How Everton became the top dogs on Merseyside in the mid-1980s
In the 1980s, it was widely acknowledged that Liverpool dominated the English game. However, it is often forgotten that in the middle of the decade, the Reds’ city rivals, Everton, were just as good or even arguably a better team.
This is the story of how Everton enjoyed being top of the football tree for a fleeting moment in the 1980s.
A legend returned to the club in 1981
A club legend from his playing days, Howard Kendall returned as player-manager in 1981 after a short stint as Blackburn Rovers boss.
He only played four games in the 1981/82 season before retiring from the game and concentrating on his managerial career. During his first summer in charge, he signed seven players.
Six of the seven players flopped, but one of those players was legendary goalkeeper Neville Southall, who would go on to represent the club for 17 years and, in his prime, was considered one of the best ‘keepers in the world.
The next few years of transfer windows proved to be more successful as the likes of Peter Reid and Trevor Steven joined the club. Kendall’s first two seasons brought seventh and eighth-place finishes in the English top flight.
The 1983/84 season saw a poor start to the English top flight, as the Toffees won just six of their opening 21 games.
The run put Kendall’s position under pressure, as the team was just above the relegation zone. Things turned around in the second half of the campaign. A key to the turnaround was the November signing of Andy Gray from Wolves for £250,000.
The team made it to the League Cup final, only to lose to arch-rivals Liverpool. However, in May 1984, the improvement was illustrated with a 2-0 FA Cup final win over Watford at Wembley.
The catalyst for glory
The run to the League Cup final and the FA Cup victory was the catalyst for a glorious few seasons. The summer of 1984 saw the Toffees bring in left-back Pat Van Den Hauwe and midfielder Paul Bracewell. The pair turned out to be crucial signings.
After beating Liverpool in the Charity Shield, the 1984/85 league campaign actually started with back-to-back defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and West Brom.
However, the team got back on track. The Toffees’ most notable form came when they recorded three straight victories over Aston Villa, Liverpool and Manchester United. The win against the latter was particularly impressive, as they trounced the Red Devils 5-0 at Goodison Park.
The team went on a 28-game unbeaten run from Boxing Day. Victories over Newcastle and Tottenham saw them move four points clear at the top of the First Division table in April.
Everton clinched the title on 8th May with a 2-0 win over QPR at Goodison Park with five league games remaining.
Their season wasn’t over yet, though, as they won their first and only European trophy to date, as the Toffees recorded a 3-1 win over Rapid Vienna in Rotterdam to win the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
A few days later, Howard Kendall’s team faced Manchester United in the FA Cup final. However, with so little rest, Everton succumb to a 1-0 defeat despite Red Devils defender Mark Moran being sent off.
Unfortunately, primarily due to the events of Heysel at the European Cup final in 84’, English clubs were banned from taking part in European competition. That meant that the Toffees couldn’t test themselves on the biggest European stage.
The following season, the Toffees finished second place to arch-rivals Liverpool. Some former Everton players have claimed that they felt like they were a better team than Liverpool. They finished just two points adrift of the Reds while also losing the FA Cup final against their rivals.
In season 1986/87, once again, the Toffees were crowned English champions. Ironically, some on Merseyside believe that Everton produced a better campaign in the previous campaign, only to finish as runners-up.
They opened their league campaign with a seven-game unbeaten run before three straight defeats against Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Charlton Athletic.
However, the Toffees then went through a period of just one defeat in eight First Division games. One of the most crucial periods of the season was from late December until mid-January when they recorded a run of six straight victories.
Another run of seven straight wins from mid-March until mid-April, including victories over Arsenal, Chelsea, and Aston Villa, all but sealed the title.
A 3-1 loss to reigning champions Liverpool at Anfield in late April was their only loss in their last 12 league games. By the time the Toffees won the final three league games of the season, the First Division title was already wrapped up.
Everton have never hit the same heights
After that 1987 title triumph, Everton’s team broke up, as several of their players left in search of European football elsewhere.
The most crucial exit of all may well have been their manager, though, as Howard Kendall left for Basque giants Athletic Club in the summer.
He returned on two more occasions later in his career, but it was different times, and Everton was a different club, so he couldn’t repeat the success of his first spell as Toffees boss.
The Merseyside team never again reached the heights of that great period during the mid-80s. In fact, the last three decades have brought very little to shout about.
The Toffees last won a trophy in 1995, when they recorded a 1-0 win over Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in the final at Wembley. Everton had just barely beaten the drop, while United had finished as runners-up in the Premier League.
The men from Merseyside are currently going through the longest trophy drought in the club’s history. Everton fans, especially in recent years, have been through some tough times, with close shaves with relegation and internal strife.
However, at least fans of a particular vintage still have Kendall’s team to reminisce about, as they were one of the best football teams of their generation.
Everton fans may get that experience soon, and there is a prospect of better things to come, both on and off the pitch.