on and Crawford moved in to lob the ball over Rankin cleverly.  From the restart Everton gained an indirect free kick just outside the penalty area as Woodfield obstructed Stevens, Gabriel touched the ball to one side to Brown who hit a fierce shot just over the angle.  Everton’s forwards had fallen away now, and Wolves were moving with much greater confidence and power.  A good deal of Wolves improvement at this stage was due to the way both Melia and Broadbent were getting their passes moving sweetly. 
HIGH AND WIDE
First Everton shot for some 10 minutes came from Kay who took a return pass from Morrissey, but his 25-yard effort was high and wide.  As half-time drew near Wolves had recovered well from the early pounding they had received, for apart from Everton’s two goals the ball had twice been cleared off the line.  But after that Wolves had been just as much in the game as Everton had been. 
Half-time.- Everton 2, Wolves 1.
Two minutes after half-time Wolves were level with a goal very similar to Everton’s second.  Flowers centred the ball to the far side of the penalty area, and Wharton hit it first time, and somehow kept the ball low.  Rankin dived and seemed to have the ball safely in his grasp, but it squirmed away from him and Crawford, running in, pushed it over the line.
TEMPLE OUT OF LUCK
Temple had bad luck a couple of minutes later.  He went racing through following Stevens good pass, and squeezed between Flowers and Davies, but got the wrong direction on the ball which ran slowly just wide.  The pace of the game had hotted up considerably, and Morrissey was only a fraction away from gathering Temple’s pass right in front of goal.
THIRD GOAL SHOCK
Scott had been having an indifferent game, but he did much better as he tought of a tackle by Thomson and tried a left foot shot which was only inches over the bar.  Wolves proceeded to turn the game inside out with another goal after 54 minutes to put them in the lead 3-2.  This was particularly well made by Broadbent who cleverly controlled an awkward pass and as Gabriel slipped Broadbent chipped the ball over Rankin’s head and Wharton, running directed his header into the empty net.  Everton, who had opened so well, were now making a lot of mistakes in their anxiety to get back in front.  There was no doubt, however, that Wolves had improved a hundred per cent, from the opening stages.  The crowd was getting annoyed at Everton’s inability to finish well.  Certainly their shooting which had been such a feature was now most inaccurate and centres were being given too much power time and again.  Kay shot over after a right wing link-up between Gabriel and Scott, and this was rather typical of the way Everton were finishing just now. 
GOOD EFFORT
A good effort by Pickering brought applause, however.  He breasted down a Wolves clearance and hit the ball as it dropped, only for Davies to make a good save.  The Wolves defence continued to cover up and tackle well, as Everton pressed persistently.  Brown had been one of Everton’s best, and he came through from half way with the ball to take it right up to the goal-line, but when he crossed it, it was Woodfield who intercepted and turned the ball away. 
SOUND DEFENCE
Both Pickering and Gabriel ran into offside positions after Everton looked as though they might get a goal- and in each case they missed with their shots.  The odd thing was that Wolves after scoring those two quick goals, early in the second half, had gone into their shell in attack, but they were certainly doing well in defence.  At this stage Gabriel had moved up to inside right with Stevens dropping back to right half.  Everton’s attacking ideas now were a disappointment.  They now tended to move the ball rather desperately into the middle hoping to gain possession in a tight challenge for the ball.  Gabriel missed a good chance when Temple headed a free kick through.  Gabriel from six yards out put the ball over the bar. 
OVER-EAGERNESS
Although Wolves were not operating an offside trap, Everton were frequently being held up through the over-eagerness of their forwards who ran into offside positions.  Temple produced an individual piece of brilliance at this point.  Although challenged all the way, he dribbled the ball in a wide circle out and into the penalty area before hitting a great shot only a foot wide.  A minute from the end Temple got the equaliser for Everton after another mistake by Davies who got in a tangle with Woodfield and Temple was able to walk the ball into the net.  Final; Everton 3, Wolves 3. 

EVERTON A V LIVERPOOL A
Liverpool Football Echo & Evening Express, Saturday, April 11, 1964
Everton took the lead after three minutes with a penalty shot by Smith.  Liverpool put in some determined attacks and after 40 minutes the Everton keeper let the ball slip and Tinney lobbed it into the Everton goal to equalise.  Half-time; Everton A 1, Liverpool A 1. Full-time; Everton A 2, Liverpool A 4

EVERTON B V LIVERPOOL B
Liverpool Football Echo & Evening Express, Saturday, April 11, 1964
After two minutes a throw-in taken by Husband appeared to go straight into the Liverpool goal, but the referee contending that the ball had touched another player, allowed the goal to stand.  Two minutes later Husband scored Everton’s second goal from short range.
Half-time; Everton B 2, Liverpool B 2.  Full Time; Everton B 3, Liverpool B nil. 

AN HONOUR TO PLAY FOR DIXIE
Liverpool Football Echo & Evening Express- Saturday, April 11, 1964
By Alex Young
Ever since I was old enough to take an interest in football, the name of Dixie Dean has been a fabulous one. His prolific scoring feats even spread to Scotland, a land which breeds its own heroes of the football world. Sixty League goals in a season! I have the great advantage of being a centre forward who has been fortunate enough to play in top class soccer and I can therefore appreciate far better than most just how great a record this is, so great that it may well stand for all time.  It is a curious thing that, although I have been with the club which helped to develop his great talents for quite a long time now, it was not until about a year ago that I managed to get an introduction to him.  As a result of this I had lunch with him and found him a really delightful fellow who was more than modest about his achievements.  I knew, of course, that he had a great reputation for scoring with his head and asked him about it; any centre forward would want to learn a secret such as this!  However, Dixie just could not help. As far as he was concerned, you just nodded them in or glided them in.  For all of his playing life (Including the time when he was only a youngster), heading a ball had been for him the easiest thing in the world. In other words, he was a natural and it was therefore not easy for him to understand why others could not do what he found so easy.  With a record behind him such as I have mentioned.  Dixie left the club without a benefit match. I have no idea of the circumstance: surrounding this, but it is a fact, and I was not aware of it until I heard that our chairman had in mind rectifying what appeared (in absence of knowing the  facts) to be an injustice.  This, after nearly 30 years, was a fine gesture as everybody must agree and the idea of staging a local “International" last Tuesday could not have been bettered.
AN HONOUR 
I am quite certain that all those players who were invited to take part in this great occasion regarded it as an honour to be asked and a privilege to accept the invitation.  Roy Vernon was even prepared to become a Scot, man for the night and the Scotsmen were even prepared to accept hint as such but, as it turned out. Roy could not play because of injury.  All who played received a momento of the occasion in the form of an electric razor, which I believe was another thoughtful gesture on the part of Mr. Moores and one which all the players appreciated.  The crowd was about 37,000, which was in itself a great tribute to a great suppose that I do not suppose that half of them had ever set eyes on Dixie  before he emerged from the tunnel between Tony Kay  and Ronnie Yeats, captains  of England and Scotland  respectively. The reception he got was something he will remember for the rest of his life.  The Scottish side found that it was being managed by Mr. Shankley and who could better undertake a task of this sort than an ex-captain of his country?  The spirit of the game can best be expressed by him when he threatened to take personally any penalties which were given.  There was, however, never any chance that he would be brought into action. 
PLEASANT GAME
It was a pleasant game with no strain and with plenty of give and take about it.  International calls gave some of the lesser lights a chance to shine and I must say that I was greatly impressed by one of them who played alongside me in the centre.  If it does not appear stupid top make a forecast after seeing a boy only once and that in not the most serious of games, then I say that we shall hear a lot more of young Bobby Graham in the future.  I am glad to be able to report that Alex Parker is back in action.  He turned out for the “A” team against Blackburn last Saturday and his leg stood up ell to the game. 

BLACKBURN RES V EVERTON RES
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Saturday, April 11, 1964
Blackburn Rovers Res; Jones; Hall, Newton; Holt, Mulvaney, Anderson; Horrey, Byrom, Sandiford, Bradshaw, N. Power. Everton Res;- West; Parnell, Darcy; Rees, Helsop, Meagan; Shaw, Harvey, Hill, Humphreys, Veall.  Referee; Mr. K. Hanavan (Lytham St. Annes).  Gordon West was kept busy in the Everton goal but it was mostly to collect back-passes from his defenders after they had broken up a succession of attacks by Blackburn.  Neither side impressed during the early encounters.  Too many passes went astray and both defences seemed able to cope with the opposing attack.  Several promising moves by Everton came to nothing until the 23rd minute when outside left Veall beat full-back Newton for the first time, and cut into the dead ball line.  His fast centre found Humphreys running through and Everton were one up.  Power looked to have a good chance to levelling the scores when he collected a pass and ran 20 yards into the penalty area, but the outside left ran the ball too far and West was able to smother his half-hit shot.  Bradshaw twice went close as Blackburn fought to get on terms.  The first time his 30 yards drive sailed just wide then, a minute later, his fierce shot struck West’s leg as the Everton keeper dived the wrong way.  Half-time; Blackburn Rovers nil, Everton Res 1. 

KAY: I DENY SOCCER BETS ALLEGATIONS
Liverpool Daily Post- Monday, April 13, 1964
WEDNESDAY SUSPEND TWO PLAYERS
By Horace yates
“Daily Post” Sports Editor
Sheffield Wednesday last night suspended two of their players -former England centre half Peter Swan and centre forward David “Bronco” Layne-while the club investigate allegations of bribery against them made in a Sunday newspaper yesterday.  And Detective Superintendent William Bowler, head of Sheffield C.I.D, said inquiries would begin to-day to find out weather any criminal offences had been committed.  The allegations arose from Sheffield Wednesday’s game against Ipswich on December 1, 1962, which Ipswich won 2-0.  Swan, Layne and wing-half Tony Kay, who later joined Everton for a fee of £60,000 were alleged in the newspaper article to have bet on Sheffield Wednesday losing the game.  But at his Kendall home yesterday, Kay said; “I have had nothing to do at all with betting on football matches and the matter is being placed in the hands of my solicitors.   Kay, married with four children, added; “I know what has been claimed against me, but I have a complete defence and deny it completely.  “It is a load of nonsense; I would never throw a match so matter how much was offered me.  I have too much to lose.
” I LIVE FOR FOOTBALL”
Do you think a player in my position would throw away a career just for the sake of winning money on a bet?  “I was 24 when the match was played and had six Young England caps behind me.  I was being freely tipped for full international honours and I had a bright future ahead of me.  “I have never bet on a football match and I never will.  I live for football and I would never do anything that could stop me from playing.  “Obviously if these allegations were true my footballing days would be finished.  “You have only got to look at the match reports of the game to see that all the sports writers said I was the best player on the Sheffield side.  does that look as if I was trying to throw the game or had accepted a bride?  “If someone came up to me and offered me £10,000 to play badly, I would turn around and tell him what to do with his filthy money.  “No doubt my manager, Harry Catterick and the club chairman, John Moores, will want to see me about the matter but I have a clear conscience.”  Mr. Catterick said last night; “The allegations was a shock.  I shall be seeing Kay at the earliest possible opportunity.
TOLD TO STAY AWAY FROM GROUND
Swan and Layne were yesterday interviewed by Mr. Eric Taylor, Sheffield Wednesday manager, at Hillsborough the club ground.  Afterwards Mr. Taylor said he had told them to stay away from the ground until the inquiries are completed.  Sheffield Wednesday plan to call a board meeting within the next 48 hours to discuss what is being done. Yesterday the club’s chairman Dr. Andrew Stephen, travelled from Glasgow on hearing the news and went to the ground for talks with Mr. Taylor.  He said, “I am stunned and shocked with the news.  There was never any hint or suspicious of this.”  Mr. Taylor read a 131-word statement on behalf of the directors in which he said.  “The directors have been shocked by the allegations of bribery implicating certain members of the club’s playing staff which were published in a Sunday newspaper.  “Such serious charges will form the subject of immediate investigation by Sheffield Wednesday and the club will give all the help that is within its power to assist any other inquiries which may be instituted.  “In view of such pending inquiries the directors cannot make further comment on the subject beyond emphasizing that the first intimation of any such allegation of bribery came to the notice of the club in the publication of the newspaper article to-day.  “The members of the playing staff who were named in the newspaper article have been released from their club duties pending the result of the inquiries into the charges.”  Sheffield Wednesday have made two changes for their home game with Tottenham Hotspur to-night.  Vic Mobley comes in at centre-half and Derek Wilkinson will be at centre-forward. 
RICHARDS HINTS AT COMMISSION
Mr. Dennis Follows, secretary of the Football Association, said of the allegations; “We shall have to take notice of this, following our normal procedure in handing over any evidence we might get to the police.”  Mr. Joe Richards, president of the Football League, said he presumed that the F.A. and the League would he considering the matter and “perhaps following the normal produce and appointing a commission.”  He added; “It is a serious report.  Obviously, I don’t know how far it is true, but it cannot be ignored.  Mr. Roy Mason, Labour M.P for Barnsley, who has raised the question of alleged soccer irregularities in the House of Commons said at his home last night; “If these allegations are true, I am surprised and shocked because it is a sad reflection on our police investigations.” 
MOORE; I WILL SEE HIM TODAY
The Everton chairman Mr. John Moores, said last night following his return from the Scotland-England match. “I travelled down this morning and did not hear about this affair until after lunch, I was informed that Kay had gone to Sheffield.  “I have arranged for Kay to see myself and Mr. Catterick in the morning to hear what he has to say.  “What he says will be reported to Mr. Denis Follows, the F.A. secretary.  Until we have seen Kay, we are not prepared to make any comment, although we are extremely perturbed.  There will be a full meeting of the board to-morrow.”

NOT A CHANCE-MR. CATTERICK
Liverpool Daily Post-Monday, April 13, 1964
ITALIAN SCOUT ASKS EVERTON ABOUT TEMPLE
The sight of Gig Peronace, agent in Britain for several Italian soccer clubs, at Goodison Park on Saturday, sent thoughts leaping to a bid to take deposed centre forward Alex Young or club skipper Roy Vernon to Italy.  Nobody minds which of the two it would be.  I doubt if anybody really guessed the object of his right.  It was to check up on the play of Derek Temple, whose play of Perconace has admired for a long time.  After the match he spoke to manager Harry Catterick about Temple and received no encouragement at all. “You haven’t a hope,” Mr. Catterick told him.  Temple, I understand, was the only player mentioned by the Italian scout.  About two years ago Temple impression in those days is a far greater player to-day and having seen his advance over the last eighteen months, despite injury worries, I feel certain that Temple’s best has yet to come.  When he reaches that peak, he could be one of the biggest wing attractions in British football for I am convinced his future lies here not in Italy.
OUT OF INTERNATIONALS
The odds appear to be stacked against Roy Vernon’s chance of being fit enough to play for Wales against Ireland on Wednesday.  His brushed heel, which was further damaged at Stoke, and prevented Vernon’s appearance in the Dean testimonial and again on Saturday against Wolverhampton Wanderers has not improved as rapidly as expected.  Apparently, the brushing has gone deeper than was at first thought and only rest and further treatment can complete the cure.  The foot is still quite sore for walking purposes, so that a terrific improvement will have to be made for the Welsh F.A to be told to-day that Vernon has a chance. 

EVERTON LUCKY TO GET POINT
Liverpool Daily Post-Monday, April 13, 1964
MELIA HAS LAST LAUGH
EVERTON 3 WOLVES 3
By Jack Rowe
Jimmy Melia had the last laugh.  In the first fifteen minutes, when Everton were so good, so rampant and threatening in run in a bagful of goals, he could do nothing right and once, when he fell, there was a callous chuckle from a section of the crowd.  Then this first return to Merseyside after his departure from Liverpool did not look like being a happy one, but it all turned out fine in the finish for him and if Everton had not taken a fortunate equaliser in the last minute his smile would have been even wider.  For 15 minutes it was all Everton with a verve and menace which prepared the Goodison Park following for a joy day.  Stevens rammed in a great shot in six minutes from Pickering’s pass and five minutes later the centre forward chased a Temple pass and with Wolves goalkeeper, Davies hesitant in his reaction the ball was in the net for the second.  With this quick lead it seemed incredible that anything except a sound Everton victory was possible.  Pickering looked a fine player with his distribution and the response from the rest of the attack especially Temple was magnificent. 
FIRE, POISE GOES
Wolves defence was shaking and tottering and twice the ball was cleared from the line.  Shots flashed just wide or over and we were beginning to wonder how many Everton were going to get.  Melia and his forward colleagues were non-existence, but with their lead one began to detect casualness and some cockiness in Everton’s approach and slowly their fire and poise went and as it did, so Wolves recovered.  The half back line of Flowers, Woodfield and Woodruff (what a good match he had) took a firmer grip and in 33 minutes Melia saw his chance and struck with a lovely through pass to Broadbent and when the inside left flicked it up and over Labone, centre forward Crawford poked it high into the net away from Rankin.  This should not have been lethal, but it was, because Everton deteriorated instead of improved and in the end were lucky to save a point.  Wolves were level a couple of minutes after half time and again it was Melia who produced a pass to Flowers standing just inside the Everton half.  The right half promptly slashed it across field to Wharton who struck a bouncing shot on the volley and although Rankin got down to it, the ball escaped him, and Crawford ran it into the net.  In the 54th minute Melia slid the ball through again to Broadbent and, with Gabriel caught on the wrong foot and slipping, the Wolves man was able to aim a chip to the far side where Wharton was waiting to nod it easily home. So, Everton found themselves struggling to save a match they should have had wrapped up and the more they struggled the more they deteriorated.  The football had gone, and all Pickering received in the way of service was the high ball which made the task of a now confident and composed defence simpler.  Gabriel, who moved into the attack with Stevens going to right half -surely a confession of forward failure- once hooked over from close in.  on another occasion Davies grabbed a shot from Morrissey and then Temple, who did not repeat his first half showing, managed to weave his way through for a shot which whistledoutside.
ATTACK DESPERATE
But apart from these moments Everton attack was a matter of desperation, with Pickering struggling to cope with those high balls and wingers Scott and Morrissey making no impression.  The equaliser, which came with barely a minute left, was in keeping with Everton’s scrambling play.  Pickering turned the ball into the goal ear and Davies tried to kick away.  He connected all right but put the ball bang against his centre half Woodfield and as it rebounded there was Temple to gratefully take the last chance of averting complete ignominy. Even though Everton go into the second place behind Liverpool it is going to take better performances than this to keep them there.  Defence and attack needs looking at, and, for me, the only player who had any sort of consistency in this match were Harris, Kay, and Temple, who was at inside left for the unfit Vernon, and even Temple faded from his best.  Melia did his job for Wolves whose defence made the recovery possible by their quickness to take a better control when Everton began to assume that victory would not need much of as fight.  Cullis seems to have found a good one in Woodruff but the chief significance of the game was that ball players like Melia and Broadbent produced that flash of inspiration which took them so close to a victory which I would not have begrudged them if it had happened. Everton; Rankin; Brown, Harris; Gabriel, Labone, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Temple, Morrissey.  Wolves; Davies; Showell, Thomson; Flowers, Woodfield, Woodruff; Crowe, Melia, Crawford, Broadbent, Wharton.  Referee Dr. D.W.G. Brady (Rotherham).  Attendance 43,153. 

TONY KAY SUSPENDED BY EVERTON
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Monday, April 13, 1964
CLUB ACTING AS AGENTS FOR F.A. PENDING PROBE
SHEFFIELD POLICE START “BRIDE” INQUIRY
By Leslie Edwards
Everton F.C. announced, in an official statement to-day, that they have relieved their half back, Tony Kay, of his match duties with the club pending investigation of allegations that he was involved in a match " fix" when a  Sheffield Wednesday player. After the player had met the club chairman. Mr. John Moores, and Manager Harry Catterick, at Goodison Park this morning, the following statement was issued.  "Mr. Moores and Mr. Catterick interviewed Kay and decided that it would be unfair to prejudge the issue raised in a certain Sunday newspaper until the whole matter has been fully investigated by the Football Association.  "The Everton club are in contact with the Football Association concerning this matter and for the time being Kay has been relieved of his match duties with the club."  Mr. Catterick, explaining the statement, said: "We are virtually acting as agents for the F.A. in this matter, about which we know very little. We are .letting the F.A. have the written report of our discussions with the player."
THREE PLAYERS NAMED
Kay, an England wing half, was signed at a cost of £35,000 from Sheffield Wednesday last season.  The allegations linked Kay’s name with that of two other Sheffield Wednesday players- centre forward David Layne and centre half Peter Swan, whom their club suspended last night while investigations were made.  Neither Layne nor Swan would make any comment today. Layne sat in his café close to the Sheffield Wednesday ground and talked with four Sheffield Wednesday players, including the man who takes his place against Spurs to-night –Derek Wilkinson.  It is understood that Mr. Moores and the Everton manager were to ask Kay’s explanation of the sensational news which blew up over the week-end, including a statement attributed to Kay that he might be interested in emigrating to Australia and joining a club there.  The match-fixing allegations made during the week-end relate to a First Division game on December 1, 1962 when Ipswich Town won 2-0 against Sheffield Wednesday at Ipswich.  Before the meeting with Mr. Moores and Kay to-day, Mr. Catterick said; “This is very disturbing.  The image of professional football in the public mind is damaged by these reports of bribes, I have no further comment.” 
POLICE STATEMENT
Mr. Edward Barker, Chief Constable of Sheffield, said to-day; “Having read reports we are looking into this matter.  We are starting to make our inquiries.  Just where they will take us at this stage we do not know.”  Mr. Barker added; “Where-ever there is a suggestion that there might have been a criminal offence committed, it is the job of the police to look into it.  At this stage we have just started looking into this.  We want to get on with our inquiries.”  Superintendent William Bowler, head of Sheffield C.I.D will be in charge of the investigation and he will have the assistance of other officers, should they be needed.  Last night Kay made the following statement.  “I have had nothing to do at all with betting on football matches and the matter is being placed in the hands of my solicitors.”  Kay, married with four children, added; “I know what has been claimed against me, but I have a complete defence and deny it completely.  “It is a load of nonsense.  I would never throw a match no matter how much was offered me.  I have too much to lose. 
BRIGHT FUTURE
“Do you think a player in my position would throw away a career just for the sake of winning money on a bet.  “I was 24 when the match was played and had six Young England caps behind me.  I was being freely tipped for full international honours and I had a bright future ahead of me.  “I have never bet on a football match and I never will.  I live for football and I would never do anything that could stop me from playing.  “Obviously if these allegations were true my footballing days would be finished.  “You have only got to look at the match reports of the game to see that all the sports writers said I was the best player on the Sheffield side.  Does that look as if I was trying to throw the game or had accepted a bribe?  “If someone came up to me and offered me £10,000 to play badly I would turn around and tell him what to do with his filthy money.  “No doubt, my manager. Harry Catterick, and the club chairman Mr. John Moores, will want to see me about the matter, but I have a clear conscience.” 
BETTING COUP
The harm done to football by allegations involving famous players could be made more damaging if, as I suspect, they are followed by others involving other clubs, other famous players.  From a reliable source, to-day, I learned that a betting coup of 60,000 pounds was brought off not long ago in connection with a professional betting syndicate operating on information received from players.  It would be possible for a big betting syndicate to win a sum of this kind on a combination of three matches, the results of which might be known to them before the ball was kicked.  In that case players who might be concerned with the coup would only act as pawns.  They might be asked to provide stake money for their own gamble without being told the identity of other clubs, other players, concerned in a three-way match fix.  Investigations into match-fixing have bene going on for two seasons at least. 
LIFE BAN
In August last year three players were suspended for life by the F.A and in November last year Jimmy Gauld, a former Everton forward who played for many clubs after he left Goodison Park, was fined 60 pounds at Rochdale on six summonses of attempting to corrupt professional footballers by offering bribes.  The F.A. and Football League have tried many times to get the co-operation of people who have alleged that football was not straight, but there has been an extra-ordinary reluctance on the part of the finger-pointers to give authority the facts they would need if they were to taken action.  Mr. Roy Mason, Labour M.P. for Barnsley, who has raised the question of alleged soccer irregularities in the Commons, said last night; “if these allegations are true, I am surprised and shocked because it is a sad reflection on our police investigations.” Mr. Dennis Follows, secretary of the F.A. said; “We shall have to take notice of this, following our normal procedure in handing over any evidence we might get to the police.”  Mr. Joe Richards, president of the Football League, said he presumed that the F.A. and the League would be considering the matter and “perhaps following the normal procedure and appointing a commission.”  He added; “It is a serious report.  Obviously I don’t know how far it is true, but it cannot be ignored. 
CLUB STARTS OWN INQUIRY
LINCOLN CHIEF’S STATEMENT
Mr. Frank R. Ecclehare, chairman of Lincoln City F.C commenting on allegation that Lincoln City players had been bribed to lose their home game with Brentford on December 1, 1962 said to-day he intended to interview personally every man who had played in the game.  “If any of our players are found to have taken bribes to fix any matches they will be out on their necks.  We want no corruption at Sincil Bank,” he said.  A special meeting of the Lincoln directors was held today and four players interviewed.  Afterwards Mr. Eccleshare said; “We learned nothing we did not already know.”  More players are to be interviewed to-morrow. 

EVERTON ELIMINATED THEMSELVES
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Monday April 13, 1964
By Leslie Edwards
Everton virtually eliminated themselves finally from the championship battle when they failed to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers at Goodison Park.  In the end it was not a question of their winning and keeping close company with Liverpool, but of salvaging a point.  It was only in the final minutes Temple scored to prevent Everton losing for the fourth time at home this season.  The crowd went home satisfied; I think that Everton’s second successive League triumph is not to be; that on this performance alone they proved that they haven’t got what champions need.  Yet it could all have been so different.  From the start one detected an air of dejection about the game and crowd.  It seemed as though Everton players knew just how fragile were their hopes of keeping the League title; that their followers were equally unhopeful of their chances.  One didn’t need to be told that this was the last but one of Everton home games.  The atmosphere was palpably end of season.  Those washed-out pale mustard colours of the once-famed Wolves (strictly speaking they play in old gold) did nothing to change the opinion that this was a run-of-the-mill game, with little at stake, and Vernon and Young unable, through injury, to supply the spark to the explosive mixture which can be Everton on their really good days.  Thus, the situation was ripe of anti-climax and anti-climax was precisely what we got.  In the end after leading 2-0 (it might equitably have been 4-0) from the first 20 minutes, Everton lost grip to such an extent they were hard put to it to get a point, with scarcely half a minute to spare, after Wolves had somehow contrived to go from 0-2 to 3-2. 
EARLY ESCAPES
Despite the watering of the pitch; despite the many famed players in both teams this was a very ordinary 90 minutes of football with the bounding ball too often confounding the players to leave them much chance of giving us sustained entertainment.  There were thrills, it is true, but they came mostly as the result of mistakes by defenders.  Indeed had the Wolves goalkeeper, Davies, a Liverpool lad not been involved in two bad blunders Everton might have had to be content with one goal, not three.  For 15 minutes or so it didn’t look as though Wolves would be likely to escape a thrashing.  Showell kicked the ball from the line from a Pickering header within a minute or two of the start and after Stevens had scored from Pickering’s pass Woodfield came to Davies aid again on the line, when Temple seemed destined to score.  Pickering made it 2-0 shortly afterwards after Davies had half-held his initial shot.  The odds were on the goalkeeper regaining possession, in fact I think he actually had the ball in his grasp, but somehow it ran free and Pickering literally walked it over the line.  At this stage some enthusiasm had been generated among Everton fans who must have felt the life had compensations even with Young and Vernon missing.  Not a peep just then from the pro-Young contingent who saved their chants for a more fitting, if just as useless occasion! Wolves recovered in their own time for the shock of conceding two early goals.  The first hint that they had a forward line came when Melia’s brave centre from the right found Crawford and that player had had his first shot half-saved and struck an upright with a difficult chance from the rebound.  Before the interval the same two players opened the Everton defence-Melia with an astute through pass and Crawford with a clever shot after the ball had been flicked to him by Broadbent. 
SURPRISE VOLLEY
This goal, important as it was gave no hint that Everton would not be capable of holding, or increasing their lead.  It was left to Wharton with a surprising volley which Rankin did well to reach, to help to bring the sides level, since, when the goalkeeper edged this difficult shot away, Crawford always alert for such chances, simply stepped in and tapped the ball over the line. When Wharton made a solid, accurate header past Rankin from Broadbent’s right wing pass, Wolves were in front and looked like staying there.  There has been no more remarkable transformation at Goodison Park this season.  Time and again Everton came near to equalising; time and again they failed with good chances of making the score level.  It was only when Davies chose to make a direct kicked clearance from near the goalline that Temple crowded him, stopped the ball early in flight, and then scored to give Everton a point their weak finishing hardly deserved.  Everton’s forward play for most of the game was without pattern and lacking in authority.  So much so that when things looked bad Gabriel left his half back position and changed places with Stevens.  Scott ran himself and his side into too many “impossible” positions.  Kay was the one man with the expertise to get things moving, but he was not always at his best defensively.  Temple was the only forward who really found his game.  His partnership with Morrissey was effective, too.  If Pickering could have accepted the not easy chance Temple “teed up” so brilliantly just on the interval Everton would have been spared that dismal second half in which they came off second best in spite of having by far the greater number of chances. I liked the sizeable Wolves half back line, and Woodruff in particular, Woodfield was all too strong for Pickering in the air, but at other times the new boy showed up well.  Crawford may not be as fashionable or as famous, but in a really good line what a parcel of goals he would inevitably wrap up.  It would have been nice to report that Melia had one of his great games.  Instead, it must go on record that he seemed out of touch and lacking in confidence, though when astute through passes were needed, it was he who usually made them.  No, that boardroom trophy is on the way out.  And if it doesn’t” cross the park” you can reckon the finish of this season’s programme the most fantastic in the long history of the Football League. 

EVERTON AGREE TO YOUNG’S TRANSFER REQUEST
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Tuesday April 14, 1964
UNANIMOUS DECISION AT BOARD MEETING
LOST TEAM PLACE
By Leslie Edwards
As foreshadowed in the Echo last week, Everton have elected to meet the transfer wishes of their famous former Scottish International centre-forward, Alex Young.  Dropped from the team a month ago, but brought back for two of the Easter holiday games- at home to Blackpool and away at West Bromwich on the following Tuesday- Young plainly feels that his further chances of a regular first team place at Goodison Park are slim.  When his request for a move was first made Everton were still much in the running for the championship trophy they already hold.  It was natural that the club should want him to stay with them until the title battle was ended and that 3-3 draw against Wolves, on Saturday virtually wrote off Everton’s remaining chances.  The club issued this morning the following statement “At last night’s meeting of directors the request of Alex Young to be placed on the transfer list was considered.  As this request was made despite the fact that Young was under contract at the maximum terms paid by the club, the board have no desire to hold a player who has no wish to remain with the club and it was unanimously agreed to grant his request.”  Young played at centre forward almost throughout Everton’s championship season of 1962-63.  When he was dropped this season several make-shift centre forwards were tried- including half back Gabriel –before the club signed from Blackburn Rovers at a fee of some £80,000 to£90,000 Fred Pickering to give the attack the punch it was said it lacked. 
FOOTBALL ARTISTRY
Never a great goal-getter but always a provider of chances Young, medium-sized but the essence of football artistry in everything he did captivated the crowd at Goodison Park and became the fans’ idol.  Many felt Pickering’s signing was a good move and welcomed it; they differed from the Everton club on only one point- that some place should be found elsewhere in the attack for a man who was too fine a player to spend the rest of his Everton’s days in the reserve team.  It was argued by some fans that Young was a different player at Goodison Park from when his club were playing away and that away from the inspiring influence of Everton fans he was not nearly so effective.  The last match he played, at outside left, at West Bromwich, they argue, was a good example of their reasoning.  Young’s stamina, argued others, was not his strong point.  They felt he was a centre-forward or nothing.  The player, I know, disagreed markedly with this assessment of his play.  He told me that one he had lost his first-team place he felt right out of the picture at Goodison Park.  He said he did not see why he should have to flight back for his first team place when he had proved himself in the first team all last season.
FINED BY CLUB 
He was fined a substantial sum recently after failing to attend the ground for treatment.  Manager Catterick and the player always got on well together, but it was felt thatYoung had been guilty of indiscipline and that he must be punished.  Villa inquired of the possibility of Young joining them, once he had made, his transfer request, but the: needed him as an outside right. Indications are that they have not the money Everton would want for Young. Chelsea are much more likely to succeed in finding the big fee Everton will require.  Always in the past Everton have maintained that they do not want to keep an unhappy player—and it has been clear to me that Young is just that at this moment ...  That young has been able to establish himself in English football purely in football artistry—and despite such tender soles to his feet that all the specialists in the North-West cannot prevent them blistering when he plays on hard pitches— indicates his skill in all facets of centre-forward play.  He plays the game cleanly and with unusual modesty, too and maybe these are the two qualities the Everton crowd appreciate most in him.  Young joined Everton in November, 1960.  He could have gone to Preston North End but said he was most impressed with the Everton set-up.  With Young when he joined Everton from Hearts was full-back George Thomson, now a Brentford player.  The pair cost Everton about £55,000.  Young started his career with the junior club in Edinburgh, Newtongrange Star.  He made his senior debut for Hearts in 1955-56, occupying the inside and outside right positions.  During his stay with Hearts he gained Scottish League and Cup medals and a full Scottish cap after playing with the Under-23 side.  Young is the second famous Alex Young to figure in Everton history.  The first of the same name was also a Scot and scored the only goal of the Cup Final in which Everton beat Newcastle at Crystal Palace in 1906. 

LEAGUE STATEMENT ON PICKERING SOON
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Tuesday, April 14, 1964
INQUIRY INTO TRANSFER
FILE CLOSED
By Leslie Edwards
The Football League will issue, during the course of the next few days, a statement closing their inquiries into the controversial signing, by Everton, of Blackburn Rovers’ centre forward Fred Pickering.  It will be recalled that the registration of the player was accepted by the Football League only after a three-man commission of the League had considered the circumstances of the move.  The Commission then stated; “Having regard to all the circumstances, however, we feel that we must make further inquiries in the light of certain provisions of the regulations of the Football League.”  I understand that inquiries have proved fruitless; that statements attributed to several people have not been confirmed as being made, and that the League have decided to close their file on the matter. 
Everton and Liverpool –but no first-teamers in either case- at Goodison Park, on Monday (7-30) in a semi-final of the Liverpool Senior Cup.  The other semi-finalists are Southport and Tranmere Rovers. 

ALEX YOUNG CAN GO-AND SAYS…
Liverpool Daily Post-Wednesday, April 15, 1964
I FELT DOORS WERE CLOSING AGAINST ME…
By Jack Rowe
Alex Young, the blond ball playing Scottish international centre forward, who led the Everton attack for most of last season’s championship success can leave the club.  In a statement yesterday Everton through secretary W. Dickinson said, “As the request was made despite the fact that Young is under contract at the maximum terms paid by Everton, the club does not desire to hold a player who does not wish to remain, and it was unanimously agreed to grant his request.”  Young recently lost his place to £75,000 signing Fred Pickering from Blackburn and the last match he played, at West Bromwich on Easter Tuesday, was at outside right.  The Scot, capped seven times by his country came to Goodison Park in November 1960, signed by the former manager John Carey.  His departure will not please a large section of Everton’s supporters and the decision of the club to grant his request is certain to cause tomorrow.  Young said last night that he would be sorry to leave Liverpool. 
FANS WERE KIND
“I have made a tremendous number of friends here and everyone has been kind to me-particularly the fans.  “I have fell for a while though that the doors have been closing against me,” he added.  With the end of the season near it is not likely that Young will move quickly.  Everton have not indicated what fee they have in mind for the player, but it is known that Chelsea are one club who are interested in his future.
CATTERICK STAYING
Another announcement from Everton yesterday was that manager harry Catterick is not going on the Australian tour, starting on April 26. Mr. Catterick said; “I can serve the club far better by staying in England.” 

PCIKERING IN LINE FOR ENGLAND CAP
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Wednesday, April 15, 1964
MAY REPLACE BYRNE
TOUR CHANCE
By Leslie Edwards
When Everton leave for their Australian tour on April 26, they are almost certain to be without their new centre forward, Fred Pickering.  The former Blackburn player, who has no full England cap, is likely to collect several of them during the close season.  I understand the F.A. are likely to want him to tour with the national team, scheduled to play matches against Uruguay (at Wembley) and in Eire, the United States and Brazil and Mexico within the next two months.  Pickering is almost certain I understand to take over the England centre-forward position held last Saturday by Bryne, of West Ham, in the match against Scotland.  The Everton manager, Mr. Catterick will not accompany the Everton team.  He feels he can be more usefully employed in this country as a time when the transfer market is likely to have something to offer.  Trainer Tom Eggleston, aided by coach Ron Lewin will be in charge of the team in its tour games in Australia. 

PLENTY OF TRUE BLUES DOWN UNDER
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Thursday, April 16, 1964
By George Harrison
IT'S REGARDED as a safe bet that Everton's forthcoming footballing tour of Australia will be a success  and immensely popular with the crowds, and I've just received from a Merseyside "exile" living in Dandenong, Victoria, Mr.  B. H. Pringle, a sports page from their local newspaper, dealing with Everton's visit.  Mr. Pringle, who tells me he is making a huge blue and white rosette to wear for Everton's arrival, says:  "I don't think they will have any difficulty in winning all their matches here, but I believe they will be surprised to find how many supporters they have where-ever they play.  This country must have thousands of ex-Scousers, and I reckon we shall all make a point of seeing at least one of the tour games."  The newspaper he enclosed describes Everton as "The Team Worth£1,000.000," and gives pen-pictures of some of the more costly players.  “Everton's team In Australia will not, however, include their latest purchase Fred Pickering, who cost £100, 000,' the writerregrets.  Mr. Pringle wants to know why Pickering won't be going. The chances are that he will. It depends whether he is needed for the England team to tour America this summer.  At any rate Pickering is still on the list of players the club have named as "probables" for Australia, which ought to please Mr. Pringle and his fellow- Scousers.  Mr. Pringle mentions that he was with the Crosville bus company for 30 years until going Down Under in January to take a security job with a harvester manufacturing firm. He receives the Football Echo each week and says:  "I can't express the feeling of joy I get when I open my mail-box and see the old familiar paper from home inside it." 

MURRAY BACK FOR CHELSEA
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Thursday, April 16, 1964
BIG INCENTIVE TO BEAT EVERTON
Chelsea right winger, Bert Murray, recovered from a muscle strain, returns against Everton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday and the team will be at full strength for their last League fixture of the season.  Chelsea have an incentive that if they finish above Tottenham in the final table they will be London’s representative in the Inter-Cities Fair’s Cup competition next season.  Chelsea; Bonetti; Shellito, McCreadie; Harris (R.), Mortimore, Upton; Murray, Tambling, Bridges, Venables, Blunstone. 

EVERTON’S ROY VERNON SAYS…
Liverpool Daily Post-Friday, April 17, 1964
LEAGUE TROPHY HEADING FOR SHORTEST TRIP?
It now looks as though the League Championship trophy will make the shortest journey in its history in passing from one club to another, for Liverpool manager Bill Shankly will have to take only an after-training walk to Goodison to take it from Everton.  I admit we shall see it go with a pang, not because it is going to Anfield, but because I believe that given an even break in the luck the Cup would have stayed where it was.  We are going to miss it and all that goes with it, but here and now I give warning to Liverpool- we shall take it from you next season! Some people maintain it is harder to retain the trophy than to win it and I am not prepared to argue against that.  When a team first lifts the Cup, it is only in the late stages of the season that they emerge as the No.1 target for the remaining clubs.  When they are already champions, everybody aims to knock them off their perch. Liverpool will know what I mean by this time next season.  I have not seen Liverpool for quite a time, but their results speak for themselves since Easter and the way in which they dealt with all the top teams- except Everton-stamp them as a better side than I was previously prepared to admit.
AT A DISADVANTAGE
I am assuming there is no last-minute slip-up when I say that when they go into Europe next September, I can only wish them better luck than we had this season, not only in drawing the toughest team in the competition at the very first fence, but in having to contend with injuries at the same time.  If Liverpool could carry straight on now in the form, they are in they could make a profound impression on the Europeans, but it is a misfortune that they will have to wait so long to get to grips.  English clubs, I maintain are at a disadvantage in this competition, for they receive no sort of consideration from officialdom in regard to postponed matches, while on the Continent they allow their clubs to make this their No.1 target, in the belief that the prestige value to their country is considerable. 
OUT FOR SECOND PLACE
Liverpool have not drawn a single home game this season.  If that record is smashed to-morrow there will be no complaint from their supporters for just one point would spark off the most memorable celebrations ever known in Anfield history.  If it rivals the wonderful reception, we received at Goodison Park last season then it will be a memory which will stay with the players for the next of their lives.  Everton can still finish second and we mean to do it.  If we succeed it will not have been such a bad season after all, for to be first and second in successive seasons shows a consistency and quality that are possessed only by top-class teams.
TOUGH PROGRAMME
We are all getting excited at the prospect of our trip to Australia, but we know quite well it is not going to be one long holiday, for we have quite a strenuous programme. While we are led to believe that the quality of Australia football hardly compares with Division One in this country, these will be gala days for the Aussies and because it will be a feather in their cap if they manage to knock us down, we must be on our best form to go through the tour unbeaten.  Our holidays will come at the end of the tour, for I understand we are to have a few days in Honolulu before flying home to take another holiday with our families before starting up again for next season.  The breaks between seasons are getting shorter and shorter.  Before very long it may become impossible to fit in tours of this sort, which I think would be a bad thing for the game.  Players look forward to these breaks and I am one of those who believes they foster good relations.  It was a grievous disappointment to me to have to miss the international game between Wales and Ireland and even more distressing to find my country beaten.  As I write these notes certain whether or not I shall be fit for our game at Chelsea, but I am living in hope. 

INCENTIVES ALL ROUND
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Friday, April 17, 1964
By Leslie Edwards
Everton, at Chelsea, will be competing with one of their rivals for a place in the Inter Cities' Fairs Cup tournament next season. Tottenham, too, have hopes that they will qualify for this lucrative money-spinner.  It is hoped that Vernon, who missed the game against Wolves and Wales' battle against Ireland in mid-week, will have recovered from his ankle injury in time to give the line the touch of inspiration it sometimes lacks when he is not present.  Chelsea are a fast, young side who have not quite reached the fame experts predicted for them, but on their own pitch and with more than one incentive they will be difficult to beat. Everton's championship hopes are so slender it would be almost miraculous if they were able to retain their title. Despite the fact that Liverpool had an  undistinguished day when last they met their rivals, there is a feeling at Goodison Park that Liverpool will be a most deserving side to be next possessors of the trophy which still stands in a place of honour on the Everton trophy case. 
Mr. R. C. O'Neill, of 9 Howard Drive, Grassendale, says: I would like you to put right, through your column, what I would consider the most blatant case of injustice this season. That is the failure to recognise the true value of our most consistently brilliant outside-left, Derek Temple.  "Never have I seen him mentioned as a successor to Charlton, but surely there isno other player more deserving of a cap than this modest and undemonstrative exponent of good, clean football.  "In this season of perpetual disappointments one bright feature stands out and that is for (me) the hat-trick of rescue acts, when all seemed lost, performed by Temple, against Spurs, Blackburn and, more recently, Wolves. In each case he went through and scored, almost unaided, and each goal was worth a point. I would be very grateful if you could let him know, through your column, just how much he is appreciated. 

MORRISSEY OUT OF EVERTON TEAM
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Friday, April 17, 1964
FINAL CHOICE DELAYED
LONDON TRIP
By Leslie Edwards
Everton’s team for the match against Chelsea, in London to-morrow has not been finally decided.  It will comprise last week’s eleven, minus Tony Kay and Johnny Morrissey, plus full-back Meagan and forwards Vernon and Rees.  Meagan is likely to figure at left back and Harris at left half. 

EVERTON CHAIRMAN’S REVELATION
Liverpool Daily Post-Saturday, April 18, 1964
CATTERICK IS OFFERED FIVE YEAR CONTRACT
By Horace Yates
Mr. Harry Catterick, manager of Everton Football Club has been offered a new contract for a period of five years.  Club chairman Mr. John Moores told me last night; “Negotiations ate well advanced, and I am hoping it will be possible to reach complete agreement on terms very shortly.  “Mr. Catterick wants to stay I have been very satisfied with the way he has done his work.”  The original four-year contract which Mr. Catterick signed when taking over from Mr. John Carey still has one year to run.  I gather however, there was a clause in that agreement that Mr. Catterick would be given twelve months’ notice of the club’s intentions regarding any question of renewal.  Because some people read into the fact that Mr. Catterick had withdrawn from his club’s Australian tour he might be considering his future, I approached the chairman in an effort to learn the correct position.  Mr. Moores told me; “I shall be staying in this country and I encouraged Mr. Catterick to stay behind so that we could both be on hand at a period of the season which is probably the most important regarding recruitment of players. 
FINISH SECOND
“Clearly we must interest ourselves in recruitments if we are to maintain our leading position in soccer affairs.  Moreover, it will enable Mr. Catterick to make some interesting exploratory trips.  “Opportunities might easily be missed in his absence and I found Mr. Catterick was also thinking along similar lines.”  Regarding his personal position Mr. Moores said; “I have been asked to remain in office as chairman and have agreed to do so, although I pointed out that for business reasons, I might not be able to travel to as many away matches next season as I have done this.  However, I shall travel to away games whenever possible.”  Everton were informed yesterday that the special hearing which Fred Pickering has requested, following his booking by the referee in the recent match at Blackburn Rovers, will take place in Manchester next Wednesday when a Disciplinary Commission is convened.  Although Liverpool’s triumphant progress has cornered most of the publicity, sight should not be lost of the fact that Everton can still finish in second place.  To do this they may have to win both remaining games.  Fortunately for to-day’s visit to Chelsea, Roy Vernon resumes at inside left following the heel injury he received at Stoke City.  Mr. Catterick will not decide the composition of his side until he reaches Stamford Bridge.  The only defensive certainly is that Rankin will be in goal and Labone at centre half. 

PENALTY SUFFICIENT TO BEAT EVERTON IN UNHAPPY GAME
Liverpool Football Echo & Evening Express- Saturday, April 18, 1964
CHELSEA 1, EVERTON 0
By Michael Charters
Chelsea; Bonetti; Hinton, McCreadie; Harris (R.), Mortimore, Upton; Murray, Tambling, Bridges, Venables (Captain), Blunstone.  Everton; Rankin; Brown, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Harris (B); Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Vernon (Captain), Temple.  Referee; Mr. J.K. Taylor (Wolverhampton).  There was a happy little ceremony on the Stamford Bridge pitch before the game when Frank Blunstone, the Chelsea and former England winger was presented with a cheque for 5,000 pounds as the proceeds of a testimonial.  Blunstone who is Chelsea’s longest serving player, was signed by them ten years ago from Crewe Alex, when the Everton manager Harry Catterick was in charge at Crewe.  Everton were a foot away from scoring in the first minute.  Pickering made a good break down the right and Scott met his centre first time, to send the ball just wide of the far post.  Then Chelsea won a corner on the right and Mortimore came up to make a good header from the centre, which also went wide.  Chelsea were ever-ready for a shot and after Labone had only partially cleared just outside the penalty area, Tambling stepped in to hit a terrific shot which Rankin turned over the bar. From the corner, the Everton defence got in a real tangle, and the ball bounced well for Mortimore who shot high over the bar with a good chance.
CHELSEA PRESSURE
Everton’s defence was not playing well against a series of Chelsea corners and from one of them Murray was completely unmarked.  Everton were lucky to see his header drop just over the bar on to the top netting.  At the other end, Everton produced a good-looking right wing move, and from the final cross.  Bonetti did well to come out quickly and save from Vernon.  Chelsea were doing most of the attacking, but Pickering, who was distributing the ball well almost got Temple away with his long through pass.  McCreadie coming up to take a pass from Blunstone, surprised Rankin with the power and unexpectedness of his 30-yards shot, and the goalkeeper allowed the ball to bounce out of his arms.  Fortunately for Everton there was no Chelsea player in the vicinity and Gabriel stepped in to complete the clearance. 
SCRAPPY PLAY
The game had become rather scrappy now, Everton seemed to have contained the initial flurry of the Chelsea forwards, and Labone and company were playing much more soundly.  Pickering was doing well with very limited chances, and he took a pass down the left wing from Harris to make an opening for Vernon, whose short-range shot was deflected just wide by Mortimore.  The referee was permitting some rather incredible obstructive tactics by the Chelsea defenders, and one in particular on Pickering, as he tried to go through was a blatant case.  But there was no whistle and on went this rather dull game.  At last the referee did speak to Ron Harris for a foul on Stevens.  The game became quite heated and Stevens had to have attention to his right leg after the clash with Harris.  Neither goalkeeper had a great deal to do (Bonetti hardly anything at all) but Rankin made a nice pick-up, in mid-air from a shot by Bridges.  Vernon appealed strongly for obstruction and in the skirmish which followed Ron Harris appeared to strike the Everton skipper.  The referee took Harris’s name and immediately on the restart Chelsea attacked and were awarded a penalty with quite the most amazing decision I have seen this season.  Blunstone moved through on the left, pushed the ball too far forward, and Rankin came out quickly and picked the ball up.  Blunstone running on, fell over Rankin’s body and the referee gave Chelsea a penalty after 37 minutes, from which Murray scored.  All the Everton players protested, but Mr. Taylor stuck to his guns.  Shortly afterwards Bonetti had to have attention when he fell awkwardly and before play resumed the referee called both captains together and spoke to them, obviously telling them to claim down the tempo.  To me it seemed the game needed stricter control.  In one of the best attacks of the game, which had tended in the last 15 minutes to be full of niggling fouls.  Vernon cleverly beat Upton in midfield, and made a fast run before slipping the ball to Pickering whose shot was beautifully saved by Bonetti at full stretch.  Half-time; Chelsea 1, Everton nil.
A minute or so after the restart, the referee completely missed a foul by Gabriel on Mortimore and only stopped play when the Chelsea player was lying on the pitch with the rest of his team calling on the trainer.  A linesman signalled and the referee went across to speak to him, then took Gabriel’s name but restarted the game with a bounce up, 20 yards from where the incident took place.  The game had been ruined with all this unnecessary niggling.  Both teams were moving the ball about as though it were red hot, and the referee continued to miss a lot of what appeared, to me, to be obvious obstruction.  The Chelsea supporters had been shouting “Off, off, off!” whenever Gabriel had the ball, but they were silenced when the referee gave Everton three free kicks in succession for fouls by their half-backs.  Bonetti slipped up for the first time when he failed to gather cleanly a corner by Scott but there was no Everton player around to take advantage. 
EVERTON IMPROVE
Everton were now playing their best football of the game and Scott brought the ball inside to pass to Vernon, whose good shot was only just wide.  Pickering was Everton’s best forward and a neat back-heeled flick from him, for Vernon to chase, was only blocked by Ron Harris handling.  Both teams were now playing some attractive attacking football with the Chelsea forwards just having the edge.  For long periods Everton’s attack consisted mainly of Pickering and Vernon and they were so outnumbered that they could rarely create an opening between them.  Everton brought a great roar of applause with a magnificent move in which the ball went from one end of the pitch to the other with two raking passes.  Stevens from the edge of his own penalty area, found Vernon on the right wing with a perfect 40 yard pass and then Vernon crossed it to Pickering, who hit the ball as it dropped and while at full gallop, the ball flashing just over the bar.  In the closing stages, Chelsea were having more of the play, as they had done for most of the time.  But Everton were doing much better than in the first half, although it always looked as though Chelsea would increase their lead rather than Everton equalise.  In the last minute, Bridges missed an open goal after Rankin had only half saved a great shot from Venables.  Final; Chelsea 1, Everton nil.  Attendance; 37,963. 

WHY YOUNG ASKED TO LEAVE CLUB
Liverpool Football Echo & Evening Express- Saturday, April 18, 1964
By Leslie Edwards
Alex. Young, a “Football Echo " contributor since his early days at Goodison Park, obviously cannot give the background to the situation which resulted in his asking for, and obtaining, permission to leave the club. Leslie Edwards, who has seen Young play many times and who knows some of the background to the case, takes over Young's space, this week, to tell of events which caused Young to ask for a transfer rather than remain, perhaps out of the first team, but on the club's maximum wage terms.
Alex Young has certainly been extremely happy with Everton. He has appreciated the opportunity they gave him to earn very big money; the support and enthusiasm of the crowd and the comradeship of fellow teammates with whom he has got along famously.  Quite often when a player wants to leave he does so to a barrage of mud - slinging. This just could not happen in this case. 
Young has always behaved with dignity and sportsmanship on field. He has never, during his short period out of the first team, thought fit to lose that dignity or sense of proportion and for that reason many fans who delighted in his artistic football think the more of him.  No doubt it, after seven seasons in top class football, first with Hearts, then with Everton, the prospect of being called on to spend some period in reserve football at Goodison Park must have been a shattering blow.  It was only natural, I suppose, that his pride was hurt, since his club's action in signing Fred Pickering indicated that he fell short, perhaps in final drive, of their ideas of the ideal centre piece of the line.  Where Brian Harris and others have been content to soldier on believing that sooner or later they would regain first team status.  Young has decided that Central League football is not for him.  There is no doubt that he is a player who thrives on the inspiration produced by an Everton crowd at Goodison Park.  Manager Harry Catterick's decision was a hard one to take, and not a popular one, but as I see it he does not flinch form doing what he considers in his expert opinion is the right thing.  His managerial successes all along the line since he ceased to be an Everton player indicates that he doesn't often make mistakes. 
ATMOSPHERE
Young can find no inspiration from playing to empty terraces in Central League football, and I think his great fear when he made this transfer application, was that during a lengthy period in the reserves he might lose that touch which makes him the best ball artist in British football when he really hits top form.  I think Young is the type of player more likely to produce a brilliant game against one of the top teams in the country when the crowd atmosphere is really "electric" rather than against the reserve side of a Fourth Division club.  He realises that he is not half the player without the roar of the packed terraces behind him, for that is the way things have been for him during most of his footballing days.  As he is still a young man, one can understand his feeling that a long spell in reserve football might be harmful to his career.  It is because Young realises how much the support of the fans means to him, and players in general, that there has always been a word or two of thanks for them in his column after any notable Everton success.  Young will emphasise that he thoroughly enjoys living on Merseyside where he has made many good friends.  He'll tell you that the Everton fans are the best in the world ... and you can take it from me that he means it sincerely.  Since the announcement that Everton were prepared to release him. Young has received dozens of letters wishing him the best of luck if fate does decide that he must leave Merseyside.  Many fans have called at his home to say "Good luck and thanks for the memory" personally.  Let me assure you that the feeling is mutual, for Young idolises the Goodison Park spectators just as much as they have done him during his stay here. 
AT VARIANCE 
Young's departure from Everton will be regretted by many—even by those who valued the incoming of Pickering, whose goal a match average, so far, shows what the club were aiming for.  Most fans are at variance with the club in not finding some place for Young else-where in the line, but as I say, Mr. Catterick knows his own know best and is prepared to stand by his  actions. That the club have not stood in the way of a player who feels he has reason to be discontent.  The good wishes of the public of Liverpool and of his team mates will go with Alex when, as must happen within the next week or so, some club comes along prepared to pay the price Everton will ask for him. 

EVERTON RES V BARNSLEY RES
Liverpool Football Echo & Evening Express- Saturday, April 18, 1964
Everton Res.- West; Parnell, Darcy; Jarvis, Heslop, Sharples; Shaw, Harvey, Hill, Humphreys, Morrisey.  Barnsley Res.- Williamson; Shaw, Murphy; Green, Craven, Farnsworth, Proven, Cochrane, Sproates, Hutchinson, Lawton.  Referee.- Mr. I. Seddon, (Leyland).  Play was fairly even for the first few minutes until Everton took the lead.  It was at seven minutes when a throw in from Morrissey eventually went to HUMPHREYS who took the ball through on his own and beat Williamson with a low angled shot.  In the next minute Williamson brought off another good save from Humphreys.  Barnsley were working hard and Craven was starting some good moves, but little could be done against the tight Everton defence.  Barnsley’s most dangerous man, outside right Proben, was getting little change out of Darcy, who was being well covered by Heslop.  Everton were well on top and the fast little Shaw was giving Murphy plenty to do.  Shaw soon proved his speed against Murphy and at the 28th minute, having beaten the back, he put in an easy centre for Harvey to score from three yards.  A minute later, Shaw did it again and this time Hill drove in his square pass.  Everton made it four, three minutes from the interval, when Hill well placed easily beat Williamson.  Half-time; Everton Res 4, Barnsley Res nil. 

PICKERING’S BEST DISPLAY TO DATE, BUT-
Liverpool Daily Post- Monday, April 20, 1946
EVERTON SUNK BY A STRONGLY-DISPUTED CHELSEA PENALTY
CHELSEA 1, EVERTON 0
By Michael Charters
Everton manager Harry Catterick was hopeful of a point at Chelsea on Saturday to aid his team’s hopes of finishing in the top three talent money places, but Everton were beaten by a strongly disputed which became the major incident in a hot-tempered match, spoiled as a spectacle, I thought because the referee was not firm enough in the early stages.  Chelsea a fast young and enthusiastic team were guilty early on of obstructive tactics, but Mr. Taylor allowed them to go unchecked.  There was retaliation from Everton when their appeals for free kicks were turned down, and the result was that the game quickly became full of incidents and niggling fouls.  The first explosion of note came in the middle of the first half when Ron Harris had his name taken for striking Vernon in the face.  After this the game went on as hotly contested as ever until, in the 37th minute, came the penalty award which I thought one of the most surprising decisions of the season. 
EVERYONE SURPRISED
Blunstone the clever left winger, worked the ball into the Everton penalty area from the left but pushed it too far ahead and Rankin came out and picked up.  Blunstone fell over and Tambling and Bridges could also be seen in the ground.  To everybody’s surprise (including I believe, the Chelsea players) Mr. Taylor gave a penalty for a foul.  Afterwards it was said that he considered Tambling had been tripped, Murray scored from the spot.  Five minutes later the referee called together Vernon and the Chelsea captain, Venables, in an attempt to get the tempo of the game toned down.  There was one other major incident before the game became a better football spectacle, and that occurred immediately after the interval when Gabriel had his name taken for a foul on Mortimore.  The referee did not see this, and it was only after speaking to a linesman while the game was held up as the trainer attended to Mortimore that Mr. Taylor took the action he did.
SETTLED DOWN
After this, however, both teams settled down to play some attractive football.  Chelsea deserved their victory because they did the major portion of the attacking, but at the same time Everton were unlucky to lose by such a penalty decision.  Everton’s play of late has not been good and their game on Saturday was not much improved.  They gave a defensive-minded exhibition and worked hard with considerable credit.  But their wing halves are not as dominating as they were and failed to get control in midfield against the lively young Chelsea forwards among when Murray was outstanding. Everton had one major success, however, in Pickering who had his best game for the club since he came from Blackburn, England manager Alf Ramsay watched the game and Pickering’s excellent display has probably won him a place in England’s close season tour.  He provided the most threatening Everton moves and had a fine shot saved by Bonetti in the first half and came close afterwards to scoring what would have been a sensational and remarkable goal.  It stemmed from the finest move of the match, Everton were pinned on defence when Stevens brought the ball away from his own penalty area and produced a magnificent forty yards pass on the unmarked Vernon on the right wing.  Vernon crossed it quickly and Pickering, racing down the centre at top speed, hit the ball on the volley from twenty yards, and sent a tremendous shot inches over the bar.  Even the Chelsea supporters applauded.  As Pickering had opened the game by providing Scott with a fine chance, this could well be called his game.  Temple was foiled of a fine individual goal by an excellent save from Bonetti who turned quickly in midfield to hold the ball after Temple had tried to chip it over him.  Everton’s final position must now rest on next Saturday when they play West Ham at home.  Chelsea; Bonetti; Hinton, McCreadie; Harris (R), Mortimer, Upton, Murray, Trambling, Bridges, Venables (captain), Blunstone. Everton; Rankin; Brown, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Harris (B); Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Vernon (Captain), Temple.  Referee Mr. J.K. Taylor, Wolverhampton. 

CENTRAL LEAGUE
Liverpool Daily Post-Monday, April 20, 1946
THIS WAS SO EASY FOR EVERTON
EVERTON RES 7, BARNSLEY RES 0
Everton Reserves ha done of their easiest central League games of the season against Barnsley Reserves at Goodison Park and could have doubled their score with a little more accuracy.  They took the lead in the seventh minute through Humphreys and although it took them twenty minutes before adding to their score.  Shaw’s complete mastery of full back Murphy and a sound Heslop-led defence left little doubt about the eventual result.  At the 28th and 29th minutes Shaw beat Murphy and saw his final passes easily converted by Harvey and Hill and Barnsley completely lost heart.  Hill got a fourth goal at 47 minutes, half back Jarvis had a goal disallowed right on the interval, and three further goals came from Shaw (56 minutes), Harvey (84 minutes), and Morrissey (86 minutes) before the final whistle went. 

PENALTY HIGHLIGHT IN HOT-TEMPERED EVERTON GAME
Liverpool Echo- Monday, April 20, 1964
By Michael Charters
Everton have played several hot-tempered games at Chelsea in recent years and Saturday’s episode followed the usual pattern- with one important difference.  Here one must place a portion of the blame for the flurry of incidents on referee J.T. Taylor.  In my opinion, using guarded words, his control left much to be desired.  In the opening stages the match looked like being an entertaining, fast-moving duel between two sides with hopes of talent money.  Then the referee failed to check obstructive tactics by the Chelsea players, whose speed and enthusiasm is allied to rather surprising ruggedness, and from then on the match was ruined as a football spectacle.  Had the referee clamped down hard on some of these early offenders, all would have bene well.  But he used his whistle as though he was frightened of wearing it out with the result that Everton players were provoked.  There was retaliation, discord and disorder.  Midway through the first Chelsea’s right half Ron Harris had his name taken for striking Vernon across the face-Kay was sent off for a similar incident earlier in the season.  The tempo of the game was inflammatory and it was not eased by the penalty decision shortly afterwards which rates for me as the most surprising decision of the season. 
PROTESTS
Blunstone took the ball into the Everton penalty area from the left, pushed it too far forward, and Rankin moved out to make a simple pick-up.  As Rankin gathered the ball Blunstone flung himself headlong, Tambling and Bridges, coming in fast from the right, were also seen to go down and as Rankin prepared to kick the ball upfield, Mr. Taylor pointed dramatically at the penalty spot.  He gave a penalty for a foul which only he saw.  Apparently he said Tambling had bene tripped.  Murray scored from the spot and Everton’s strong protests were ignored.  The referee, five minutes later, called together Vernon and Venables, the Chelsea captain, telling them to instruct their players to tone the game down.  Had he acted more firmly earlier on he would have had no need to demand the co-operation of the captains. 
BEST FORGOTTEN
There was one more major explosion to come.  Immediately after the interval, Gabriel fouled Chelsea centre half Mortimore.  Mr. Taylor missed it.  He stopped play because Mortimore was lying on the pitch needing attention.  While the trainer was on, Mr. Taylor went across to a flagging linesman and returned to take Gabriel’s name, but did not give Chelsea free kick.  Fortunately the game now settled down and we saw some fine football from both teams.  The niggling fouls were still there, but in minor key, although it should be recorded that 10 free kicks were awarded against the Chelsea left half, Upton- and the referee did not speak to him once.  Obviously these incidents were the major taking points and the game, as a game, is best forgotten.  Everton were unlucky to lose by such a disputable penalty, but generally their overall play was not much improvement on recent performances.  They played a defensive type of game and got through much hard work with credit, as Chelsea did the major share of the attacking. Rankin made several good saves, notably two from Venables and Tambling, and the rest of the defence were hard pressed at times against the bust Chelsea attack, which moved well and at speed.  The Everton wing halves were not the dominant figures they can be and loss of control in midfield gave Chelsea the edge.  I liked the look of young Murray on the right wing, while the skill of Blunstone was a feature.  Everton’s principal success was Pickering, who must have played himself off Everton’s Australian tour and into England’s close season trip with this display.  England manager Alf Ramsay saw Pickering play an intelligent, skilful game without a great deal of support as Scott, Temple and Stevens came back to help their defence.  Pickering had a fine shot saved by Bonetti, a grand goalkeeper, and was inches away from scoring what would have been the goal of this, or any other, season.  It was a classic move, far and away the finest of the game. 
ON THE VOLLEY
Stevens, from the edge of the penalty area, delivered a defence cracking 40-yard pass of such excellence that it turned the flow of the game in a spilt second.  He placed it into the path of the fast-moving Vernon, who had drifted unmarked to the right wing.  Vernon took it on a few yards and crossed it to the centre where Pickering, in full stride, hit the ball on the volley with his right foot from 20 yards and his tremendous shot flew just over the bar with Bonetti standing transfixed with the surprise and power of the whole move.  Temple, who also had a grand game, had a chance of an equaliser when he broke through the middle and tried to chip the ball over Bonetti’s head, but the goalkeeper turned quickly to make a fine save.  So Everton must wait until their final match against West Ham next Saturday to see if they can earn the talent money from a top three spot.  They have slumped in general and individual performance recently, and they missed Kay on Saturday. 

END OF THE PICKERING INQUIRY
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Monday, April 20, 1964
NO FURTEHR ACTION
LEAGUE LETTER
By Leslie Edwards
The Football League have confirmed the action of the special commission set up to inquire into the registration of Fred Pickering as an Everton player.  When Pickering was transferred from Blackburn Rovers to Everton at a fee of between £80,000 and £90,000, the League notified Everton that his registration would not be accepted until a three-man commission had inquired into the matter.  They ruled that Pickering’s registration should be accepted, but that further inquiries into the signing should be made.  Everton have now received a letter from the League saying that there has been further inquiry into rumours in certain newspapers concerning the transfer of the registration of the player to Everton. 
NO PROOF
“The Management Committee,” the letter continues, “has not been able to obtain any proof of a possible breach of regulations.”  They have confirmed the action of the commission and have decided that they can take no further action in the matter. Pickering as foreshadowed in the Echo last week, is to be asked to join the England party which tours America and South America during the close season.  He is, therefore, certain to miss his club’s close season tour of Australia. 

PICKERING CASE IS CLOSED
Liverpool Daily Post-Tuesday, April 21, 1964
The Football League have officially closed their inquiry into the transfer of the England Under-23 international centre forward Fred Pickering from Blackburn Rovers to Everton at a fee of £80,000.  Mr. Alan Hardaker the League Management Committee, at their last meeting, had confirmed the action of a commission appointed to inquire into the transfer. 
EXTENSIVE INQUIRIES
He said, “Extensive inquiries made since the meeting of the commission have not produced any proof of the suggestion that there had been a possible breach of League regulations in connection with the transfer of this player.  “The Management Committee have therefore decided to take no further action.” 

LIVERPOOL IN SENIORCUP FINAL
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Tuesday, April 21, 1964
By Leslie Edwards
Liverpool had to fight hard and long to reach the final of the Liverpool Senior Cup last night when they beat Everton at Goodison Park 3-2 in almost the dying minutes of the game. This semi-final betweentwo reserve sides on a rain-soaked mud patch might have been a vital Division: match for the amount of energy it produced. Neither side prepared to give anything away and although the game produced five goals for most of the game the defences were on top. Twice a goal down, Liverpool fought back to equalise and then a Graham goal at the 80th minute gave them a victory which they justabout merited. For the first 30 minutes they looked the more dangerous but it wasEverton who scored through Harvey with virtually their first real shot of the match. Everton came more into the game but outside right Shaw was allowed little leeway by Hignett and it was left to Morrissey on the other wing to try and drill a way through a sound defence coolly general led by Lawler. Liverpool's persistence in attack paid off at 52 minutes when McCullough dived to head home a low Acourt centre but Everton were back in front again 10 minutes later when Harvey made no mistake with another Humphreys pass. Liverpool were still full of fight and at 79 minutes Graham restored the balance when a left wing free kick cannoned off Wallace to him. In the next minute Graham found himself again in front of goal after another free kick and the ball was in the net for the winning goal. 

F.A. GUIDANCE AWAITED AT GOODISON PARK
Liverpool Daily Post-Wednesday, April 22, 1964
SHOULD EVERTON NOW REVIEW THE TONY KAY CASE?
INVESTIGATION BY POLICE MIGHT CONTINUE FOR 12 MONTHS OR MORE
By Horace Yates
Has the time come for Everton Football Club ton review the decision they took last week to relieve Tony Kay, their international half back, of match duties, following newspaper allegations that he had taken part in betting on a match at Ipswich, while playing for Sheffield Wednesday two years ago?  Apparently, the allegations in which Kay’s name was coupled with two Sheffield Wednesday players, are part of a serial story in which it is promised that a number of players names will be given.  Already some others have been accused.  Not all the clubs have deemed it necessary to take players involved in accusations out of football, pending further inquiries. On the spot demands of guilt have been accepted. 
KAY’S DENIALS
Kay denies the charges as vigorously as any man possibly could.  How long it will be before the Football Association offer guidance to clubs we cannot tell.  If they were to recommended that the players under notices should be barred from football for the time being, clubs would inevitably fall into line.  Suppose, however, the F.A. were to make no such recommendation, what then?  If we are to be guided by past events, it would not be surprising to find the Football Association keeping an entirely open mind until police action was complete.  The wheels of justice sometimes turn extremely slowly, so that who can tell how long it may be before the authorities announce whether or not they are prepared to bring charges? If no charges are brought the F.A. would then have to consider whether or not there was evidence of any breach of their own rules.  It is wrenching possibilities too far to suggest that this time next year may have arrived before any degree of finality is reached!  I am in the forefront of those who want to see football cleaned up so that it is free from the slightest breath of suspicious of any crookedness.  If any player is found guilty, beyond reasonable doubt, of accepting bribes, he will get no sympathy in the predicament in which he has placed himself. 
NO OFFICIAL CHARGE
At the same time, in punishing the guilty, it is equally important there should be full protection for the innocent.  All I know just now is that Kay has protested most a vehemently his innocence.  If the Everton club, in the absence of any direction from the F.A. were to restore Kay to playing duties could any finger a criticism he pointed their way? All they would have been guilty of would he refusing to penalise a man against whom there has not been as much as an official charge.  The League have found no reason to intervene.  Everyone admires Everton’s manifestations that the club wish to keep their hands absolutely clean, but where is the storms in waiting for a charge to be laid before taking action?  Kay is, of course, desperately keen not only to play again but to be cleared of any suspicion.  His case is now in legal hands and he has been interviewed by police, so that in the circumstances he can say nothing.  With only one match to go, it may be contended that the urgently has departed from the case.  This is not so, for Kay has set his heart on touring Australia.  If the club act now that might still be possible.  The Everton party for that tour has been named as follows; Rankin, West, Brown, Meagan, Gabriel, Harvey, Labone, Heslop, Harris, Hurst, Scott, Stevens, Rees, Humphreys, Hill, to playing duties, could any Vernon, Temple, Morrissey; in charge of Messrs T. Eggeston (trainer), and R. Lewis (coach). 

TONT KAY SEES HARRY CATTERICK
Liverpool Daily Post-Thursday, April 23, 1964
Tony Kay, the Everton wing-half, who has been relieved of his match duties by the club, had an interview with manager Harry Catterick yesterday.  He wants to play as soon as possible and is likely to see the Everton manager again on the subject to-day. 

Echo missing for Thursday 23, 1964

SURVIVING SPORTSMEN OF THE OLD BRIGADE
Cheshire Observer - Friday 24 April 1964
JOE DONNACHIE
A name which still stirs the memory of Chester football fans is that of Joseph Donnachie, although he hung up his boots as long ago as 1924.  Joe Donnachie is considered by many to be the finest wing forward ever to play for Chester . Not having had the pleasure of seeing him in action. I shall refrain from taking sides in such a controversy, but there is no gainsaying the fact that Joe had a most successful League career, and played three times for Scotland.  He must have been a great winger, but compared with present day standards the money that he made from his skill was chicken feed. The top wage Joe took per week was 9 pounds.  Joe's father was an Irishman, of Newry, but the son was a Scotsman, being born in Kilwinnery Ayrshire.  He quickly showed an aptitude for soccer, and played on the right-wing for the school side, and the game became his livelihood until he became a licensee in Chester. 
SIGNED PRO 
At the age of 19 he signed professional for Greenock Morton, who were in the Scottish League, there being no Second Division in those days.  Before reaching the pro status Joe served his apprenticeship to the game as an amateur in Junior Scottish football with Benburb, a Glasgow Junior side, and Ruther Glencairn, who, said Joe, were a very good class team.  To get more money Joe moved across the border, and in 1904-05 he joined the St. James's Park Club for 2 pounds a week, and while he was there Newcastle United won the League. He made the first team at outside-left, and in the1905-06 season Donnachie put his name on an Everton form. The famous Blues paid 250 pounds to Newcastle, and Joe was on the big figure of 4 pounds.  Joe was reserve for the Everton team when they won the F.A Cup in 1906 and though he played in a number of the ties that season and in the next, 1907, when the Goodison team were again Cup finalist, he never got a medal.  Joe Donnachie stayed with Everton until 1910-11 season when for a fee of 250 pounds, whichhad to be paid in instalments, he was transferred to Second Division Oldham Athletic, and he had the satisfaction of being a regular member of the Athletic side that gained promotion to Division 1--Joe's work on the wing playing a big part in that success. 
CUP AND LEAGUE 
Donnachle was a member of the Oldham team for the 1912-13 campaign which was probably the best in the club's history.  The team reached the semi-Final of the English Cup, the nearest Athletic have ever come to winning the trophy, and at one time looked like being the Division 1 champions.  Like so many clubs before and since, the “double" proved too much.  In getting to the semi-final Athletic beat Bolton 2-0, Notts  County 5-1, Manchester United 2-1 (after a replay), and Everton 1-0.  They met Aston Villa in the semi-final, and at this stage of the season they were only two points behind the League leaders, and were fancied for a place in the Cup final. The Oldham team against Villa at Blackburn was: Matthews; Cook, Cope; Moffatt, Toward, Wilson; Tummon, Walters, Gee, Woodger, and Donnachie.  Villa lined up; Hardy; Lyons, Weston; Barber, Harrop, Leach; Wallace, Hulse, Hampton, Stephenson, and Bache.  Oldham went down 1-0.  The Boundary Park club have yet revived the glory of that season.  During the 1914-18 War Joe Donnachie did his bit on the Liverpool docks, and when hostilities came to an end he signed for a brief spell with Glasgow Rangers.
9 POUNDS PER WEEK
Now he was getting 6 pounds a week, but after a few months he came back to Liverpool, and I have before me the agreement made between the Everton Football Club Ltd. and Joseph Donnachie, dated 4th August. 1919.  Joe signed on from 4th August to 1st May at 9 pounds per week and signing for Everton was William Jas Sawyer.  Joe Donnachie had two other clubs. He went from Everton to Blackpool for a season, and in 1923 came to Chester F.C. still for 9 pounds per week.  Chester won the Cheshire County League in 1924. Mr. Joseph Taplen, the Chesterchairman, helped Joe to obtain the mine host spot at the Mariner's Arms. New Crane-street.   This virtually ended Joe Donnachie's football career, for Chester wanted him to play for 3 pounds per week, and Joe refused.   While with Oldham Joe got caps with Scotland. Against England in 1913 at Stamford Bridge he played at outside-right, and against Ireland in 1914 at Windsor Park, Belfast, at outside-left. He also played against England at Hampden Park.  –
TWO FOOTER 
Thus proving Joe’s boast “I was a two footer.”  He did not profess to score gaols.  “That was my weakest point, but I could make ‘em for others, lobbing the ball over,” said Joe to me.  While the old stagers live, Joe Donanchie will be remembered by the Stadium stalwarts who are always ready to defend the old traditions.  Once I was rash enough to attribute they cry “give it to Joe!” to Joe Mantle.  It did not take long for a Donnachie hero-worshipper to put me right.  Now aged 81, Joe Donnachie lives a quiet life at the home of his married daughter, Mrs. T.L. Pickmere, 34, Broadway East, Newton-R.A.H.

EVERTON’S ROY VERNON SAYS…
Liverpool Daily Post- Friday, April 24, 1946
LIVERPOOL’S TEAMWORK HAS BEEN SUSPERB
So, Liverpool are tops! I expect that has broken a few hearts on Merseyside but for all the rivalry, the leg-pulling and the competition there is between Everton and Liverpool, you can take it from me that the boys at Goodison Park send their heartiest congratulations on a wonderful achievement.  If we could not have the title, who better than Liverpool?  Frankly, at the start of the season I could not possibly see the title going to Liverpool.  It was not that they had a bad side, but because we at Everton felt we had a really good side.  we were champions of the league, Charity Shield winners and later, champions of Britain.  It was a formidable sort of pattern and when we opened up our New Year burst, we looked as thoughwe would defy all our cruel luck.
WE WILL BE CHEERING
It was not to be, and quite frankly, that magnificent show by Liverpool following the Fulham defeat has stamped them as a truly outstanding team.  Next season they will go into Europe and, while we try all we know to make Liverpool play second fiddle to us in the League, we shall be cheering them home in the European competition.  It will be a terrific experience for them.  When Everton opened up lasts season with that terrific and insoiuri9ng victory over Manchester United, I think we all felt the sky was the limit and that Everton were entering on a new area of sweeping superiority.  Yet it was months before we were able to put that side into the field again.  Even one change in a vital position can upset the working of a side in which the emphasis is on teamwork.  In my view, Liverpool’s triumph has been brought about by teamwork of the highest calibre.  They have their internationals here and there, but one seldom thinks of their stars.  When you think of Liverpool you think of them as a side with hardly a weak spot.  I should think at the very least I should be able to sit back now and wait for some very nice letters from the Liverpool supporters after the good things I have said about their team.  It would make such a pleasant change!
INVITATIONS GALORE
This will be my last article for the season as we leave for Australia on Sunday.  All the lads in the party will be breaking new ground, but at least when we get there everybody will be speaking the language we understand.  Although we shall be kept busily engaged while ae are away, it will be football with a difference, soccer with the lid off, and all the tension flow away.  We aim to make the games interesting and entertaining.  According to some of the Australian Press reports we may have to begin by living down a smear campaign about so called rough play.  The players resent very much reports of this kind and before we leave Australia, we hope to have proved to them just how wide of the mark such reports are.  Before we leave, however, we have one little job to do-to beat West ham at Goodison park to-morrow.  Not only will this give us a great chance of finishing in the first three, but it will be nice to be able to say we beat the Cup finalists (and maybe, winners)! 

CUP FINALISTS BRING DOWN THE CURTAIN
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Friday, April 24, 1964
By Leslie Edwards
When Everton still had chances of winning the championship a few weeks ago someone wrote me suggesting that the game against West Ham to-morrow should count as the Charity Shield— League champions against Cup holders. In the event Everton are not League champions and West Ham have that considerable Preston hurdle to tackle, at Wembley, before they take the Cup, so what started out as a promising idea has not fructified. Nevertheless, the game at Goodison Park, bringing the Player of the Year, Bobby Moore, and Pickering's rival, Byrne, has great point. Besides, Everton have that Cup defeat in London last season to wipe out.  Their other great incentive is the chance of running-up their neighbours for the championship they must relinquish. If Everton beat West Ham and Manchester United lost at Old Trafford Everton would finish second in the table and, if Liverpool had any further experiences such as they had at Birmingham in their remaining away games, the margin between our senior clubs at the finishing line would be small.  As Everton's chance of joining their neighbours in European competition—in their case through the Inter Cities' Fairs Cup tournament—is considerable, we can depend on the Catterick eleven for plenty of fight in this final game of their programme.  Everton can look back on a reasonably successful season, but one in which they missed the boat through the vast number of injuries sustained by their players.  The gulf between champions and near champions is often narrow, but in the public eye one side become world-beaters and the others also-rans—an indication of the cruelly-hard standards now set by many of the football public.

WEST HAM MAY REST BYRNE
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Friday, April 24, 1964
EVERTON ARE UNCHANGED
GOODISON GAME
Ron Greenwood, manager of F.A Cup finalists West Ham, will not decide the team for to-morrow’s match against Everton at Goodison Park, until Saturday morning.  He warned to-day, however, it would not be the side to face Preston on May 2.  A party of 14 players travelled to Liverpool to-day and Mr. Greenwood is expected to rest England centre forward, Johnnie Byrne and being in 18-years-old Martin Britt.  Alan Sealey is expected to play on the left wing in place of John Sissons, who played for West Ham in a youth match earlier in the week.  The 14 who travelled to Liverpool are; Standen, Bond, Burkett, Bovington, Peters, Brown, Moore; Brabrook, Boyce, Burns, Britt, Hurst, Sisson’s and Sealey.  Everton rely on the side which lost by the odd goal at Chelsea last week-end.  Everton; Rankin; Brown, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Harris, Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Vernon, Temple. 

STILL NOT ONE INQUIRY FOR TRANSFER-LISTED ALEX YOUNG
Liverpool Daily Post-Saturday, April 25, 1964
EVERTON CONFRONTED WITH A BIG SOCCER MYSTERY
VICTORY OVER WEST HAM MATY MAKE MERSEYSIDE CLUBS SURPREME
By Horace Yates
Merseyside’s mastery in Football League affairs may be underlined to-day by Everton, who can finish the season as runners-up to Liverpool.  To have two Liverpool sides in the top places of Division One would be triumph indeed, a record the like of which we may not see again.  To achieve this objective two things must happen.  First and foremost, Everton must defeat West ham United, next week’s Cup finalists, in the club’s concluding League game and Mr. Johnnie Carey must assist his former club by seeing that Nottingham Forest beat Manchester United at old Trafford.  If Everton fail, they can only take third place by Leicester defeating Spurs at Filbert Street.  Since Mr. Harry Catterick took over at Everton, they have finished fourth and first.  To-day’s means a great deal to him.  At least Everton should play their part, leaving their fate and finishing position in the hands of Nottingham Forest.
£1,000 TALENT MONEY
If Everton do claim second place, they will share £1,000 talent money which is reduced to £750 if they are third and a mere vote of “Bad luck” if they should finish fourth.  Liverpool of course, will have £1,500 to add to the financial snowball, which is all part of the fruits of success.  Those who had hoped it might be possible for a place to be found in the Everton side for Alex Young, for possibly for Alex Young, for possibly his farewell game with the club, will be disappointed.  Young is still unfit, but in any event, manager Harry Catterick might have found trouble in placing him.  The lack of interest shown by other clubs in the future of Young is developing into one of the inner mysteries of football.  Although the Scottish international will have been available for transfer for a fortnight on Tuesday next, there has still not been a single inquiry about him.  If clubs had been discouraged by the size of the demanded by Everton that might have been understandable, but the fact that nobody has taken the trouble to discover how much Everton would take for Young is a pose of the highest order.  Here is a man hailed by so many on Merseyside as the finest ball-playing forward Everton have possessed for many a year and idolised by the publicans no other player has been possibly since Dean and yet the queue for his services has not even begun to form.  It is a long time to the start of next season, but there is such activity in the transfer market just now, both openly and behind the scenes, that one could have been excused for thinking Young’s request for a move had been admirably times. 
WHAT OF THE FUTURE?
I wonder if eventually the position will be resolved by Young asking to be removed from offers! As the club did not take the initiative in making it available for transfer should not imagine they would be averse to any reconciliation.  Certainly, the Young fans among the crowd would be happy and if Young were to satisfy Mr. Catterick that he was worthy of a first team place I don’t think anybody would be happier than the manager.  The future it seems, may rest fairly and squarely with Young, those contracts has a little more than twelve months to run at Goodison.  From Blackpool last night, where West Ham are staying in readiness for to-day’s game, manager Ron Greenwood declined to give any indication of his team’s line-up.  He has with him fourteen players and said.  “I will not make up my mind until to-morrow.  Since West Ham qualified for the Cup Final, they have won three, lost three and drawn two, but their victory over Birmingham last week broke a sequence of three successive reverses.  I hardly expect to see West Ham give as forceful a show as they will at Wembley or aim at showing off the defensive pattern with which they hope to defeat Preston North End, who may well have representatives at Goodison in the hope of picking up hints.  Unless Everton have fallen so deeply into a rut as the result of taking only one point from the last eight, they should win the encounter with something in hand. I am looking forward to seeing Vernon and Pickering resume the understanding that had such promising beginnings against Nottingham Forest.  For one reason or another Vernon has missed four of the seven games since Pickering’s debut.  Two goals from the centre forward, to-day, would give him an average of a goal a game- an effective reply to any criticism, I should think.  Stevens to-day completes two full seasons without missing a single game.  Cup or League- a splendid feat.  Everton; Rankin; Brown, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Harris; Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Vernon, Temple. 

EVERTON’S CHANCE TO BE RUNENRS-UP
Liverpool Echo-Saturday, April 25, 1964
STEVENS SET UP A NOTABLE RECORD
By Leslie Edwards
All going well, Denis Stevens, of Everton, will set up a notable personal record when he turns out to-day against West Horn in his club's final League fixture this season. He will not have missed a match for Everton in the past two seasons and will have put up more than 100 consecutive appearances for the club without a break.  In times when Everton players have been cursed with injury and absence, this is a most unusual record and Stevens, who was always a regular with Bolton in his early days, must establish himself as one of the fittest and toughest chaps in the game. Everton must win this game and Manchester United must lose at home if Everton are to finish runners-up to Liverpool and make certain of their qualifications for the Inter Cities' Fairs Cup next season. West Ham, as one of the Cup finalists, and as the side who put Everton out of the Cup a season ago, must make the final game something of a needle match.  They bring with them Byrne, the centre-forward who led England in Scotland a fortnight ago, and Player of the Year, half-back Bobby Moore, another England man, whose roaming mission takes him to all parts of defence.  West Ham will obviously be steering clear of any danger of injury and for that reason alone I think Everton must begin with a very good chance of completing their programme with the solid win they need. Having achieved that, they must hope for the right news from Old Trafford where United, you may be sure, will be just as keen as they are to book their places for Europe's minor tourney. Everton; Rankin; Brown, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Harris; Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Vernon, Temple. West Ham; Standen; Bond, Burkett; Peters, Brown, Moore; Brabrook, Boyce, Byrne, Hurst, Sissons, Sealey. 

PICKERING KEEPS UP HIS GOAL A GAME AVERAGE
Liverpool Football Echo & Evening Express- Saturday, April 25, 1964
BUT EVERTON DID NOT IMPRESS IN LAST MATCH
EVERTON 2, WEST HAM UNITED 0
By Michael Charters

Everton; Rankin; Brown, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Harris; Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Vernon, Temple.  West Ham United; Standen; Bond, Burkett; Bovington, Brown (K.), Peters; Brabrook, Boyce, Britt, Hurst, Sealey.  Referee; Mr. D.A. Corbett of Wolverhampton.  While the players were having their pre-match practice a man carrying a board some four feet square, on which he printed the words “Sack Catterick -Keep Young” was escorted across the pitch by a policeman and taken down the players’ tunnel.  While he was being taken on his 60 yards’ walk he carried the board high so that the crowd could see it.  The Goodison grapevine was buzzing with rumours that a big move was pending.  It may have been significant that manager Harry Catterick was not in his usual seat in the directors box, and it could be that some big signing or other move is imminent.  Everton continued to do most of the early attacking with Temple sending a shot just wide, but West Ham produced one or two good moves of their own.  Harris sent Temple away with a great pass inside Bond and the winger beat Bovington, to lay on a gift chance for Pickering.  The centre forward from 10 yards, did not hit his shot probably, and the ball was sent tamely wide.  The interchanging of the West ham forwards had Everton’s defence in some trouble, but generally, it was the home attack which looked much sharper.  From a headed clearance by Bingham, Temple brought the house down with an 80 yard run which took him practically to the foot of a post where Standen diverted the ball for a corner. 
RANKIN’S SAVE

West Ham’s best threat so far, came from a long-range power-drive by Bond, following a corner, and Rankin had to go full length to make a good save.  Vernon was having a fine game and when he slid the ball through to Pickering, it took a first class anticipation by Standen to prevent the centre forward accepting a gift.  West Ham’s passing out of defence tended to be inaccurate with the result that the Everton forwards were having plenty of the ball but not making much use of it.  A bad back-pass in his own penalty area by Boyce, gave Vernon a chance, and he hit his shot against Standen, only to find that the referee had blown for offside when obviously the ball had been played on to him.  Despite having so much of the play, the Everton forwards tended to tie themselves into knots and many a good move broke down when it reached shooting distance.
TWO MISTAKES
Standen had little to do with Everton’s shooting being almost non-existent.  Two mistakes in quick succession by Gabriel and Harris enabled Boyce to take the ball through and past the unmarked Sealey, whose shot from 10 yards was pushed over the bar by Rankin.  Pickering eventually produced the deadly finish, that had been lacking for so long.  Vernon and Gabriel brought the ball through between them, and from Gabriel’s delicate little chip, over Brown’s head, Pickering volleyed the ball and although Standen got a hand to it, the shot carried so much pace that the ball was in the net. 
STOLID DEFENCE
Temple was providing some brilliant individual touches but whenever the final pass was made, it seemed inevitable that a West Ham man intercepted.  At times, they had ten men in and around their own penalty area.  West Ham were taking things very easily- and who could blame them in view of their Cup final appearance a week to-day- but this concentration on defence kept Everton at stalemate for much of the time.  Half-time; Everton 1, West Ham United nil.
The game went very dead immediately after half time only enlivened by what must rank as the biggest miss of the season.  Pickering took the ball well down the left, but Standen with a low centre, and Stevens, standing no more than two yards out, somehow managed to put the ball against the crossbar when it looked “impossible” to miss.  Pickering was trying very hard to get another goal, but Everton’s general standard of play was disappointing the crowd.  In the face of this West Ham defence, the forwards were passing the ball square, and making little headway.  Twice Temple tried to volley shots from outside the area and each time, did not connect properly, the ball going wide.  Vernon came back into the picture with a weaving run down the centre, and as the West Ham defence held off expecting a pass, Vernon produced a shot- only a foot wide.  West Ham seemed quite content to push the ball away, out of defence, and forget about attack.  As a result Everton were dominating the play, but there was no real cohesion or rhythm about their tactics. A shot by Stevens several yards wide, had the crowd shouting their displeasure, and altogether it was rather an unhappy end of the season for Everton.  Both Scott and Sandy Brown had shots charged down in one Everton attack, in which they had eight players moving the ball squarely across the edge of the penalty area.
CROWD JEERS
Temple and Scott changed wings temporary without much effect, and the game now was ragged and untidy.  Part from the opening 10 minutes or so, the game had been one of the worst of the season.  Another amazing Everton miss had the crowd whistling and jeering. Pickering slipped the ball across from the right, Harris’s shot struck Brown and spun away to Temple, who somehow put the ball against Standen from point blank range.  Everton certainly looked as though they should have been awarded a penalty when Bovington appeared to handle but the referee incredibly awarded a free kick to West Ham.  In a rare West Ham attack, Boyce was shaping up to take a shot from outside the penalty area when it was seen that Sandy Brown and Boyce were on the ground in a tangle.  Hurst shot outside, and although Brown appealed for a foul against Boyce, the referee would have none of it.  In fact the referee was having a bit of a rough time at the moment, with the game becoming very rugged indeed, and he was doing little to stop it.  A good shot from Gabriel and an equally fine save by Standen brought some normality to the game, and when Everton were awarded a free kick for offside, the crowd whistled and jeered again because the referee awarded it.  A shot from Vernon which was so high and wide that it almost went into the stand, seemed to typify the inaccuracies of this game.  Fifteen minutes from the end, Pickering got his second goal, to give him a goal a match average.  Stevens and Gabriel worked the ball through, from a throw-in near the corner flag, and Pickering, from a narrow angle, beat Standen with a good shot, as the goalkeeper came out.  Bond almost turned the ball into his own net, after Sandy Brown had brought the ball up and centred.  Pickering had been one of the few Everton successes and he made a splendid run after beating Brown near the corner flag taking the ball along the goalline, and pushing it back where both Gabriel and Scott failed to get it into the net in a goalline skirmish.  The game was petering out very tamely with little of interest, and the referee ended the game with Temple lying injured at the far end of the field.  Final; Everton 2, West Ham United nil. 

EX-LIVERPOOL PLAYER SET ME ON SOCCER ROAD
The Liverpool Football Echo & Evening Express- Saturday, April 25, 1964
By Fred Pickering

If anyone had told me six years ago, when I signed professional forms for Blackburn Rovers at the age of 17, that one day I would wear the royal blue No.9 jersey of Everton, made famous by such great players as Dixie Dean and Tommy Lawton, then I would said they were talking through their hat.  And if it had been further suggested that I might eventually move from Ewood Park to Goodison Park for a record transfer fee between two British clubs, then I think there would have bene an excuse for having a darned good laugh.  Since then, however, I have learned one of football’s most import lessons is that a player never knows what fate has hiding around the corner and that fortunes can change overnight.  It was as a junior school boy at St. Peter’s R.C School, Blackburn that I first started taking football seriously and I recall that my first game for the school team was at inside right.  Many people regard me now as a full back who has bene converted to centre-forward, but I started my career in the forward line and played in the attack for the Blackburn and Lancashire school teams.  My first representative game was for the Blackburn Schools Under-11 team, and one of my colleagues in that side was Barry Ratcliffe now a member of Rovers first team.  One of the highlights of my schoolboy football days was being chosen at outside right for Lancashire against Cheshire at Burnden Park, Bolton.  I scored one of the goals in Lancashire’s 6-1 victory, but it was a Liverpool youngster, Willie Carlin, who took the honours and got the headlines the following day.  Another Liverpool player I remember in the Lancashire side was Alan Bentham, who captained England boys, while our goalkeeper was Dave Gaskell, now with Manchester United 
FIRST AWARD 
Blackburn Boys did not get very far in the English Trophy or Lancashire Cup that season and it was not until I captained the Blackburn Rovers side which won the F.A. Youth Cup in 1958-59 that I gained my first award from football.  You will garner from all this that I did not exactly set the football world alight as a schoolboy player, and when I left school there was no rush of League club representatives to any home in Princess Street, Blackburn, where I lived with my parents and four sisters, Margaret, Brenda, Kathleen, and Mary.  There was however, one Blackburn girl, Margaret Bilsborough who kept a keen eye on my football progress at that time. She has been my No 1 fan ever since and in March last year became Mrs. Fred Pickering.  When one football League club offered me the chance to sign amateur forms I felt highly honoured and accepted right away, for that club was Blackburn Rovers.  Every young footballer hopes to get the chance to sign for his town’s League team, and I was no exception.  So I started work as an apprentice fitter at a local foundry, working five days a week, playing football on Saturday and usually relaxing on Sunday.  After I joined Blackburn, Jack Campbell and Eric Bell, who were in charge of coaching the young players converted me from centre forward, where I had played with Blackburn Boys to full back.  I realise now that owe a great deal to these two for getting as far as I have in football particularly to Mr. Campbell, who was a great inspiration and encouragement to me when I was settling down in the full back role.  I suspect too that it was probably Mr. Campbell who later suggested to Manager Jack Marshall that I should be given another chance to play centre forward.  Here is probably one of the first likes between my football career and Merseyside for Jack was a Liverpool player for a time during the war and was I understand born in Bootle, where he played for the local schoolboys team.  There was another Merseyside connection with my switch from centre forward to full back for the boy wearing the No 9 jersey in the Blackburn junior team was a former Liverpool Schoolboy player Alan Jervis. 
CUP ASSAULT
At this time a very promising bunch of youngsters was arriving at Ewood Park either as members of the ground staff or amateurs.  It was decided these youngsters should play alongside each other in the same side as much as possible and plans were laid for an assault on the F.A. Youth Cup in the 1958-59 season.  It was a brilliant idea, and on May 4, 1959, just a few months after my 18th birthday, Blackburn won the youth trophy by beating West Ham in extra time before a crowd of nearly 30,000 at Ewood Park.  Sometime before Blackburn set off on the road to youth success I had given up work in the foundry to join the Blackburn ground staff.  Three months after joining the ground staff, in January 1958 I was signed as a full time professional.  In our Youth Cup season Mike England and myself played a few times in the Central League side, but generally speaking that successful Blackburn team had played together for two years.  When our real test came we were well prepared, and team spirit was so high that my task of captaining the side was an exceptionally easy one. 
BUSY BABES
By this time I was thoroughly at home in the role of left full back, trying to model my game on Blackburn’s England international Bill Eckersley, who along with Eddie Quigley, had been an idol in my early playing days.  Manchester United were our opponents in the Youth Cup semi-final and after holding the Busby Babes to a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Old Trafford we clinched the tie with a 3-2 victory at Ewood Park.  This was quite an achievement and to prove my point here is United’s line-up for the Ewood Park game; David Gaskell; Barry Smith (both former England Schoolboy internationals), Stan Ackerley, Nobby Stiles, Frank Haydock, Jimmy Nicholson; Ian Moir, Johnny Giles, Phil Chisnall (Liverpool’s latest signing), Tommy Spratt (former England school player) and Jimmy Elms (England Youth international).  We encountered more well-known football names when we went to West Ham for the first leg of the final this season’s Footballer of the Year, Bobby Moore, among them.  Inside left Andy Smillie put the Hammers ahead after half an hour, but our inside right, Alan Bradshaw a local product, levelled the scores just on half-time.  This completed the scoring in a most thrilling game and I must have been thoroughly carried away by the excitement because the following morning a national newspaper recorded “Fred Pickering could be heard urging on his team in the broadest Lancashire accent.” 
TENSION
The excitement at Upton Park was, however, surpassed in the second meeting at Blackburn, a match I will never forget.  When I tell you that there was only one goal scored, and that in the 11th minute of extra time, you will realise just how great the tension was.  At the end of it all I received the Youth Cup from the F.A secretary, Sir Stanley Rous.  Scorer of that vital goal for us in extra time was a Manchester boy Paddy Daly.  His pen picture in the match programme contained the following sentence; “In form he has the qualities of a match winner.” How right they were.  This successful Blackburn side was Barry Griffiths; David Wells, myself;f; Mike England, Keith Newton, Victor Leach, Barry Ratcliffe, Alan Bradshaw, John Jervis, Paddy Daly, Paddy Mulvey.  Our reward was a trip to San Remo to represent England in a Youth international tournament.  We finish third in this and were very pleased with that season’s efforts. 
Next week Pickering tells how a pair of “spikes” gave him his first chance in senior football, and how a pain at the back of the knee was responsible for his switch from full back to centre forward. 

THIRD PLACE WINS INTER CITIES FAIRS CUP QUALIFICATION
Liverpool Daily Post- Monday, April 27, 1964
EVERTON JOIN LIVERPOOL IN EUROPEAN ASSAULT
PICKERING’S 9 GOALS IN 9 GAMES SHOW WHY HE COST £75,000
EVERTON 2, WEST HAM UNITED 0
By Horace Yates
In defeating West Ham by no means sacrificial lambs despite their Wembley commitments of next Saturday.  Everton kept nicely ajar the gateway to Europe.  Third position in the League entitles them to represent England in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup competition, which may not claim the stature of the European Cup or the Cup winners Cup, but still remains a handsome consolation prize.  The Londoners, without Moore, Byrne and Sissons and more concerned with next week’s match than this, were still able to indicate how terribly difficult their defence will be to perpetrate when their stall is set out with a single-minded purpose for Preston’s discomfiture.   Without Kingpin Moore it was not entirely leak proof for in addition to scoring twice, Everton could blame only themselves for not adding at least two more goals to the total.  The resistance, however, was so persistent, nagging and efficient that Everton were made to labour hard and long for their reward.
PIUCKERING MIXTURE
In the end it was the superb marksmanship of Fred Pickering that proved to be the decisive factor, but what a mixed game he had! With Young sentiment still strong in patches, he heaped coals on the fire of controversy with the most appalling blunder in marksmanship after only six minutes.  By the time Temple had completed his sparkling wing work, Pickering was left with the ten yards formal -of beating Standen.  Although completely unhampered and unharried, he mishit the shot and away it went, slowly and frustratingly wide. Seemingly a blight descended on Pickering’s play. He was slow, awkward moving and hesitant.  Never before have I seen him so effective.  Moreover, it was an infection which spread in some measure to Alex Scott, unrecognisable as the clever winger he can be, and, in a finishing sense, to Denis Stevens, the side’s only ever present.  Rankin twice had to come to Everton’s aid to prevent shots by Bond and Britt from registering before Pickering sprang to life with a great goal after 35 minutes. A beautiful Vernon chip and an accurate Gabriel header dropped the ball at Pickering’s feet, and hitting it on the volley, the centre forward scored.  It was an equally brilliant shot by Pickering which put Everton out of danger in 75 minutes, for this was the type of goal which only a really gifted player might have scored. 
ALL’S WELL…
All’s well that ends well, I suppose for Pickering lived down these nightmare moments of his to emerge with statue unimpaired.  Pickering’s goal record is the complete justification of Everton policy, in my view, so long as goals continue to be all important how can anyone point an accusing finger at a man who produce nine in nine games, compared with twelve in twenty-seven games by Young! In fact, only Vernon (17), Young (12), and Temple (12) have scored more than Pickering.  If it were simply glittering football brilliance which decided championships, Young’s star, not Pickering’s would be high in the ascendant.  The biggest miss of the match and maybe of the entire season, fell to Stevens.  After Pickering had meritoriously threatened his way through a nearly solid resistance and crossed the ball to Stevens, no more than three yards out from the goal line, the inside right unaccountably lifted the ball at the most acute angle to hammer the cross bar.  For moments like this there is no known palliative.  What Stevens thoughts must have been can only be guessed; Vernon and Temple emerged as Everton’s most consistent and dangerous raiders, but both made the mistake of imagining that West Ham’s was just a normal sort of defence.  Inevitably, there was always one defender too many for individual runs to prove entirely profitable.  Still thanks are due to them for enlivening what might as easily have been a depressingly dull finale to a season of frustration. 
ADMIRABLE CUP SIDE
With a style such as they adopt, with Brown bolstered by Bovington in a double centre half role, and everyman allotted some function to deny the opposition, I can imagine how easy it might be to see too much of West Ham.  For Cup fighting they are an outfit made to measure.  Peters was a substitute for Moore, but no accomplished was his defence that no one would have suspected that he is merely in the queue and not the forefront of the East End stoppers.  Meagan and Brown were complete masters of the West ham wingers and the half backs were only very occasionally stretched to dangerous limits by a forward line, which may be livelier for the inclusion of Byrne and Sealey.  Gabriel in fact, had such little concern over the scoring reputation of a badly chastened Hurst that he usefully spent as appreciable part of the mates helping to destroy the West ham wall.  Indeed, both Pickering goals sprang from the head or feet of the progressive Scot and Gabriel rang down the curtain on the season with a display far more characteristic than several of those immediately preceding it.  Everton; Rankin; Brown, Meagan; Gabriel, Labone, Harris; Scott, Stevens, Pickering, Vernon, Temple.  West ham United; Standen; Bond, Burkett; Bovington, Brown, Peters; Brabrook, Boyce, Britt, Hurst, Sealey.  Referee; Mr. D.A. Corbett (Wolverhampton), Attendance 33,090. 

SHEFFIELD UNITED RES 1, EVERTON RESERVES 3
Liverpool Daily Post-Monday, April 27, 1964
All out effort helped Everton erase Wagstaff’s 25th minute goal for United, for within 3 minutes Harvey raced through to head home Shaw’s centre and 7 minutes later Everton grabbed the lead with a goal from Sharples and any hopes that the Bramall Lane side had of salvaging the game were crushed when Young moved in on a United defensive mix-up to score. 

IF THEY DO THIS AT WEMBLEY IT’LL BE A BORE
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Monday, April 27, 1964
By Leslie Edwards
If West Ham play next Saturday the same unenterprising defensive stuff they showed us at Goodison Park the Wembley final is hardly going to be worth watching.  Two of their team-Byrne and Moore- were at Preston sizing the form of their opponents, but their absence alone surely should not have made such a difference?  If the game the previous week at Anfield was the highlight of the season this match at Goodison Park came perilously close to being the lowlight of all 42 home’ matches played in this city in 1963-64.  Everton did their best (which wasn’t very good) to make a match of it; West Ham’s strolling players, continually dropping back into defence and scarcely ever making a worth-while attack, seemed more intent on escaping injury than anything else.  It was therefore one the least distinguished matches we’ve endured for a long, long time.  Even the pro-Young element, one of whom produced himself and a board reading “Keep Young, sack Catterick!” before a ball was kicked, hardly got the reception he expected. He was last seen being escorted down the subway and presumably out of the ground.  He was luckier than us.  We had to stay! Manager Catterick was not present to see the last performance of his side prior to their flying off yesterday for their close season tour of Australia.  He was occupied elsewhere looking at a player.  There are some positions, if Saturday’s game is any criterion, where class players could be used by Everton.  Admitting that West Ham crowed their penalty area and made attacking openings scarce.  Everton did little enough to suggest that they are one of the top three clubs in England.  They looked jaded and tired and one cannot think that travel half-round the world and more football in the close season will do them any good. 
HAIR-TEARING MISSES
The Everton crowd might have been less critical of their favourites if they had not made such heavy weather of winning by two goals against opposition whose feet may have been at Goodison park, but whose minds were clearly 200 miles (and seven days) away at Wembley.  They would have been less critical, too, if two members of the Everton attack had not chosen this occasion to miss chances such as the varies novice might convert.  Pickering’s, from four or five yards out, after being provided with the chance by Temple, was a hair-tearing one, but it was capped after the interval by Stevens, who stood not more than three yards from an empty goal- Pickering having drawn Standen from his line- and struck the bar with his shot when guiding the ball over the line seemed a formality.  The anti-Stevens brigade seized on this miss as heaven-sent ammunition, I fear they do not balance debit with credit when they asses a player who was completing his second season without missing a match, and whose midfield “graft” always means a great deal to his side.  Pickering retrieved himself with two fine goals (one off a shot which Standen did remarkably well to touch, much less save) and thus completed his first nine games for his new club with as many goals.  If he can maintain this average, Everton problem of finding someone to crack the ball into the net off well-contrived attacks is solved.  The curse is that the rest of the line, as a line, are hardly playing as well as they did before Pickering’s arrival here.  Temple still does many things brilliantly and Vernon is the generating point at which much begins, but Scott is having a lean time, and Stevens, whose legs won’t carry him over ground as quickly as they used to, is not quite as sharp as he used to be.
I’M ALL RIGHT, JACK
When Mr. Corbett, of Wolverhampton, blew the final whistle (and walked off the field paying scant attention to Temple, who still lay injured) the players shook hands warmly, West Ham as though relieved they had come through without serious injury and Everton as though happy the season was over.  I suspect goalkeeper, Standen, a first-rate man between the sticks, took a blow to the arm, because he disappeared with it hanging rather limply.  Assuming he recovers in time to take his place against Preston, he looks like being a busy man.  Bond is a big, experienced back, Moore is a fine general; Brown is a solid centre half back; but the propensity of the London team for defence, defence, defence must, if it is persisted in next week, make the Wembley match one long duel between Preston forwards and West Ham defenders.  Even Brabrook, whom Everton nearly signed two seasons ago, was not inclined to show us his great speed.  In the event, little Mick Meagan made more friends by his considered, unruffled full back play, in which he is nearly always doing the unspectacular, but sensible thing.  Britt, substitute for Byrne, had nothing to offer.  Labone held him comfortably.  Consequently, the Everton defence was hardly ever on the collar.  At the other end, Vernon and company manoeuvred this way and that to try to find a way through a massed defence, but succeeded rarely.  The West Ham backs and half backs, playing at half speed as they were, walked through the game nonchalantly and at times held Everton’s attack cheaply.  Thousands left before the finish; when the last whistle sounded the remainder scurried off as though they couldn’t get home fast enough.  But what is there now except the long, bleak summer of the soccer fans’ discontent? For most of them 1964-65 season can’t come quickly enough. 

KAY MISSES BRIDES PROBE MEETING
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Monday, April 27, 1964
F.A. REFUSED TO ALLOW LAWYER TO ATTEND
Tony Kay, the Everton F.C player, did not attend a fact-finding inquiry by the Football Association in Sheffield to-day into alleged fixing of matches.  Instead he remained in Liverpool, and at the North John Street offices of his solicitor Mr. Harry Livermore met representatives of the Press to reiterate that he had never jeopardised his career as a professional footballer by accepting any bribe for fixing the result of a game.  At the outset of to-day’s meeting Mr. Livermore stated that as Kay could not have legal representation at the Sheffield inquiry he had instructed him not to attend. 
“RULE UNFAIR”
Tony Kay said he was considering the question of bringing a libel action against a Sunday newspaper, but at the moment the matter posed certain problems.  With regard to his position as a professional football player, he also agreed that he may have to consider the question of fighting the whole matter in the courts eventually.  When the player mentioned that the Football Association rules could not allow a player to be legally represented at an inquiry Mr Livermore quoted Rule 37C which reads “Any person summoned to attend an injury must attend personally and not be legally represented.” 
TAKING STAND
Mr. Livermore commented “My opinion is that it is manifestly unfair.  It is against the interests of justice that such a position should prevail, and we are going to take a stand against that.”  Mr. Livermore stated there had been a certain amount of criticism because Tony Kay had declined to attend the fact finding inquiry at Sheffield to-day, and because of that he wanted to make his position quite clear.  On Thursday, April 23 he was asked by the Everton F.C secretary to attend the inquiry.  “He was not told the precise nature of the inquiry or by whom it was being held,” declared Mr. Livermore.  “These points only emerged later from a statement in the Press.  “I had previously written to the Football Association about the position and informed them that if there was any inquiry, Mr. Kay desired to be legally represented.  On April 17, the Football Association relied that they would not deal with this matter until the result of police investigations was known.  “Incidentally, they also stated that any person summoned must attend personally and not be legally represented.  “The police are still investigating the position and in these circumstances it is most regrettable that the Football Association asked Kay to attend this inquiry to-day.  “So far as Kay is concerned he has not committed any criminal offence in relation to his employment as a professional footballer, nor has he accepted any bride.  “If at any time the Football Association want to interview Kay, they will have to do so in my presence or not at all. On Kay’s instructions, I wrote to the secretary of Everton Football Club on April 23 on these lines.  “In these circumstances Kay proposes to wait to see what the next move is on the part of the various authorities.  “I think it would be most unfortunate if the Football Association persisted in their refusal to allow Kay to be legally represented at any subsequent inquiry to be held by them.  “So far as I know, most professional bodies such as the Law Society, the British Medical Association.  The Dental Council and other professional organisations permit legal representation.  And it would not be in the interests of justice if Kay was refused legal representation at any ultimate inquiry which is held. 
CHALLENGE?
“If the Football Association refused to allow Kay legal representation I would not be prepared to advise him to attend on his own and if any decision was then arrived at by the Association which jeopardised Kay’s professional career the question of challenging that decision of the Association would have to be considered, and the challenge made in the courts.  Tony Kay, who has been relieved of match duties by Everton since the allegations were made by a Sunday newspaper, said.  “All I want to do is to get back to playing for Everton again, or playing football again.”  When asked if he had not committed any infringement by playing in an amateur football match at Huyton, yesterday. Kay replied; “It was not a league game but a friendly match, and I don’t think there is anything in any rules to prevent me playing in a friendly. 
“DOES ME GOOD”
“When I was in Sheffield with the Wednesday I used to kick a ball about with the kids in the parks on a Sunday, and that is what I did yesterday.  By playing such as I did yesterday does me good.  It takes my mind off things.”  Mr. Livermore reverted to the injustice of a player not being entitled to legal representation by the Football Association, and commented “A lot of these football players are not too well educated, and they don’t have a chance.  If Kay were suspended for life he would be finished.  He does not have a trade at his fingertips.  He would lose a three-figure salary or whatever he gets a week, and if there is a chance of them ruining his professional career, let him have the best possible advantage of being properly represented.” 
THE COMMISSION
The three members of the F.A. fact-finding commission are; Mr. Teddy Eden, 85-years-old vice-president of the Football Association, who is chairman; Mr. Joe Richards, president of the Football League and a vice-president of the F.A.; and Mr. P.M. Bartlett, a member of the F.A. Council.  Before the meeting, Mr. Richards said that the players involved had already been interviewed by the committee.  When asked if they could compel players to attend, Mr. Richards replied; “I don’t think so.”  The secretary of the F.A. Mr. Dennis Follows, said the meeting had a dual purpose- to consider disciplinary action against former Everton player Jimmy Gauld and to interview players who faced allegations of bribery. 
PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT
Mr. Joe Richards, president of the Football League, said the players who had been invited to attend the inquiry were all legally represented and no doubt had taken advice from their legal representatives whether they should put in an appearance at the inquiry.  Mr. Follows said it was an F.A ruling that legal representatives could not attend this type of meeting.  Lincoln City player Bert Linnecor, arrived with the club’s manager.  Mr. Bill Anderson,  He said; “I have nothing to hide, I deny the allegations.” 

EVERTON LIKELY TO SIGN WILSON
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express- Monday, April 27, 1964
PLAYER PLUS CASH DEAL
ENGLAND BACK
By Leslie Edwards
Ramon Wilson, England and Huddersfield Town full back, is likely to sign for Everton at a record fee-or its equivalent- for a back.  But the deal is not likely to mature until June.  The Everton manager, Mr. Catterick attended the Huddersfield Town v Scunthorpe match on Saturday; Huddersfield Town manager, Mr. Eddie Boot and a director, were at Goodison where Everton faced West Ham.  This indicates the clubs may do a player-plus-cash deal and that negotiations for Wilson’s transfer were well on the way prior to the week-end.  The statement by Huddersfield, that no signing is likely before June means that the Everton player concerned in a possible deal is on tour. 
RATED AT 50,000 POUNDS
I understand that Mick Meagan, long-serving Irishman-he has been with Everton since his ‘teens –is the man Huddersfield would want in part payment.  Huddersfield rate Wilson at 50,000 pounds.  There is another chance for Mr. Catterick to see Wilson in action to-night when Huddersfield meet Leeds United in a replayed West Riding Senior Cup tie.  This could be Wilson final appearance for a club he joined as an amateur when he was 17.  He comes from Shirebrook, near Mansfield and is 28 years old.  He stands 5ft 8ins, and weights 11st 6lbs.  Her is also involved in a summer tour- with the England party which goes to American and South America. 

EIRE INTERNATIONAL LINKED WITH POSSIBLE EXHANGE DEAL
Liverpool Daily Post-Tuesday, April 28, 1964
MICK MEAGAN DOES NOT WANT TO LEAVE EVERTON
HE HOPES TO END HIS CAREER AT GOODISON APRK
By Jack Rowe
Mick Meagan, the Everton and Eire international now on his way to Australia with the Goodison Park party, does not want to leave the club.  Before he flew out from Liverpool Airport on Sunday morning, he made it clear that he was happy here and hoped to finish his career with Everton.  Meagan has been linked in a possible exchange deal with Huddersfield Town for the Yorkshire club’s England international full back, Ray Wilson.  He told a friend before leaving “I do not want to leave Liverpool.  “I have been here a long time, and when I finish at Everton I would like to return to Ireland.”  Everton’s interest in Wilson became known over the weekend when manager Harry Catterick saw Huddersfield play Scunthorpe.
AT GOODISON
At the same time Huddersfield representatives were watching the Everton v. West Ham United game at Goodison Park.  If Wilson is Mr. Catterick’s target nothing is likely to happen for several weeks because the full back is due to go on tour with England.  And if Meagan is being considered in an exchange deal any developments would also probably be held up until his return from Australia.  Meagan though, has intimated his desire and this could be a snag in any projected exchange deal. 

EVERTON RETAIN 29 PROFESSIONALS
Liverpool Echo & Evening Express, Wednesday, April 29, 1964
FOUR FOR TRANSFER
By Michael Charters
Everton to-day announced their retain and transfer list and have retained 29 professionals.  They are; Brown, Gabriel, Harvey, Humphreys, Heslop, Harris, Kay, Labone, Morrissey, Parker, Rankin, Rees, Roberts, Scott, Shaw, Smith, Stevens, Temple, Vernon, West, Wright, Pickering, McLaughlin, Mulhearn, Hill, Meagan, Sharples, Veall, Young.  Players open to transfer are Harcombe (full back), Jarvis (wing half), Parnell (full back) and Phillips (wing half).  Manager Harry Catterick added that many of the retained players were on a two-year contract which they signed 12 months ago. 
ON OFFER
Everton are also prepared to consider offers for several of the retained players.  Two, of course, are Alex Young and George Sharples, the wing half from Ellesmere Port.  Young’s request for a transfer was granted about a fortnight ago and Sharples has bene open to offer for several months.  Mr. Catterick said that no approach had yet been made for Young.  In Sydney to-day, Everton trained for an hour in preparation for their opening tour match, against New South Wales, in Sydney on Saturday.  A small crowd watched the practice session. 

KENDALL PLAYS…
Liverpool Daily Post- Thursday, April 30, 1964
Howard Kendall, seventeen-year-old England youth captain, plays at left half for Preston in the F.A. Cup final against West Ham at Wembley on Saturday.

PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS
Liverpool Daily Post- Thursday, April 30, 1964
EVERTON RETAIN 29
Everton have retained twenty-nine professionals for next season.  They are Brown, Gabriel, Harvey, Humphreys, Heslop, Harris, kay, Labone, Morrissey, Parker, Rankin, Rees, Roberts, Scott, Shaw, Smith, Stevens, Temple, Vernon, West, Wright, Pickering, McLaughlin, Mulhearn, Hill, Meagan, Sharples, Veall, Young.  Players open to transfer are Harcombe (full back), Jarvis (wing half), Parnell (full back), and Phillips (wing half).  Manager Harry Catterick added that many of the retained players were on a two-year contract which they signed 12 months ago.  Everton are also prepared to consider offers for several of the retained players.  Two, of course are Alex Young and George Sharples the wing half from Ellesmere Port.  In Sydney to-day, Everton trained for an hour in preparation for their opening tour match against New South Wales, in Sydney on Saturday.  A small crowd watched the practice session. 

T.V. – THE DE GAULLE OF SOCCER
Liverpool Special, April, 1964
Chairman Tom Williams, who was T.V. long before Logie Baird invented those illustrious initials, saw football first at Anfield from the shouders of his father, himself an Everton player In the days before the split produced the new Liverpool playing on the old Everton pitch at Anfied, and the old Everton playing on a new pitch at Goodson Park.  From that moment T. V. Williams was a red and has remained one ever since, though some of his club's vicissitudes in the post 1939-45 war period would sometimes have made a saint change his footballing favours.  Amid all the unpredictability of the team, and there were times when Unpredictable became their official title, T. V. Williams' enthusiasm and love for the club remained constant. It was often hard going. He took aver during the illness of that greatly-respected pillar of Anfield for so many seasons, the late Will Harrop.  The Liverpool chairman(right) is the De Gaulle of soccer - tall, unswerving in his alms, unshakable if he feels he is right, never one to court popularity at the expense of anything he considers best for the club. 

NEW PLAYERS TUNNELL PLAN AT GOODISON
Liverpool Football Echo & Evening Express- Thursday, April 30, 1964
By Michael Charters
Goodison Park is to have new players’ tunnel leading to the pitch from the dressing rooms by next season.  It will be moved from its present spot towards the Stanley Park end of the ground to a position nearer the centre line, and will be much larger and more impressive than the current one.  It had been hoped to start work this week but the club has had to delay it because the ground will be used for a Cup Final replay next Thursday if Preston and West Ham cannot settle it first time at Wembley on Saturday.  This is the major work to be done at Goodison during the close season, and will necessitate considerable behind-the-scenes reconstruction involving corridors under the Goodison Road stand.  The summer break will also be used to improve toilet facilities and lighting of the stands and passages in other parts of the ground.